And yes, build on that ACA!!

...but then he is happy to attack the costs of everyone else's plans.

...if you watched this debate, and I asked you who looked visibly angry with everyone else in the room complete with pulsing temples and pounding the podium, I think it would be clear.

all the debates might be better than too many debates.

They seem to not be hellbent on tearing each other apart.

She's doing a great job, imo

I like that she is calling out Bernie for absolutely refusing to lay out how his plan pencils out. Warren addresses costs, so I give her a lot of credit of being upfront with the American people so they can make a choice.

Maybe Bernie will just say that Mexico will pay for it like Trump did. Notably, Bernie is not making any effort do disagree that his plan is $20 or $30 million.

I think Warren is awesome is painting the choice. She does acknowledges that Biden/Kloch/Buttiegieg's plans will improve healthcare and cost less, but they don't do as much as what she is proposing.

That is being honest and trustworthy.

He spoke and I am not sure where he is. Is he pro-Medicare for all? Anti-Government involvement.

Cruelty for money. Have to break corp stranglehold.

Term limits.

and can't get anything done due to structural corruption in government, and ownership of the system by corporations.

I don't think his answer was as clear as it could be for someone not familiar with his positions.

Healthcare - favors a public option - https://www.tomsteyer.com/the-right-to-health-care/

He sort of agreed with Bernie (which was easy because Bernie just offered a generalized greed is bad), but that left me with is Steyer in favor of Medicare for all, then he also agreed with Biden.

is probably more significant than the differences between the various plans of the people on that stage.

With that as his main point, he didn't really get specific about where he stands on specific plans.

are undecided.
This debate is solid and answers comprehensive and in-depth and views made clear.
I hope they are carefully listening

This is a good debate thus far. We do have some excellent candidates.

Honestly, it's a minor caucus, but I know it's the first so it gets way too much attention.

I don't think anyone has thus far changed any minds. Nothing stands out as new or fresh, and there's way too little about beating Trump thus far. Iowa Democrats care about electing someone who can beat Trump.

I prefer going for it from the start, but I see circumstances where Warren’s idea could work. They are all doing pretty well IMO.

An initial investment is well worth bringing us up with the rest of the developed world.

no advertising for one thing; no obscenely paid CEOs either.

Also fastest claim turnaround and lowest error percentage in the industry.

...rather than sitting their looking like she is going to burst a blood vessel. She is both empathic while also being a policy wonk.

To implement the republican ptb plan to make something ($$) out of nothing. They bilked society. Got society to believe that HMOs were good for us!

looks like he's doing an infomercial.

It's weird to me, but it seems to have resonated with some.

That is exactly what I was picturing, some adviser telling him to do that. It does look weird. Most of the others look at the moderator and then look to the audience, less awkward looking.

Watch. It'll be showing up in his ads. He's ok, but I'm not leaning his way in the primary at all. He's just not my flavor. 😑

I know what you mean. I have no problem with what he says, but as you say, "he's just not my flavor". I really don't want a businessman/woman as a president.

He is a business man so he probably realizes that would be a good investment (in humans)

He just looked odd the way he quickly turned to the camera, like he was doing one of his political ads.

...the more Steyer talks, the less I know about where he actually stands. Bernie looks angry, talks platitudes, and seems annoyed with questions, but is happy to attack everyone. He offers a non-answer, then pivots to yelling about greed being bad.

Ugh. Steyer is now agreeing with Bernie's statement that greed and corporations being bad. Okay, so the billionaire is also against greed and corporations.

This just show the non-answers being offered by Bernie when Steyer of all people can totally agree with what Bernie just said.

They're all leaps and bounds above Trump.

Bernie just put his hand behind his ear because he couldn't hear the question. The gesture of an old person. Not a good look. He's somewhat subdued and off his game tonight.

But I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t want to weaken any candidate even if they are not my choice. Bernie is doing well IMO.

We all know what that means.

But I've been hard of hearing since I was a child.

Majority of my loss is just local cover bands!

There must be many thousands of employees that would be affected by medicare for all as he plans it. Just providing a supplement for their wages for 5 years isn't a good answer.


IMO someone will still have to process necessary paperwork, ie: which hospital, what treatments, etc. Why not say those workers would simply get a different employer, the Gov't instead of the ins/ co.

If there was an immediate change, some might be needed for the government plan.

of ins. employees will be voting against him for not saying that.

Blitzer is asking a question, and she is actually addressing it, rather than just ignoring it, and saying "Greed is bad."

I appreciate her courage and willingness to engage and educate.

Her many years as a teacher and professor shows in her performance.

...I think Warren is better in breaking down her explanations, but Amy also shows a solid command of the issues.

I think it does a disservice to just go Trump-like and offer "Drain the Swamp" "Greed is bad" platitudes and anger. Hearing Warren and Klochbar talk and disagree makes me feel like there is a substantive debate to be had with choices and many ways to solve the problem.

I think Amy shows more of her political expertise and Warren shows her policy-wonk side. And yes it is a substantive debate and these women came prepared.

more & more things will be paid for with it.

they can’t deduct their way out of.

Ending the corporate loopholes where they end up paying no tax at all.

On Med4All, you might want to read why this healthcare CEO says Warren’s plan will work.

https://www.telegram.com/news/20191207/umass-ceo-eric-dickson-backs-medicare-for-all-calls-plan-bold-courageous?

to continue with these pie in the sky promises especially for the youngest, most inexperienced voters. Even if she really has a viable plan for everything she claims - she'd be lucky to pass, pay for, and implement even one of her lofty plans. We lose many of these new voters when they find out there was never a chance to have it all in the first place.

I think she (and Sanders) needs to come clean.

And that is how I will be voting in my state's primary.

HOWEVER,

ANY ONE of these candidates would be a huge improvement over Trump.

But....GO Elizabeth!

...I don't want it down too much before the primaries, but having 10 plus on stage was really unwieldy. It also forces the participants to actually be a little more substantive, which I think goes to the strength of Warren and Klochbar. You can't just hide behind a generalization as you could when there are more people on stage.

We have an opportunity to really listen to the candidates and get a feel for who they are.

I have to turn in, but I think they all did very well tonight. They were professional, well-informed, and excellent at communicating.

While Warren never lost an election and beat republicans.

I rest my case.

She said it goodnaturedly and it diffused the underlying tension the media had been fueling. Well done, IMO.

Even the presidential ones have a much smaller reach than they used to.

Debates are now, in my opinion, just for we wonks. Little more at this stage in our society.

Look at the subject matter... it's entirely MSM making a case to divide us. Nothing about our Democracy being at stake, or Trump's authoritarian overreach. This feels so fake to me.

an American ambassador? It is breaking news.

All they seem to care about are the things they feel might be used to divide we Democrat's. It all feels so manufactured to me.

Made a new friend last week with a registered Independent. She admitted she hasn't yet tuned in to the Democratic candidates, but her brother had convinced her that she needs to get up to speed fast because the country is at an "all hands on deck" point in history.

I recommended she watch the debates tonight as a starting point to educating herself. Just got a phone call from her and she said she watched the whole thing. Admitting that she has not a clue about anyone's background on the stage, her initial impression from just what was said tonight was as follows:

Elizabeth Warren most closely spoke to my new friend's own concerns and she was impressed with Warren's ability to directly answer questions with policy initiatives rather than rhetoric. She also expressed an interest in learning more about Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg.

I asked her what she thought of the other candidates and she said, "Old white men got us into this mess. Old white men aren't going to get us out of it."

Just thought some here might appreciate how someone with no preconceived notions about specific candidates came away with what they saw and heard tonight.

Agreed that the debates don't really matter for those of us whose minds are already made up. But for those just now tuning in...it seems to be a different story.

Just reporting first impressions of a registered Independent who has not voted for many years and just had her first serious look at the Democratic field.

I know it hurts to hear the "old white man" trope (especially if that descriptor applies to ourselves, our spouses, or our own chosen candidate), but pretending that it's not a factor for others who need to be motivated to get to the ballot box doesn't help anyone.

Am doing GOTV three times a week in a purple state. If I ran away every time I heard that one, my God, I'd be hiding under my bed sobbing hysterically. Luckily, I'm educated enough to be able to speak to that trope...and to understand the difference between someone telling me that is how they feel versus someone telling me this is what they are hearing others say.

I said I really disliked some of her answers (especially on health care) so want to give her credit. When I say something about a candidate, it is meant to be constructive. One time I even got on Bernie for being spaced out before a question. This election is too important not to suggest improvements and too important to tear down candidates.

Link to tweet

They're getting so damn boring.

I am truly undecided perhaps that is why
Any one of them over trump of course

It wasn't' a bad debate but nothing really grabbed my attention. I missed most of the first half so maybe that's why I just couldn't get into it.

the exercise.

...expecting him to mostly try to skate by with his nice grandpa persona, but he did actually delve into the substantive details. He certainly is not going into the weeds like Amy and Liz, but he was making an effort to be on point and responsive.