Rating Their Second Performance

Well we have the second Democrat debate in the books, and this debate was no less riddled with controversy and bias than the first. Before we get into the analysis of of the candidates, the grandstanding and loaded questions asked by CNN moderators made many people question whether this was a debate in a free country or a propaganda piece from a socio-fascist regime.

Overall, I think some people moved up and some people moved down.

One of the moderators made several unfounded attacks on the current president of the United States, presenting them like they were facts. They then asking “gotcha” questions to candidates, who dared take the middle road. As hard as it was to believe, it was hard to watch the debate because of the outright bias of the moderators.

So, without further ado, how did the candidates make out?

10) Former Congressman John Delany

The gleam off of Delany’s polished head may have been the brightest ray of light coming from the stage last night, but he countered the brilliance of his hairline with his atrocious policy positions. Delany appeared to be trying to take a moderate point of view, or at least what a progressive radical would call a moderate position. His statements were so far from Democrat orthodoxy that Senator Warren and Senator Sanders accused him of using Republican talking points.

The sterling reputation of CNN came out when Don Lemon, a millionaire, asked Delany how he, another millionaire, would react to Elizabeth Warren’s (another millionaire) plan to tax millionaires. It was clear that, while Delany may have had more moderate policy position than the radicals on the stage, he was being chosen as the “token white man.” His job is to lose the debate, and CNN’s “gotcha” question sunk his shiny little ship.

Best Moment: When he challenged Liz Warren on the stage about her education plan, to which Warren responded with a canned answer and an incredulous look at the knowledge that someone actually read her plan.

Worst Moment: When CNN started the dogpile on the “sacrificial millionaire.” From that point on, he did not really have a chance in the uber-liberal zone.

9) Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete did not do too strong last night, which was surprising since he normally is one of the better debaters on the stage. CNN hit him hard with questions on race relations in his city, to which Mayor Pete responded with a very well thought out reply, discussing the finer points of local and national policy.

This only raised the ire of the Morlocks moderating and took away the steam that Mayor Pete had going for him. Generally, Mayor Pete stayed away from challenging the “questionable” qualifications of the other candidates on stage, many of whom may be worthy of a congressional inquiry. Mayor Pete also seemed to be in control when he talked about taking the troops out of Afghanistan.

Best Moment: When CNN tried to create a “talking point” between him and Bernie Sanders because of age. Mayor Pete answered it gracefully, and it was then demolished by Bernie Sander’s heavy-handed reply.

Worst Moment: Once again, CNN’s gotcha question put their “leader” in control of the conversation. Mayor Pete fought uphill valiantly, but they gave Bernie more time, more ammo and more support.

8) Senator Elizabeth Warren

Let’s face it, we all knew that CNN loves our little Fauxcahontas. They showed it in the first half of the debate when she was the only candidate who got an opportunity to respond to nearly every question. It was so painfully obvious that even Democrats on Twitter started calling out the bias.

Honestly, if I were a Democrat candidate, I would have loved that they were letting her talk. Elizabeth Warren is not likable. She is a wealthy white lady who got rich off appropriating the race of one of the most abused ethnicities on the planet. Other candidates should let her talk; each time she does, more and more “moderate democrats” turn their attention to Williamson, Gabbard and Buttigieg.

Best Moment: When CNN lofted Delany a softball question accusing him of being rich and painting her plan to tax the wealthy as a progressive utopia.

Worst Moment: When CNN let her talk for about 20% of the total debate time.

7) Senator Bernie Sanders

We did not feel the “bern” last night, and even though he had nearly as much time as Elizabeth Warren, he did not use it well. He spent most of the night punching down at the younger candidates on stage, who he perceived as attacking his policies (most were going after Liz Warren). His message was on point, the problem was that point was the socialist drivel that he is known for.

Best Moment: When he demolished Mayor Pete’s well thought out answer on the age difference. Mayor Pete took the high road and Bernie took the Democrat Road.

Worst Moment: When the slow realization came across his face that he was no longer the anointed socialist, and that the title had passed to a younger generation.

6) Rep Tim Ryan

I do not like Tim Ryan, but I will admit that he did better in this debate than in his first debate. Ryan continued his message against the socialist policies of his opponents, fighting more for a union controlled kleptocracy than socialism. I think he was correct that Warren and Sanders will alienate middle America, but his approach probably alienated Democrat primary voters who fall into the radical camp.

Best Moment: Near the middle of the debate, he gave a strong impassioned speech about the American middle class, which I assume will be in a campaign add for his re-election for congress when he drops out of the race. He did tarnish it a little with his union orthodoxy, but this was definitely his strong point.

Worst Moment: Not respecting the national anthem. Yes, you are a democrat. Yes, you are edgy. Now get your hand over your heart and respect the nation that gave an unqualified grandstander like you the privilege of being on that stage.

5) Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke

Honestly, I cannot believe that I placed him this high, it was just that the other candidates were that bad. I really think that is the life story of Robert O’Rourke, that the reason he succeeds is because he knows how to put himself up against losers. It worked to get him into Congress. It failed against Senator Ted Cruise, who is a winner. Now we will see if he can come out on top of this heap as his campaign seems to be changing as fast as he changed his name to get into politics.

Best Moment: His prepared statement? Beto did not have any defining good points last night, he just had few enough bad points that he came in 5th of 10.

Worst Moment: His racial moments, CNN hit the all white stage very hard on the issue of race. Beto, who like Warren “exaggerates” his race, comes in poorly with people who actually are suffering. The Dolezal Factor is high with this one.

4) Gov. Steve Bullock

With 10 minutes of debate time, Bullock was average. So average in fact that I cannot remember a single moment from his debate performance. And since I do not want to comment on his clothes, which is the route U.S. News took, I will just say that he made it to the finish line because he was not a radical, but he is so average that he would be eaten alive if he ever really showed up in the polls.

Best Moment: None

Worst Moment: None

3) Former Governor John Hickenlooper

Now we come to the cream of the crop. I note they are the cream of the crop because they, like cream of corn, were so bland that they did not destroy their campaigns with their sub-par debate entries. Hickenlooper was the adult in the room. While he tried to be with the “cool kids,” you could see that he was choking on the radical policies that were dominating the night (re: Warren and Sanders). CNN gave him 8.8 minutes, less than half of Warren and Sanders, once again showing the bias of the network. Although this may have been a blessing; Hickenlooper’s “moderate” positions would not test well with the primary target they are after.

Best Moment: He stayed out of the fight. While this may not be a great stratagem, it did seem to work last night as candidates took veiled shots at each other in the lead up to the September debates. Hickenlooper may coast in through the merit of not making anyone hate him.

Worst Moment: Not jumping in in some areas. While silence is a virtue that few on the stage hold, Hickenlooper’s silence on some of the big issues lead one to think that he may be a weak leader, like Obama, who let others push him around.

2) Senator Amy Klobuchar

Senator Klobachar put in a strong performance, and while I did spend most of the education section prodding her campaign on Twitter about her sounding like a Republican, the truth is that she did what most of the candidates have failed to do, shift toward the middle.

Senator Klobachar was the adult in the room at the Kavanagh hearings for the Democrats, now she is becoming the adult in the room at the debate. While Sanders and Warren were throwing socialist candy to the radicals in the debate room, Klobachar spoke to the silent majority. I think she had the penultimate performance of the night.

Best Moment: When she broke ranks and went after socialist plans. This appeal to the middle may be what she needs to qualify for the September debates, if the media other than NRN covers it.

Worst Moment: She dropped the race question. It was almost as if she shunned it. While I hate the race baiting as much as anyone else, for a Dem Candidate they need to answer it. I can see this coming back to haunt her if she hangs around in the race.

1) Author Marianne Williamson

While NBC News attacked her performance last night, she was the clear winner of the debate. Let’s face it, we all thought she was a joke after the first debate, calling on the “power of love” to fix the world. But then I think when more people looked at her, they realized that those of us who are Christian believe in the same thing.

While she traded in her 1970s hotel garb for a more modern 1990s look, she traded her hippy “laid back” approach for a little tiger in her voice. While she did have the crazy moments, like “dark psychic forces” and playing the phantom piano (her not knowing what to do with her hands gave me Ricky Bobby flashbacks), what she was saying by and large was Clinton style democrat messaging, and she stayed on point. While CNN shorted her time – again – she made the best of her time, and I truly think that she won the debate.

Best Moments: Her final statement. She has painted a target on herself as she calls out the Democrat credentials of her opponents. Almost like Trump saying “Send her back,” Williamson called out the socialists in the field, asking if they were really Democrats. The nice little gal from California went scorched earth on her opponents, and left them stunned in her cloud of dust.

Worst Moments: Marianne, please think before you talk. “So Many Americans believe yada yada yada,” and “Dark Psychic forces” make it sound like you are Dungeons and Dragons DM who did not plan out her adventure. As a hippy moderate, which is what you come across as, you have every right to be in this race. I think you are closer to middle America than anyone else on that stage. But crazy stuff like that scares people, keep to the message. I hope we will see you on the debate stage in September.

The Democrat Tide of Socialism

Overall, I think some people moved up and some people moved down. The tide of socialism is playing well to the room and the moderators, but the American people are not buying into what has failed so many times before. If Williamson, Buttigieg, Klobachar, Hickenlooper, Ryan and Delany can “suit up” and fight against the socialists in the next debate (please keep the stage big until at least 2020), I think we will see the dichotomy in the Democrat party. Then the American people will tell the DNC that they want more moderate, not the radical socialists who hate our country.

Just a Note:

Time for Socialists: Approx. 46 Minutes (3 Candidates)

Time for Democrats: Approx. 54 Minutes (7 Candidates)

Who does CNN Like?