The moment the whole country has been waiting for … well, actually, not really. The expected ratings for the Democratic Party debate hosted by CNN hover around the 5 million mark — not even in the same universe as the estimated 25 million people who tuned in to the Republican debate on CNN.
Why the lackluster expectations? Some pundits say that baseball post-season coverage will peel away viewers, while many argue ratings will fall due to a lack of the Trump-factor. Instead of “The Donald,” this debate showcases the disgraced former secretary of state, the avowed Democratic socialist, the center-left former Virginia senator and Navy secretary, the former governor of whom no one seems to have heard, and finally, well, the other former governor of whom no one seems to have heard.
Hillary Rodham Clinton will make lying under oath look as passé as yesterday’s news. Like an FBI investigation is really no big deal. Like “what difference at this point does it make” really.
Bernie Sanders will continue his attempt to present the “softer” side of socialism. His appeal to evangelicals and college students with the utopian message of fairness masks the evil and misery that inevitability lie at the end of the road paved with those “good” intentions.
And the other three must work to establish name recognition, credibility, likeability, gravitas (remember that one?), and the “it” factor — all in a brief span of 90 minutes.
I will certainly have the popcorn ready.
But I believe the real issue isn’t just who is or who isn’t going to be on the stage. The problem lies in the message they will be delivering. Divisiveness. Hopelessness. Fear-mongering. Victimization. Blaming the ills of this nation on those with an opposing viewpoint while inciting the flames of class-warfare and racial division.
Democratic policies are failed policies. We’ve seen this demonstrated time and again with the agenda promoted by Obama’s administration. Gun restrictions, higher taxes, government healthcare, federal wage and benefit mandates — not to mention the abstract failure in the realm of foreign policy. The American people just aren’t buying what the DNC talking heads are trying to force on this nation. They didn’t vote for it in 2014, and there is little indication they will vote for it next year.
So all that’s left for the Democratic presidential candidates is to attempt to energize their shrinking base by moving further and further to the Left. The party of pettifoggery and Planned Parenthood wants to march this country straight over the edge toward bankruptcy—financial, social and moral.
Of course, the real entertainment of the evening will be happening in the Twittersphere, where Donald Trump will be live-tweeting his thoughts on the debate. I wonder what the Vegas odds are on the number of the times he uses the words “stupid” and “loser.”
Maybe I shouldn’t let my kids watch after all.
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