Live Blog: CNN Iowa Democratic Presidential Town Hall
Posted: January 25, 2016 Filed under: just because 117 Comments
Good Evening Sky Dancers!
I’m going to keep this short and sweet. From 9-11PM tonight the Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination will have the opportunity to make their cases to a prime time audience before next Monday’s Iowa Caucus. CNN tells us what we “need to know.”
The Democratic presidential hopefuls will make closing arguments to Iowa voters Monday night during a CNN town hall in Des Moines — one week before the first-in-the-nation votes are cast at the Iowa caucuses.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will appear first, followed by ex-Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and then former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton….Each will have 30 minutes onstage at Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium and will face questions from audience members as well as CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo.
The Iowa Democratic Party and Drake University invited the audience, which will also include some CNN guests.
The town hall will be live streamed on CNN Go. If you don’t have access to that, it looks like you will have to watch it on TV.
Also from CNN: 5 things to watch in the Democratic town hall.
I’m disappointed that the candidates won’t appear together, but this isn’t a debate after all. There still could be some fireworks. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have been trading jabs all week, and today President Obama essential gave the nod to Hillary. Sanders must be furious.
Martin O’Malley is apparently ready to attack Hillary too. He told The New Republic in an interview published today that “Hillary Clinton Will Let the Planet “Literally Burn Up.” Is he desperate for attention or what?
I look forward to reading your reactions in the comment thread below.
Go Hillary!
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Enjoy! Only one week till Iowa makes up its collective mind. Then on to New Hampshire on Feb. 9th.
Just watching a Republican panel discuss Trump v Cruz with AC. Disgusting!
Jeff Weaver pooh poohed what Obama said about Hillary in the Politico interview. Said Obama said some nice things about Bernie and that he will again. Good luck with that.
Weaver is a complete douchebag!
Agree.
Ready.
Sanders is going to be first.
I’m here!
Hi Pat!
No smile from Bernie.
He’s qualified to be president because he voted against the Iraq war in 2002.
Won’t watch Bernie. Has he quoted poll numbers? Been doing that at appearances like Trump.
No poll numbers yet, but he’s not saying anything new.
Why can’t we close that donut hole? Why do we still have it?
Isn’t the donut hole in prescription payments? That came from Bush.
Yes it is?
Donut? He is sitting on one of those inflated donuts…no wonder he is always in a bad mood.
Ye..ah…..
crap. I lost the feed.
Cuomo asks Sanders about raising taxes. He gave the usual answer. He’ll make up for it by getting rid of insurance companies.
I wish it was that easy as saying so. He has no details.
Chris Cuomo is horrible. “is the era of big government back with president Sanders?”
I am having difficulty listening to Bernie. Like Palin his voice is grating.
He’s getting on my nerves more every day.
Sanders is just giving his stump speech.
He didn’t answer the question regarding the Era of Big Business……….Is if BACK? So, can’t we just get rid of earned income and just use income.
Sanders seems to be implying that Clinton doesn’t have a 100% positive voting record on women’s rights.
Cuomo put that poor young woman on the spot.
Only available jobs will be macrameing sandals for each other.
Bernie wrap Sandals?
Bernie, Bernie, Bernie! You were not present to vote when the Defunding of Planned Parenthood took place in 2015………….why not Bernie, you said you had 100% voting record.
Details! details!
Something didn’t sound right. Ask Hillary to lift the cap on taxable income, because it will impact low income women more. Is that what he said?
I mean it’s been done a number of times, just not lately. I am a little lost here. Help.
Again Bernie says he is better than Hillary because he voted against the Iraq war resolution. He also says the fought the repeal of Glass Steagall
Bla bla bla. Hillary didn’t oppose the TPP when she was SOS because she was representing the administration.
However Bernie did vote for deregulation of derivatives. Not an unimportant part of the 2008 collapse.
Yep, but he’s not going to talk about that. Maybe Hillary will.
Cuomo asks about comparison with Dick Cheney.
Bernie says he has better judgement than Hillary.
Pissed me off more than anything…….besides the Annie Oakley comment…….really a stab at Pres. Obama.
That’s a pile of steaming horseshit, Bernie.
Radio stream: http://www.wabcradio.com/category/cnn-politics/
also:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/jan/25/cnn-democratic-debate-live-coverage-iowa-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-martin-omalley
Thanks!
Question on guns. Tells the story of the election he lost way back when. For the umpteenth time. This guy has nothing new to offer. Just the same stories again and again.
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He wanted everybody to question why it took Hillary so long to change about Keystone Pipelines……now he’s decided to change, and let’s not go into questioning his time frame.
Yup, there it is BB…..vote for me I didn’t vote for the war. And hey Bernie, how you answering the questions of homeless among the Vietnam Veterans………given that they are our age, and given that you were exempt from the war because you declared yourself conscious objector. How does one lead the country know they are conscious objector to war. What does that mean today?
I think Bernie is,a truly principled man. He is just not my candidate. Does this make sense?
Yes. But he’s still a politician, not a saint.
I agree, Pat. I also think his minions have seized power of his campaign and he’s started to believe much of the speeches they write for him. Sad 😟
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There you have it.
I can’t listen to O’Malley. Sorry.
Des Moines register is right … Hillary cabinet material. He’s putting me to sleep.
After reading David Simon on him, I wouldn’t trust him in a cabinet position,
He has bedtime story voice. I need to watch The Wire some day.
My impression of O’Malley is he’s a slimier John Edwards.
That’s a good comparison. Edwards was a lot smoother than O’Malley as a speaker though.
When I watch O’Malley I can see his brain working, weighing and reexamining the question, which tells me his answers are canned and he’s searching to remember the correct answer or the correct way to frame the answer. There’s no spontaneity. And his delivery is phony and reaching. He needs to drop out.
Edwards at least had very liberal policies, and fought against ins companies as a lawyer. Too bad he was such a peacock in his private life.
Think I will turn over to Rachel while this guy tax3 percent moans on.
I think I’d feel more comfortable if I stood up, and took off my shirt.
🙂
lol
ROTFL……That’s exactly what I was thinking Fannie. I kept waiting for him to flex his muscles.
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Darren has been really great on twitter about this election.
While Bernie was on, Rand Paul was tweeting Simon & Garfunckel lyrics at him.
O’Malley got more applause at the end than Sanders did.
Tuned in late so I missed feeling the Bern but I caught much of O’M and now looking forward to the guest of honor.
This is a great articl about Hillary by Ruby Cramer. I heard the 1993 speech by Hillary at the Univ of Texas and have been a loyal supporter ever since.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/hillary-clinton-wants-to-talk-to-you-about-love-and-kindness?utm_term=.eg6Gqrp5K4#.aazxRemBKa
Wow. I wish I had been able to hear her speak back then.
Here’s Hillary.
She is always prepared.
She is prepared and it amazes me that she is like an Encyclopedia when it comes to our Government and other Governments around the world. I don’t know how you have such command of all that at your fingertips 24/7, but she does.
Young man asks why there isn’t enthusiasm for Hillary. Some of his friends say she’s dishonest. Why doesn’t she get any enthusiasm. WTF?!
He was playing her, and the audience for Bernie.
Concern troll who’s not enthused about Hillary and thinks everyone should be like him.
Typical classless Bernbot question right off the bat and she’s killing it. Giving him a little history lesson.
Another snotty question from Bernie supporter. Quotes Biden saying Hillary is a newcomer to fighting for income inequality.
And she’s schooling this idiot too.
Sure did Janicen.
Hillary talks about many kinds of inequality. She has also fought income inequality.
Her background super impressive.
She never loses the thread.
I am consistently impressed with her.
She’s so warm and comfortable in the crowd.
Rather than saying good question, she smiled directly to them, and warmly welcomed their questions. She knows how to build on individuals, and really knows how to introduce the real woman she is.
She listens.
Can anyone actually seeing Trump or anyone of those other Fruit Loops going up against her?
Nope.
I can see them looking like idiots.
Fruit loops, hmm, I like that, I’ll remember that for my next ‘political’ conversation.
Can anyone see Sarah Palin performing on this level?
Well Palin sure, but not the rest of them. 😀
I could see Palin in the Oval Office, dusting!
Wow. Great woman asking questions! Muslim American veteran!
No change……no contest, Hillary’s got it. She really makes me proud, she is the best evah.
You call that a town hall? Where were the people with sidearms screaming about Obama taking away their Medicare?
And why weren’t any protesters beaten?
Especially that mooslum with the highjabbie?
Who should have been shouted down and thrown out!
I thought Hillary was very positive, even when that kid asked if she is dishonest.
https://newrepublic.com/minutes/128367/hillary-got-toughest-question-night-handled-like-pro
Yes….Yes…Yes.
I loved the “I’ve been on the front lines…since I was your age.” line. It came across like an explanation of her history but I also heard, “You are questioning my honesty? WTF have you done with your life?”
Maybe it’s just me, but that’s what I read into it. I loved it.
I had the same feeling. Loved the answer, direct and honest to a fault.
Someday, that kid is going to remember this moment and realize what an idiot he was.
When she was talking about the sanctions in Iran, I couldn’t help but think that before her work, their was a prior Iranian sanction, in which Carly Fiorina sold Hewlett Packard goods, and it was ILLEGAL, and she got away with it.
Fiorina is finished. After the first couple of GOP primaries, she will be OUT!
Carly is a horror show.
Girl, that’s the truth.
Ok, I’m partial, but how anyone could watch that Town Hall and not see that Hillary is the most qualified person to be POTUS, is beyond me. She is absolutely ready to do the job. Bernie looked tired, old and sour to me. Of course I like his economic message, but it isn’t doable and I’m tired of hearing the same lines over and over again. There are no Unicorns, Sugar Plum Fairies or Keebler Elves in the U.S. Congress. No magic wand, no Hocus-Pocus, no Fairy dust will persuade the U.S. Congress to enact even one of Bernie’s proposals. Let’s caucus in Iowa, let’s vote in NH then let’s get to Super Tuesday and get this thing over with.
Could not agree more. And she is a fighter too!
She’s a champion fighter. I want to see her against Trump in a debate so badly I can taste it. She would rip him to shreds then serve him to the pigs.
That’s something I could get behind. Yay, pigs!
Hillary was magnificent. She appeals to the better angels of my nature-that’s for sure.
I taped the replay of the debate; and then, even though CNN”s scheduling was off and it came on later than listed, I stayed up in the early morning to watch some of Hillary’s answers. I thought that she was brilliant; her response to the friendly question about her calculus regarding intervention, where she described her efforts to repair diplomatic relationships abroad, and her work regarding the Iran nuclear issue, was spellbinding, an insight into high diplomacy that one virtually never hears from a political figure.
She is probably the most qualified candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt, and she might be as good a president, though she would not have his clear mandate for change, and a mostly favorable Congress. Most political figures are sort of a necessary nuisance, they might mean well, but they are full of themselves, and they go on and on. Hillary is actually brilliant, knows just about everything, and can explain it to a populace which desperately needs someone to help them understand what is at stake. Even though it became pretty obvious that we were going to lose the nomination in 2008, I still watched her town hall meetings on CSPAN, because she was so much fun to watch and learn from; sort of like the best professor that you ever had, plus she has actual practical knowledge, not just theoretical. She deserves to get 90% of the vote in the national election, because American could not do better, not in fifty years.