I’m a few minutes late to today’s debate, however, thankfully the debate hasn’t started yet. I turned the debates on to hear the audience cheering “Obama!!!!”
I echo the sentiment.
9:17 First question: Is race still the most intractable problem in America, particularly with today’s decision by the Supreme Court assaulting diversity in public schools?
The question went to Hillary, and Hillary basically says that race still is a problem. She attacked today’s decision by the Supreme Court. Hillary says “The march is not yet finished… work has yet to be done.” This was kind of a softball quesiton to start off with. Hillary basically hat-tips important civil rights issues, but offers little real discussion of racism.
Biden is still a hard-ass, and, let’s face it: his attitude is appealing. He does well with that attitude, and cites his previous attacks on Roberts.
Now that Richardson has started talking — we’re starting the countdown to see how long it takes for him to refer to his resume. His basic point? He’s the first Latino to run for president. What was the question again?
Edwards is the first to refer to “slave-ly, err slavery” and segregation. But he also discusses the effect of racism on the education system, healthcare system, and voting rights. And though this couches the question in much more tangible means, it’s clear that Edwards is sticking to his talking points and trying to turn the discussion to his platform.
Obama first thanks great leaders in Black history for his own achievements, which, I’ll be honest, strikes me as sincere. And in a single sentence, I think he establishes that he knows more about the struggle against racism than anyone else who talked before him. He emphasized personal responsibility for minorities to commit themselves to uplift for our communities, as well as social responsibility to give us those opportunies. I couldn’t agree more.
Kucinich outright echoes Obama’s statements. Wow, Kucinich makes the first forced joke of the night! If there was a pool, I would have lost it. He said “they tell us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps… and then they steal the boots.” That would have been funny or powerful had it not been so poorly delivered. Nonetheless, more and more I’m seeing that Kucinich, for all his impracticality, does know what he’s talking about. He’s very good at pointing out the problems, but still, in my mind, poor at giving solutions.
Gravel takes a different approach and discusses the War on Drugs, and the high incarceration rate of “Black African Americans”. Wow - Gravel gets heated when it comes to this topic — he says that if he becomes president he will “do away with the War on Drug… addiction is a public health issue, not a criminalization issue”. Very cool!
Dodd points out that the education system today is a segregated system, and would overturn today’s decision by the Supreme Court. He, too, got very impassioned when talking — a noticeably different tack compared to many of the candidates’ behaviour on the CNN debates last month. Not to be cynical, but could the candidates be trying to emulate “fire from the pulpit” among this audience?
9:30 Next question: the unemployment rate of Black high school graduates was 33% higher than White high school dropouts. To what do you attribute this statistic?
Biden is the first to respond. Biden suggests that the achievement gap is due to poor attention given to extremely young students, and suggests (I think) programs to encourage disadvantaged minority mothers to talk to their children when they are at pre-school age. Wow.
Richardson cites a statistic that 1 out of 2 minority children are at risk for dropouts. The resume countdown clock pings at 9:34 — he cites his institution of an all-day kindergarten program in New Mexico.
Edwards believes that programs should be instituted to target children even younger than four years of age, as well as increase teacher incentives to improve the quality of education in schools. Then he turns back to his talking points. Where’s the angry, off-the-cuff Edwards of the CNN debates? He sounds far too rehearsed today.
Obama advocates for increased teacher incentives and training, and after-school programs. He says “if you have a bill called No Child Left Behind, you can’t leave the money behind…” Preach on, Obama. Again, Obama underscores a personal responsibility tactic as well as saying “we need someone in the White House who will recognize these children as our own”. He’s winning these debates, hands down — and it’s only been about twenty minutes.
Kucinich cites the enormous war spending as reason for how we can improve spending on education.
Gravel — oh, Hallelujiah. He notes, “the Democratic Party hasn’t done much better than the Republican party”. Seriously! Gravel calls war spending a “squandering of money… the people on this stage are guilty. We are all guilty.” Gravel is proof positive why we need non-viable candidates to run for office — Gravel says the things the other candidates simply can’t.
Dodd notes HeadStart and says he “has walked the walk”. He says “we have an obligation to” give the opportunity for success.
Hillary cites her history fighting for early childhood education and diversity programs in Arkansas. She notes discrimination in the workplace — which, incidentally, was good for her to differentiate herself from the other candidates by noting that the achievement gap isn’t solely an education issue.
Argh. Someone needs to work on microphones at these things. In the second of two Democratic debates where moderators’ microphones don’t work.
9:43 I think the third question was on AIDS.
Richardson says “we have to use needles”… (snort, snort, chuckle). We also apparently “have to deal with Africa”. He suggests education programs and praises Bush’s programs to combat AIDS in Africa. He also wants to “penetrate minority communities” with outreach. Ooooh, what poor choices of words.
Edwards suggests fully funding scientific research to find a cure (yes! yes!), and then to fully fund programs to ensure equal access to treatment, and then fund Medicare to allow it to cover AIDS treatments.
Obama suggests as well improved education and the stigma within the African American community against talking about AIDS. Very good point, although how can that be addressed by the next president? Obama suggests the AIDS problem is a metaphor for the problems faced by the community in general — he suggests better healthcare and combatting poverty which increase chances of contracting AIDS.
Kucinich argues that “it is a basic right of a democratic society” to have access to decent healthcare, by eliminating the “for-profit” aspects of the healthcare.
Gravel suggests again that to combat AIDS was to end the War on Drugs. While I agree, uhm… what does this have to do with AIDS? Also, he suggests that every other healthcare plan only subsidizes for-profit insurance companies. While I personally also agree that healthcare should be non-profit, I don’t think that kind of system will fly in capitalistic America.
Dodd suggests that we should do a better job with educating children, to help combat AIDS as well as cardiovascular disease and childhood obesity.
Hahahaha — Dodd went over time and ignored Tavis Smiley’s attempts to cut him off. He then remarked that he was “going to take Global Warming for 600″. And then Smiley quipped that “If you were Paris Hilton, you’d have an hour, but you’re not… Senator Clinton?” Hahaha!
Hillary says that if the AIDS epidemic were affecting White women, we would be up in arms. True, true. We apparently need to “take it seriously” like we did back in the 90’s when it was a “gay disease”, it will never be combatted — whoa, now hold on. Fire from the pulpit works, but only if the facts are straight. Shit, when AIDS was a “gay disease”, it was just as ignored as it is today. Let’s not pretend that just because some homosexuals are White, that White straight America cared more about deaths in the gay community than they do about Black deaths today. Mainstream America doesn’t care about any minority deaths. No need to fuel further tension between the Black and homosexual communities with that kind of hierarchizing of experiences.
Hahaha. Okay, so Biden was railing about something and I was ignoring him, but he noted that both he and Barack had been tested for HIV/AIDS and argued against the stigma of AIDS testing in the community. To which Barack clarified that he was tested with Michelle after a trip to Kenya, in an effort to improve awareness of AIDS testing. Hahaha! That’s the kind of thing I imagine Electroman would do if he were ever in a presidential debate.
The next question is on economic disparities.
Edwards suggests getting rid of tax cuts for the rich. He suggests “we ought to honour work, in this country, not wealth”.
Obama says “Bush’s tax cuts? People didn’t need ‘em, and they didn’t even ask for them”. But, in more importantly, Obama suggests that we need to underscore equal opportunities. “What people want is fairness“, not charity. I. Could. Not. Agree. More. I love how Obama is pointing out the inherent racism that leads politicians to only talk about welfare when it comes to minority communities, rather than to get to the deeper issues of race and oppression in this country.
Kucinich again talks about the Iraq War.
Gravel — wow, he is absolutely enjoying the role of the aggressive bulldog on the stage. He suggests changing the income tax to a sales tax so that “everyone will know what everyone else is paying”.
I missed what Hillary was saying, but it sounded like parroting from others.
Biden suggests taxing investment, and give a break to wage-earning.
Richardson suggests replacing tax cuts for the rich for tax cuts for the middle class. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but why the middle class and why not the poor? He also suggests helping African American small business. He got cut off by Tavis Smiley who is worried that they’re already over time.
10:03 Fourth question: FBI statistics show disparities between jailing of Whites and Blacks.
Obama answers first and suggests that this statistic shows that the justice system is not colorblind. He suggests that the next president needs to understand this problem.
Kucinich suggests ending mandatory minimums, an emphasis on rehabilitation not punishment, and to end the death penalty.
Gravel suggests that African American participation in the legal system will change the system.
Dodd suggests ending the justice system as doing political work, rather than the work of the justice.
Clinton suggests ending racial profiling, and some other things that I’m missing ‘cuz she’s talking faster than I can type.
Biden suggests eliminating the distinction between crack and powder cocaine (which Hillary mentioned as well).
Richardson cites Tavis Smiley’s book — seems a little brown-nosing, no? He suggests, again, to increase minimum wage and childcare, as well as joining unions. Wasn’t the question on the justice system?
Edwards suggests rehabilitation and job training for first time offenses. I agree with that, but that requires a cultural change, not just presidential incentives.
10:09 Would presidential candidates support a right to return to New Orleans following Katrina?
Kucinich answers with a resounding yes, and should be guaranteed not only residency but employment when they return. Again, good ideas, but I’m always wishing Kucinich would give more practicals with his answers.
Gravel again notes war spending and suggests that the money could be spent on rebuilding Katrina.
Dodd agrees, but says nothing new.
Clinton announces that she has put together a plan for rebuilding New Orleans. “Even if we give people the right to return”, they need something to return to. She calls the handling of post-Katrina, in comparison to post-9/11 “outrageous”.
Biden says that this is “an American problem” and we should “guarantee a reconstruction”.
Richardson says he would support such a measure and calls it “the most disgraceful episode” of American rebuilding. FEMA, he says, should be directly under the president, and get rid of loans taken out by former New Orleans residents.
Edwards first notes that he announced his presidential campaign at the Ninth Ward, and led rebuilding efforts. He would appoint a person in his cabinet to head rebuilding New Orleans.
Obama suggests that we should give the people of New Orleans the opportunity to rebuild, rather than to give it to large corporations. The president has to be “in touch with New Orleans before the hurricane hits”. That is absolutely true! We need a FEMA director who supports these issues, but also we need a president who recognizes that New Orleans was neglected before the hurricane. A very, very, very, very good point.
10:16 The next question is whether outsourcing is a problem?
Gravel suggests that outsourcing is simply not the problem, but that labour issues are a problem.
Dodd, on the other hand, disagrees and suggests that outsourcing is a problem. He suggests that outsourcing should be limited and jobs should be preferentially given to Americans.
Clinton cites her work limiting outsourcing in New York. She suggests ending tax incentives for companies that outsource. She also suggests better preparing young Americans to find jobs, and to encourage going green to create many new American jobs. Good answer, actually.
Biden suggests increasing the number of new jobs in America.
Richardson suggests the problem is an education gap, and so he again cites his position on improving education. Instead, he suggests trade agreements to limit outsourcing (as the camera pans to Cornell West looking very confused).
Edwards refers to his personal story of his father losing his job after the mill that he worked at closed. He suggests improving education and changing trade agreements, and ending tax breaks. Nothing new.
Obama notes that when he started working in Chicago, there was never a federal effort to come into the area after a bunch of local steel factories closed. So, in addition to everything that’s already been said, he suggests the federal government also has to reinvest in regions devastated by the closing of local employers. Very good!
Kucinich says that his first act as president will be to cancel NAFTA and WTO.
10:21 Last question: The moderator says that this will be the second time the country had to end a genocide in Africa — first Rwanda, and now Darfur. What does this say about America?
Dodd suggests that we need to get the military out of Iraq and build a coalition to respond to Darfur. “The United States must act”.
Clinton suggests we need to move our military to Sudan to support military action, and then establish a no-fly zone over Darfur, supported either by NATO or unilaterally by America. She delivered a very good, very canned answer.
Biden I’m sure is very happy that this is the last question, since he is exceptionally passionate on this subject. He echoed his past sentiment and advocated military action.
Oh, god, Richardson echoes his idea of using the Olympics and putting pressure on the Chinese. Argh, it’s a stupid idea. Very stupid and petty, and completely unrealistic.
Edwards also flops on this answer.
Obama also says he would also support a no-fly zone. But, he also says that we generally don’t care about Africa when there isn’t a genocide. What’s been missing in the White House is consistent attention to Africa — positive impact as well as military action. Very, very, very powerful answer.
Kucinich suggests that if oil were in Africa, we would care. Then he got cut off by Tavis Smiley.
Gravel says “we need a president with moral judgement. Most of the people on this stage don’t have moral judgement”.
And with that charged statement, thus endeth the Democratic All-American Presidential Forum. I think the first audience member I heard when I turned on the television said it best: Obama! Obama! Obama!
Obama consistently delivered a clear, educated message with hearkenings back to his passion when he first hit the political scene. He clearly was informed and cared about the issues raised in today’s debate and had good answers that were not only well-supported but also distinguished himself from his peers.
Clinton also gave a good performance, and surely won herself some votes amongst the African American electorate. But, again, I felt she was putting on a show for us, treading the line between overly-rehearsed and a caricature of “pulpit passion” (akin to her embarassing drawl of “I ain’t no ways tired…” in Selma, Alabama back in March).
Edwards was flat and uninteresting. He certainly gave the weakest performance of the Big Three. No new ideas, and he had very little of the fire that distinguished him in the CNN debates. In fact, his continual reference to his talking points disappointed and disgusted me. In a debate that should have been about engaging one another and challenging ideas, Edwards seems to have completely missed the boat, offering none of the spontaneity that all of the other candidates — save Richardson — were able to exhibit.
‘08 Presidential Stock:
- Obama: +10
- Clinton: +5
- Edwards: -5