On Thursday night, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders matched-up in Brooklyn, NY for a CNN debate hosted by Wolf Blitzer and it was very interesting! For those of you who were unable to watch it, here is the link to view later. I also have snippets as they relate to my highlights if you just continue reading!
So I will begin with opening speeches. Bernie Sanders primarily spoke about the “radical movement” that his campaign has inspired and the need for campaign finance reform. Throughout the debate he continued to return to his point that the involvement of big money political action committees (PACs) or “super-PACs” have a lot of influence over the candidates that they support. Hillary Clinton began her opening by stating that she served as State Senator for New York for 8 years and talked about embracing diversity. Finally the debate began and this brief post is about a couple of personal highlights.
Wolf Blitzer posed the first question which asked Sanders about his comments regarding Hillary Clinton’s qualifications and judgment to be president. Hillary turned her entire body to Bernie as if to say “Tell it to my face Bernie! I dare you”! Without so much as glancing over at the former Secretary of State, Senator Sanders began his response by saying “Does Secretary Clinton have the experience and intelligence to be a president…of course she does, but…” So right there, I was like “Bernie for Hillary in 2016!” and was confused as to whether he was endorsing her or still campaigning AGAINST her? He proceeded to clarify that he did not question her qualifications but that he does question her judgment. HUH?? So how can someone be qualified for a job but not have the ability to make the right judgments…especially when that’s one of the qualifications!? Either he thinks she’s qualified or he thinks she isn’t! Heck, I would have accepted “partially qualified” or “almost qualified”. In my opinion, Sanders was being “wishy-washy”. If he was trying to say that her qualifications look good on paper, but she is lacking more important qualifications such as being able to make the right judgment…then that would have sounded more decisive. Here is the opening speech segment so that you can be the judge on that:
My next favorite moment was when Hillary was asked about her reluctance to share the transcripts for a paid speech she gave to Goldman Sachs at a fundraiser. Co-moderator Dana Bash asked her “If there is nothing in those speeches that you think would change voters’ minds, why not just release the transcripts and put this whole issue to bed?” So, Clinton begins her response by saying there is no issue and goes on to say how she stood up to the banks when she was senator. HUH?? What does that have to do with why you don’t want to release the transcript? Like most people who attempt to avoid something, it sounded like she was saying “What issue? I don’t have an issue? Who said I had an issue? Cuz, I definitely do NOT have an issue! Keep it moving folks…there is no issue here!”
Hillary continues to talk more about the other players responsible for the recession, but still isn’t saying why she does not want to release the transcripts. So for the second time, Dana Bash (Go Dana!) asks her about the transcripts and I think to myself “FINALLY we will get an answer!”…but NOooooo. Hillary goes on to say that releasing transcripts from paid speeches is a new expectation but candidates have always been required to provide their tax returns and Bernie hasn’t while she has provided over 8 years worth of tax returns on her website! Again…I’m like “HUH???…SOOooooo, what does that have to do with why you don’t want to release the transcripts?!” For the third time, Dana brings up the issue of the TRANSCRIPTs and Hillary basically says that everyone should be asked to do the same thing and whenever everyone else does it, she will follow suit. Well Bernie…says “Well you heard her, everybody else does it she’ll do it, I will do it!” Once again, her body language was PRICELESS! The look on her face was as if to say “You @$$$ole” (Seriously, if you freeze the frame at 6:31 you will NOT see happy thoughts in her eyes)! So then Sanders announces that he will release the transcripts of his paid speeches to Wall Street but didn’t do any so he doesn’t have transcripts! Ok Bernie…you got jokes! It is clear that Hillary was referring to those who have given paid speeches. So at first I thought Bernie had called her to a duel, but “PSYCH!” he didn’t. Anyway, if you care to review this part of the debate, here it is (begins at 3:24):
The debate was a little over two hours long and but since I like to keep my posts on the shorter side, I thought it best to share a just a couple of my favorite moments (I have several though). Overall, I thought the tone of this debate was snippier than the others. Hillary deflected a lot (they both did) but spoke a lot about what actions she has taken or would take on things. Bernie, in my opinion, still hasn’t explained how he plans to deliver on his promises to increase wages, provide free health care, and a free higher education. I would love all that quite honestly, but how will those things get funded? Actually that will be the subject of its own post. I also think Bernie should do a better job controlling his facial expressions (Clearly he’s never played poker). Can you imagine the President of the United States with a “YUCK” look on his face as he’s visiting the severely injured, diseased or disabled? Or a turned up nose while negotiating an agreement with a country statesperson that he does not like? Lastly, I thought it was disrespectful that Bernie continually referred to President Obama as simply “Barack Obama” or “Obama”. Since President Obama is a Democrat, I would not have expected such disrespect from a fellow Democrat. During the Republican primaries in 2008, I do not recall one Republican candidate calling then President George W. Bush simply by his name. I’m just saying.
Thanks for “listening” to me whine. Hopefully my whining has made you think. If so, tell your friends/family/colleagues that you heard it through the Political Great Whine!
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