Beware of talking head wisdom
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With the exception of Pete Buttigieg, who seemed like an interesting bright young man you’d want to have dinner with, and Michael Bloomberg, who seemed like a bored CEO forced to attend a junior high school kickboxing match, the Democrats on the debate stage Feb. 19 seemed determined to make themselves and their colleagues all look as unlikable as possible. What was most dismaying was the utter lack of attention paid to the corruption of our judicial system and the sacredness of our laws by the worst President by far this nation has ever had, worse even than James Buchanan.
The dynamics and shape of this race make it increasingly probable that Bernie Sanders will be the nominee; runners-up often make it on their next try, as McCain did in 2008 and Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Whatever you think of Sanders as nominee, that is likely to only deepen the polarization of this nation.
While anyone on that stage, or for that matter, in my dog’s kennel would be superior to Donald Trump, that debate didn’t say that to the American people tonight. We are in a crisis that makes Richard Nixon and Watergate look trivial and temporary, and there’s no sign it will end anytime soon.
Additionally, bear in mind that the same talking heads who are pronouncing Michael Bloomberg finished after a single debate performance told us last fall that Bernie Sanders was washed up, told us earlier this week that Elizabeth Warren was finished, and told us incessantly in 2016 that Trump 1) had no chance of winning the GOP nomination and 2) would lose badly to Hillary Clinton.
Do not bet your lunch money on what they are telling you.
Incidentally, if you saw Joe Biden in CNN’s town hall forum Thursday night, you saw a with-it guy who knew his stuff and who was very compelling. Might the endless “food fight” debates not be the best possible forum for deciding who our next leader should be?
— Jack Lessenberry
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