Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Republicans in disarray!

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Second rate reporter says what?

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2016 / Democratic Debate Open Thread

Reader Interactions

285Comments

  3. 3.

    Right to Rise

    Chaffee and Webb hit Hillary early, and hard.

    Chaffee: “I’ve had no scandals”.

    Webb: “I’m not part of the ‘turn-style’ government”.

  7. 7.

    randy khan

    O’Malley hitting Hillary isn’t going to help him – the people who agree with him already aren’t voting for her.

    But hitting hard is the only strategy that makes any sense for him and for Webb.

  22. 22.

    Mike J

    Watching a Gilmore Girls rerun on Uplift TV. It sounds much dirtier since they bleep every “damn” and “hell”.

  26. 26.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    I’m multitasking, playing with some infrared pics I took this afternoon, pretty cool.

  30. 30.

    Bill Arnold

    @Right to Rise:

    Yet her delivery is still like nails on a chalkboard.

    You’re not the target audience. Just asked my wife about how Hillary’s delivery was and she said “good”.
    She’s been dubious about Hillary, looking to be sold.
    (Edit: your post vanished, no matter.)

  36. 36.

    Right to Rise

    “Worked at the children’s defense fund” back to the same fucking stump speech used since 1992.

  39. 39.

    dmsilev

    Did CNN open its Republican debate by asking all of the candidates “Why are you a raving nutcase?”? Because they kind of should, given the opening round here.

  43. 43.

    jl

    Good question to HRC descends into buzzword gotcha question on follow-up.
    Is progroderate mogressive or not….

    Now Copper dishonestly or ignorantly (no, dishonest BS) mischaracterize what Sanders is.

    Maybe will get better when we get to issues.

  52. 52.

    Felonius Monk

    @Right to Rise: At least Trump is live tweeting this debate. What’s Jeb? doing tonight besides pushing his thumb up his ass? Not that it really matters anymore.

  53. 53.

    beltane

    @amk: Lucky for him it’s unlikely that Jeb will ever get the opportunity to debate Hillary. That honor will go to one of the other Bozos.

  57. 57.

    Elizabelle

    Anderson Cooper is a good moderator. I’m glad we got the good one, and the ‘pubs got Jake Fucking Tapper. Qs are hard, but candidates expect them.

    Chafee: The party left me. An early adopter.

  59. 59.

    sparrow

    Man, I love state-sponsored airlines, this flight is half empty. Have a good debate guys. I hope for a bump in the polls for all the candidates vs generic repub.

  60. 60.

    David Koch

    I’m watching the Dodger game so can people do some play by play of the debate and Baud’s performance

  64. 64.

    dmsilev

    Just think: Don Lemon will be asking questions later on. This is possibly the _high point_ of the debate.

  65. 65.

    germy shoemangler

    I think there should be a law that debates like this should be on BROADCAST TELEVISION.

  67. 67.

    FlyingToaster

    @Right to Rise: For Democrats, working at jobs which help people is a positive factor. We like our politicians to be something other than complete shits or corporate tools.

  70. 70.

    Baud

    We need to merge Bernie’s voice with O’Malley’s, and we’d have one fine sounding progressive.

  73. 73.

    Elie

    Bernie is blowing it. As I said he lost situational awareness. He is following a Democrat. First black President in US history and he has nothing good to say. This should have been first in his mind since he has to shore up black and minority support. He did not. He is a fuss budget scolding and waving his hands — “yes — Get off my lawn”

    Nope

  76. 76.

    chris

    Guess Kevin Drum went home after the national anthem, last post 8:48. No livestream either but that could be either a Canadian or a Linux problem.

    MoJO back. Network overload.

  80. 80.

    Loviatar

    Chafee put into words my problems with a lot of Democrats today.

    “I didn’t change on the issues, I just changed parties”

    He is much a Democrat as Ted Cruz.

  82. 82.

    Keith G

    @Elie:

    Bernie is blowing it. As I said he lost situational awareness. He is following a Democrat. First black President in US history and he has nothing good to say.

    Grinding an axe, you?

  88. 88.

    Emerald

    @Elie: Pretty much the impression I had. Sanders coming across as angry, negative.

    Hillz looking strong and positive.

    So they were wondering how she was going to differentiate herself from Bernie without attacking him. She’s doing it.

  89. 89.

    mike with a mic

    Say what you will, but all of these jerkasses sound better than the clowns from the other side. It’s a good debate, with sane and smart people.

  93. 93.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    As I said, Keith. This is a job interview and I am one of the interviewers. I did not have an axe against Bernie… I truly had not followed him super closely but did have some questions about him. He is not showing well, frankly. MY opinion matters, you see. I don’t like what I see and hear man.

    Seriously, do you like how he is showing?

  95. 95.

    raven on the hill

    Shorter Webb: I am not a racist. Sanders: i am not an ammosexual. Clinton nails it on firearms.

  96. 96.

    p.a.

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Famous Boston Bruin fan insult to visiting head coach (I believe Leafs’ Punch Imlach, but I can’t find a reference): Hey Imlach, we got a town here named after you…Marblehead.

  97. 97.

    mike with a mic

    @Emerald:

    Easy to be strong and positive when you are royal blood in this country. And have the backing of all the nobility. Clinton is a death sentence for the party. Any complaints about elitism, wall street, neoliberal economics, elites, the rich, the 1%, all go out the window if she represents the party.

  100. 100.

    Schlemazel

    The Princess Bride is on cable, it has convinced me to vote for which ever Dem wins the nomination.

    When the GOP offers Vissini, Tyrone Rugen or Humperdink it really makes it no choice but to vote for the Dem. Even Webb would be better, not much but better.

  109. 109.

    M31

    OK, this tweet made me snort:

    “Pumpkin Spiceotope ‏@BuckyIsotope 12m12 minutes ago

    BREAKING NEWS: JOE BIDEN JUST PULLED UP IN FRONT OF CNN IN A CAMARO WITH YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG BLASTING”

  111. 111.

    patroclus

    I like the people on the stage (Webb is a BADASS!) but this annoying Anderson Cooper guy is really getting on my nerves. Is there any way to shut him up?

  125. 125.

    magurakurin

    Hopefully Clinton ends up winning NH and then its over. Better to focus on the general. We get it, Bernie, the rich have too much. Lot’s of other shit to fix as well.

  126. 126.

    p.a.

    @benw: me support who Animal support. Kermit Green Party weenie. Swedish chef S0cailist. Beaker secret Anarchist. Or antichrist. Me confused.

  127. 127.

    Elizabelle

    @Emerald: He is kind of yelling.

    But he’s right on so many of the issues.

    I don’t see how he’s “blowing it” while Liar Fiorina is WINNING, she’s winning, I tell ya….

    But glad to see gun violence front and center. Have they done this with the GOP?

  128. 128.

    Emerald

    @raven: Yeah I think he’s peaked already. If his performance tonight stays this bad, I’m betting he starts to lose traction.

    Assuming anyone is watching this.

  132. 132.

    mike with a mic

    @Elie:

    My candidate is Sanders. I’ve voted D in every presidential election. My only R vote was for Senator Warner, and in VA that was a good vote. (Don’t get Mark and John confused here)

  133. 133.

    SiubhanDuinne (phone)

    The gun debate is substantive and interesting. More conversations like this at debates, please.

  134. 134.

    WaterGirl

    I’m pleased with what I’m hearing from Bernie tonight, and there’s plenty of reason to be mad about what’s going on in our world these days.

  136. 136.

    Peale

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Bernie needs to stop trying to reach the audience in that room and remember he’s microphoned. He needs to remember that he’s talking to the TV audience. It’s a different kind of stage.

  140. 140.

    Keith G

    @Elie:

    Seriously, do you like how he is showing?

    So far okay. Bernie will never be the smooth one with the focus group tested response.

    This is less a job interview than a side show…a unicycle riding juggling act. So I am not sure why Bernie gets down-voted for not mentioning current POTUS.

  143. 143.

    WaterGirl

    The debate goes a lot faster when you fast forward through Webb and Chaffee. I am interested in what all 3 of the other candidates have to say.

  145. 145.

    MomSense

    I don’t get the rural states don’t need gun control talking point. You don’t need a semi automatic rifle to hunt. A lot of places don’t allow use of rifles for hunting anyway.

  148. 148.

    mike with a mic

    Chafee might be a nice guy, but god damn does he come off as scared of his own shadow.

  150. 150.

    Elie

    Bernie needs some positive views about something. He has to remember that the Democratic constituency includes a lot of colored people and that he is following the first black President after a very hard tenure. Sure he has the right to distance himself from the administration, but FIRST he has to give him some props — then he can make his move. He cannot whatever IGNORE the President. Shit. That.is.just.stupid. I did not think he was stupid.

  153. 153.

    Elie

    I think Martin O’Malley could be VP material — possibly — need moar info.

    Is Webb doing anything much?

  155. 155.

    MomSense

    The candidates all have good and bad points (except Webb who is awful) and it is nice to recognize the world the candidates are debating.

  156. 156.

    WaterGirl

    @raven: I”m running a few minutes behind in the debate. For me, Bernie is now answering the question about Syria, and he is speaking in a very measured tone. He only raised his voice when he talked about troops on the ground and going to war.

  159. 159.

    Elizabelle

    Searching for monsters to destroy.

    I like O’Malley answer. Thoughtful and praised Obama.

  164. 164.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    He had opening remarks, Keith. That was an opportunity that wasn’t influenced by the format. Stop making excuses for him.

  169. 169.

    Elizabelle

    @David Koch: Yesh. I am at a Persian restaurant in DC suburbs — Vienna, VA –with Bernie Sanders watch party. Really nice group. Two little girls are coloring at the next table.

    NOT SMOKY.

    I applaud Hillary too, so I’m getting some glances. People are listening and electronics all over the place.

  170. 170.

    David Koch

    @Emerald: It’s almost as if Hillary was valedictorian of her university and an accomplished attorney. Nah, that couldn’t be.

  180. 180.

    Anne Laurie

    Bernie’s not doing himself any favors, IMO.

    Martin O’Malley, on the other hand, seems to be signalling that he’d happily play Biden to HRClinton’s Obama, ifyouknowwhatimeanandithinkyoudo….

  184. 184.

    Peale

    @Betty Cracker: No. I don’t think it’s even close. Although in Vietnam I think the take away was “no more Vietnams”. There’s too many out there who’d be fine with Iraq III (this time it will work!)

  185. 185.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    forget it Keith.

    I am trying to communicate my concerns about the candidate you favor. You will not argue me out of my views with gotcha comments. I gave you straight out what I thought and why. Take it or leave it.

  186. 186.

    jl

    Ok, now we have a real debate on Syria policy. Not sure how much interest in country, but this is better than GOP clown show unless you like freak show entertainment.

  190. 190.

    Elizabelle

    Smart power at its best.

    I like that.

    Not something the cannibal caucus can come up with.

  197. 197.

    Mandalay

    @Betty Cracker:

    O’Malley says Assad’s invasion of Syria was a mistake? WTF?

    Right. I can’t even imagine what he meant to say instead of “Assad”. Putin? ISIS? Just odd.

  199. 199.

    jl

    Cooper playing the ‘that guy said a mean about that about you, so I can ask you about it’ game. I guess CNN is equal handed with the chicken shit approach to debate moderation.

  200. 200.

    Keith G

    @Elie:

    Stop making excuses for him

    I am not making excuses. I am wondering about hurt feelings.

    I am wondering about whose feelings are hurt, how they got hurt, and what degree of responsibility Sanders has for those hurt feelings.

  211. 211.

    Mandalay

    @beltane:

    For the record, Webb didn’t misspeak. He really is against the Iran deal.

    No, he didn’t misspeak. But he picked the wrong party.

  212. 212.

    Emerald

    @Baud: Yep. I expected her to be good at this. She’s always been a good debater.

    But she’s coming across as strong, positive, and smart in everything she’s said, so far.

    I was undecided before this. I think I might be deciding.

  215. 215.

    beltane

    @Mandalay: Well, he hasn’t quite come out with a plan to bomb Planned Parenthood so I guess the Republicans won’t have him either.

  216. 216.

    mike with a mic

    @randy khan:

    Sadly I don’t remember. But Warner was good for VA, good for the military, supported Roe V Wade, supported Stem Cell Research, and spoke highly of Obama. VA is highly educated, highly elite, highly military, and highly liberal… at least my part of it (NOVA). We’re socially liberal, hawks, pragmatic, old school fiscally conservative (aka pay for it, don’t just debt run it).

  217. 217.

    PsiFighter37

    Not her biggest fan but Hillary is making a mockery of these JV candidates. Yes, that includes Bernie, who got absolutely pasted on gun control.

  218. 218.

    Elizabelle

    Bernie wins for me, with greatest threat answer.

    Climate Change.

    Damn tooting. It’s even implicated in the Syrian uprising.

  219. 219.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    ????????

    I don’t know what you are referencing Keith. Bernie has not hurt my feelings. I just don’t like him as a candidate for President for the Democratic Party in 2016. He is unable to articulate a vision for his candidacy that I can support in comparison to Hillary or even Martin O’Malley. That happens. That is why “you have to play the game”. Yes, this is a tough challenge and he has done good in pushing Hillary, but he is NOT going to be the Democratic candidate for President.

  223. 223.

    Keith G

    @Elie: That’s the thing Elie….dear fucking god….I like Bernie, but I do not favor him. Never have. Check back threads if you want…that should have been obvious.

    I have always said that I look forward to voting for Hillary, if she earns it. I have enjoyed the fact that the stronger Bernie is able to be, the more Hillary will have to speak very solidly about important issues. And the more she will have to earn the nomination.

  224. 224.

    oldgold

    Hillary has played on this big of a stage many times. Bernie has not done so. It is showing tonight.

  225. 225.

    randy khan

    @mike with a mic: Yeah, Warner was about as good as a Republican was likely to get (not to mention he really, really looked the part of a Senator). I remember that particular election because I voted for him to avoid voting for a crazy person.

  226. 226.

    Elie

    @Mandalay:

    So true. Gotta know where you belong, right?

    But he is not insane, and he would be considered a left winger to the republicans.

  227. 227.

    dmsilev

    There’s a commercial running from ‘USAnchorBabies.org’. They’re not in favor. “Paid for by Californians for Population Stabilization”.

    WTF?

  228. 228.

    Mandalay

    Bernie correctly says our biggest national security threat is climate change.

    Webb says it’s cyberwarfare. (facepalm)

  229. 229.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    Okay. got it. So why are you giving me a hard time for my assessment of his performance? He did not do well, man. that is all — did not do well.

  230. 230.

    Jeffro

    @Anne Laurie: she would not pick him in 1 million years … Brings nothing to the ticket not geographically, demographically,or any other graphically

    by the way just saw a super PAC ad from a stop Hillary group – unbelievably scummy

  236. 236.

    beltane

    @dmsilev: Holy shit! Did this ad feature swastikas by any chance?

    Jim Webb would have made a very good conservative Republican back in the 1970s.

  240. 240.

    Elizabelle

    The American people are tired of hearing about your damned emails.

    Applause after applause here.

  242. 242.

    Nicole

    Oh my God, I was just tweeting about how I don’t care about emails and then BERNIE JUST SAID THAT SAME THING. Vote for Bernie; he’s psychic.

  245. 245.

    Keith G

    @Elie: What I was referencing is the following….which is similar to other comments:

    Bernie needs some positive views about something. He has to remember that the Democratic constituency includes a lot of colored people and that he is following the first black President after a very hard tenure. Sure he has the right to distance himself from the administration, but FIRST he has to give him some props — then he can make his move. He cannot whatever IGNORE the President. Shit. That.is.just.stupid. I did not think he was stupid.

    It sounded like someone somewhere was of an opinion that Sanders has a special need to fluff the president. I was wondering where that was coming from.

  248. 248.

    dmsilev

    @beltane: It was something along the lines of “Illegal immigrants have anchor-baby kids, who become citizens, and thus the parents and their whole extended families mooch off government benefits. There are BIGNUM of these babies every year.”

    Not sure why the audience for a Democratic debate would be a receptive one for that message.

  253. 253.

    WaterGirl

    I wonder how much confirmation bias is coming into play with our reactions to this debate. It seems like the people who are already pro-Hillary are seeing her debate performance as great. If you didn’t like Bernie coming into the debate, you think he’s yelling to much.

    Because I really dislike Hillary and can’t stand all the inevitability talk (again), I have pretty much detached myself from this process so far. I haven’t listened to an O’Malley speech or seen Bernie at a town hall, nor have I watched or read about Hillary on the campaign trail.

    I don’t hate what Hillary is saying, but I still don’t trust her and she is for too hawkish on foreign policy for my tastes. For the most part, I am positively impressed with Bernie in this debate. O’Malley’s 2-minute intro made me cringe, and Bernie’s intro felt like a breath of fresh air after that! Hillary’s was too canned an measured, not quite as ring-worthy as O’Malley’s.

    Will be interesting to see how the second set turns out.

  255. 255.

    jl

    Chaffee making no sense on emails.
    regardless of politics, Sanders and HRC are right in telling the media to shove it.
    Glad to see O’Malley joins in.

  258. 258.

    Mandalay

    Cooper asks Clinton about her emails.
    She tells him to shove his fucking stupid loaded non-question up his dumb ass.
    Bernie backs her 100%.
    The crowd roars their approval.
    Cooper exposed as a worthless hack.
    Highlight of the evening.

  262. 262.

    jl

    hope all the candidates tell CNN to shove it on their cheap shot on black or all lives matter.

    All candidates including the ones that should not be up there, could probably organize a better debate on their own.

  266. 266.

    divF

    @Mandalay:
    It seems likely that there was some advanced communication / planning on this matter between the Sanders and Clinton camps.

    How likely is it that AC was expecting to be sandbagged like this, and went ahead anyway ?

  267. 267.

    Nicole

    Dear Jim Webb: When that kid asked, “Do Black Lives Matter, or do All Lives Matter?” What he was really asking was, “Are you a racist?” You just failed that question.

    Edited to add: On the other hand, this is the guy who says he represents what the Democratic party used to stand for. So maybe he did understand the question perfectly well.

  268. 268.

    Shinobi

    Anderson Cooper clearly wants the things that the media spends most of its time on to be relevant.

  271. 271.

    Elie

    @Keith G:

    YES. HE DOES.

    For Pete’s Sake man, you are pretty sophisticated person. He is running for the Presidency following the election of the first black President. That Presidency has not been a failure or anything he needs to deny or run away from. YES. I am a black person and I am perhaps more mindful of giving respect to THIS President but I would expect it for ANY Democratic President who was currently in office! Do you remember the 2014 mid terms when all the democrats ran away from this President and his successes? Do you remember the 2000 election when Gore ran away from Clinton?
    I truly expected more of Bernie. I thought he was an experienced pro. Yes, he has to acknowledge and in no way disrespect the current administration even as he charts a new course. This is an easy thing that a pro pulls off without a glitch. He either did not know he should do it or did not want to do it. Bad either way. No excuses for it man. NONE

  273. 273.

    jl

    @divF: Sanders response on emails was pretty much same as it has been every time he has been asked: says its a BS.issue and won’t respond.

    Edit: and I have heard him say GOP smears and sexism are probably involved in all the HRC BS stories. Politically, I think a bank shot for Sanders, since gives him an opening to bash corporate media without looking self-serving.

  274. 274.

    divF

    @jl:
    Good for him!

    ETA: Then AC must have expected to be sandbagged on this, and did it anyway. Interesting.

  275. 275.

    Keith G

    I think will be interesting to see how John Dickerson decides to play the role of moderator in the next Democratic discussion. I suspect it will be quite different that ol’ Anderson

  276. 276.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Well, damn. I’ve been watching streaming on the iPad and trying to comment from the phone, but comments for some reason not getting through. So now I’m back on the iPad, audio only, so I can play with you guys.

  278. 278.

    Mike in NC

    @dmsilev: R2R drops in about once a night for 5-10 minutes of flinging poo, then runs away. Maybe ferreting doesn’t pay so well after all.

  279. 279.

    jl

    @WaterGirl: I think debates work that way if you strongly favor a candidate. That is life.

    My concern is that these people make the Democratic party look good for the general, and HRC (probable nominee) and Sanders (closest to my views and only other one making an impact) both look pretty good, each in their own way. Both have big strengths and some weaknesses.

    Regardless of how they do against each other, I think both look promising against the GOP so I am happy.

  280. 280.

    JimGod

    @Elie: Nothing to run away from…..except TPP, which is a bad trade deal. You’re free to base your vote on whatever you want but I’m sorry, because he won’t name Obama or back him 1000%? Unrealistic.

  281. 281.

    Mandalay

    Ruh-roh….Clinton is bragging about how she has been an enemy to the avarice of Wall Street.

    Bad move.

  283. 283.

    jl

    @Mandalay: I read Wall Street has decided that HRC may be unsound on big finance and not sending the money. So, she may be spared any dilemma about going after big finance.

    Chaffee blows it now.

  284. 284.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Honestly, just based on what I’ve seen tonight, I think HRC as POTUS nominee, someone else (Julian Castro for choice, right now) as VP nominee, and Bernie Sanders as loyal supporter, would make a terrific tag team in the general. I can’t go along with the “why is Bernie so angry?” vibe — to me, that’s just Bernie and the way he’s always been in campaign rallies, floor speeches, interviews, etc. It obviously resonates with an awful lot of people, so assuming that Hillary wins the nomination, I really hope she uses Bernie in the general (and that he’s willing to play that role, of course).

  285. 285.

    JimGod

    @SiubhanDuinne: She damn well better because that whole “I went to Wall Street and said cut it out” is not gonna work in an election based on wealth inequality and distribution.

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