Shoot Your Shot 2020: Notes from the First Debate

“We shouldn’t conduct foreign policy in our bathrobe at 5AM.”

– Senator Amy Klobuchar

The following are thoughts that came up as I watched Part I of the First Democratic Debate:

• I’m usually impressed when candidates can break out a little Spanish when they’re speaking. But I get the sense that Beto just did it because he didn’t wanna answer the question about tax rates.
• This is shaping up to be the ACC in college football, and Warren is Clemson. There are others who are stepping up to make it interesting for a moment or two, but Warren will certainly finish on top. She’s even wearing purple! 
• It’s very likely that I’ll try to work in “All foam, no beer” into a conversation at some point this week. 
• Unpopular Opinion: I’m not all-in on “Medicare For All” yet. I support policies that increase the number of people who are insured, but I’m not convinced that any candidate can deliver on a promise to replace private insurance with Medicare. I keep coming back to 2010, when Democrats had a 60-vote majority in the Senate and couldn’t get all 60 to support the public option. Candidates who run on it need to convince me that (1) they’ve put some thought into how they’d make it work; and (2) they have long enough coattails to bring in many more Democrats to the Senate. 
• Aw hell, we’ve got a Texas battle! Julian is trying to get sideways with Beto!
• Some of these dudes have decided that they’re not getting called on enough, so they’re gonna have to jump in there.
• You know that awkward feeling when you know that somewhere in America, someone is getting cussed out? You know that’s happening right now after Chuck Todd took us back to commercials. 
• Beto is looking like your typical freshman quarterback who just made it to campus. He did some impressive things back in his home state, but it’s pretty obvious that a redshirt is far more likely than the starting job. He could end up being pretty good in a few years, or he could end up on Last Chance U.

Extra slices of red velvet cake for: Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, and Amy Klobuchar.

I’m looking forward to Round 2!