Tuesday, February 25, 2020

#DemDebate: Round 2 with Bloomer


He's been doing nothing but debate prep for the past week in order to avoid another disaster.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (postponed) a CNN town hall slated for Monday to prepare for Tuesday’s debate in South Carolina.

The Great Shitlib Hope has been a tremendous letdown to this point.

(W)hile other Democratic presidential candidates held rallies in Super Tuesday states throughout the weekend, Bloomberg was busy preparing for his second debate appearance set for Tuesday in South Carolina. Bloomberg’s campaign event in Utah last week has been his only public appearance thus far since last week’s debate.

Given his stumbles during last week’s performance and his decision to skip the first four primaries, Bloomberg is heading into the debate in South Carolina knowing that he needs to show an improved performance days before the state’s primary. Bloomberg is also hanging his hopes on gaining a substantial amount of delegates from next week from Super Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal, which will be his first appearance on the ballot in 14 states.

He wants to make tonight all about Bernie, and he may get help in that regard.

“It’s everyone’s last chance before Super Tuesday to really challenge his record and his ideas,” Bloomberg’s campaign told TPM. “If you’re not willing to take on the frontrunner at this stage in the race, when will you be?”

[...]

“If everyone else can’t find the courage to take [Sanders] on, they don’t deserve to win the nomination ...”

It's a safe bet that Biden, BootEdgeEdge, Klobuchar, and Warren accept that challenge.  Of the seven onstage, Steyer seems most primed to take point against his fellow one-tenth of 1%er.

This will be the last debate until after Super Tuesday -- a week from today -- when 14 states will hold primaries. With an uncommonly crowded field of formidable candidates, it’s possible that as many as half a dozen candidates could take at least one state on March 3. That would only add to the feeling that this race may continue into the spring (and maybe even into the convention) without a presumptive nominee.

(Conversely, it also could) add to fears among the Democratic establishment that Sanders could roll to the nomination while his rivals tussle over the moderate vote.

So Bernie will be playing a lot of defense, and he'll get scored by the pundits and the public on the basis of how many pucks he blocks.


Post-debate wrap tomorrow, with a weekly Election 2020 Update included.

No comments: