Second Democratic Debate – Night Two
Ten Democratic presidential candidates will debate on CNN beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
The lineup: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julián Castro, Andrew Yang, Bill de Blasio, Michael Bennet, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand and Jay Inslee.
Please leave your reactions in the comments.
Are We Becoming Too Stupid to Govern Ourselves?
Max Boot: “Measles was declared eliminated in 2000, but so far this year 940 individual cases have been reported throughout the country. All because a growing number of parents, in thrall to ‘anti-vaxxer’ conspiracy theories, refuse to follow medical advice and immunize their children.”
“This is terrifying, and not just because measles is a life-threatening disease. The revival of measles is an indication of a serious political problem. The case for democracy is that voters in the aggregate will make better decisions than a lone monarch or dictator would. But does majority rule still work when so many people believe so many things that simply aren’t so?”
Retirements Suggest GOP Lack of Confidence
Washington Post: “These retirements by influential Republicans suggest that there is increasing doubt about whether they can defy history and become the first caucus to flip the House majority during a presidential election since 1952. If he had stuck around, Conaway had a chance to become the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, while Bishop is near the top of the Armed Services Committee.”
“The unspoken fear among Republicans is that more retirements could be on the way, particularly over this long recess as members of Congress spend time with their families, travel their district or make official overseas trips.”
Craft Confirmed as U.N. Ambassador
The U.S. Senate confirmed Kelly Knight Craft as President Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, the Washington Post reports.
“Notably, Craft has distanced herself from President Trump on the contentious subject of climate change, telling senators during her confirmation hearing last month that she believes fossil fuels and human behavior contribute to the planet’s shifting weather phenomena, though she stopped short of endorsing a return to international pacts such as the Paris climate agreement.”
Tim Ryan Is Co-Sponsoring a Medicare for All Bill
“Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) spent a good chunk of Tuesday night’s presidential debate warning that Medicare for All would politically ruin Democrats. The day after, he predicted that the ambitious health care proposal would prompt an electoral bloodbath for the party in November 2020,” the Daily Beast reports.
“But there’s just one problem with Ryan’s role as the Democratic Party’s Nostradamus: He’s currently a co-sponsor of a House bill pushing a single-payer health care system.”
Biden Aides Promise an Aggressive Debate
“The biggest lesson Joe Biden learned from the first debate is that there are no rules of engagement at these things, and he’s ready to throw down at tonight’s debate,” Axios reports.
“Yes, he’s going to keep contrasting himself with President Trump. But he’s squarely focused on Sen. Kamala Harris, too, after the first debate in Miami.”
Said one senior campaign official: “We’re not joking when we say he’s not going to let his record be mischaracterized. It’s not OK to label someone as a racist.”
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Iran’s Foreign Minister
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, with a senior administration official telling reporters Zarif should not be treated internationally as a “credible” interlocutor, Axios reports.
The Washington Post calls the sanctions “a dramatic step bound to escalate tensions.”
Bloomberg calls it “a provocative move that diminishes the prospects for a diplomatic solution to rising tensions that have brought the U.S. and Tehran to the brink of war.”
Kentucky Democrats Sell ‘Moscow Mitch’ Gear
The Kentucky Democratic Party launched a “Moscow Mitch” online store, making use of a nickname used to describe Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for blocking an election security bill.
Sanders Raised More Than $1 Million Since Last Night
Sen. Bernie Sanders has raised more than $1 million for his presidential bid since he sparred with several moderate contenders during Tuesday night’s Democratic debate, The Hill reports.
The $1.1 million fundraising haul was bolstered by more than 70,000 donations.
Democrats Hold Double-Digit Lead In Generic Ballot
A new Economist/YouGov survey finds 48% of respondents said they would vote for Democrat for Congress next year, while 37% would vote for a Republican and 11% were not sure.
First Night of Debates Draws Soft Ratings
“CNN’s broadcast of the Democratic debates on Tuesday night attracted 8.7 million viewers… Another 2.8 million people watched via the CNN Digital live stream,” The Hill reports.
“The first of two debates from Detroit was watched by approximately 7 million fewer people than the June 26 debate broadcast by NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo, which attracted 15.3 million viewers for the broadcast from Miami.”
Fed Cuts Interest Rates for First Time Since 2008
“In the biggest Fed decision since 2015, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it would slash its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point, as expected,” Axios reports.
“While previous Fed regimes have cut rates when the economy was not in the throes of a recession, it’s still a rare move — one that will likely be a legacy-shaping milestone in Jerome Powell’s tenure as Fed chairman.”
The New York Times says the cut “is meant to protect the economy against the potentially harmful effects of a growth slowdown in China and Europe and uncertainty from President Trump’s trade war.”
U.S. Believes Osama bin Laden’s Son Is Dead
The U.S. has obtained intelligence that the son and potential successor of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Hamza bin Laden, is dead, NBC News reports.
Trump Defends Himself By Insulting Black Journalist
President Trump defended himself on Twitter against accusations of racism by calling himself the “least racist person in the world” and by insulting the intelligence of CNN’s Don Lemon, who is black, referring to him as “the dumbest man on television.”
Most Groups Think Trump Is a Racist
Philip Bump: “Quinnipiac University released new polling data showing that three-quarters of black Americans — and more than half of Americans overall — think Trump is not only not the least racist person in the world but is actually explicitly racist. It’s not just black Americans. Most independents think Trump is racist. Most white women think Trump is racist. Most whites with a college degree think Trump is racist.”
“The groups that don’t think that tend to be white, male, Republican and lacking a college degree.”
North Korea Fires Two More Missiles
Washington Post: “The missile launch was the second in a week, after Pyongyang also fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan last Thursday.”
“Although a ballistic missile test is a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and the missiles are designed to threaten South Korea, Trump played down the significance of last week’s test, saying many countries test short-range missiles.”
Why Elizabeth Warren Is a Threat to Bernie Sanders
James Hohmann: “Warren was aggressive about forcing her way into the fray, and she was rewarded with more speaking time than anyone else. Her background as a onetime Oklahoma state champion high school debater shone through repeatedly. She was most disciplined about sticking to her script and delivered well-rehearsed lines in a way that didn’t make them sound canned. She also did a better job than the others onstage of telling anecdotes to humanize policy debates.”
“She espouses essentially the same ideas as Sanders but makes them sound less radical. For this reason, Warren remains an existential threat to his candidacy. Sanders advisers are loath to acknowledge this reality, even privately.”
Van Jones: “Sanders re-established himself as trying to lead the revolution. When Elizabeth Warren is trying to lead the country. She is trying to be president of the United States.”
