Tonight's debate: Are there too many candidates involved?

[NightWatcher]

I am all for everyone having a chance to debate the issues, but I dont like the fact that because of the large candidate pool, there will be little time for details and the issues.

Here's who's attending: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd, and Mike Gravel.

I really want to hear Dennis because he has ideas and it not afraid to speak up, and Bill Richardson has a lot of experience in foreign matters. I don't really like the fact that Joe Biden will there along with Mike Gravel (whom I know jack squat about) and Chris Dodd.

I think that there would be more substance if there were less than 8 people fighting for soundbites tonight.

[aquart]

1. No. It's EARLY.

They're still going for name recognition.

[NightWatcher]

7. very true, good point, we're still a while out

things will narrow down to the final 2 or 3 soon enough. I'm sure that we'll be seeing tones of debates this season.

[hedgehog]

29. I'd rather see the field thinned by debates than by money! NT

[MadBadger]

2. And maybe I want to hear from Joe Biden because he has ideas and is not afraid to speak up either.

That is why I want to hear from all of them.

[Selatius]

3. I heard Gravel was the senator who filibustered renewal of the draft, thus the draft ended.

[AndyTiedye]

10. I'm Liking Him Better Already

[Connie_Corleone]

4. No. There were 10 candidates in 2003.

[rinsd]

5. This is more of an introduction debate than a clash of ideas.

Many Democrats will be getting their first real looks at some of the less media exposed candidates.

[Beaverhausen]

6. I like that we will hear a big sampling of ideas- they each have something to contribute

And, like someone said this morning, you never know who may come out of the woodwork and really make a big impact, like Dean did in the early debates in 2003.

I for one, would like to see Richardson get more attention than he is getting, even though I'm tending towards Edwards.

[BuyingThyme]

8. Yes, but it's still a good thing.

It's going to come across as a Dem beauty pageant in contrast to the coming Puke farting contest.

I hope Dennis steals the show.

[kath]

9. Will they actually "debate the issues"? Or will it be the typical "glorified press conference"

lame format that we call a candidates' "debate" in this country?

[sandnsea]

11. They have 11 so far

Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Gilmore, Brownback, Cox, Hunter, Paul, Trancedo and Tommy Thompson.

[hedgehog]

27. Huckabee and Thompson at least appear to be competent.

Of course, three years ago I thought the same about McCain!

[sandnsea]

31. Really?

"The welfare system is a perfect example of what I refer to as government sense. When you pay people not to work and to have children out of wedlock, guess what happens? People do not work and they have more children out of wedlock."

Tommy Thompson

All you need to know about Mike Huckabee is "covenant marriage".

They're Republicans. Competent to them means to end government. That's why 75% of them still support Bush - this IS the America the die-hard Republican believes in.

[hedgehog]

34. I stand corrected, that's why I was careful to say "appear", LOL

There are so many sleazy republicans out to cheat the system to get elected that the ones who follow the rules look like geniuses in contrast!

[sandnsea]

35. Which ones would that be?

You can count them on one hand. :)

At least at the leadership level - although some days I look around even my small town and wonder if there's any honest people in this country at all.

[hedgehog]

37. A lot of the congress men from the Northeast and Midwest are

leftovers from pre-Gringrich. I feel sorry for them, because the Party they belong to now isn't the Party they were raised in.

[sandnsea]

41. Reagan sucked too

As did Nixon. Poppy was a total criminal. Jerry sucked slightly less. So while there has to be a good Republican here and there - like Olympia Snowe for the most part - the vast majority really are the same now as they ever were. They called FDR a communist. Jack Kennedy had to run as a war hawk because they were smearing liberals BEFORE Vietnam. The visciousness is worse now, but the underlying politics have been the same for a long long time.

[hedgehog]

43. I never really liked Gerald Ford, but at least he didn't elicit the

gut wrenching instinctive disgust the others did/do!

[damntexdem]

12. Yes, by one:

Hillary should drop out -- of the campaign. ;-)

[mitchtv]

20. Sad , that you are almost the only negative "Dem" here

everyone else had a constructive Comment. (If Senator Clinton is so bad, you have nothing to be afraid of)

[spanone]

13. When is the republican debate?????

[MadBadger]

14. May 3rd on MSNBC

[spanone]

15. thanks....

[endarkenment]

16. No. This is the only chance we get to hear the un-moneyed.

I want to hear what Kucinich Dodd and Gravel have to say.

[RedStateShame]

17. Don't look at it as too many candidates. Look at it as a future cabinet meeting.

Seriously, there won't be any slobs up there. Each person has enough qualification and bright ideas to hold the office of president, and given that this week's primary loser could be next week's running mate, it's not a bad chance that each candidate may be doing some shopping of sorts. And while you may think, let's say, Joe Biden wouldn't make a good president, would it make more sense if he were Secretary of State? Just something to think about...

[hedgehog]

28. Very good thought . Not everyone is a quarterback, we do

need a place kicker as well!

[hedgehog]

18. Mike Gravel is an unusual mix, he endorses both a national sales tax and

national health care. Chris Dodd I just know by name, and Joe Biden needs to drop out. I still remember his embarrassing plagiarism on his last outing. Aside from Joe, I think we can be proud of the field. I look at the Republican candidates and shake my head. They all seem to bee either crazy or opportunists of the worst stripe.

[sandnsea]

33. Again, really??

You believe that plagiarisim hype was really an issue? You really believe the media when they tell you to decide who your President should be based on a college misstep? But Bush going AWOL, they told you that wasn't important by not really telling you at all - and you don't notice the discrepancy.

I don't like Biden generally, but not because of some stupid media gotcha game.

[hedgehog]

40. Plagiarism in Law School is pretty serious, and Biden paid for his

sins there. I'm referring to lifting sections out of the speeched of Britain's Neil Kinnock and presenting them as his own without attribution. A couple of Dukakis's people caught him doing that and released a devastating video tape of the speeches given back to back. Once other people started looking, it turned out that Biden was using other people's rhetoric all the time. It's too bad; I preferred him over Dukakis up to that point.

http://www.famousplagiarists.com/politics.htm

[sandnsea]

44. True enough

Although I suspect it would barely touch a Republican.

In any event, I don't like Biden because his vote rarely matches his blather. So it sort of goes together in the end. Although they all pick up pieces of each others rhetoric.

[hedgehog]

42. You know, on second thought, lifting five pages from an article and presenting

it as your own work is a deliberate act. Drinking one two many beers and getting caught pissing in someone's front yard is a misstep. Even then, if it happens a third time, it's a habit, not a misstep!

[stevietheman]

39. Gravel also favors national initiatives (direct democracy).

And I have mixed feelings about that.

[WA98296]

19. No. There are NOT enough GOOD candidates in the race.

[Clark2008]

38. AMEN!!

[flaminbats]

21. that's the disadvantage of a crowded field..

the good news is the debate on msnbc will be an hour and a half, starting at 7PM. it will provide a nationally broadcasted preview of what to expect from our candidates as the race heats up. but I think it is far better that every candidate participate than having some of the candidates choose not to.

[Catchawave]

22. Not too early, just right !

Anybody watching the pre-game show today ?

Now Tucker with Sharpton and Mudcat.

Doesn't get better than this :bounce:

[malaise]

23. Tonight's debate is about MSNBC's ratings

I don't know why the Dems are allowing this crap so far away from primaries.

[hedgehog]

25. With the way the primaries are front loaded, we need all the exposure

we can get to these candidates. Remember, a lot of the polls right now are merely reflecting name recognition. A debate lets everyone see all the candidates regardless of how much money each has raised. A lot of people decide more on gut reaction to the politician rather than to a platform. People have been pooh-poohing television exposure for 45 years, ever since the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Supposedly those who listened to the radio thought Nixon did better, while those who watched television favored Kennedy. Over the years, people have attributed this to Kennedy's "cool" vs. Nixon's poor make-up and sweaty appearance. I maintain that people saw the two men side by side and judged them accurately. The Nixon from the debates is the same man who approved the Watergate scandal and then unraveled when it was exposed.

[hedgehog]

30. You mean that MSNBC is running the debate because so many people

will tune in to watch that it will bump their ratings up!?!?! From your lips to God's ears!

[malaise]

32. Yep but I accept your point about exposure

for all candidates. Of course I'll miss Al Gore but am interested in hearing from Kucinich, Gravel and Obama.

[Toots]

24. If those are your reasons for liking Kucinich then you really need to learn about Gravel.

Mike is the kind of Democrat we need at this juncture.

[gatorboy]

26. I hope they run it like Mortal Combat.

It would be interesting to see what Hillary's fatality move is.

[Catchawave]

36. So far, it's being run like a sports pre-game show...

and I'm having a lot of fun watching, less the keg of course :D