Democrat Debate Recap: Crabs in a Bucket

 

When you’re shucking a bucket of crabs, the smart ones try like hell to escape. But as soon as one gets to the edge of freedom, the rest of the crabs yank him back down. That was the Democratic debate Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner but would lose if the so-called moderate lane unified behind a single candidate. Instead, the other five Democrats spent two hours pulling each other down, leaving the Brooklyn Bolshevik free to yell about whatever it is he yells about.

Mike Bloomberg got quite the hazing in this, his first debate. Elizabeth Warren opened with a savage attack.

“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against,” the former Native American said. “A billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians, and no I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”

“I think we need something different than Donald Trump,” Amy Klobuchar added, blasting Bloomberg’s call for others to drop out and support him. “I don’t think you look at Donald Trump and say we need someone richer.”

After everyone torched Bloomberg in the first few minutes, Warren took aim at everyone else.

We need to get everybody’s health care plan out here. Mayor Buttigieg really has a slogan that was thought up by his consultants to paper over a thin version of a plan that would leave millions of people unable to afford their health care. It’s not a plan, it’s a PowerPoint.

And Amy’s plan is even less. It’s like a Post-It note: Insert plan here.

Both blasted back but then tore into each other. Ever smarmy, Buttigieg hit Klobuchar for forgetting the name of Mexico’s president. “Are you trying to say that I’m dumb? Are you mocking me here, Pete?” she replied.

Later in the evening, Klobuchar told Pete, “You memorized a bunch of talking points,” saying he’s never been “in the arena.”

“I’m used to senators telling mayors that senators are more important,” Buttigieg responded. “You don’t have to be in Washington to matter.” He then polished several shiny red apples and handed them to the moderators. (I might have made up that last part.)

Biden was strong compared to his last few debates, which isn’t saying much. Between Tourette’s-style grunts of “Malarkey!” and “C’mon, man!” he hit Bloomberg’s initial opposition to Obamacare. “The mayor said when we passed it … it was a disgrace. Look it up. Check it out.”

The former vice president then hit him for not releasing his taxes. “It just takes us a long time,” Bloomberg said. “Fortunately, I make a lot of money, and we do business all around the world, and we are preparing it … I can’t go to Turbo Tax.”

As the attacks were aimed at everyone else, Bernie could mostly stick to his 50-year-old stump speech. (Turns out he’s not a fan of billionaires.)

In the second half of the debate, Bloomberg had a few moments.

“I can’t think of a way that would make it easier for Donald Trump to get re-elected than listening to this conversation,” he said. “This is ridiculous. We’re not going to throw out capitalism. We tried that, the other countries tried that — it was called communism — and it just didn’t work.”

The rowdy audience responded with anxious “ooohs” and “aaahs.”

“What a wonderful country we have,” Bloomberg added. “The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.”

Outside of an attack here and there, Sanders was the obvious winner. He walked in on top and left on top; that’s what counts. Everyone else — Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Warren — limped away bleeding from their all-against-all deathmatch.

Onto Saturday’s Nevada Caucus. Crab is on the menu.

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  1. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    When you’re shucking a bucket of crabs, the smart ones try like hell to escape. But as soon as one gets to the edge of freedom, the rest of the crabs yank him back down. That was the Democratic debate Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

    Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner but would lose if the so-called moderate lane unified behind a single candidate. Instead, the other five Democrats spent two hours pulling each other down, leaving the Brooklyn Bolshevik free to yell about whatever it is he yells about.

    Mike Bloomberg got quite the hazing in this, his first debate. Elizabeth Warren opened with a savage attack.

    …….

    In the second half of the debate, Bloomberg had a few moments.

    “I can’t think of a way that would make it easier for Donald Trump to get re-elected than listening to this conversation,” he said. “This is ridiculous. We’re not going to throw out capitalism. We tried that, the other countries tried that — it was called communism — and it just didn’t work.”

    The rowdy audience responded with anxious “ooohs” and “aaahs.”

    “What a wonderful country we have,” Bloomberg added. “The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.”

    Outside of an attack here and there, Sanders was the obvious winner. He walked in on top and left on top; that’s what counts. Everyone else — Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Warren — limped away bleeding from their all-against-all deathmatch.

    Onto Saturday’s Nevada Caucus. Crab is on the menu.

    Interesting. I thought Bernie did poorly, Bloomberg cleaned his clock a few times and Bernie’s response was always furious and incoherent. He definitely was not the worst – Klobuchar looked like she was about to cry for about half the debate, she came off as petulant and weak to me. Biden looked better than usual, but he was always shouting and had this cooky-looking stare after every comment. From what I saw, Warren was just there.

    I missed the beginning, and it sounds like Bloomberg took a beating early on, but he’s the only one who didn’t awkwardly laugh while being denigrated. I wouldn’t say he did well, but I think he’ll continue to rise. I know the usual suspects in the media disagree, but when’s the last time they knew what was happening? All-in-all, I thought Buttigeig won.

    This was definitely the most fun debate so far. I can see some real animosities brewing among this bunch. Tune in next Tuesday, February 25, for more stupid!

    • #1
  2. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Which debate is the one where the tributes get to run out to a pile of weapons and start killing each other? 

    • #2
  3. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Samuel Block (View Comment):
    All-in-all, I thought Buttigeig won.

    Nah, Ted Cruz called it earlier in the day, Trump won.

    • #3
  4. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Thanks Jon.

     

    As the attacks were aimed at everyone else, Bernie could mostly stick to his 50-year-old stump speech. (Turns out he’s not a fan of billionaires.)

    Nice.  Bernie in a nutshell.  I wouldn’t stop with the schtick either, if it kept working.  Feeds his ego and his extended family….of public leeches.

    • #4
  5. Gazpacho Grande' Coolidge
    Gazpacho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Vodkapundit (Stephen Green) did an amusing drunk-blogging of the debate.   I hope they compensated him well for sitting through all of that.

    Not that the Republican side is much better for these things, but if the debate consists largely of who’s going to promise you more free stuff than the person next to you, it’s not a debate.  It’s the end of the republic.

    • #5
  6. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    . “It just takes us a long time,” Bloomberg said. “Fortunately, I make a lot of money, and we do business all around the world, and we are preparing it … I can’t go to Turbo Tax.”

     

    Riiggghhhttt.

    Because he doesn’t have a copy of his 2018 taxes. Or 2017. Or 2016……

    • #6
  7. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Gazpacho Grande' (View Comment):

    Vodkapundit (Stephen Green) did an amusing drunk-blogging of the debate. I hope they compensated him well for sitting through all of that.

    I think PJMedia picks up the bar tab.

    • #7
  8. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Sanders, Bloomberg, Warren, and Biden were all caricatures of themselves. Buttigieg and Klobuchar at least seemed semi-normal politically. But Klobuchar, as usual, seemed to be some sort of relic Neanderthal whose speech ability lags her Homo sapiens peers.

    The real pathetic part was the audience. Did this debate also serve as a casting call for Idiocracy II?

    • #8
  9. Nohaaj Coolidge
    Nohaaj
    @Nohaaj

    I loved the part where Bloomie and Bernie were sparring over tax rates. Bloomie:  You senators wrote the laws, I just followed them.  Bernie: You bribed us with millions of dollars to write those laws!  

    • #9
  10. MichaelKennedy Inactive
    MichaelKennedy
    @MichaelKennedy

    Bloomberg showed that he was not well prepared.  He muddled some answers and looked like he didn’t want to be there.

    Mayor Pete speaks well and had some good arguments but he is un qualified. Even Obama had two years in the Senate.

    Bernie is Bernie.  I suspect he will be the nominee and will do a McGovern.  That might be good for that party since they need a dose of reality.

    Warren is the second grade teacher everyone hated.  Biden is still senile.  Klobuchar might be Bernie’s VP nominee.

    • #10
  11. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    One pundit said Trump was the big winner of the debate . . .

    • #11
  12. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Nohaaj (View Comment):

    I loved the part where Bloomie and Bernie were sparring over tax rates. Bloomie: You senators wrote the laws, I just followed them. Bernie: You bribed us with millions of dollars to write those laws!

    I wonder if he took the bribes.

    • #12
  13. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    In the second half of the debate, Bloomberg had a few moments.

    “I can’t think of a way that would make it easier for Donald Trump to get re-elected than listening to this conversation,” he said. “This is ridiculous. We’re not going to throw out capitalism. We tried that, the other countries tried that — it was called communism — and it just didn’t work.”

    The rowdy audience responded with anxious “ooohs” and “aaahs.”

    “What a wonderful country we have,” Bloomberg added. “The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.”

    Seriously? If Democrats hear this from their own side, from people they actually listen to, that’s wonderful. 

    • #13
  14. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Stad (View Comment):

    One pundit said Trump was the big winner of the debate . . .

    Bernie and Pete gained the most:

    https://electionbettingodds.com/

    Bloomberg got killed.

    • #14
  15. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    Aaron Miller (View Comment):

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.:

    In the second half of the debate, Bloomberg had a few moments.

    “I can’t think of a way that would make it easier for Donald Trump to get re-elected than listening to this conversation,” he said. “This is ridiculous. We’re not going to throw out capitalism. We tried that, the other countries tried that — it was called communism — and it just didn’t work.”

    The rowdy audience responded with anxious “ooohs” and “aaahs.”

    “What a wonderful country we have,” Bloomberg added. “The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses.”

    Seriously? If Democrats hear this from their own side, from people they actually listen to, that’s wonderful.

    Trump could stop calling Sanders “Crazy Bernie” and start calling him “Millionaire Bernie” for the rest of the campaign season, and it would drive him and his capitalist-hating supporters … well, crazy.

    • #15
  16. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Clearly they were treating Bloomberg like the Republican. And Bloomberg acted like one.

    – the weak Never Trump kind of Republican.

    I was amazed at how bad Mikey looked. His physical appearance, his demeanor, his facial expressions and his vocal tone ( why haven’t I heard anything about this?) which is a monotonic effete whine.

    When attacked he just kind-of harrumphed rolled his eyes and offered up a pathetic defense, and it seems his best response to the accusation he has undeserved wealth is that he gives a lot of his money away. Oh, and he worked hard! (Wow, how hard do you have to work to accumulate $60,000,000,000?)

    • #16
  17. Jeff Hawkins Inactive
    Jeff Hawkins
    @JeffHawkins

    They think they’re going to out-nasty Trump while also tiptoeing around the other candidate’s weak spots.

    This was all about “you see what we did to Bloomberg, we’ll be able to do that to Trump”

    No mention of Elizabeth Warren’s race hoax, Klobuchar’s treatment of staff, Bernie playing footsie with Russia, etc.

    This was a “Get Bloomberg out” and the partisans in my social media feed were all about it, especially the ones hoping to resurrect Warren’s candidacy.

    • #17
  18. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    I know piling on Biden is getting boring and it’s so easy, but why did he have to act so angry? 
    I suspect Joe’s focus wanders when he’s not in full fighting spirits. 
    Can you imagine listening to Elizabeth Warren for four years? She has a strange tone-mix of hectoring while pleading. Weak but nonetheless annoying. The lady needs some kind of hobby, she’s in way over her head.
    The notion that any of these people can fix all the things they cite as major problems is preposterous. They are going to solve the climate crisis, give everyone free health care, unite the polarized country ( good luck uniting with 63 million deplorables) and it’s all “paid for”.

    I was laughing most of the time.

     

    • #18
  19. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    This post is hilarious!  SNL could just “post-it note” their character’s heads on the bodies in the picture above and use every line!

    “Between Tourette’s-style grunts of “Malarkey!” and “C’mon, man!” he hit Bloomberg’s initial opposition to Obamacare.”   

    “Democrats spent two hours pulling each other down, leaving the Brooklyn Bolshevik free to yell about whatever it is he yells about.”

    “Bloomberg said. “Fortunately, I make a lot of money, and we do business all around the world, and we are preparing it … I can’t go to Turbo Tax.”    (forsee a Turbo Tax commercial here:  “But you can!  Come to Turbo Tax….unless you make tons of money and do business all around the world…..!”)

    FUNNY!

    • #19
  20. Ryan Renfro Inactive
    Ryan Renfro
    @RyanRenfro

    This line had me laughing out loud:

    BLOOMBERG: “I can’t speak for all billionaires. All I know is I’ve been very lucky, made a lot of money, and I’m giving it all away to make this country better. And a good chunk of it goes to the Democratic Party, as well.”

    • #20
  21. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):

    This post is hilarious! SNL could just “post-it note” their character’s heads on the bodies in the picture above and use every line!

    “Between Tourette’s-style grunts of “Malarkey!” and “C’mon, man!” he hit Bloomberg’s initial opposition to Obamacare.”

    “Democrats spent two hours pulling each other down, leaving the Brooklyn Bolshevik free to yell about whatever it is he yells about.”

    “Bloomberg said. “Fortunately, I make a lot of money, and we do business all around the world, and we are preparing it … I can’t go to Turbo Tax.” (forsee a Turbo Tax commercial here: “But you can! Come to Turbo Tax….unless you make tons of money and do business all around the world…..!”)

    FUNNY!

    Depression about the abilities and chances of the Democratic candidates has spawned some angry comedy from SNL in their most recent Democratic debate cold open parodies. But the bile might be gone by Feb. 29, because the show’s off this week. But it’s hard to see them not making fun of Bloomberg that night (from the left, of course) in the run-up to Super Tuesday.

    • #21
  22. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    “Tourette’s style grunts . . .”

    Love it.  A turn of phrase that arguably characterizes the entire debate.

    • #22
  23. colleenb Member
    colleenb
    @colleenb

    Gazpacho Grande' (View Comment):

    Vodkapundit (Stephen Green) did an amusing drunk-blogging of the debate. I hope they compensated him well for sitting through all of that.

    Not that the Republican side is much better for these things, but if the debate consists largely of who’s going to promise you more free stuff than the person next to you, it’s not a debate. It’s the end of the republic.

    I love Vodkapundit and it saves me time to let him do all the work and commenting. I really can’t stand listening to any political speech (even the people I like!). I remember fondly going to Stephen Green on Election Night and reading what he was saying. As I scrolled through it, I couldn’t believe it. Trump was doing much better than predicted. Still one of the best nights of my life.

    • #23
  24. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Kozak (View Comment):what 

     

    I do not even care. Everyone knows he’s a billionaire. Everyone knows the rest of them are millionaires. As long as they file their tax returns and are not under IRS investigation they have fulfilled their civic duty and are behaving lawfully. 

    NOW…what is your vision for our country? How are you planning on helping the great American people to achieve their greatest endeavors? What are our most important problems and what are your solutions? 

    This business of condemnation of financial success is simply covetous and beneath the dignity of the American people.

    • #24
  25. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Outside of an attack here and there, Sanders was the obvious winner. He walked in on top and left on top; that’s what counts. Everyone else — Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Warren — limped away bleeding from their all-against-all deathmatch.

    Jon,

    Once you’ve reduced yourself to pure identity politics (the last 20 years of the Democratic Party) coming together is an illusion. If you hold different versions of the same underlying policy principles then you can pull together. This was Amy the Woman against Buttigieg the Gay against Warren the Feminist against Bernie the Old Socialist against Biden the Old White Guy. Sorry, but Bloomberg is now the Old Rich Guy.

    They will keep this up until super Tuesday. If Bloomie can’t knock anybody out on super Tuesday his strategy is a failure and this garbage will keep going until the convention. This is poetic justice or divine retribution. Whatever it is don’t forget the popcorn.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #25
  26. JamesSalerno Inactive
    JamesSalerno
    @JamesSalerno

    cdor (View Comment):

    Kozak (View Comment):what

     

    I do not even care. Everyone knows he’s a billionaire. Everyone knows the rest of them are millionaires. As long as they file their tax returns and are not under IRS investigation they have fulfilled their civic duty and are behaving lawfully.

    NOW…what is your vision for our country? How are you planning on helping the great American people to achieve their greatest endeavors? What are our most important problems and what are your solutions?

    This business of condemnation of financial success is simply covetous and beneath the dignity of the American people.

    Exactly. Democrats have this weird obsession with tax and wealth and transparency. They honestly believe that Donald Trump hasn’t paid any taxes since the seventies. Somehow, he just fell through the cracks because something something billionaires. It’s beyond ridiculous.

    It’s even weirder that lower net worth is seen as a badge of honor. These goofs are up their bragging about who makes the least amount of money. Yes, because when I’m voting to elect someone who will have a major say in the world’s largest economy, I would rather vote for someone who makes $20 an hour than someone who has managed a million dollar enterprise…

    • #26
  27. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    JamesSalerno (View Comment):
    . Yes, because when I’m voting to elect someone who will have a major say in the world’s largest economy, I would rather vote for someone who makes $20 an hour than someone who has managed a million dollar enterprise…

    There are problems with each kind of candidate. Each has its characteristic blind spots. 

    • #27
  28. Ilan Levine Member
    Ilan Levine
    @IlanLevine

    TBA (View Comment):

    Which debate is the one where the tributes get to run out to a pile of weapons and start killing each other?

    April 15

    • #28
  29. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    cdor (View Comment):
    I do not even care. Everyone knows he’s a billionaire. Everyone knows the rest of them are millionaires.

    cdor (View Comment):
    This business of condemnation of financial success is simply covetous and beneath the dignity of the American people.

    Yes. But we care when millionaires claim that rich people don’t pay their fair share because they evidently don’t believe what they are saying. They don’t forego tax deductions and offer donations to the IRS. 

    This is perhaps the easiest attack at the trust of Democrat voters. Anyone who can be reached must admit the hypocrisy of leading Democrats. (And by hypocrisy I mean the original definition of arguing what one does not genuinely believe, rather than merely failing to live up to one’s own high ideals.)

    Of course, disliking one side of the political aisle doesn’t necessarily translate into liking the other side more. Democrats have been fed a lifetime of lies about the Right. 

    • #29
  30. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    Why do American politicians insist on being addressed by their office tittle after they’ve left office? Mike Bloomberg is not Mayor Bloomberg – he was elected not knighted.

    • #30
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