Democratic debate: Likeable enough

Dem debate. This time I’m just reading the transcript, because enough really, and life is too short to listen to Bill Richardson.

Charlie Gibson says there will soon be a terrorist nuclear attack on an American city, he’s sure of it, and how would the candidates respond to one. Edwards says that he would find out who was responsible and go after them, “because if someone has attacked us with a nuclear weapon, it means they have nuclear technology”. Also, the US should “react strongly, but to do it in a way that is calming for the American people and calming for the world”. Edwards is really really off his game.

Obama said, “I am the candidate of change, and if a nuke went off, I would immediately change my underwear.” No, what he said is that he is also for retaliating. Honestly, did Gibson expect this question to lead to any major revelations?

Hillary adopts the Bush policy: the hypothetical perps may be stateless terrorists, but “the stateless terrorists will operate from somewhere.” So we should bomb the shit out of that country.


Obama is against mandatory health insurance because many people are without health insurance because they can’t afford it. Boy, that’s not what the R’s said in their debate.

Then Hillary criticizes him for wanting to make it mandatory for parents to insure their children. I guess it shows he’s a hypocrite, or something.

Edwards says that he and Obama are powerful voices for change, and “Any time you speak out powerfully for change, the forces of status quo attack.”

Hillary, who for some reason seemed to think someone had said her name, attacked responded, “I want to make change, but I’ve already made change. I will continue to make change.” She then gave Bill Richardson three quarters, two dimes and a nickel for a dollar bill.

I’m a little off my game too.

She said that is an agent of change and embodies change and a woman president would be a nice change and did I mention change at all?


Gibson said that the Surge is working (“were it not for the surge, instead of counting votes we’d be counting bodies in the streets”) and tried to get the candidates to agree. Hillary said, “unfortunately, I don’t see any reason why they [American troops] should remain beyond, you know, today.”

A local ABC reporter told Hillary that NH voters “are hesitating on the likability issue.” Only a reporter would think that likability is an “issue.” So why are you so unlikeable, senator, or at least less so much less likeable than Barack, who is quite likeable? Hillary says she too thinks Barack is likeable but “I don’t think I’m that bad.” Obama tells her she’s “likeable enough.” How much is enough? Anyway, I don’t really see her adopting that as a campaign slogan.



During that exchange, Bill Richardson was making puppy eyes at everyone, hoping someone will say that he’s likeable too. They didn’t. Poor Bill Richardson.

Edwards: “When I see these lobbyists roaming around Washington, D.C., taking all the politicians to cocktail parties, I mean, the picture I get in my head is my father and my grandmother going in that mill every day”. Well, the lobbyists could take all the politicians to mills, or all the mill-workers to cocktail parties...

Later he added that politicians go to cocktail parties “every single day.” Maybe they just really like cocktails. He compared himself with another crusader: “Teddy Roosevelt took them on, busted the monopolies, busted the trusts. That’s what it’s going to take.” Only in Edwards’s case, he’ll be busting the cocktail parties. “You cannot nice these people to death,” he added.

Obama said he had banned lobbyists buying meals for members of Congress. The reporter pointed out that they can still feed them at those cocktail parties, as long as they’re standing up.

Shorter Democratic debate: Change. Change change. Change change change. Change.

Change.