The best debate ever. Well, maybe the best debate since the Lincoln-Douglas debates, but I wasn't around for that.
Surprisingly, after all the glitz and attempts at glamour and jazzing things up by the CNN designers, when Anderson Cooper finally started zipping questions at each candidate, the debate lurched ahead full throttle, as electric as a championship fight. It was as riveting as Ali-Frazier and nearly as bloody, but clean punches and well fought.
The guys on the periphery (Webb and Chafee) remained on the periphery, and deservedly so, and may not have been treated fairly, but they did not help themselves--Webb in particular, when asked who the enemy he is proudest of having made went for the Viet Cong who threw the grenade at him, and Chafee sort of fizzled, naming the coal companies, but Martin O'Malley got in the straight right to the jaw with "The NRA" and Hillary laughed and said there were just so many to pick from, and after rattling off a few set up jabs she landed a right cross with "The Republicans."
Oddly, much as I love Bernie and love listening to him, after 2 1/2 hours of listening and watching, I realized much of what Bernie says becomes repetitive and Hillary is actually the one who does not grow old but simply grows stronger and she can punch toe to toe or dance and bob and weave and she is someone I can imagine her standing up to Trump and I can see her as President--a little harder imagining Bernie in that role. I'd love to see him as Treasury Secretary and Martin O'Malley is my pick for VP.
They were all, as Hillary noted, each and every one, so much better than even the best Republicans.
It was exhilarating, absorbing, gratifying. We do have good people out there willing and eager to sit behind that desk in the Oval Office.
I'm not sure I'm up to manning a phone bank for Hillary, but I'll work for her in the general election.
You got to love Bernie for coming to Hillary's defense when Cooper tried zinging her about her emails--Oh, come on, this is a media story nothing anyone out there in the real world cares about. Talk about something that matters and there's plenty of that to talk about.
Hillary was prepared for the questions about not supporting Glass-Steagal and she admitted she was the Senator from New York representing Wall Street but she said we have to go beyond regulating banks to regulating all sorts of financial institutions beyond banks. Bernie will be there to hold feet to the fire, but Hillary hung tough. She is smart and savvy and as she observed, she was in the middle taking flak from all sides, but she would give no ground.
These were Democrats who know how to throw punches, the very thing Democrats have lacked lo these many years. Let's have some warriors. Take it to Mr. Trump and Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Cruz and Ryan and Rubio and all those idiots.
As Hillary said, whenever you want to fund some worthy idea, the Republicans wail we cannot afford it, and say that's too much government. But when they want to take down Planned Parenthood, Oh, we don't have nearly enough government.
A bracing night. A good night for Democrats. May there be many more.
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