Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee
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 7:03 PM PT: The economy, Wall Street, the middle class. Sanders is obviously in his element on these issues. Addressed to Clinton, the question morphs into "how can you represent the middle class when you're in the top one percent?" Clinton responds that "we've been blessed" but that neither she nor Bill started out rich and now want to see everyone else have the chances that they had.
O'Malley associates himself with the Sanders answer and calls for repeal of Glass-Steagall and breaking up the big banks. Clinton somewhat laughably claims that her own Wall Street plan is stronger because it's more comprehensive. When that claim gets kicked back to Sanders, he chuckles a little as he says it's simply not true that her plan is stronger than his. Back to Clinton, who says that as the senator from New York, representing Wall Street, she went to Wall Street to tell them to cut it out. This is not a winning issue for her on this stage, and is not becoming one as the back-and-forth continues.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 7:07 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): More on the question, do you think black lives matter or do all lives matter:
Sanders, says black lives matter, cites the death of Sandra Bland as an example, says a broken criminal justice system needs to be tackled.
O'Malley, agrees, says there would be marching in the streets if it was white young people dying.
Clinton, says Obama has been a great moral leader on this, been obstructed by GOP, need reform, cites body cameras, the need to tackle mass incarcerations and that we need a "new New Deal for communities of color."
Webb whines again about time and says all lives matter, but he knows some black people.
Chafee? Missed him.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 7:11 PM PT (Barbara Morrill):
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 7:20 PM PT (Kerry Eleveld): On immigration, to Bernie: he voted for CIR in 2013 but voted against CIR in 2007. Why should Latinos trust him now? Sanders said he voted against it because it had guest worker provisions in it, which he was told was like slave labor. "I was not the only progressive to vote against that legislation. Clinton said she wanted all children to get health care, would support having immigrants buy into exchanges but wouldn't give subsidies except as part of comprehensive immigration reform. Hillary also notes that you're not hearing any Republican who supports immigration reform.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 7:24 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): New thread here.