Commentary on the Democrat debate

From Taegan Goddard at Political Wire:
The Democrats are the Healthier Party   All on the same page; spending America into bankruptcy

Window Closes for Joe Biden . . . "If he was looking for a Clinton mess-up as a rationale to get into the race, he didn’t get it. What’s more, by hugging Obama as closely as she did, Hillary also closed off an important lane for Biden. " . . . 

Sanders Generated Most Search Interest . . . "During the debate, Sanders continually attracted more Google interest than Trump.' ”

American Thinker:
Was Biden the biggest loser last night? . . . "So back to Joe B. If he is going to declare, he’d better do it soon. But seeing Hillary on her game, he is thinking about what his record could look like in the hands of her oppo researchers."

Bernie Sanders, Hillary's 'damned emails,' and the cheering press room

The Democratic Candidates Showed Themselves to be Lackluster and Out-of-Date  . . . "Social, economic, and foreign policy issues were discussed as though no laws addressing these concerns had been passed during the past 100 years.". . .

People's Pundit Daily:
Schultz and Clinton warned the other candidates not to harm Hillary   . . . "Though it wasn’t widely reported, Team Hillary and the Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz put the word out to the other candidates regarding attacking the frontrunner. In short, any serious challenge to Hillary on Benghazi, the email scandal or her prior statements that proved false would not bode well for their political career. Fournier, who has repeatedly reported on Clinton’s campaigning shortfalls and crisis mismanagement, noted the candidates took the threats seriously and fell in line.

“ 'It took more than an hour be­fore CNN’s An­der­son Cooper asked Clin­ton about the cov­ert email sys­tem she es­tab­lished as sec­ret­ary of State in de­fi­ance of fed­er­al reg­u­la­tions, sub­vert­ing the Free­dom of In­form­a­tion Act, thwart­ing con­gres­sion­al over­sight, and jeop­ard­iz­ing U.S. secrets,” Fournier added. “And, even then, her chief rival offered Clin­ton cov­er.”

Weekly Standard:

Hillary Hugs Obama at Every Turn  . . . "In fact, if you look at the transcript of the debate, Obama was mentioned 34 times. The other four candidates mention Obama only a handful of times between them. Nearly every other mention of the president came from Clinton (or Cooper)." . . .

Hillary Gets Off Easy in First Debate. . . "Instead, Clinton’s Democratic opponents offered milquetoast gestures toward “new leadership” or wild-eyed calls for “political revolution.” And that gave Clinton the opportunity to turn tough questions to her into sharp criticisms of the Republicans running for president." . . .

Winners and Losers

Sanders Stumbles in Vegas Debate

Ron Fournier: Hillary won, but it won't always be this easy

Her performance was as good as it was dishonest
. . . "On the day of the de­bate, two stor­ies un­der­scored Clin­ton’s vul­ner­ab­il­ity.

. . . "That is Clin­ton’s prob­lem. Like it was in 2008, her char­ac­ter is the is­sue that threatens to con­sume all oth­ers.

"The email scan­dal re­calls ques­tions about Clin­ton’s in­teg­rity that go back to the Rose Law Firm/White­wa­ter and the White House Travel Of­fice. Flip-flop­ping on the Trans-Pa­cific Part­ner­ship and the Key­stone XL pipeline add weight to the ar­gu­ment made by Demo­crats and Re­pub­lic­ans alike that Clin­ton is a mal­le­able op­por­tun­ist.

"There are many people, in­clud­ing me, who know a side of Clin­ton that is strong (2012: “What I Learned Cov­er­ing Hil­lary Clin­ton”) and com­pel­ling (2013: “Best Bet for a Third Clin­ton Term is If She Runs as the ‘Real Hil­lary’—warm, open, and hon­est”), which makes her ac­tions this year shame­fully in­ept (“Memo to Hil­lary: You’re Still The Prob­lem”)." . . .

Weasel of the Week nominees

The Watcher’s Council

"It’s time once again for the Watcher’s Council’s ‘Weasel Of The Week’ nominations, where we pick our choices to compete for the award of  the famed Golden Weasel to a public figure  who particularly deserves to be slimed and mocked for his or her dastardly deeds during the week. Every Tuesday morning, tune in for the Weasel of the Week nominations!

"Here are this weeks’ nominees"

 

 "The Noisy Room: My nomination this week is Debbie Wasserman Schultz… again. Not only did the deflecting ditz of the DNC say that Republicans want to deport all immigrants, they want to kick all women out of the country too. ". . .

Rush Limbaugh puts it this way: "Debbie Blabbermouth Schultz Thinks Women Will Really Believe This"

Barack Obama’s ‘Spiritual Mentor,’ Anti-Semite And America Hater Jeremiah Wright!

"Bookworm Room :I think this week’s weasel award should go to Jeremiah Wright, for his jeremiad claiming that Jesus was a Palestinian and his announcement that Jews are “Europeans” who “took” the Palestinians’ country. " . . .

Let's talk about the bloodshed in Israel

Bookworm Room   "Those who consume only the mainstream media do not know what’s going on in Israel. The media is lying to America through selectively presented news.  News reports are careful to lead with headlines about Palestinians killed or wounded, only mentioning deep in the article that Palestinians met these misfortunes only after they tried to slaughter Jews. Bret Stephens says it best:

If you’ve been following the news from Israel, you might have the impression that “violence” is killing a lot of people. As in this headline: “Palestinian Killed As Violence Continues.”
. . .
"Two Palestinian Teenagers Shot by Israeli Police,” according to one headline. Or: “Israeli Retaliatory Strike in Gaza Kills Woman and Child, Palestinians Say,” according to another."

"Such was the media’s way of describing two weeks of Palestinian assaults that began when Hamas killed a Jewish couple as they were driving with their four children in the northern West Bank. Two days later, a Palestinian teenager stabbed two Israelis to death in Jerusalem’s Old City, and also slashed a woman and a 2-year-old boy. Hours later, another knife-wielding Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli police after he slashed a 15-year-old Israeli boy in the chest and back."

Graphic Video: Palestinian Terrorist Rams Car Into Group Of Israeli Civilians, Stabs Several Dead…   Oh, by the way, the terrorist was killed by a civilian with a gun

Code Pink will probably condemn the shooting of the Palestinian.

Will Obama invite the "Battlefield Cross boy" to the White House?

13-year-old faced discipline for T-shirt with battlefield cross

"GRESHAM, Ore. – A 13-year-old boy was told to change his T-shirt or face discipline at his middle school.

"Alan Holmes' shirt included the image of a gun, which school leaders said is not allowed.

"But the boy and his family argued the rifle is shown with boots and a helmet, in what is recognized as the battle field cross for fallen soldiers, and is meant to support the troops. The shirt said "Standing for those who stood for us."

"'It's not standing for violence, I tell you that much," Holmes said. "It's standing for the memorial for the soldiers, who have died for us and our freedom, and I 100 percent support them because they're supporting us."

"In a brief statement to KGW, Gresham-Barlow School District spokeswoman Athena Vadnais wrote "… we have a policy on student dress and grooming. Weapons on a shirt are not appropriate in a school setting"." . . .

The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, Battlefield Cross or Battle Cross

. . . "It is made up of the soldier's rifle stuck into the ground or into the soldier's boots, with helmet on top. Dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at the battle site. The practice started during the American Civil War or maybe earlier as a meansof identifying the bodies on the battleground before they were removed.

"Today, it is an immediate means of showing respect for the dead among the still living members of the troop. It might be seen in the field or base camp after the battle in Afghanistan or Iraq. Used less today as a means to identify the dead but more as a private ceremony among those still living as a means to mourn, as attending the funeral is not always possible for soldiers still in the fight." . . .

Clock Boy Ahmed makes it to Mecca; calls America Islamophobic

Breitbart

“ 'Clock boy” Ahmed Mohamed made it to Mecca Friday for umrah, the Arabic word for pilgrimage, the portion of his Middle Eastern tour sponsored by the Saudi government. The trip also included the 14-year-old’s parents and other relatives, including one uncle who pushed the Islamophobia narrative.
"The uncle, identified by Arab News as Moussa Al-Hassan, asserted: “The ordinary American citizen lives in a state of fear of Arabs because of the American media’s portrayal of him as an extremist terrorist.”' . . .
. . . "Ahmed also filmed a promotional video to come meet “the clockmaker” at the Islamophobia touting Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Oct. 17 “Champions for Justice” 21^st Anniversary banquet held in Arlington, VA."
That America-phobic word "justice" again.

This should give Hillary confidence

CNN Debate Moderator Was Once Member Of Clinton Global Initiative…

Stephen Miller @redsteeze

Reminder. Tonight's debate being moderated by someone who was a member of Clinton Foundation Global Initiative

10:30 AM - 13 Oct 2015

Clinton character and competence up for discussion now

Hillary's Email: Low-Skilled Hackers Could Get In  "Hillary Clinton wants to be president, but the White House would be a risky place to put her. She should be nowhere near government secrets, given her unserious attitude about keeping them under cover.

"When Clinton was secretary of state, she had the option of using a secure government email account. Instead, she opted for a personal account handled by a private server — one, the AP says, that was vulnerable to "low-skilled intruders."

"This much-discussed email setup, the AP reported Tuesday, "appeared to allow users to connect openly over the Internet to control it remotely."

Email Scandal: A Cancer On Clinton Candidacy…

Obama's playbook on how to beat Hillary Clinton . . . " How did the Obama team turn it around? The conventional wisdom is that he inspired voters with an uplifting message and out-organized Clinton in Iowa and elsewhere. And while it’s true that Obama had a superior organization and an optimistic message, the real beginning of the end for Hillary Clinton was when Obama attacked her greatest vulnerability: her character." . . .

"Hillary learned a lot of lessons from the 2007-2008 battle with Obama. In fact, one of the first decisions she made this time around was to hire Joel Benenson, the pollster who helped write the memo on how to beat her."

Hillary and the other guys debate tonight

Five Things to Watch for in Tuesday’s Democrat Debate

Will Sanders Go Negative on Clinton?

How Will Clinton Respond?

Will There Be Fireworks from Martin O’Malley and the Other Second-Tier Candidates?

E-mails? What E-mails?

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

. . . "And looming over all is the specter of a possible Joe Biden campaign, which would fundamentally transform the race in ways no one can accurately predict."

All the above discussed in this NRO article

 Why Hillary Can’t Lose the Debate . . . "But the precipitous decline in her fortunes and the rise of Sanders puts her in a position where any slip-up on her part is going to be magnified into a major disaster. Similarly, the expectations for her competitors are so low that if any one of them stand out and give a particularly strong performance when compared to Clinton, it will be viewed as a fatal sign of weakness just at the moment when that is the last thing she needs."

CNN to Help Democrats Avoid Actual Debate  . . . "In other words, CNN will make the Republicans wrestle in the mud with the narcissist Donald Trump while helping Democrats look like “serious people.” After all, that motley crew will need all the help they can get."

Why no progressive inquisitors at the Democrat debate?

Helping CNN for Tuesday’s Democratic Candidate Debate

. . . "I think we should help out CNN and come up with a few questions of our own for the candidates, since they’re probably not going to attack each other in any meaningful way. (I’ll take Chris Cillizza’s word for it.) With Donald Trump not in attendance, this could be a monumental snore. (No wonder they cut an hour.)  Someone has to come to the aid of  the network with some interesting questions.
"Here are some possibilities.  Feel free to add others." Below are brief excerpts:

“Governor O’Malley, you apologized for saying ‘All lives matter.’  Are you an abject coward or just an idiot?”

“For the group, the Republicans have two Latino candidates, one black and one woman.  Other than one woman, the Democrats have four  older white males with one yet more elderly white male waiting in the wings.  Please explain the lack of diversity in your party or is  ’white skin privilege’ just a bunch of baloney?”

“Mr. Chafee, do I know you?  You look vaguely familiar.  You’re not my old insurance broker, are you?”

Victory Girls Blog

This dithering president, hoping to leave his mess to his successor

Putin Bombs Syria, As Obama Saddles My Little Pony  "Rivalry: When told Russia's Vladimir Putin was challenging his leadership, President Obama's first response was to say that his "definition of leadership would be leading on climate change." We're not making this up.

. . .

But it's no accident that he mentioned climate change first. He has said before that there is no "greater threat to future generations than climate change."

"The nation should be quaking that it has a president who would say — and maybe even believe — something so shallow and trend-driven. While the Islamic State continues to steal, kill and destroy, and Putin is seizing land and bombing his way to becoming the world's strong man, our president wants to saddle My Little Pony.

"In the midst of this presidential flailing, a couple of big hitters in the science world are hoping to straighten out the crooked thinking on global warming.
. . .
"Our country should be concerned that its president would rather chase an enemy that doesn't exist than confront the hard realities of the Middle East and Islamic terrorism. But he is exactly what a lot of voters asked for. Maybe they are where the madness lies."  Emphasis added, TD

Redskins, Redskins, Redskins, Redskins

Don’t Ban ‘Redskins’—Sports Should Stay Politically Incorrect
"Sports is a realm where political correctness doesn't apply, but lawmakers don't get it and have banned the term 'Redskins' from California public schools."

. . . "Despite the competitive nature of sports being completely at odds with political correctness, lawmakers love to try to impose such PC principles on teams. This week, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a measure that will ban public schools from naming their teams “Redskins.”  The new law will require four public schools in the Golden State to begin phasing out athletic apparel and mascots bearing the name, which many have decried as a racial slur that is offensive to Native Americans.

"While it’s nice that Brown is trying to placate the concerns of the word police, he seems to be pretty out of touch from the harsh reality of athletics. There are winners and there are losers. If there are hurt feelings, that’s just too bad, because there is no crying in baseball, or any other sport for that matter." . . .

The foreign policy of the ever-confidant sounding Inspector Clouseau*

‘That Giant Sucking Sound…’ ... isn't jobs being whisked away to Mexico. It's Putin eating Obama's lunch.

. . . "The answer is: he has taken the measure of his principal potential adversaries — the U.S. and Britain — and has found them wanting. Putin, a former KGB officer (and there is no such thing as a “former” KGB officer), was raised in the era and ethos of great-power politics and loves playing the old Great Game, even against pathetic opponents like Obama and David Cameron. It’s like stealing candy from a baby, but the opportunity to humiliate men without chests and gain some measure of revenge for the past is just too good to pass up. Plus, you get to keep the candy." . . .

"Russia’s decisive intervention has left Barack Obama and David Cameron looking weak and confused."

Obama Has Given Up . . . "More concerning, however, was his contention that the United States is somehow safer, even as the rest of the globe descends into chaos. What else could he say? Events have escaped his control. The president is at a loss."

legalinsurrection

*Clouseau, ever confident of his ability no matter what