On the 19th, the Democrats are going to debate in Las Vegas. As of now, it looks like there will be six candidates on the stage: Biden, Bernie, Mayor Pete, Klobuchar and Warren have guaranteed places since they won delegates in either Iowa or New Hampshire or both. Bloomberg seems likely to make it on polling although that is not guaranteed. Steyer's and Gabbard's chances of participation are not very good.
What's important about the debate, however, is not who is in them, but rather what gets discussed. So far the debates have centered on just a few issues. The biggest interest for the moderators seems to have been how to get the candidates to argue with or attack each other. We've had questions about what Sanders may or may not have said to Warren at a dinner two years ago. We haven't had questions exploring much in the way of foreign policy. We've had questions about comments or votes made decades ago, but there's been hardly a mention of trade policy with China or the EU or the UK. There has also been no questioning about the best way to deal with the outbreak of the corona virus since that is something new. Do the candidates approve of the government having cut off entry of people from China? It would be nice to hear specifics. No one is interested in hearing one of these candidates talk about the need for a new Manhattan project to fight the virus. People deserve to hear sense rather than BS.
It would also be good to hear specifics from the candidates about the economy. Stop questions that just let them lie about how terrible the economy is for many. (The truth is that it's great for a vast majority.) Why not ask them how they would continue the growth of jobs in the USA? Why not ask them how they would deal with the loss of 14 million jobs across the country that would come from an end to fracking? Why not ask them how to deal with the loss of millions of jobs in the banking and related fields if many of the new restrictions they are proposing were to go into effect?
And how about entitlements? Ask them how they would preserve Social Security. Ask them about Food Stamps. Do they think it is a good thing that 8 million people came off the food stamp rolls in the last three years? How do they pay for entitlements and welfare programs without raising taxes? And by how much would they need to raise taxes, which taxes would they be, and when would they be raised?
Then there's military spending. Would they cut it? If so, by how much? What items in particular would get cut?
How about the war in Afghanistan? Do they have a plan to bring that to an end?
These are not minor questions. We've had more than half a dozen debates and countless interviews for all these candidates. Shouldn't we all know what the candidates think about these subjects?
What's important about the debate, however, is not who is in them, but rather what gets discussed. So far the debates have centered on just a few issues. The biggest interest for the moderators seems to have been how to get the candidates to argue with or attack each other. We've had questions about what Sanders may or may not have said to Warren at a dinner two years ago. We haven't had questions exploring much in the way of foreign policy. We've had questions about comments or votes made decades ago, but there's been hardly a mention of trade policy with China or the EU or the UK. There has also been no questioning about the best way to deal with the outbreak of the corona virus since that is something new. Do the candidates approve of the government having cut off entry of people from China? It would be nice to hear specifics. No one is interested in hearing one of these candidates talk about the need for a new Manhattan project to fight the virus. People deserve to hear sense rather than BS.
It would also be good to hear specifics from the candidates about the economy. Stop questions that just let them lie about how terrible the economy is for many. (The truth is that it's great for a vast majority.) Why not ask them how they would continue the growth of jobs in the USA? Why not ask them how they would deal with the loss of 14 million jobs across the country that would come from an end to fracking? Why not ask them how to deal with the loss of millions of jobs in the banking and related fields if many of the new restrictions they are proposing were to go into effect?
And how about entitlements? Ask them how they would preserve Social Security. Ask them about Food Stamps. Do they think it is a good thing that 8 million people came off the food stamp rolls in the last three years? How do they pay for entitlements and welfare programs without raising taxes? And by how much would they need to raise taxes, which taxes would they be, and when would they be raised?
Then there's military spending. Would they cut it? If so, by how much? What items in particular would get cut?
How about the war in Afghanistan? Do they have a plan to bring that to an end?
These are not minor questions. We've had more than half a dozen debates and countless interviews for all these candidates. Shouldn't we all know what the candidates think about these subjects?
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