Former Sen. Jim Webb
After two Republican debates—or four, counting their JV debates—we get to a Democratic debate.
Onstage in Las Vegas Tuesday night:
Hillary Clinton
Bernie Sanders
Martin O'Malley
Jim Webb
Lincoln Chafee
As the leader, Clinton is at center stage, flanked by Sanders to her right and O'Malley to her left, with Webb and Chafee taking the outside. The media really wanted us speculating about whether Vice President Joe Biden would make a dramatic entry to the race with a last-minute appearance (parachuting in, perhaps?), but ... no.
Here's to a healthy exchange of ideas and not too many stupid questions from moderators and questioners Anderson Cooper, Dana Bash, Juan Carlos Lopez, and, reading questions from social media, Don Lemon. (At least they have Lemon just offering other people's questions.) If their questions aren't bad enough for you, Donald Trump has promised to live-tweet.
The debate is airing on CNN and streaming on CNNGo and CNN.com.Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 6:34 PM PT:
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 6:36 PM PT: After Webb rehashes all the questions he wasn't asked on foreign policy, Anderson Cooper throws it to Bernie Sanders, whose response looks like "Wha? I tuned Webb out like everyone else." (Though he then collects himself and responds.)
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 6:43 PM PT: Heading to commercial, a lightning round on the greatest threat facing the country:
Chafee: Chaos in the Middle East
O'Malley: ISIL, climate change
Clinton: Continued threat from the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear material that could fall into the wrong hands
Sanders: Climate change
Webb: Long-term strategic challenge is China, day to day threat is cyber warfare against this country, military operational threat is Middle East.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 6:51 PM PT: We return with the predictable question about Clinton's emails, with Anderson Cooper working hard to make it a Very Serious Issue. After Clinton takes responsibility, gives the defense we've all heard, and name-checks Kevin McCarthy, Cooper throws it to Sanders, who says he knows it's not good politics to say, but he agrees with Clinton. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!" Wild cheering leaves Cooper perplexed.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 6:58 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): New thread here.