http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/live_blog_bernie_sanders_and_hillary_clinton_debate_in_20160309
8:12 p.m. PST: Some people
call CNN the Clinton News Network. For good reason. The debate has been over
for more than 10 minutes and nine minutes of the analysis has been about
Clinton. That’s the way mainstream news coverage will go for the rest of the
Democratic race. Hillary Clinton is the establishment candidate. Bernie Sanders
is the anti-establishment candidate. Buckle up: The ride is going to get bumpy
if the American people continue to go against the mainstream media, as they did
in Michigan.
8:01 p.m. PST: From Truthdig’s
Bill Boyarsky:
Sanders makes a great point about
vulture capitalists making many bucks off of Puerto Rico’s huge debt. This is a
little noticed aspect of Wall Street exploiting the poor. This followed his
ringing opposition to the United States invoking the Monroe Doctrine, trying to
overthrow Latin American governments too left wing for Washington’s tastes.
Both Sanders and Clinton favored the Obama administration’s Cuban initiative,
but Sanders put it into a historic perspective, recalling the Reagan and Nixon
days of promoting right-wing revolutions. He recalled, for example, Allende. If
you want to extrapolate, this means a Sanders administration would break
sharply from the past, less cautious, less respectful of the foreign policy
establishment than Clinton. As they move into their closing statements, I
thought it was a good debate. Sanders continued to press against economic
injustice strongly, Clinton remained a prisoner of her caution. It was Sanders
who spoke most clearly and strongly to the troubles that afflict our country.
Fresh from his Michigan victory, he spoke strongly and confidently, in good
shape for the next Midwestern contests.
8:00 p.m. PST: The audience is
yelling for Bernie. A few are yelling for Hillary. It was a boisterous audience
in Miami.
7:58 p.m. PST: Now, it’s time
for the pundits. First impressions from CNN: Clinton took punches from Sanders
and the moderators. Sanders didn’t respond well to the video about Cuba.
Sanders had a swagger coming off the Michigan primary win. Sanders was specific
about how he would help Hispanics; Clinton was broader. Sanders used sarcastic
humor against Clinton. If her speeches were so great, wouldn’t you want us all
to read them? You must be under the influence of corporations and Wall Street
if you are unwilling to be transparent.
They don’t like each other.
Clinton seemed annoyed much of the night. She did not think Sanders still would
be in this race. She is surprised he is able to raise so much money online with
so much ease.
Clinton doesn’t understand why
so many Democrats don’t trust her. In so many words, she is saying, “Why don’t
people like me? I have feelings.” She wants people to know she is doing the
best she can. Her time in politics has hardened her. She doesn’t know the
difference between a tough question and an attack. She has strengths as a
political leader and is intelligent, but she doesn’t have a visceral political
sense. She is a workhorse, not a show horse. Saying she is not a natural
politician is Clinton’s way of saying she is authentic. Sanders is authentic.
With the Vermont senator, what you see is what you get.
Time will tell which approach
resonates most with the American people.
7:57 p.m. PST: It was a lively
debate. The moderators remind everyone, especially Latinos, to get out and
vote. Who does not vote doesn’t count. Don’t let others decide for you.
7:54 p.m. PST: Closing
thoughts:
Clinton: Break down barriers.
Create jobs. Raise incomes. Take on education barriers. Take on health care
barriers. We will find common ground. I will stand my ground. Give me your
support on Tuesday.
Sanders: Wonderful debate.
Limited time. Important issues have not been raised. Is it acceptable that
one-tenth of Americans control wealth? Is it acceptable for billionaires to buy
elections? Is that democracy or oligarchy? Is it right that young people cannot
afford to go to college or leave college without debt? We can do better. That
is why I am running for president.
He gets a standing ovation.
7:42 p.m. PST: Welcome to
Miami. Latin America is the focus. CNN plays a 1985 clip of Sanders speaking
about Cuba, Fidel Castro and a “revolution of values.” Sanders explains he did
not mean that he supported authoritarianism. He says it is not the United
States’ job to be overthrowing small countries around the world. Clinton senses
an opportunity and pounces: “That is not the type of revolutionary values I
support,” she says.
7:35 p.m. PST: From Truthdig’s
Bill Boyarsky:
A question on high
unemployment and low pay among Latinos—“they are considered an
afterthought”—showed what’s wrong with Hillary Clinton as a candidate. She
worked her way through infrastructure spending, [punishing] companies who send
jobs overseas, [improving] conditions for manufacturing companies, all very
general ideas that didn’t really answer the question. She gets lost in
programs. Sanders was a little better, raising the minimum wage, Medicare for
all, stuff like that. But he lapsed into his customary speech. Neither of them
really got to the heart of high unemployment and low pay among Latinos. We have
an economy of a growing number of low-paid jobs, and Latinos work at them. We
have an educational system that does not teach Latino kids who come from homes
where the parents don’t speak English and work long hours at low-cost jobs. We
have cities and rural areas throughout the country where unions don’t exist.
These are just some of the points that have not been covered in the first hour
and a half of the debate.
7:31 p.m. PST: Clinton keeps
speaking after Sanders is given the microphone. Like the Energizer Bunny, she
keeps going and going. After around 30 seconds, Sanders gets the opportunity to
talk, and moderator Jorge Ramos tells him, “This is your debate.” The
journalist meant to say “time,” but the subliminal message is clear. Sometimes,
the more one says, the less it means.
7:28 p.m. PST: Revolution is
in the house. Asked how to solve the problem of climate change, Sanders says,
“We need a political revolution.”
7:25 p.m. PST: Important point
in this debate: The issue is health care. Both Democratic candidates support
universal health care. Clinton says we are 90 percent there with the Affordable
Care Act. Sanders disagrees. Do 90 percent of Americans have insurance? Not if
they have outrageously high deductibles and co-pays. People cannot afford their
pills. Sanders is for a single-payer plan. Clinton wants to make the Affordable
Care Act work.
7:17 p.m. PST: Sanders
channels Larry David and reminds us that we have yuuuge problems in America.
Raise the minimum wage. Provide universal health care. Rebuild crumbling
infrastructure. Create 13 million jobs. He gets a huge round of applause.
7:12 p.m. PST: Career
politician versus establishment politician. Why should we trust Sanders? Look
at his record, he says. He supports the environment, workers, seniors. He
doesn’t take money from the fossil fuel industry, the pharmaceutical industry.
Yes, he is a career politician, and no politician is a perfect presidential
candidate. But his record has fewer holes than most career politicians.
7:08 p.m. PST: Bill Boyarsky,
Truthdig political correspondent and former Los Angeles Times city editor, will
be providing analysis for us throughout our live blog. Here are his thoughts on
the responses from each candidate regarding the immigration issue:
Hillary Clinton tried to make
Bernie Sanders a collaborationist with the self-appointed Minutemen who
“patrolled” the border, but he refuted that. He correctly blasted Clinton and
the Obama administration for their support of massive deportation of
immigrants. That happened and is happening. I interviewed children who had
escaped their violent home countries in Central America and made it to the
United States, and still lived in fear. The administration’s reluctance to save
these children was ugly, and Sanders correctly called Clinton on it. That is
what happened in the last couple of years. In the end, both agreed on the need
for a reform of immigration laws. Both agreed that the deportation of children
should stop, as should the deportation of families who have not committed
crimes. But Clinton’s trying to link Sanders with the Minutemen was despicable.
7:02 p.m. PST: No softball
questions from Ramos. He asks Clinton about Benghazi—did she say one thing in
public and one thing in private? She cites her 11-hour testimony before
a GOP-led House committee.
Sanders cites The New York Times investigation
that both called Hillary a hawk and reported how Clinton helped turn Libya into
a “terrorist haven” for Islamic State.
6:57 p.m. PST: We have touched
a nerve. Clinton basically called out Wall Street. Her words, not ours. This is
her response to Sanders’ call to release the transcripts for her talks to
Goldman Sachs. Weak.
Sanders points out that
Clinton has received $15 million from Wall Street companies. He continues to
call for reform of a corrupt campaign financing system. Citizens United has got
to go.
Clinton counters with a low
blow, putting Sanders’ name in the same sentence with the Koch brothers.
“Nobody has taken on the Koch
brothers more than Bernie Sanders,” Sanders says.
6:52 p.m. PST: If it looks
like a duck and quacks like duck, chances are it’s a duck. A majority of people
in the United States find Clinton to be untrustworthy. She says she is not a
natural politician like her husband or President Obama. She could have fooled
us.
6:50 p.m. PST:: A woman in the
audience whose husband was deported shares her story and asks a question in
Spanish that is translated into English: What is your plan to reunite families
and thousands of children and U.S. citizens with their children? Both Sanders
and Clinton say they will do all they can to unite families.
6:47 p.m. PST: Sanders and
Clinton can agree on one thing: Unlike Donald Trump, they will not resort to
racism, xenophobia and bigotry to solve the immigration problem.
6:46 p.m. PST: Clinton
channels Kate McKinnon and draws some laughs when asked how the wall she proposes to build
is different from the wall Trump proposes to build. His wall is bigger than
mine, she says. His wall is more beautiful than mine. Clinton is proposing
sensible border enforcement. This is the biggest difference between Republicans
and Democrats. Republicans want to deport 100 percent. Democrats want to deport
zero percent.
6:41 p.m. PST: For the second
time in the debate, Clinton says Sanders supported the Minutemen militia
group—a false statement, and Sanders calls her out on it. He explains that
Clinton magnifies small aspects of large pieces of legislation and takes things
out of context.
Sanders makes clear that he
didn’t support the auto bailout.
Sanders makes clear that he
doesn’t support vigilantes.
Sanders closes his point with
a strong metaphorical left hook to Clinton: “Madam Secretary, I will match my
record against yours any day of the week.”
6:34 p.m. PST: Clinton cannot
give a yes-or-no answer to Ramos’ question about whether she will follow in
Obama’s footsteps and be the deporter in chief. She waffles. When pressed, she
says she will not deport children or those without a criminal record, with a
caveat: Granting asylum is a process.
Sanders doesn’t let her get
away with the evasive answer. He promises that he won’t deport children or
immigrants without a criminal record.
6:33 p.m. PST: What are people
talking about on Facebook? For women, the top three issues are the economy,
religion and abortion. For men, the top issues are government ethics, racial
problems and the economy.
6:28 p.m. PST: The adults are
talking. This debate makes the GOP debate look like “Romper Room.” Even when
Sanders and Clinton disagree, or when one makes a point the other disagrees
with, they express their disagreement in a civilized way. Sanders doesn’t need
to play dirty because the truth is a powerful force. But Clinton resorts to
dirty tactics.
6:19 p.m. PST: Many people
think Sanders is more electable than Clinton in a head-to-head
general race with Trump. The reason is that Sanders could inspire millions more
people—old and new voters—to vote in November.
6:17 p.m. PST: Is Donald Trump
a racist? People can make their own conclusions. Good line from Clinton: You
don’t make America great by getting rid of everything that made America great.
Sanders has a better line:
America is never going to elect a president who insults Mexicans, Muslims and
anyone else.
6:16 p.m. PST: The email
elephant in the room appears. Clinton would prefer to talk about something
else.
6:13 p.m. PST: Ramos discloses
that his daughter works for Clinton’s communications team, as he always does.
6:13 p.m. PST: Sanders has
started strong.
6:12 p.m. PST: What went wrong
in Michigan? Clinton sidesteps the question the first time by saying, with
halfhearted enthusiasm, that she is a progressive. She has a hard time
convincing herself she’s a progressive. The second time she is pressed on what
went wrong in Michigan, she gives a political answer: We win, we lose, we’ll
keep battling. She doesn’t want to admit that many more people are standing up
for Sanders than anyone projected.
6:08 p.m. PST: Opening
thoughts.
Clinton wants to knock down
barriers. She wants a positive agenda for manufacturing, entrepreneurship,
education and immigration.
Sanders says it’s too late for
establishment politics. Billionaires should not be buying elections. No more
long hours for low wages. Path toward citizenship. We have to combat climate
change. Transform the energy system. Leave the planet healthy and habitable for
our children.
They both hit their talking
points.
6:02 p.m. PST: Clinton and
Sanders are introduced. We don’t have an official audible reading, but the
Sanders ovation sounds bigger.
6:01 p.m. PST: Nice to see
bilingual coverage—in English and Spanish—on CNN. Expect to see more on English
television in the future. Half of the Latino eligible
voters are millennials.
6:00 p.m. PST: Time for the
main event. Who you got?
5:58 p.m. PST: So far, the
Democratic candidates have shown discipline in avoiding personal attacks,
compared with the Republicans. We will see if that continues.
5:55 p.m. PST: Five minutes
until game time, and the Sanders camp is fired up. Earlier in the day, Sanders released a statement on Reader
Supported News.
By the time the polls closed
in Michigan last night, the corporate media had written us off. The political
establishment was trying to get us out of the race, and the Clinton campaign
was eager to “wrap up” the primary as soon as possible.
But the people of Michigan had
other ideas. Last night our political revolution scored “one of the greatest
upsets in modern political history,” and we’re seeing the same kind of
come-from-behind momentum all across America.
Next Tuesday is the most
important night for our campaign to date. Five large states vote, and we have
all the momentum. And what we’ve shown is that when we come together, we have
what it takes to overcome what was once thought to be an inevitable campaign.
The financial and political
elite of this country are going to throw everything they have at us this week.
The stakes are too high for them. I need your continued support if we’re going
to be able to fight back and win.
This is going to be a long,
hard fight. And we’ve only done as well as we have because millions of people
have come together to say they’ve had ENOUGH of the billionaire class buying
elections in this country.
If we continue to fight, and if
you continue to contribute, we are going to win.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
How will Clinton respond in
the debate?
1:40 p.m. PST: The Michigan
primary win gives the Sanders campaign momentum. Here’s what people are saying
about the result, which Nate Silver called “one of the greatest
primary polling errors in history.”
Sanders must now win about 56%
of the remaining delegates to win the nomination. It won’t be easy, but his
campaign team stresses that the path ahead includes more states that play to
his strengths.
The spin continues, we watch
reporters on CNN and other networks making excuses for the Clinton campaign.
It’s almost as if CNN is the Clinton News Network. Bernie’s win should change
the narrative, but don’t be surprised if the pro-Clinton spin continues.
The lesson the media should
take from tonight’s results is to let the people’s vote determine the winner.
On to Ohio, Illinois, Florida, and North Carolina.
But I’d say the fact that Mr.
Sanders did so well among African-American voters is the most striking
takeaway. A lot has been said about how Mr. Sanders is an older white man from
a heavily white Northeast state. African-Americans have largely been expected
to favor Mrs. Clinton and helped deliver her strong win in Mississippi on
Tuesday and in other states earlier. In Michigan, Mr. Sanders won his largest
share of the African-American vote in the states contested so far, and the
numbers suggest that he is able to do well in more states than many had
imagined (myself included).
The big meaning of Michigan is
that Bernie Sanders and his supporters last night won the whole shebang. Bernie
not only won a big, diverse state but he has achieved his main goal: the
“political revolution” has indeed been born and is thriving! Old, corrupt
politics died in Michigan last night.
In winning Michigan he has
shown that small donors and self-organizers can take on the biggest political
machine in America and beat it! In so doing he and his supporters have doomed
the fat cats and professional political operatives. In beating all predictions
they have also made a collective monkey of the puffed-up media. No one can say
this often enough: A new day has dawned in America. Government of the people,
by the people and for the people has been rescued from the trash heap of the
oligarchy corruption.
To sum up, the Michigan
Miracle could turn out to be a historic moment in American politics.
10:38 a.m. PST: Don’t count
out Sanders. After his upset win over Clinton in the Michigan primary Tuesday,
we learned three things about the Democratic race.
1. Don’t believe the polls.
The average of polls in Michigan had Clinton winning the state by 20 points, according
to RealClearPolitics. FiveThirtyEight forecast a Clinton win with 99 percent certainty. Polls
are fallible.
2. We have a ballgame.
Sanders’ win in Michigan guarantees that the Democratic race continues through April and
perhaps beyond. The next big primary tests for both candidates are on March
15, next Tuesday, when Democrats vote in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North
Carolina and Ohio.
3. The Sanders uprising is
alive and well. The Clinton camp hoped to win Michigan and cement her status as
the Democratic nominee, but the people said, “Not so fast.” While Donald Trump
is displaying raw meat, Sanders is
trumpeting a message of social and economic equality that is resonating with
people. Can Sanders shock the world and win the Democratic nomination over
Clinton? Anything is possible in this revolutionary 2016 election season.
“What tonight means is that
the Bernie Sanders campaign ... is strong in every part of the country,”
Sanders said in Florida on Tuesday night after the Michigan primary win. “We
believe our strongest areas are yet to happen.”
Sanders gets another
prime-time opportunity to spread his populist message in a debate with Clinton
on Wednesday night at Miami Dade College in Miami. It will be their fourth
one-on-one debate and the eighth Democratic debate.
Univision and The Washington
Post are hosting the affair. Moderators will be Karen Tumulty of The Washington
Post and Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos of Univision.
The festivities start at 9
p.m. EST, 6 p.m. PST, and will air live in Spanish on Univision and be
simulcast in English on CNN.
We will be live-blogging the
debate and providing real-time analysis and commentary at Truthdig, so grab
your popcorn and join us here. You also can follow us on Twitter @Truthdig and Facebook.
It should be a dramatic night.
—Posted by Eric Ortiz
