The Democratic Candidates
My opinions on them and the recent debates.
Did anyone notice that during the debate hosted by Chris Matthews, The Big 3, Hillary, Obama, and Edwards (I'll just call them HOE) were asked more questions than anyone else? HOE got a lot of talk time while the others only answered like 2 or 3 questions. I think this goes back to when Hillary and Edwards were caught on tape discussing how to keep the others out of future debates. It's a good thing they were caught because it's very likely we would only be seeing HOE debates. Don't underestimate how sneaky Democrats can be. They've kept Green Party candidates out of debates and in some instances, off the ballot.
Last night, CNN's Wolf Blitzer hosted a debate and this time the "lesser" candidates did get more talk time (not equal, just more than last time). Judging from the remarks from Joe Biden, who when called on, jokingly said, "Don't do it, no! Don't make me speak!" and Bill Richardson ("Well, by the way, I'm Bill Richardson. I'm Governor of New Mexico."), the "lessers" obviously weren't too pleased about it. After Blitzer asked HO questions about health care, he said he'd return to the topic later. Dennis Kucinich interrupted and said, "But wait. The American people are entitled to a debate here..." So what does Blitzer do? He says okay, let's go to Senator Edwards then.
I couldn't understand why Wolf Blitzer kept cutting off the candidates' answers right when they were about to say something really important. Then, the candidates would have to say "Wait, I'm not finished." I also think the most unfair question was, "What's more important? National Security or Human Rights?" That's like asking the question, "Who would you choose if you had to save your spouse or child?" There's no answer and it shouldn't be asked in the first place.
I don't think there was a clear cut winner, but I think the "lessers" did much better than HOE. There was some mud-slinging going on too, but most of it was instigated through the hosts' questions. I don't think there was one candidate who wasn't both on the giving or receiving end of a painful shot at least once. But, most of the shots taken were among HOE.
Here's the transcript.
Hillary Clinton
It would be nice to have a woman President, but I don't trust her. Unfortunately, she's going to win the Democratic nomination and she's going to be our next President. She's too vague with her solutions though, and contradicts herself too often (Edwards and Obama called her on it when she did it within minutes during the Chris Matthew's debate). She comes across as power hungry and I think she's far too above the average citizen to be able to relate to us and our problems. Hillary doesn't seem to have any real, concrete strategies. She's also gotten more contributions from corporations and lobbyists than any other candidate and that's not good. Once their money is in her pocket, she will have to pay it back in one way or another, and it will come at a cost to the American people.
Barack Obama
I agree with him when he says he'd make a better President than Hillary, but like Hillary he's too vague on some issues and far too above the American citizen. His voting record raises some doubts (as with Hillary) and he also has his hand out to the corporations and lobbyists.
John Edwards
I'm surprised Edwards is trailing behind HO, because he doesn't do too bad during debates. The problem with Edwards right now is that he doesn't stand out against HO. All three are playing the political middle field, trying to appeal to Republicans just as much as Democrats. Like Obama, Edwards would make a better President than Hillary, but he isn't always straightforward on particular issues either.
Joe Biden
Joe is Mr. Personality. He's straightforward and honest with his answers. He talks strategy and has a natural sense of humor. There is one thing he did that really stood out during this debate. It was when audience members asked the candidates questions. A mother said she was afraid that her son, who served three tours in Iraq, would have to go to Iran. This was a huge opportunity for candidates to score points with the American people. Because, these audience members were examples of all of us (like the baby boomer who was worried about social security or the man who was tired of racial profiling and getting harassed at airports). I wanted the candidates to talk to these people directly, as individuals, and show that they care about their problems. Instead, each one spoke to the audience and went with their typical political rhetoric. The only one who didn't was Biden who interrupted Blitzer to answer a woman's question. He looked at her, he said her name, and he talked to HER. That scored points with me. But, the thing that bothers me about Biden is he holds mixed views on abortion rights, wiretapping, and same-sex marriage.
Bill Richardson
I think he's phony. He doesn't come across as someone who means what he's saying. Does Bill have any views of his own? During the entire debate, he waited for someone else to answer a question, and if it was a good answer, he just repeated the same thing. How is this guy higher in the polls than Dennis Kucinich? At one point, he actually said, "All I want to do is give peace a chance." What, is he John Lennon now?
Chris Dodd
Chris who? The problem with Dodd is that he does not have a strong presence, and when you're up against HOE, you have to stand out more. It's not that he's a bad candidate, he seems as honest and straightforward as Biden, but he's not making himself heard. Look at Biden and Kucinich. They're the underdogs, but they both have strong personalities and act like contenders.
Dennis Kucinich
I took a little quiz to see which candidate is my best match and the answer was Dennis. It's not a very scientific quiz, so don't take it too seriously. I like Dennis. He's a tough little guy, he's likable, he's honest, and he's not afraid to disagree with the other candidates or speak frankly about issues. The only problem is that he seems more like an idealist. But, I am surprised he doesn't have more supporters. He's a smart guy, yet the other candidates (and the media) seem condescending toward him at times.
Overall
Each candidate talked about things I did support and things I didn't. I like Biden on foreign affairs, but he's got some conservative views on domestic issues. I like Kucinich's views on domestic affairs because they're very liberal, but he doesn't seem to have a clear strategy on foreign affairs. Hillary is going to win, regardless.
- Did you ever notice that the candidate in the lead is the one with the most money? To see which candidates took contributions and how much, go here and click on the drop down box.
- OnTheIssues.org is a good site to find out a candidate's political stance on various issues.
