* Anyone else think this after about 15 minutes of the Democratic presidential debate: Did Saturday Night Live actually plant Jim Webb and Lynn Chafee? Only downside, how do you satirize a parody? But they did, of course.
* Martin O’Malley deserved better. No, he’s probably not electable, but he at least looks and sounds presidential. And if talking about Glass-Steagall and how banks need to separate their investment and commercial practices is too “wonkish,” than the onus is on viewing voters to do their homework–or on the media to have more respect for knowledgeable voters. Earlier this year Sen. John McCain and Sen. Elizabeth Warren–how’s that for a pairing?– reintroduced legislation to revive Depression-era G-S, which was repealed in 1999. It’s not esoteric stuff–anymore than making “too big to fail” banks smaller and safer.
And speaking of O’Malley, having a seven-year run as mayor of Baltimore, hardly the embodiment of racial and economic progressiveness, likely precludes a viable presidential run. But not necessarily a place on a ticket.
* Bernie Sanders won’t win but he’s captivating, he’s helping Hillary Clinton by defusing the “damn emails” issue for Democratic rivals, and the Vermont senator is reining in Clinton from drifting too far from the non-1 percenters. And look for Larry David, who was spot-on as Sanders on SNL, to be a major campaign presence.
* Hillary Clinton’s debate experience showed to advantage. Obviously, that 2008 crucible was not for naught.