Democratic candidate debate highlights

July 23rd, 2007:

Since the world doesn’t just revolve around me and my poems, I’ll be posting some political stuff here because, well, this will be a very political year! I’ll begin by mentioning how much fun it was to watch you tubers ask the candidates questions in multi media. Anderson Cooper moderating? Would have preferred John Stewart, but I guess the producers needed to level the you-tubing off with a semi-serious character. Makes you wonder what was going through candidates’ minds being scrutinized by these internet “punks” when they’re used to the more sober, proper comforts of a traditional debate. Nana nana nana.

For those who want to take two hours of their time to watch the whole debate, here are the links to the four videos. For those who don’t, here are highlights, per issue and then candidate, in somewhat of an order (what am I, getting paid to do this?!)

What makes you different?

• Strength through peace – Dennis Kucinich
• Ready to put national interest above special interests – Obama
• Ready to hit the ground running – Hilary – called herself progressive as opposed to liberal. I think this is a smart move
• Mike Gravel – picks on Barack Obama for accepting special interest money for his campaign, although he claims differently

Character note: John Edwards seems too good to be true. I mean, he seems genuine in every sense of the word, he means what he says, he tells you the truth, he’s a good guy, he’s inspiring, talks about fighting the big corporations, taking people on. Is he too good of a guy? Will he get killed like Kennedy???

• Bill Richardson – stop predatory lending to low income people
• Obama, not black enough?!
• Hilary: race, gender, ethnicity are not the issue – good point Hilary. There’s much more at stake here than whether we have a woman or a black president
• John Edwards – doesn’t want your vote if you’re NOT voting for Hilary or Obama because they’re a woman and black, respectively

Character note: Hilary is no doubt a seasoned public speaker: concise, polite and answers the question that was asked.

• John Edwards does NOT support gay marriage and is honest about it. That takes guts and I respect it.

Do you agree with me that campaign ads are fun?! They’re the best part of the campaign, as long as they’re not ripping on other candidates. Here’s the brief on campaign ads:

- Mike gravel’s: ME, ME, MEEEEEEEEEE!!

- Hilary’s: sometimes the best man for the job is a woman – hehe

- Joe Biden’s: single-issue? Iraq, Iraq, Iraq

- Kucinich’s: 73223 text peace – Character note: Dennis seems to have had the most fun of any candidate on his debate. He kept smiling widely, what was so funny?!

- Obama’s: let’s change the world – too 80′s?

Character note: Bill Richardson seems cool headed, non political and with a clear understanding of the issues and what needs to be done to resolve them.

• Mike Gravel bitches that he hasn’t gotten enough time to talk

Edwards, Clinton and Obama show constant deference and quote each other on their answers. These three know it’ll boil down to one of them and they’re very much acting like it.

- All candidates for shared experience of service – universal national service and/or public service (that includes women)

- Bill Richards against no child left behind

- Obama puts the private vs. public school question in perspective. It’s not about where senators send their children to school, but where the average American sends theirs and the quality of education in the general public school system

- John Edwards has 4 children. Boy has he been busy!

On the environment:

- Kucinich on global warring/global warming: same approach to energy

- Gravel: change America from consuming nation to saving nation

- Christopher Dodd – tax pollutants!

(Most of the candidates arrived to the debate site on jets)

- Obama: fuel efficiency, nuclear, solar – blames Chaney for issue of the day

- Hilary: take oil company tax breaks away

On voting systems:

- Richards: establish standardized voting practices – VPT (verifiable paper trail), same day registration

Would you work for minimum wage?

- Gravel: for living wage

- Hilary: “sure” – yeah right

- Obama: we’re rich; of course we could do it! But how about the rest of America?

Social Security – raise taxes or cut benefits:

- Richards – prevention programs, stop privatization, universal pension 401K

Taxes:

- Joe Biden – end tax breaks – don’t tell me what you value, tell me your budget

- Kucinich: don’t raise taxes? end NAFTA

Health plan:

- Obama for universal coverage – personal experience through cancer mom, stop lobbyists from crafting health care in America

- Edwards – mandatory health care – went on three day poverty tour? Only in America is poverty is an outing!

Character note: Hilary appeals to you-tubers by thanking them for their questions (notes names)

Healthcare for undocumented immigrants?

- Dodd: Hmmm… sounded like yes for children and yeah whatever for parents – junk food out of schools

- Richardson: yes, and conduct more stem cell research

Hilary is proud of bill Clinton – is Lewinsky in the back on her head?

- Gravel: the Clintons sold the party to Wall Street

- Obama is reluctant to attack Gravel back, even after several provocations

On God:

- Obama – separate church and state

On Guns:

- Richards: require background check, attack the core problems of poverty

- Joe Biden: calls gun question guy crazy.

Character note: it seems like every time Joe Biden opened his mouth, he’d tell us about yet ANOTHER bill he wrote or drafted.

Final question: very cute, light – name one thing you like and don’t like about the candidate to your left:

- Gravel: follow the money (good advice BTW)

- Dodd: all positive about John Edwards. Sounds like Edwards is the golden boy of the party huh.

- Edwards doesn’t like Clinton’s coat?

- Clinton: Democrats are ready to lead – I agree with her. This is quite obvious.

- Kucinich – CNN couldn’t find anybody to put to the left of me! And how very appropriate!

There you have it. Republican Debate is next week. Let’s keep notes.