My Take On Last Night's Democratic Candidates' Debate

"The Question Warren Won't Answer," David Leonhardt, The New York Times
https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-question-warren-wont-answer-david.html

"Pete Buttigieg’s Debate Poetry," Frank Bruni, The New York Times

https://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2019/10/pete-buttigiegs-debate-poetry-frank.html

Dear F,

Thanks for your email.

Last night I realized what I'd been "feeling" all along.

I resonate most with the black candidates - Cory and Kamala.

After last night, Cory's "likeability curve" is steeply ascendant.

However, I did not like Mayor Pete's new style even though his content was admirable.

That said, I know most people liked Pete's presentation but to me he seemed a little too peevish.

Pete did perform a great service by putting Warren on the ropes about her "plan" to finance "Medicare For All."

To me Pete makes rock-solid sense when he advocates letting those Americans who are happy with their existing healthcare keep it. (Pete also made good sense emphasizing "the do-able" rather than the "most idealistic" in gun control and immigration. In passing I will mention Buckminster Fuller's great line: "The most idealistic is the realistically most practical.")

Here's the thing...

On both side of the aisle, rudimentary "freedom of choice" is the central deity of America's secular religion. 

I would also point out -- although candidates are not likely to say it -- "Look, universal government-backed healthcare is not only do-able. It has already been done in every other industrialized country. Furthermore, resounding majorities in those countries are happier with their healthcare -- and with their lives for that matter - than Americans are."

To my surprise, while Elizabeth's stock went down last night, Joe's went up -- even with his bumbling verbiage. (At one point -- even though he "caught himself" -- Joe started to take credit for "getting rid of Roe v. Wade.")

Consider.

Trump "was born on third base" and thinks he hit a triple.

Joe "was born with his foot in his mouth" and seems to think that if he jams it in far enough, it will end up back where it belongs.

Klobachar also put in a strong performance. But I doubt she can enthuse the electorate. That said, she has (apparently) done a brilliant job bringing people together in her home state.  There is also -- for me at least -- a whiny quality in Klobachar's voice that seems to extend to her face, to her posture and to her affect as well.

To summarize:

If Elizabeth shows enough flexibility/resilience to adopt Pete's more modest approach to healthcare -- and if she were to name Booker her veep -- I see a winning ticket. 

I also see a winning ticket comprised of Biden and Booker. 

Or Biden and Harris.

In any event, Make Kamala Attorney General.

Love

A 

On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 7:52 AM FV wrote:

Last night was not a disaster for anyone though Warren was on defense a lot and needs to answer paying for her healthcare a lot better.

Love

A Deep Look At Joe Biden And His Appeal With Working Class Whites

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-deep-look-at-joe-biden-and-his-appeal.html