Debate One Was Mostly A Dud... But It Showed Why Elizabeth Warren Is A Front Runner And The Others... Aren't

Stephen Colbert was wrong about de Blasio, who wasn't allowing himself to be ignored by a batch of jackass moderators. His interruptions were welcome. Trump's weren't. Señor Asshole tweeted that he found the debate last night boring. Maybe it would be more exciting for him if his head of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, Val DiGiorgio, were sending everyone pictures of his penis just the way he was doing in Philly before being forced to resign this week.

Elizabeth Warren had the best opening response and the best closing statement. Savannah Guthrie had the worst. I hope they don’t let her on tonight. Asked who they thought should be voted off the island, it was clearly the most right-wing and clueless man on stage, John Delaney, the self-absorbed rich-guy who threw $17 million of his own into the campaign, only to find himself with 0.4% in the RealClearPolitics current national polling average. It’s hard to imagine he legitimately qualified for the debate. Many expect Frackenlooper to be even worse this evening. And by the way, two right-wing web-sights that polled already-- Drudge and the Washington Examiner-- found that Tulsi Gabbard, a frequent Fox News guest, so familiar, won. She insists she's a Medicare-for-All supporter... but when asked to see a show of hands for ending private health insurers, it was only Warren's and de Blasio's hands that shot up. Tulsi's remained as down as Delaney's.

Here’s my ranking of who did best and worst:

• 5 did well:
• Elizabeth Warren
• Julian Castro
• Bill de Blasio
• Jay Inslee
• Cory Booker

• 5 did poorly
• Tulsi
• Tim Ryan
• Amy Klobuchar
• Beto
• Delaney

Most clueless coverage of the night was from— surprise, surprise— establishment shill Jonathan Chait, who attacked Elizabeth Warren for embracing something most Americans want. “Early in the first Democratic presidential debate, all the candidates were asked who would abolish private health insurance. Only two raised their hands: Bill de Blasio, who is not going to be the party’s nominee, and Elizabeth Warren, who might be. Should that possibility come to pass, her frank answer could prove deeply harmful, and perhaps deadly. As a slogan and general concept, Medicare for All polls well.” He’s concerned though, that when conservatives get to define the narrative with lies about what Medicare-for-All is it “can alienate a large chunk of potential supporters.”

Yeah, sure. You know what was cool last night? Almost all the policy discussions were straight out of the Bernie Sanders playbook. He was setting the narrative. And that is exactly what the Democratic Party should be and should be talking about.