PBS Milwaukee, WI Democratic debate @9pm ET **live commentary thread**

[Lyin' Steve]

Likely won't matter much.  Hillary slaughtered Bernie in the last debate and got nothing for it.

[Lyin' Steve]

Just saw a 100% positive advertisement for a PBS Black Panthers documentary that makes them look like revolutionary heroes.
This debate is gonna hurt for Bernie.

[Lyin' Steve]

Gwen and Judy can't agree on which camera to look at.

[Lyin' Steve]

Bernie got the memo, black people want to hear about prison reform.
Hillary looks like she's wearing a Mao suit made of solid gold.

[Lyin' Steve]

Hillary going full identity politics.
She's also borrowing Kasich's "people in the shadows" line.  Wait until she starts calling herself the "princess of light"

[Lyin' Steve]

So much for no breaks!

[Lyin' Steve]

Bernie has absolutely no answer.
"Bernie, how much bigger is the government going to get under your administration?"
"THE 1% HAVE TOO MUCH MONEY"

Thank god she at least pressed him a little on it.  Sanders' answer, "I don't care how big it has to get as long as my issues get resolved."

Hillary needs to fire her makeup artist, she looks so pale.

[Lyin' Steve]

Hillary never bothers to defend this "Bernie will dismantle Obamacare" attack.  Makes her look weak.

[Lyin' Steve]

Hillary needs to show that she is not an angry old lady. She's doing a poor job at it right now.

The Clinton team needs to offer hope and new solutions, not attack a guy with 90% approval ratings, she just comes off as bitter and mad.

Maybe if she smirks at random times while she's attacking Sanders?
I think "smirk more" and "say 'the numbers dont add up'" were the two bits of advice her debate coach gave her.

[Lyin' Steve]

Hillary's winning the health care argument on merits, but I suspect she's not coming across well to Democratic voters.

My reading of it as well.

Story of the election.

[Lyin' Steve]

Clinton is already starting to sound like a broken record and her sleeves are too short.

[Lyin' Steve]

This is so frustrating to watch.
Sanders:  "PROBLEM A IS A HUUUUGE PROBLEM AND RICH PEOPLE CAN BLOW ME!"
Clinton:  "I have a plan to solve problem A.  I looked at Sanders's plan for problem A and it has these holes in it."
Sanders:  "LOOK, PROBLEM A IS A BIG PROBLEM AND SOMETHING I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT!"
Crowd goes wild!!!

[Lyin' Steve]

Clinton really needs to pursue this "Obama took those donations too" line.
It hits at the core of Sanders' argument, which is that the system is corrupt NOW.  And Obama is president NOW.  Make the connection, Hillary.  Force him to insult Obama.

[Lyin' Steve]

I've been spoiling myself all week watching old Christie debate and town hall videos.  My brain is primed for snappy comebacks and the killer instinct.  Hillary could have ended Bernie's campaign at least three times tonight but she just can't.

[Lyin' Steve]

I liked Sanders "Why does the _____ industry donate?" Line that he repeated with various industries. It's a very good point.

Indeed. It says a lot that Hillary has NO response to that.

Here is the proper response:
"Senator Sanders, I ran against President Obama in 2008 and found him a formidable opponent.  HE took money from the pharmaceutical industry!  HE took money from billionaires!  For heaven's sake, he took twice as much money from Wall Street as I have!  [misleading statistic, use the general election numbers]  So I ask you Senator Sanders, since you appear to be claiming that our President was bought and paid for by those industries, what did they get out of it?  What did he give them for all the money they gave him?"
Maybe she could start listing things AGAINST those industries' interests that Obama did and claiming she was partly responsible for them.

[Lyin' Steve]

I liked Sanders "Why does the _____ industry donate?" Line that he repeated with various industries. It's a very good point.

Indeed. It says a lot that Hillary has NO response to that.

Here is the proper response:
"Senator Sanders, I ran against President Obama in 2008 and found him a formidable opponent.  HE took money from the pharmaceutical industry!  HE took money from billionaires!  For heaven's sake, he took twice as much money from Wall Street as I have!  [misleading statistic, use the general election numbers]  So I ask you Senator Sanders, since you appear to be claiming that our President was bought and paid for by those industries, what did they get out of it?  What did he give them for all the money they gave him?"
Maybe she could start listing things AGAINST those industries' interests that Obama did and claiming she was partly responsible for them.

This doesn't answer the question. Is she arguing that the corporations that donated to Obama did so for no good reason? Out of the goodness of their heart? Or do they just like to waste their money?

The reasons that corporations donate to politicians are complicated.  The primary reason is that if politicians have 200 laws they need to pass, but only 100 can get passed this session, the company wants the law that pertains to be one of those 100.  Or they just want the politician to think about issues related to that company.  "We have a problem, this douchebag chemical plant upriver keeps dumping pollutants in the stream and we have to throw away fish all the time because of it.  I know you'll have a lot on your plate in congress but if you could look into some regulations to solve this problem we'd really appreciate it."
A lot of the time they just want a particular politician to get elected over another politician.  There are plenty of democrats on Wall Street who just want to make sure Clinton gets elected because they like her more than Sanders, or they like her more than Trump.  So they give money without expecting any quid pro quo or issue advocacy.

[Lyin' Steve]

Sanders read a wikipedia article on Iran and gets to waste an entire minute reciting it.
Hillary read Bernie's congressional voting record and gets to waste thirty seconds reciting it.
This is so much more substantive than the republican debate guys!

[Lyin' Steve]

What the f**k, Hillary brings up a vote on a resolution? Seriously??

Yeah, what?  Now she's saying he voted for "a similar approach."  That's a lot different.

[Lyin' Steve]

Oh my god.  Sanders is attacking Henry Kissinger.
Please, Clinton, please murder him.  Kissinger is an American legend.

"Count me in as someone who will not be listening to Henry Kissinger" this is just teeing it up for Clinton.

[Lyin' Steve]

Muted clapping for Sanders after lambasting Henry Kissinger for China's trade policies.  What on earth..?..

[Lyin' Steve]

Sanders is nuts.
Yes, Kissinger made some bad bets in Vietnam.  There were a lot of tough decisions to make back then, and he made a lot of good bets too.
Dude also negotiated the Paris Peace Accords that ended the Vietnam war.
But Kissinger did tons of good things.  And he was very effective at orchestrating a complex international strategy and building a coalition to defeat the Soviet Union, the crowning jewel of which was winning China, the "Elizabeth Warren endorsement" of the Cold War.

[Lyin' Steve]

Sanders needs to stop wagging his finger.  Very irritating.

[Lyin' Steve]

Hillary asked a softball question about the leaders that inspired her and start burning Sanders about Obama.
Daring gambit.

[Lyin' Steve]

Please go for the kill Clinton.  Please say "You don't just disagree with him, you call him X, you call him Y, you said Z about him, and I was with him in the Oval Office and I know, it hurt his feelings.  It really did.  Those were hurtful and damaging comments and I think it's a real shame."

OH WAIT SHE"S ACTUALLY TAKING MY ADVICE

[Lyin' Steve]

OH MY GOD HILLARY CLINTON IS DOING WHAT I SAID SHE SHOULD DO
THIS IS A LEGENDARY MOMENT