Here's how I rank the Democratic candidates' debate performances from debate 2, night 2:
10) Bill de Blasio: The New York City mayor got most of his speaking time by interrupting fellow candidates and moderators in his first debate. CNN's format didn't allow for that this time around, which limited de Blasio to a great degree. If he wants to hang his hat on something, he was still the tallest person in the room, so congratulations on that.
9) Michael Bennet: He made some decent arguments, but often times came across like a candidate desperate to be heard and make a splash large enough to qualify for the next round of debates. Sadly for him, his cannonball took place in an empty pool.
8) Joe Biden: The reviews on Biden's performance are all over the place. One thing I think most everyone can agree on is that his performance in debate 2 was superior to debate 1. He seemed better prepared, more alert, and dare I say more awake. Having said that, though, I'm not going to grade his performance on the low bar he set a month ago like many analysts have been doing. If a kid goes from an "F" grade to a "C" in two successive chemistry exams, yet the class average both times was a "B," I'm not going to start hailing this kid as a favorite to be honored valedictorian at the end of the year. I'm going to say, "He improved, but overall is still performing below average." To his credit, the former Vice President did utter the word "malarkey," so that resulted in a nationwide shot, which was nice.
7) Tulsi Gabbard: For most of the night, Tulsi Gabbard came across like a calmer version of Michael Bennet. Knowing she needed to have a big night in order to even stand a chance of qualifying for the next round of debates, she went on the attack, but did so in a less Kermit-the-Frog kind of way. Seriously, listen to Michael Bennet speak sober, and then listen to him again after hanging out with Marianne Williamson for an hour. You're welcome.
6) Kirsten Gillibrand: It was a rather quiet night for Senator Gillibrand, yet she delivered what was arguably the line of the debate (either night), when she said, "The first thing I'm going to do as president is Clorox the Oval Office." After the debate, MSNBC reporter Chris Matthews kept nagging her to clarify what she meant. While she played it cool, I'll give Mr. Matthews what he wants. Donald Trump has turned the Oval Office into a sh*thole. Boom!
5) Jay Inslee: The Washington governor had a quietly effective debate performance, far superior to his first debate. Granted, I don't think the guy has any chance of winning the party's nomination, but he deserves to be credited for a strong showing, and at the very least, I hope he pushes the eventual Democratic nominee to speak more strongly about fighting climate-change. The question I have is, since Governor Inslee referred to "President" Trump as a white nationalist, I wonder what nickname The Donald will coin for him on Twitter. My money is on "Chinese Hoax Inslee."
4) Kamala Harris: Unlike in the first debate, when Senator Harris was on the offensive, she was forced to play defense in the second debate. Overall, I think she handled the attacks fairly well, but will need to improve in that realm moving forward. Contrary to what I said about Joe Biden, it feels as if the media is treating Senator Harris in a polar opposite manner, and due to her great debate performance a month ago, they're being more critical of her following last night's showing. If a student scores an "A+" in one math exam and then a "B" in the next one, with the class average being a "C+" for both, I'm not going to suggest this student failed. I'm going to say, "While she didn't perform as well on the second exam, her score was still above average." Having said all that, don't be surprised to hear someone telling what sounds like a joke about Biden, Harris, and Gabbard walking into a bar, getting into an all out brawl, and then realizing it wasn't a joke at all.
3) Andrew Yang: The New York businessman, like in the first debate, spoke less than any other candidate, but unlike in the first debate, got to speak for more than 2 minutes. The guy is obviously intelligent, witty, and deserves to be heard, but unfortunately for him, his soft-spokenness hurts his chances in the reality televisionesque political world of 2019. I do love his line, "I'm the opposite of Donald Trump: An Asian guy who likes math." I can just see this as Trump's response: "Oh, yeah? I knew an Asian guy once. I'm not a racist, but I think his name was Bing Bing Bong Bong Bing Bong Bing."
2) Julian Castro: Another strong debate showing by the former HUD Secretary. Castro is on the cusp of qualifying for next month's debate. I hope he does. He's had arguably the most consistently strong debate showings of any candidate; possesses a strong resumé; and if nothing else, I think he'd make for a great running mate. Hopefully Castro's closing line of saying adios to Trump won't be a case of ironic foreshadowing, as we say goodbye to his debate performances, and with that, his candidacy.
1) Cory Booker: While not as strong, Cory Booker's performance in debate #2 reminded me of Kamala Harris's from debate #1. He played the peacekeeper early on, but was unafraid to go on the attack in the second half of the debate. He made some excellent points, was effectively critical of Vice President Biden, and came across as likeable. I wouldn't be surprised to see his poll numbers rise as a result of last night's showing. From protesters shouting during his opening statement to talk about Kool-Aid, it was quite the memorable night for Cory Booker.
10) Bill de Blasio: The New York City mayor got most of his speaking time by interrupting fellow candidates and moderators in his first debate. CNN's format didn't allow for that this time around, which limited de Blasio to a great degree. If he wants to hang his hat on something, he was still the tallest person in the room, so congratulations on that.
9) Michael Bennet: He made some decent arguments, but often times came across like a candidate desperate to be heard and make a splash large enough to qualify for the next round of debates. Sadly for him, his cannonball took place in an empty pool.
8) Joe Biden: The reviews on Biden's performance are all over the place. One thing I think most everyone can agree on is that his performance in debate 2 was superior to debate 1. He seemed better prepared, more alert, and dare I say more awake. Having said that, though, I'm not going to grade his performance on the low bar he set a month ago like many analysts have been doing. If a kid goes from an "F" grade to a "C" in two successive chemistry exams, yet the class average both times was a "B," I'm not going to start hailing this kid as a favorite to be honored valedictorian at the end of the year. I'm going to say, "He improved, but overall is still performing below average." To his credit, the former Vice President did utter the word "malarkey," so that resulted in a nationwide shot, which was nice.
7) Tulsi Gabbard: For most of the night, Tulsi Gabbard came across like a calmer version of Michael Bennet. Knowing she needed to have a big night in order to even stand a chance of qualifying for the next round of debates, she went on the attack, but did so in a less Kermit-the-Frog kind of way. Seriously, listen to Michael Bennet speak sober, and then listen to him again after hanging out with Marianne Williamson for an hour. You're welcome.
6) Kirsten Gillibrand: It was a rather quiet night for Senator Gillibrand, yet she delivered what was arguably the line of the debate (either night), when she said, "The first thing I'm going to do as president is Clorox the Oval Office." After the debate, MSNBC reporter Chris Matthews kept nagging her to clarify what she meant. While she played it cool, I'll give Mr. Matthews what he wants. Donald Trump has turned the Oval Office into a sh*thole. Boom!
5) Jay Inslee: The Washington governor had a quietly effective debate performance, far superior to his first debate. Granted, I don't think the guy has any chance of winning the party's nomination, but he deserves to be credited for a strong showing, and at the very least, I hope he pushes the eventual Democratic nominee to speak more strongly about fighting climate-change. The question I have is, since Governor Inslee referred to "President" Trump as a white nationalist, I wonder what nickname The Donald will coin for him on Twitter. My money is on "Chinese Hoax Inslee."
4) Kamala Harris: Unlike in the first debate, when Senator Harris was on the offensive, she was forced to play defense in the second debate. Overall, I think she handled the attacks fairly well, but will need to improve in that realm moving forward. Contrary to what I said about Joe Biden, it feels as if the media is treating Senator Harris in a polar opposite manner, and due to her great debate performance a month ago, they're being more critical of her following last night's showing. If a student scores an "A+" in one math exam and then a "B" in the next one, with the class average being a "C+" for both, I'm not going to suggest this student failed. I'm going to say, "While she didn't perform as well on the second exam, her score was still above average." Having said all that, don't be surprised to hear someone telling what sounds like a joke about Biden, Harris, and Gabbard walking into a bar, getting into an all out brawl, and then realizing it wasn't a joke at all.
3) Andrew Yang: The New York businessman, like in the first debate, spoke less than any other candidate, but unlike in the first debate, got to speak for more than 2 minutes. The guy is obviously intelligent, witty, and deserves to be heard, but unfortunately for him, his soft-spokenness hurts his chances in the reality televisionesque political world of 2019. I do love his line, "I'm the opposite of Donald Trump: An Asian guy who likes math." I can just see this as Trump's response: "Oh, yeah? I knew an Asian guy once. I'm not a racist, but I think his name was Bing Bing Bong Bong Bing Bong Bing."
2) Julian Castro: Another strong debate showing by the former HUD Secretary. Castro is on the cusp of qualifying for next month's debate. I hope he does. He's had arguably the most consistently strong debate showings of any candidate; possesses a strong resumé; and if nothing else, I think he'd make for a great running mate. Hopefully Castro's closing line of saying adios to Trump won't be a case of ironic foreshadowing, as we say goodbye to his debate performances, and with that, his candidacy.
1) Cory Booker: While not as strong, Cory Booker's performance in debate #2 reminded me of Kamala Harris's from debate #1. He played the peacekeeper early on, but was unafraid to go on the attack in the second half of the debate. He made some excellent points, was effectively critical of Vice President Biden, and came across as likeable. I wouldn't be surprised to see his poll numbers rise as a result of last night's showing. From protesters shouting during his opening statement to talk about Kool-Aid, it was quite the memorable night for Cory Booker.
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