2nd DEM Debate Thread: July 30 & 31, Detroit (MI), CNN

[Mr. Smith]

I hope the line-up is something like:

Night 1: Biden, Warren, Castro, Klobuchar, Delaney, Gillibrand, O'Rourke, Yang, Bullock
Night 2: Harris, Sanders, Gabbard, deBlasio, Inslee, Williamson, Bennet, Booker, Ryan

[Mr. Smith]

What I really, really want is to see Bennet and Gillibrand have breakout moments.  I'd love see Bennet attack Biden, and Gillibrand attack Buttigieg.

Already happened, didn't result in a breakout. sorry.

[Mr. Smith]

Question:

Are seated debates not common in the US ?

I’d like to have a debate where candidates are seated in cozy chairs like we have here in Austria.

Debate podiums are unnecessarily stiff.

There was a 2008 GOP primary debate that looked like a game show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9EzQy1qHMc

Seated debates just look weird, they look less like presidential debates and more like a family dinner conversation. Truly, if a candidate can't be standing for thirty minutes till a commercial break then that candidate probably isn't strong enough to be president

The alternative is a two-person press conference.

[Mr. Smith]

Judging by the reaction on here, I’m going to like Steve Bullock on immigration and other issues when I get home and actget a chance to watch it.

No, he's been pretty terrible. Aside from guns...and even then, it's by accident that he hit a topic that he really couldn't answer.

Good to see gun control having a proper place in this debate.

Everyone except Warren switched the topic over to general corruption. Even Bernie struggled.

[Mr. Smith]

CNN giving way too much time to Delaney.

Like I said on AAD, CNN is a Conservative Channel. A Concern Troll Conservative....but conservative nonetheless.

[Mr. Smith]

Current Grades for this night:

Sanders: A+  (Easily the biggest jump of them all)
Warren: A (A small step up, but she doesn't have much more to move)
Buttigieg: B (Good performance, but still very much platitudes most of the way)
Beto: B- (Another really good jump, I think that stop in Flint was some kind of energizer. A bit weak at the beginning though)
Bullock: C+ (The epitome of hit and miss)
Klobuchar: C- (Tried so hard with stories...but left no kind of impact..at all)
Ryan: D+ (Just a mediocre, droning sort of bad here.)
Williamson: D- (What happens when A+ policies meet a Tommy Wiseau-esque performance? This grade. Unfortunately she's lost the so-bad-it's-good qualities from the last time)
Delaney: F +(Rude and desperate. But he did have some command with dose eyes!)
Hickenlooper: F (Just desperate, and pretty much wrong.)

[Mr. Smith]

CNN now has former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum as Political Commentator. They're going down the Full Socialist Route. Unbelievable!

Really? So what're Rick Santorum and Chris Christie doing there?

And why all the generous amount of time to Delaney, and the constant cut-offs for Sanders and Warren?

Seems to me Gillum's just their Fox News Liberal...I mean, now that Fox News doesn't even have those anymore.

[Mr. Smith]

Biden is getting attacked left and right and not faltering at all

FTFY

Your fascination with the idea of the possible demise of Biden is just as creepy as RFK fan's.

What's fascinating about it? He's obviously the least electable candidate. Literally every candidate has taken a jab and landed something on him.

He'll be easily stomped by Trump if Inslee can land something on him.