I agree that debates are pretty much a free-for-all with the participants rarely actually answering the questions as posed. I never watch them either but I wanted to get a read on Bloomberg since he is pretty much a mystery man to most of the nation at this point. After watching them last night, I wondered what those three OLD men were even doing on that stage. Sanders, Biden and Bloomberg all look like they have one foot in the grave (Biden sounding confused and almost bewildered) and I have to wonder if any of them would survive the first year in office. In contrast, Pete is so young and vigorous.
I have been wondering if Bloomberg was not being sent in as the Democrat version of Trump. Trump is so wildly popular with America at large, and has outspokenly said that he ran for president because he could see that his country was faltering, and he wanted to help America. One of the first things that he said when he became president was that we needed to unite together as Americans , and not be divided as political opponents. I think that many Republicans were disappointed with how their party was going, just like the conservatives in the Democratic Party were disappointed. One person stated that it is not the Republican Party anymore, it is the Trump Party, and in some ways, that is certainly true. People didn’t vote for Trump because he was running as a Republican, they voted for him because they wanted to see America get better again. The Democratic Party does not have anyone that can generate that kind of loyalty, and none of the candidates (with the possible exception of Bernie) has much of a following to speak of; so the party is desperately trying to find the answer of who to run against Trump. Perhaps, now they have decided to run a candidate who has a similar background as Trump, and he said last night that, yes, he is a billionaire but he is giving it away to “help America”. As opposed to the “Anti-Christ” , now we have the “Anti-Trump” (the fake Trump) running against the real Trump.
Beth, I watched mostly to see Bloomberg also. I didn't think he did as poorly as they say he did, but I didn't watch all of it. He seems fine to me. I still like Amy Klobuchar, but she isn't going to make it.
I don't believe Bloomberg is being sent in by anyone; he seems to be a self-made man with a "damn the torpedoes" attitude. Not exactly a bad thing considering. I'm surprised that he has any following within the party since any similarity to Trump would be abhorrent to liberals.
All first time candidates on the debate stage don't do too well. It something that grows on one as you participate more. It has happened to all of them, a poor first showing. If the democrats stood a chance of beating Trump, with three old men running, the choice of a vice-president would be most important this time around. Bloomberg will do better next time and the more he debates the better he will get, as some of the others have. But Sanders is a contender even if he does beat the same bushes over and over.
I have to say, I really hate the way Bernie, Warren, and Biden all pander to minorities, illegals and women. Good grief, move on already. There are so many important issues besides paying off college loans and who might have made an inappropriate JOKE 40 years ago.
I have seen and heard a lot of people (not talking heads) say that they could vote for either Bernie or Trump, which can only be that they are looking for something different than what we've had up until Trump because Bernie and Trump are on opposite poles, otherwise.
I keep wondering why Bernie, a registered Independent, is even in the race for the Democrats. I think mayor Pete will become toast as more of his background is revealed.
Mayor Pete is not the moderate the media plays him to be, either. Of course, in the Democrat Party today, you can be card-carrying communist and still be a moderate.
As an outsider I am surprised by the vitriol of American politics. These Democrats are at each other's throats like a pack of wild dogs. You'd think they were on the other side of the political divide rather than belonging to the one party. How can they possibly have a strong working relationship once the dust has settled and they find themselves in power.
Pete is a Red Diaper Baby according to several sites like this one https://spectator.org/mayor-pete-red-diaper-baby/
In 2016, they bought Bernie a new beach house and he was content with being Hillary's lapdog during the general election campaign. Maybe he'll get a yacht this time around.