Scoring the First Debates

By John C. Dvorak

The first night of the debates was like a trial run and it went poorly with NBC leaving mics open and letting the debaters run roughshod over the moderators who on both nights found no way to control any of these people.

Curiously not a single American flag was on the stage or near the candidates.

Rundown of the debate candidates and overall point score with 100 being the best.

  Cory Booker – He always looks to me like the bald actor in the Indian Jones movie with the bug eyes who pulls out the heart of a human sacrifice. Has no original ideas and hurt his cause by speaking Spanish gratuitously. He did have presence. Score 80.

 

  Bill de Blasio – Annoyed everyone trying to interrupt constantly. Should not even be in the race and has no chance of winning. Score 65.

 

  Juliαn Castro – Seemed like a normal person and focused on certain issues, classic left leaning issues but did not get sidetracked and was very calm. Considered by most to have done the best. Score 90

 

  John Delaney – Who is this milquetoast guy? Why is he running? Who is he kidding? Score 75.

 

  Tulsi Gabbard – Some experts besides Adam Curry think she won this debate somehow. She spent too much time bragging about herself for my taste and would not answer a direct question. She seemed high. I’m convinced she is only running to raise her profile so she can run for the Senate. Score 80.

 

  Jay Inslee – Doofus par excellence. Had an inappropriate shit-eating grin on his face most of the night. Said nothing substantial. Not as annoying as Blasio although he tried to be. Score 70.

 

  Amy Klobuchar –At the very first she was nervous as hell and you could see it and hear it. She finally calmed down enough to deliver a couple of zingers but her overall qualities are just weak. Score 75.

 

  Beto O'Rourke – The worst. Speaks Spanish right off the bat as if that will help him. It just pissed off everyone else. Has almost nothing to offer except misguided complaints. A negative force. Score 70

 

  Tim Ryan – Another person with no reason to be running. Contributed nothing to the debate and is just another milquetoast white guy. Score 70.

 

 Elizabeth Warren – Did better than I thought she would although now she is promising the moon and has gone off the deep end because she cannot rein it in. Her turn to the progressive radical agenda does her no good. Score 85.

The second night was more entertaining. A couple of things stood out. The first was the amount of interruptions and violations of the rules. Everyone ran over the allotted time, they all interrupted each other. It was comical.

During the first parts of the debate the candidates all harped on the fact that the economy was in bad shape and not working except for the stock market. The poor people were not getting more money, etc. etc. This seemed like a common topic and complaint. Then at the end, after we hear all these complaints, all the candidates were asked what needs to be done first and/or what is the most important challenge. And they all said climate change. What about the economy or even the homeless? Naw, global warming was it.

Candidate by candidate rundown.

    Joe Biden – By most accounts Joe did poorly after being ambushed by Kamala Harris and failing to present a good defense. He also seemed out of it until his blood got boiling. He was not knocked out and finished with a strong ending. Score 85.

    Michael Bennet – Thinking back I cannot recall anything he did or said. He is another milquetoast character running for no apparent reason. Score 75.

    Pete Buttigieg – Another candidate running to raise his profile so he can grab a higher office, probably a Senate seat. Shows a very even temperament, appears to be truthful and sincere. Seems like a nice guy. Score 85.

    Kirsten Gillibrand – Twerpus interruptus. She is hardly going a minute without interrupting. It was incredibly annoying. Women’s rights seemed to be all she was howling about. I do not like this woman, sorry. Score 75.

    Kamala Harris – Seemed to be the only person on the ball insofar as stage presence and preparation was concerned. Took some big chances and it paid off for her at the detriment of the entire group, Most people said she won the debate even though it was a short moment of valor. She used a trick throughout the debate to cite little examples which proved her points. Score 90.

    John Hickenlooper – Liar and goofball. He credited his state and presumably himself with the legalization of pot in Colorado. He actually fought its legalization tooth and nail. Now he thinks it is great. Outrageous phony and not very presentable. Score 65.

    Bernie Sanders – Seemed to be laying low and playing it coy. Burst out now and again with his various pitches that were solid and well-rehearsed. Nothing special, but undamaged. Score 85.

    Eric Swalwell – What a loser. Also, a massive and annoying interrupter who had nothing to say when given the chance. It’s hard to imagine anyone voting for this guy for dogcatcher. And all he harps on is gun control thinking that the voting public hates guns in general. Score 70.

    Marianne Williamson – How did this New Age dingbat manage to get a spot in the debates? It is rumored that the Republicans are funding her as a goof and the Dems do not know how to stop it. Her entertainment value was almost worth it. Score 75.

    Andrew Yang – Smart but unpolished. His gimmick is to give everyone $1000 right off the top. Apparently this solves everything including climate change. He has very little going on, but he was not a complete bust. Score 75.

Anyone scoring 75 or less has zero chance of getting the nomination. Let’s see who wises up and drops out before the next debate.

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