Democratic Presidential Debate Digested

Democratic Hopefuls Speak Out - My Impressions

Having watched both evenings of the “debates” between twenty of those hopeful of being the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020, I jotted down my impressions of what I saw.

  

In addition to the four hopefuls that didn’t qualify to be included in either evening’s debate, I must add the following eight who, in my opinion, will come nowhere near being nominated for a presidential or vice-presidential place on the ballot.  They might, and I suspect that influenced their presence in the race, be planning on some future candidacy or possibly a cabinet post in 2021:

Bill DeBlasio                       Andrew Yang

John Delaney                      Kirsten Gillebrand

Tulsi Gabbard                     Maryanne Williamson     

Tim Ryan                             Eric Swalwell

The following five deserve consideration for the presidential nomination because in my opinion, they are all qualified to sit in the Oval Office.  These potential candidates, any of whom would make a fine president, are ranked in numerical order based on my subjective perception of two criteria:  (1) Their ability to deal with the Republican incumbent and (2) their ability, as president, to negotiate the intricacies of our Federal government from “day one in office.”

 

      Dealing with Trump                               Readiness for the Job

1.    Pete Buttigieg                                    1.  Elizabeth Warren

2.    Kamala Harris                                    2.  Joe Biden 

3.  Julian Castro                                     3.  Kamala Harris

4.  Elizabeth Warren                               4.  Julian Castro

5.  Joe Biden                                           5.  Pete Buttigieg

Along with these five presidential possibilities, the following deserve consideration for the vice-presidential nomination, always the choice of the presidential nominee, because each one could competently step into a President’s shoes.

Cory Booker                        Amy Kolbuchar

Michael Bennet                   Jay Inslee

John Hickenlooper

Although they have considerable talent and skills, I think the two remaining hopefuls, thus far unmentioned, will not figure in the Democratic Party’s final choice of candidates, although transferring their support might make them “power brokers.”

Bernie Sanders: (Too committed to immediately unattainable goals)

Beto O’Rourke:  (At this point, a fruit that has not yet ripened)

Summing up these impressions of the two nights of "debating," it would seem that Joe Biden did not lock in the impressive lead he now has in the polls, that Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren significantly strengthened their positions as viable challengers, that the unlikely candidacy of Pete Buttigieg did not dissolve into thin air and Bernie Sanders was left at the gate, where he was four years ago.  Tighten your seat belts.  It is going to be a rough few months.

Jack Lippman

                                *   *   *   *   *

Out of  Sight, Out of Mind - No Way!

That's the way the Republicans would like the Mueller Report to be treated.  No Way!

It thoroughly documents the way the Trump campaign welcomed Russian aid in the 2016 election and the President's attempts to interfere with and obstruct the Special Counsel's work.  (Only the Department of Justice's belief that a sitting president cannot be indicted prevents that from happening).  Even today, approaching the 2020 elections, Russian interference and presidential obstruction continue to take place.  

When finally, the 45th President resigns, is impeached or loses at the polls in 2020, it will be followed by a reckoning of sorts which very well may put him and his toady Attorney General who lied to the American people about the Report behind bars for their actions.  If Robert Mueller's forthcoming testimony before Congress doesn't wake America up, the whole sordid story should be made into a movie!  

JL