The Headline


Reading time – 43 seconds  .  .  .

What is your headline from the New Hampshire Democratic debate? Maybe it’s one of these:

Governor O’Malley said that his evidence that we haven’t invested enough in human intelligence in the middle-east is that some things have happened that we didn’t see coming. He spoke with the certainty of the ignorant about that and many other things and did so with a fire that sounded desperate. Perhaps this was his make or break moment.

Secretary Clinton showed that she can fight. That was the discussion point during one of the breaks, this between George Stephanopoulos and the other guy. Really? That was news to you guys? And worthy of your entire discussion time?

Senator Bernie Sanders is getting better at making his points clearly and with fewer words. He is consistent in his views and remedies. And it’s tiresome to hear the income inequality message multiple times in just two hours.

That is to say, there was no new ground broken, nor was there much attention paid to this debate. MSNBC didn’t even cover it, preferring instead yet more episodes of Lockup. No after debate commentary or interviews. Nuthin’

ABC broadcast the debate, but did no commentary or interviews afterward.

CNN did analysis, trying desperately to fabricate a spectacular crisis over the DNC data-gate and also claiming there was a lot of bashing of Donald Trump by the Democratic candidates, even though it was just a handful of minutes of differentiating Dems from Trump.

Fox News did an analysis, too, Interestingly, Juan Williams made what I think was the most cogent comment. In talking about gun control, he observed the stark difference between the Dems and the Republicans, who don’t even talk about it except to utter brainless, testosterone-fueled epithets, even in the wake of San Bernadino shootings. (Note: “.  .  .  brainless, testosterone-fueled epithets” is mine, not Williams’ – and it’s accurate.)

The primary headline from the New Hampshire Democratic debate is the difference Williams cited: The stark difference between the Democratic candidates and the Republicans. Missing from the Dems was xenophobia, bigotry, hatred and a muscular belittling of “others.” The Dems were even civil to one another, even in their sharpest engagements.

The other headline is the lousy viewership numbers because the event was held on the Saturday night before Christmas. The other two Democrat debates were held on weekends, too. Whose idea is it to schedule on weekends and who is helped by that scheduling?

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Ed. note: There is much in America that needs fixing and we are on a path to continually fail to make things better. It is my goal to make a difference – perhaps to be a catalyst for things to get better. That is the reason for these posts. To accomplish the goal requires reaching many thousands of people and a robust dialogue.

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2 Responses to The Headline

  1. Ed December 20, 2015 Reply

    Your point, “Missing from the Dems was xenophobia, bigotry, hatred and a muscular belittling of ‘others’,” is exactly why the Republicans will win the 2016 election! The majority of Americans seem to want “xenophobia, bigotry, hatred and a muscular belittling of ‘others’.” Clearly, only a minority care about income inequality, social injustice, and lack of civility – not to mention gun mania!

  2. Joni Lindgren December 20, 2015 Reply

    Debbie Wasserman Schultz is to blame for scheduling the debates on a weekend when everyone is busy with other festivities. She made sure that Bernie and O’Malley didn’t get their fair share of airtime so that the stark differences could be seen by Independents and young people. Talk about unfair elections….even within the Democratic Party!!

    I attended a debate watching party at Emmet’s in West Dundee. Everyone thought that Bernie had hit the nail on the head on just about every issue and had won the debate. But shortly after the debate, one of the stations declared Hillary the winner AGAIN. How nauseating! How will we ever be able to have fair elections where the media doesn’t control the opinions of us?? How will we ever get good candidates to run for the middle class when the campaigns have reached the unattainable in terms of big money?? How will any candidate for the middle class be able to run who is not a gazillionaire?? Looks like the rich and powerful will be in control until we do something…..like maybe protest and risk being arrested.

    One thing I know . . . nothing will ever change in the country until the Supreme Court is changed in favor of the liberals so that they can overturn Citizens United . . . or it will be more of the same outrageous lying, cheating, buying politicians, runaway corporations who will destroy our environment, worker’s rights, pass more bills to give our tax money to the wealthy and corporations/Wall Street . . . WHILE THE ONE PERCENT HAPPILY SKIP TO THE BANK OR SOME ISLAND TO STASH THEIR LOOT!!