1st DEM Debate Thread: June 26 & 27, Miami, MSNBC & NBC & Telemundo (9-11pm)

[Blue3]

Is everyone ready for Julian Castro to creep everyone out by imitating Obama's voice (tone, pitch, mannerisms, everything) to Uncanny Valley levels?

[Blue3]

How I'd rank these 10 after the debate...

1. Elizabeth Warren - very good first hour, good second hour, was prepared and confident, communicated her plans well... I just think she needed a better answer on her guns question (did she blank on the idea of a gun buyback?) and her going into her biography and getting into college reminds people of *that* story

2. Julian Castro - impressive all-round, especially his detailed policy attack on Beto and knowing where everyone else on the stage stood

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3. Tulsi Gabbard - composed, and I think her anti-war message might have given her a good moment with her calling Tim Ryan out on his support for endless military engagement but she really should have clarified about the Taliban/AlQaeda and been given time to explain that better

4. Jay Inslee - I like him in theory, and appreciate him highlighting climate change, but his performance wasn't too impressive

5. Bill De Blasio - better than expected, "high energy" as Trump would say, but still somewhat lacking, and his "btw I have a black son" was weird.

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6. Cory Booker - I think everyone knows I hate him, he's a corporatist shill, but he did an ok job with his "performance" tonight and at least he did seem genuine on a few things, and I liked his answer on violence against LGBTQ people, but he did so much pandering. If he really saw his supposed "community" as his actual "community," maybe he should have actually tried to dispel the myth of low-income black neighborhoods being war-torn hells on earth, and actually talk about the good stuff that happens in those communities? So much "btw I'm black" pandering going on.

7. John Delaney - eh, well, he put in effort and at least wasn't a snoozefest? (I also just had to look up his first name)

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8. Amy Klobuchar - awful, so plain and generic, "vote for me because I listen and I also do stuff," and at one point she was like "immigrants!" while rolling her eyes and snorting, it was just weird.

9. Beto O'Rourke - terrible, needs to drop out, everyone cleaned his clock, especially Castro

10. Tim Ryan - awful, not confident, talked about never leaving Afghanistan, talked about "engagement" for a solid minute, Tulsi bit back, and he said he wasn't talking about engagement? Needs to drop out, I doubt he'll make it to the 3rd debate.

[Blue3]

Looking at last night's debate only, and ranking those 10:

1. Bernie Sanders - he slipped on a few issues, like gun control, didn't always pivot well, but I think he did well enough to keep his support, and it helps that he's no longer the most radical on the stage

2. Kamala Harris - some of her quips were clearly rehearsed, but she did come across as authentic, and she destroyed Biden. She did much better than I thought, and I think she overall won the debate. I just continue to worry about her criminal justice record.

3. Kirsten Gillibrand - she was annoying for the first half-hour or so, but reigned herself in after Kamala's "food fight" comment. I think she did very well.

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4. Andrew Yang - great ideas and thoughtfulness and ability to articulate the details, but he's terrible at communicating any of this in the debate format.

5. Pete Buttigieg - poor answer on his crisis this week. Very disappointing overall. But he line on Christianity and hypocrisy was awesome!

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6. Eric Swallwell - had a couple good points, especially the early one on Biden, but he's not ready (but better than Delaney or Ryan)

7. Michael Bennett - I think he made a good point... once? Should drop-out.

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8. Joe Biden - destroyed by Kamala Harris on busing, by Bernie Sanders on Iraq, he will probably lose the most support.

9. Marianne Williamson - yeah... no. She had a couple good points, at least.

10. John Hickenlooper - drop-out and go back to the 1950's, visit your friend McCarthy

[Blue3]