HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

The 3 Best and Worst Moments of the First Democratic Presidential Debate

Views:1025
@ReasonVids

FOR SUPPORTING LINKS, CLICK HERE: https://reason.com/reasontv/2015/10/13/3-best-worst-moments-democratic-debate

We watched the first Democratic Presidential debate with wide eyes and open minds and picked out the best and the worst moments of the night. These are the 3 Best and 3 Worst Moments of the first Democratic Presidential Debate.

Third Best Moment: Cannabis Legalization

Anderson Cooper: “Some of the candidates have tried marijuana, as have pretty much probably everybody in this room.”

Just as quickly as public opinion on pot has shifted, these politicians have suddenly mellowed to the idea. Some of them have even admitted to inhaling. And Bernie Sanders thinks we’re ruining too many young people’s lives just for feeling the burn.

But one candidate seemed a bit confused. Hillary doesn’t like the mass incarceration aspect, but she also won’t advocate for an end to federal prohibition. Also, we need more research on cannabis—but we also need more evidence before we ditch the federal regulations that all but ban research on cannabis, which even ardent drug warriors are beginning to oppose.

Third Worst Moment: “Common Sense” Gun Control

Bernie Sanders: “The views on gun control in rural states are different than in urban states, whether we like it or not.”

On the flip side was the Dems’ almost uniformly uninformed take on violent crime and gun control. Bernie Sanders tip-toed his way around his un-Democratic past, pointing to his support for a federal assault weapons ban (probably because it worked so well last time). Hillary thinks it’s fine to make responsible dealers liable for any crimes customers may commit with guns they sold legally. And Martin O’Malley touted the fantastic record of his gun safety legislation in Maryland in solving the problem of gun violence. Why, just take a look at Baltimore!

Only one candidate, Jim Webb, recognized that DC politicians aren’t alone in their desire or their right to bear arms for self-protection. Echoing a Rand Paul argument, he pointed out the uncomfortable fact that many gun warriors inside the Beltway bubble employ armed guards for their own families’ protection.

Second Best Moment: Foreign Interventionism

Bernie Sanders: “You’re talking about a quagmire in a quagmire.”

Most of the candidates didn’t hold back from criticizing the interventionist foreign policy that defined the Bush administration and continued through the Obama years. Sanders criticized the “quagmire in a quagmire” in Syria and both Sanders and Martin O’Malley got after Hillary for wanting a no-fly zone there, which could lead to the type of mission creep last seen in another of Hillary’s greatest foreign policy disasters, the Libyan intervention.

As for Hillary, she thinks you just have to accept a certain level of risk.

Second Worst Moment: What Classified Emails?

Hillary Clinton: “I’m as transparent as I know to be.”

Clinton’s fellow candidates weren’t shy about criticizing her role in botched Middle East foreign policy initiatives, but even Bernie Sanders was quick to jump to her defense when the topic turned to her email problems.

The crowd may have loved her unapologetic posture, but the standing ovation they delivered doesn’t change the fact that Clinton is still under federal investigation for compromising classified information while serving as Secretary of State. There’s nothing partisan about it.

The Best Moment: Edward Snowden, Whistleblower

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Edward Snowden intentionally made classified information public as a whistleblower calling attention to the unconstitutional surveillance of the NSA. A rousing defense of Snowden and civil liberties from Sanders and Lincoln Chaffee provided the night’s best moments.

But once again, Clinton found herself on the wrong side of the debate, insisting that Snowden should return to “face the music”—or, put another way, to face charges under the notoriously draconian Espionage Act—and defending nearly every obfuscation and expansion in federal voyeurism since the Patriot Act.

The Worst Moment: What National Debt?

The candidates never once mentioned the federal debt and seemed to believe that soaking the rich for tax money will fund all of their wildest dreams. From “free” college to “free” medical care to paid parental leave to indefinite energy and pension spending, the parade of ill-conceived federal initiatives trotted out by the candidates provided the worst moments of the night.

politics (tv genre)
,
hillary rodham clinton (u.s. congressperson)
,
bernie sanders (u.s. congressperson)
,
democrats
,
democratic party (political party)
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
guns
,
taxes
,
marijuana
,
nsa
,
snowden
    Thumbnail for Is Obama to Blame for Syria's Disaster? "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror" co-author Michael Weiss11:32
    Is Obama to Blame for Syria's Disaster? "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror" co-author Michael Weiss
    ReasonVids
    938 views
    Thumbnail for Crowded Prisons, Unions, and CA Three Strikes: Why We Can't Just Build More Cages6:09
    Crowded Prisons, Unions, and CA Three Strikes: Why We Can't Just Build More Cages
    ReasonVids
    803 views
    Thumbnail for How Donald Shoup Will Find You a Parking Spot6:50
    How Donald Shoup Will Find You a Parking Spot
    ReasonVids
    859 views
    Thumbnail for Is This Gary Johnson's Last Campaign?9:35
    Is This Gary Johnson's Last Campaign?
    ReasonVids
    1071 views
    Thumbnail for The tower rises0:30
    The tower rises
    bestofupgoat
    110 views
    Thumbnail for How Cannabis Can Revolutionize Our Economy: Author Doug Fine on "Too High To Fail"7:41
    How Cannabis Can Revolutionize Our Economy: Author Doug Fine on "Too High To Fail"
    ReasonVids
    861 views
    Thumbnail for Busting Congestion in Chicago (or Any other City)4:26
    Busting Congestion in Chicago (or Any other City)
    ReasonVids
    855 views
    Thumbnail for Animation vs. Physics | Alan Becker16:08
    Animation vs. Physics | Alan Becker
    invidious
    344 views
    Thumbnail for How you treat pajeet subhumans 1:06
    How you treat pajeet subhumans
    bestofupgoat
    119 views
    Thumbnail for A day in my life (traveling edition) | Paul Saladino MD0:59
    A day in my life (traveling edition) | Paul Saladino MD
    invidious
    95 views
    Thumbnail for That Mitchell and Webb Look Football | slicknick4322:29
    That Mitchell and Webb Look Football | slicknick432
    invidious
    263 views
    Thumbnail for LIVE: Congress convenes UFO "Exposing the Truth" hearing | The Times and The Sunday Times2:28:01
    LIVE: Congress convenes UFO "Exposing the Truth" hearing | The Times and The Sunday Times
    invidious
    125 views
    Thumbnail for Justin Amash: Any Sequester Alternative Must Cut at Least as Much2:11
    Justin Amash: Any Sequester Alternative Must Cut at Least as Much
    ReasonVids
    850 views
    Thumbnail for Mathematician: Election numbers don’t add up2:42
    Mathematician: Election numbers don’t add up
    bestofpoal
    1878 views
    Thumbnail for A Mystery in Which Everyone is Guilty - Johan Norberg on "Financial Fiasco"9:40
    A Mystery in Which Everyone is Guilty - Johan Norberg on "Financial Fiasco"
    ReasonVids
    866 views
    Thumbnail for America Fuck Yeah0:14
    America Fuck Yeah
    bestofvoatxyz
    1351 views
    Thumbnail for When the scope fills your entire vision in a game | Hoot0:54
    When the scope fills your entire vision in a game | Hoot
    invidious
    441 views
    Thumbnail for Remy: Wedu Nagivafaka1:41
    Remy: Wedu Nagivafaka
    ReasonVids
    775 views
    Thumbnail for I Built a Supersonic Car with NO THRUSTERS! - Trailmakers Gameplay | ScrapMan14:11
    I Built a Supersonic Car with NO THRUSTERS! - Trailmakers Gameplay | ScrapMan
    gaming.topic
    680 views
    Thumbnail for Course Intro | DS310: DataStax Enterprise Search | DataStax Developers4:02
    Course Intro | DS310: DataStax Enterprise Search | DataStax Developers
    invidious
    218 views
    Thumbnail for Innocent Citizens Sue FBI Over Illegal Safety Deposit Raid4:03
    Innocent Citizens Sue FBI Over Illegal Safety Deposit Raid
    IJvids
    1004 views
    Thumbnail for Auction Rap1:25
    Auction Rap
    bestofvoatxyz
    738 views
    Thumbnail for Adherents of Junk Campus Rape Science Are Retaliating Against Critics4:29
    Adherents of Junk Campus Rape Science Are Retaliating Against Critics
    ReasonVids
    7188 views

points

Permalink
Reply
politics (tv genre)
,
hillary rodham clinton (u.s. congressperson)
,
bernie sanders (u.s. congressperson)
,
democrats
,
democratic party (political party)
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
guns
,
taxes
,
marijuana
,
nsa
,
snowden
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle