Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

ha ha ha! Nice try weird people.

Democrats are back in array!

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

No one could have predicted…

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

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

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Detroit DNC Debate, Night One

Detroit DNC Debate, Night One

by | 299 Comments

This post is in: 

Guardian liveblog here.

CNN’s no-subscription-required livestream (which just crashed my browser, sigh) is here.

Let the commentoring begin!

ETA: Strong start!

Warren: Trump “disgraces the office of president every single day”
Elizabeth Warren came out strong with a denunciation of the Oval Office’s current occupant. “Donald Trump disgraces the office of president every single day,” Warren said.

The Massachusetts senator emphasized that any of the Democrats onstage would make a better president than Trump and slammed his as the beneficiary of a rigged system…

When you can’t be smart, be veryveryvery EARNEST!!

Jake Tapper has so far been vigilant about keeping candidates to the time limits that CNN is trying to enforce.

That technique may help each candidate receive a more proportionate time of camera attention, but it has also made for a choppy debate with candidates repeatedly being cut off mid-point.

Reader Interactions

299Comments

  5. 5.

    zhena gogolia

    Somehow I’m too nervous to watch this time. I’ll get it from your comments.

  6. 6.

    Raven

    OMG a television network is treating a television event like it’s a television event!!!! The Horror!

  9. 9.

    Adam L Silverman

    The debate’s rules are simple. They are being scored under the rules of the unified commission of boxing. There is no three knock down rule, you can not be saved by the bell in any round, including the 12th and final round, and each round will be scored based on good ring generalship, effective aggression, and clean, effective punching!

  13. 13.

    Adam L Silverman

    Hey, fat slob in the black polo shirt: put your cell phone down, they’re presenting the colors. If you’re protesting, fine, but tweet later.

  14. 14.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud:

    No, I watched the second one with Biden & Harris. I couldn’t watch the one with Warren.

  15. 15.

    Patricia Kayden

    Hopefully after tonight, the lower performing candidates will start dropping out. The field is too crowded with folk who have zero chances of winning,

  19. 19.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Patricia Kayden: Even if they don’t, the DNC rules tighten things up. After tonight everyone but Biden, Warren, Harris, Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and maybe Booker will be excluded from the debates.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    Is the winner of tonight’s debate the candidate who sang the loudest, has the best singing voice, or didn’t sing at all?

  22. 22.

    zhena gogolia

    Hickenlooper is so bad. I hate to say it, because I share a kind of connection with him.

    Luckily Bennet is good. (I guess he’s not on tonight.)

    That thing Hickenlooper said about repeating Mitch’s words back to him as if he were a disgruntled diner?

  25. 25.

    Adam L Silverman

    We pause this exercise in American democracy to sell you some crap you don’t need.

  28. 28.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anne Laurie: I’d like to know when the residents of his home planet are coming to pick up Robert Costa and take him home. That peep gives me the creeps.

  30. 30.

    Martin

    @Patricia Kayden: They should. I think only 7 candidates have qualified for Sept. That might get to 10.

    The flipside of that is that if you’re in that bottom 10, this is go big or go home night. You need polls and donors and the only way left to get there is by taking people down – getting your message in, even if it’s not a question to you. The top 10 can be well behaved.

  31. 31.

    Anne Laurie

    @Baud:

    Yang made it.

    Last I read, the DNC refused to accept one of the polls Yang claimed, so maybe not quite yet…

  32. 32.

    Leto

    Whew, was hoping we could get to the twenty minute mark without anything happening at all. Only CNN could pull that off; well done boys, well done! Also deBalsio just sunk his own battleship by not placing his hand over his heart. Pinko commie right there!

  33. 33.

    WaterGirl

    @Cheryl Rofer: I thought the very same thing. At least one voice seemed very off key to me, as well. Ugh. The pageantry is annoying. CNN is trying too hard.

  37. 37.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Leto: Not to mention those shoes do not go well with his suit. And I don’t care what the damn Italian tailors and cobblers say about brown leather shoes with blue suits.

  38. 38.

    Leto

    @Raven: My honest answer is that theatric shit is irrelevant. Have it before the televised part. Move this shit show along.

    (Personally I’ve had enough color guard shit to last me several lifetimes; move it along)

  47. 47.

    Butter Emails

    @WaterGirl:

    I thought the very same thing. At least one voice seemed very off key to me, as well. Ugh. The pageantry is annoying. CNN is trying too hard.

    It’s just overcompensation for how little effort they put into actual journalism.

  50. 50.

    zhena gogolia

    Unfortunately I feel a kind of McGovern-Mondale-Dukakis angst lately myself.

  51. 51.

    zhena gogolia

    THE EXPRESSION IS YOU GET A BAD FEELING IN THE PIT OF YOUR STOMACH, NOT YOU GET A PIT IN YOUR STOMACH!!!!!!!

  56. 56.

    Raven

    @Leto: Guess what, it wasn’t for you. They have to do that so the fascist howler monkeys don’t have THAT to bitch about.

  57. 57.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cheryl Rofer: I nominate Cheryl to be the official Balloon Juice Democratic presidential primary cull organizer. Please use the donate link, and indicate in the memo section that it is to support Cheryl’s cull, to contribute for tranquilizer darts, tranquilizer guns, large nets, radio tags, and collars so we can humanely sedate these extraneous candidates, tag them for monitoring and future study, and release them back into safe environments. Except for Williamson: she gets a 72 hour evaluatory hold!

  64. 64.

    Yarrow

    Klobuchar’s smile is freaking me out. Doesn’t go with her “let’s get real” opening.

  65. 65.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cheryl Rofer: Maybe you can get one made by the same folks that make the Vulcans for the A10 Warthogs. This way you can sedate all the extraneous candidates, the useless political reporters, and the obnoxiously worthless pundits all with one burst.

  72. 72.

    Adam L Silverman

    Who had Bernie starts yelling in under five seconds? Please see Ann Laurie on the Mezzanine Level to collect your prize!

  73. 73.

    Anne Laurie

    @Leto:

    Please tell Oprah to quit giving Marianne money. There’s better ways to spend it.

    Yeah, unfortunately, for Oprah it’s like giving your spare change to the annoying co-worker who’s forever soliciting funds for her kid’s latest ‘enrichment’ program: she’s paying a tiny ‘ransom’ to keep the pest off her back for the next several years.

  88. 88.

    James E Powell

    @zhena gogolia:

    Unfortunately I feel a kind of McGovern-Mondale-Dukakis angst lately myself.

    Every one of those guys would have been a better president than the guy they lost to.

  91. 91.

    zhena gogolia

    Oh, great, let’s spend the whole evening making Democrats yell about taking away your health insurance.

  93. 93.

    Adam L Silverman

    Gonna go fold some laundry. I’ll be back later. If I can stomach any more of this debate. Check your late local news for updates on my status.

  98. 98.

    misterpuff

    Warren puts the hammer down on centrist/blue dog attacks by labelling them Republican talking points.

    We are Democrats we don’t want to take Healthcare away. That’s the Republicans.

    Yowsah!

  100. 100.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @misterpuff:

    Warren puts the hammer down on centrist/blue dog attacks by labelling them Republican talking points.

    We are Democrats we don’t want to tgake Healthcare away. That’s the Republicans.

    I love how Liz Warren just brings it back to real every single time.

  101. 101.

    Leto

    @Baud: True, she did but just like Tom Steyer could do better taking his money and using it for all the down ballot races, same for Oprah.

  102. 102.

    zhena gogolia

    And as Warren is talking, they have a chyron about “raising taxes on the middle class.”

  107. 107.

    Yarrow

    Tapper asks Warren a Yes or No question. I thought they weren’t going to ask yes or no questions.

  108. 108.

    WaterGirl

    Love what Warren said about not using republican talking points. Of course, as I write this, the Bullock guy uses their talking points.

  109. 109.

    Anne Laurie

  113. 113.

    Adam L Silverman

    I like how every candidate has just decided that they’re going to ignore Tapper’s question and say whatever they want.

  115. 115.

    WaterGirl

    If I just type “condescending prick” does everyone know who I am referring to?

  120. 120.

    Yarrow

    This debate is stressing me out. Tapper is cutting everyone off too quickly and they’re all so earnestly loud or yelling at each other.

  125. 125.

    misterpuff

    Tapper keeps mentioning “eliminating ins premiums” as part of the deal and that is the fact. Tax the companies that will have premium savings and the middle class will save.

  126. 126.

    TenguPhule

    @Adam L Silverman:

    We pause this exercise in American democracy to sell you some crap you don’t need.

    Democracy obviously bought too many bonbons, not enough dumbbells.

  130. 130.

    Ohio Mom

    Okay, Bullock has succeeded in getting attention. Everybody has noticed him. Where is that curved pole from the cartoons that pulls someone off stage?

  134. 134.

    misterpuff

    Nice one Bernie and Tapper shuts him down when he goes after their advertisers.

  137. 137.

    TenguPhule

    @WaterGirl:

    If I just type “condescending prick” does everyone know who I am referring to?

    Sadly no. You have to be more specific. Are you talking about a candidate or CNN?

  142. 142.

    WaterGirl

    Any candidate who wags their finger on stage should be immediately voted off the island.

  144. 144.

    zhena gogolia

    Once again, I think I’ll be able to watch tomorrow night because Biden and Harris, even if they’re arguing with each other, are more restful than Warren and Sanders.

  146. 146.

    Mary G

    Finally got the live stream to work and am sorry I did. These people are not doing it. The minor leaguers are going over time with mushy stuff. Bernie is shouty. Elizabeth Warren sounds a bit croaky. Jake Tapper is an asshole. Using words like “bold” or “pragmatic” should be punished with an electric shock.

  148. 148.

    Yarrow

    @zhena gogolia:

    Biden and Harris, even if they’re arguing with each other, are more restful than Warren and Sanders.

    Agreed. Both Warren and Sanders are stressing me out.

    Marianne Williamson is like comic relief.

  151. 151.

    Adam L Silverman

    Here’s some nice soothing Norwegian death metal to take our minds off of just how obnoxiously bad CNN, and specifically Jake Tapper, are at running this debate.

  152. 152.

    HeleninEire

    This conversation is too convoluted to follow. All they are doing is yelling at each other. Tapper is not helping. I have NO CLUE who is for what.

  154. 154.

    TenguPhule

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Maybe you can get one made by the same folks that make the Vulcans for the A10 Warthogs. This way you can sedate all the extraneous candidates, the useless political reporters, and the obnoxiously worthless pundits all with one burst.

    Gonna need more ammunition.

  155. 155.

    FelonyGovt

    Shut up, Bernie. And why does Marianne Williamson sound llike a dippy 1940’s movie actress?

  158. 158.

    Leto

    @Cheryl Rofer: agreed.

    Sen Waggy Finger keeps going on about his time spent in Canada. Any checked his citizenship? /s

    Also Mayor Pete made a salient point.

  159. 159.

    joel hanes

    @Adam L Silverman:

    the Vulcans for the A10 Warthogs

    IIRC, when they fire that sucker, it appreciably slows the plane, and they have to throttle up.

    Or was that Puff the Magic Dragon on the Apache gunship?

    I grow old, I grow old
    I shall wear my neurons rolled

  165. 165.

    misterpuff

    The time limit is bull. These are complicated issues that you have to explain to get at the differences, but if they gloss the pundits will say They were blowing smoke.
    This format does not fit Sen Warren’s style and rhythm

  166. 166.

    joel hanes

    @Yarrow:

    Why do people like this guy yelling at them?

    He’s an outsider, so not complicit in anything, or responsible for anything.
    Like his supporters.

  169. 169.

    TenguPhule

    @misterpuff:

    The time limit is bull. These are complicated issues that you have to explain to get at the differences, but if they gloss the pundits will say They were blowing smoke.

    Who’s bright idea was it again to outsource a Democratic Debate to CNN?

  171. 171.

    B.B.A.

    Not watching the debate, because fuck CNN, but tell me why I should pay attention to policy proposals that will never be enacted.

  173. 173.

    FelonyGovt

    Looking forward to the next debates when all the lower tier candidates are gone.

  175. 175.

    Yarrow

    @Leto: I like Mayor Pete’s point that no matter what kind of plan we put out the Republicans will say it’s a crazy soshulist plan so why not stand up for what we want.

  179. 179.

    Leto

    @zhena gogolia: Basically that regardless of what Dems propose (left/right/center), Republicans will paint it as far left/socialist. So who gives a shit what they think? Glad it was stated out loud.

    @FelonyGovt: Yeah, not getting into the shouting match is working in his favor. We’ll see how it plays out.

  186. 186.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Leto: They did a good job, especially with the second one, animating to the song. He’s the actual video for Murmader that Deathlok uses in their concerts, which is just weird:

  188. 188.

    cain

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Twitter is getting pissed off at Tapper who apparently wants to create a WWF style debate. I’m that asshat is enjoying himself and Chuck Todd is stroking himself to starbursts because the optics are so good.

  193. 193.

    WaterGirl

    My choice for Mr. Biggest Condescending Prick is speaking right now.

    And they never cut him off. Interesting.

  195. 195.

    TenguPhule

    ACLU: More than 900 migrant children and parents separated since judge ordered practice curtailed

    A reminder that Trump, ICE and every one of those fuckers involved in this atrocity are defying the courts openly.

  196. 196.

    Yarrow

    This debate is so stressful. If I just wanted to learn a few things about the candidates to make a decision I think I’d turn it off. All the yelling is exhausting.

  203. 203.

    HeleninEire

    This is how much I am hating this. I’m going to the gym instead!!!! See y’all on the other side.

  204. 204.

    WaterGirl

    Does anyone know? Will they be handing out the boxing gloves at a commercial break or at intermission?

  205. 205.

    Leto

    Oh goodie, for some reason we need to hear from the vibrating crystal… (Lolol, “please come back to me this time”… no.)

  206. 206.

    Yarrow

    Come 2024 it’s hard to see why either party would have these networks host primary debates and manufacture internecine fights rather than just own them and partner with YouTube or whoever.— Tim Miller (@Timodc) July 31, 2019

    No kidding.

  208. 208.

    joel hanes

    Where have you gone, League of Women Voters ?
    Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

  210. 210.

    joel hanes

    What’s that you say, Marianne Williamson ?
    crystals vibes jade eggs and Oprah too …
    woo woo woo

  214. 214.

    Yarrow

    Guess I’m not alone in not liking the yelling.

    Bernie Sanders's yelling is frightening my son— Elliot Williams (@elliotcwilliams) July 31, 2019

  215. 215.

    Yarrow

    Bullock comes across like, “why am I having to debate these people? I’m better than this.” Very off-putting.

  223. 223.

    Mary G

    Everyone on this stage is getting short-changed by the clock. I'll say it again: Democrats, your party leaders were idiots for allowing this format.#DemDebate— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 31, 2019

  224. 224.

    MomSense

    This debate is terrible. I think 75% of the blame goes to the moderators. The format doesn’t allow for calm responses. Too shouty and too many dead end candidates.

  230. 230.

    WaterGirl

    @MomSense: Yes. Way too many dead end candidates. The good thing is that not a single one of the dead end candidates is particularly making their mark tonight, even though that is what each of the low-end candidates needs to do tonight to stay in the game after tonight.

  232. 232.

    zhena gogolia

    But I felt that in the second debate last time, Harris’s mellow voice really helped her take command. I wonder if that will happen tomorrow night. Her voice is just soothing.

  233. 233.

    Yarrow

    I kind of like Hickenlooper. He seems like a happy, upbeat guy. I also like that about Kamala Harris.

  234. 234.

    WaterGirl

    @Mary G: Yep. If Bullock was the new hire to be director of somewhere I worked, I would be dusting off my resume in a heartbeat. I have no tolerance for arrogant blowhards.

  235. 235.

    FelonyGovt

    Mayor Pete is impressing the hell out of me tonight.

    And yes, I can’t stand all the shouting.

  237. 237.

    Duane

    @MomSense: I thought of one. “Cowtowel.” Also sick of the phrase ” The American People.” Some originality would be nice.

  238. 238.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mary G: He is not wrong. This is what happens when the DNC lets Nina Turner, Jon Zogby, and Nomiki Konst run roughshod over the Democratic Party on Bernie’s behalf. This entire process and format is because Turner, Zogby, and Konst pushed for in the 2017 DNC meetings to try to fix what supposedly went wrong in 2016. What the DNC should’ve told them was “there’s the door, don’t let it hit you on the ass on the way out”.

  240. 240.

    WaterGirl

    This is where Beto is speaking up with confidence after the poll that just came out of Texas, which was really excellent for him.

  249. 249.

    Adam L Silverman

    @satby: Which is why his people have been bitching there are too many debates, with too many candidates. He and his trusted agents are like the proverbial dog who caught the car. They’ve got their teeth in the rear bumper and now have no idea what to do as they’re dragged along.

  254. 254.

    jl

    @Baud: Warren is doing well. Also, seems like she passed up a couple of moderator prompts to go after Sanders, which I think was smart.

  257. 257.

    Captain C

    Delaney looked like his head was ready to explode when Warren was speaking. Also, he sounds like a Republican.

  258. 258.

    Mary G

    @Adam L Silverman: Agree 100%. Bernie isn’t a Democrat and has no business in their primary, especially how badly he let his people act up in 2016..

    This is a good thread:

    Break time! What I’d like to see from the candidates:- Warren: more discipline (too long on answers)- Bernie: something less predictable- Pete: less naivety – Beto: fewer clichés- Everyone else: silence#DemocraticDebate #DAMEtheDebates— Kaitlin Byrd (@GothamGirlBlue) July 31, 2019

  264. 264.

    jl

    But debate started with standard ‘how can you commie Democrats win’ question.
    And another attempt ‘why don’t you Democrats attack each other’ question to Klobuchar’ which she also seems to be passing on. And I think she just got in an implied diss of moderator’s attempt to get them to just fight and attack each other.

  267. 267.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Adam L Silverman: He and his trusted agents are like the proverbial dog who caught the car. They’ve got their teeth in the rear bumper and now have no idea what to do as they’re dragged along.

    for which they will loudly blame everyone else

  268. 268.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @joel hanes:

    IIRC, when they fire that sucker, it appreciably slows the plane, and they have to throttle up.

    They appear to nearly stop in the air and then you hear the canvas ripping sound.

  271. 271.

    MomSense

    @WaterGirl:

    Too much fighting over policies. The president will have more room to maneuver on foreign policy and trade than the minutiae of health care. Whatever gets through the gauntlet of all the committees is not going to adhere to any of the plans being offered tonight.

  275. 275.

    Adam L Silverman

    @satby: Until they split the general election vote when he doesn’t get the nomination and the President loses the popular vote overwhelmingly while eking out a second electoral college victory.

  278. 278.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: That was my far-too-oblique reference to the film after the wording of your comment reminded me of that line in the Wizard of Os.

    @Omnes Omnibus: Sorry, but it’s Bullock.

  279. 279.

    hilts

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    I agree with Ezra Wonkistan. These time constraints are fucking bullshit and the cable news asswipes need to adopt a more sensible approach with respect to the debate format,

  283. 283.

    Amir Khalid

    The Massachusetts senator emphasized that any of the Democrats onstage would make a better president than Trump

    I have spent much of my morning with Missy*, figuring out the chorus of Imagine — from “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” (the Ultimate Guitar chord charts suck big time) And I’ve skipped most of the comments, so apologies if this has already been said: I agree with Warren, as far as Wilmer goes.
    *Missy is my Yamaha f310 acoustic.

  286. 286.

    Ruckus

    Reading the blog has got to be a hell of a lot more fun than watching this “debate.”
    I made the decision not to watch. Every once in a while I make a good call. And not it’s not luck, just the law of the least averages.

  290. 290.

    Ruckus

    @FelonyGovt:
    I’ll watch when we get down to actual candidates that have a fucking clue. And an actual chance of going the distance. Sounds to me that out of all the contestants on tonight’s game show only EW and mayor Pete did somewhat OK and will probably take home the prize of a dead fish. The rest only get the stink.

  292. 292.

    Ruckus

    @hilts:
    It’s a game show to them. They don’t seem to want any democratic candidates to even run so they do everything but have an actual debate about any issues. Because that would show up their never ending bullshit conservative talking points. Even if they don’t want trump, they don’t want any democrat either. What they really want is Ronnie without the dementia. Some well known actor who can read a script and knows all the marks and will take direction well. They really aren’t any different than trump, they think the world really is a TV show.

  293. 293.

    Mike in DC

    I look forward to not seeing most of these candidates at the September debate.

  296. 296.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman:

    My money is on Williamson snapping and spree killing all of them with a crystal, some incense, and I Ching sticks.

    I feel like I should not be fucking laughing at this as hard as I am – dammit, Adam!

  298. 298.

    misterpuff

    Bullock Just Bombed, Dropped the Football and Lost the Package. I repeat Lost The Package.

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