A Few Thoughts on the Democratic Debate

I watched the Democratic debate last night.  I thought all the candidates did well on foreign policy but Senator Clinton’s answers were more specific and informed.

When asked whether, if they had "actionable intelligence" on Bin Laden’s location in Pakistan, they would strike even without the Pakistani government’s approval, Edwards and Obama jumped at the chance to show how tough and determined they were.  Clinton was tough also but she said she would sure let the Pakistani government know what was happening before the missiles hit otherwise the Pakistani’s might think it was an attack from India.  I think she could have jumped on Edwards and Obama for perhaps starting a nuclear war due to their inexperience but she didn’t and I suspect that the point may have been lost on the audience.  In answering questions about troop withdrawal, Senator Clinton was also thinking through the details at a greater level than the other candidates mentioning, for example, that it was important to make plans for the Iraqi’s who have worked with US troops. 

On economics, Obama was by far the best.  Former Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson, who performed poorly throughout the debate, said a carbon tax was a bad idea because it would raise prices to consumers which is why he supported cap and trade!  Obama pointed our correctly that cap and trade would also raise prices but he nevertheless supported cap and trade because some sacrifices were necessary.

On energy and economics, Clinton was very poor.  She made some crazy argument that mandating energy efficiency was the way to get us out of the looming recession – as if wishing for greater efficiency would make it so.

Edwards didn’t say much specific on economics and so didn’t make too many pure gaffes but he scared me with all of his talk about how going after corporations was personal.