CBS and The Democratic Debate

Tuesday nights democratic debate moderated by CBS turned out to be a tragedy for the first 30 minutes because of the two moderators who lost control of the debate process.  They set out a time limit for answers and rebuttal, did not enforce the time limits and allowed the candidates to talk over each other at the same time.  As a result, the first 30 minutes were wasted because the two moderators, like so many debates in the past, use the debates as show business.

After four other moderators appeared on the scene, things calmed down and good questions were asked which prompted a more civil debate on important issues.  The negative moderator remarks of calling Bernie Sanders a democratic socialist surfaced again.  They just can not accept the fact that Sanders is not a democrat.  Worse yet, they over look the republican party's socialist agenda of massive tax cuts, tax breaks and loop holes for Corporate America and the wealthy and the billions of dollars given to the oil and gas industry as if they are in need.  But CBS should be given credit overall as doing a better job with questions than NBC did the previous week in the Nevada debates.

This writer thought Biden and Bloomberg performed the best with specific answers and were knowledgeable about the questions.  Sanders should rethink his medicare for all plan because if he wins the nomination and defeats Trump in the general election the democratic party will not support that plan because it is too costly and could put medicare as we know it in jeopardy.  That would be tragic because medicare has served its purpose for the elderly and the disabled for so many years.  Biden still has the best plan.  Make the ACA better, add the public option and have the government negotiate with big Pharma on the price of prescription drugs to lower the cost.

This writer still believes there are too many debates because it is a flawed set up and needs to be reformed.  The debates are about a future President and what he or she will want to accomplish but most questions are about the past positions like as if problems never change.  One thing is for sure, the upcoming primaries will energize the voters and not very many will remember the debates.