Written by James and Jean Anton   

The Democratic debate wasn’t.
In real debates the participants ask each other questions, who follow up by answering, then asking more questions. In last night’s ‘debate’ the highly filtered, expected ‘questions’ came mostly from Anderson Cooper, the moderator. The participants failed to question each other.

As a result, Hillary was never asked key questions about her positions such as: The reliability issue: ‘Why should progressives trust you? Or the money question: You have accepted a hundred million dollars mostly from millionaires and billionaires, what role will all that dark money play in your administration? Or the political change issue: How will you transform our failing foreign policy when, like Obama and Bush, you are a hawk?

Part of the blame has to go to Bernie Sanders.
Sanders insistence on ‘not going ‘negative’ meant that he did not once question Hillary about the hundred or so million dollars she received mostly from billionaires. He also did not question her about her lack on consistency. He graciously defended her about the emails, but the fact of the matter is, she had very poor judgment and like it or not, the issue is an albatross around her neck.

Cooper did ask her about changing positions on issues such as the TPP and the Keystone XL pipeline. But he had no follow-up questions to her vague, slick answers. Bernie should have stepped in. He should have questioned her consistency, if not her integrity. He should have said something like, “if you are changing your positions whenever it suits the political climate, how do we know that you won’t change your mind again if you are elected when you would not have to worry about the progressive wing of the party?”

Cooper asked Hillary how she would be different from Obama. She coyly played the gender card saying, “I am a woman.” Bernie should have followed up with something like ‘So is Carly Fiorina.’
He could have also asked if being a woman is enough of a qualification to win. He could have asked her how she expected to win when thus far she has failed to fire up the progressive base, and her unfavorability rating is up there with Donald Trump’s.

If he really intends to go after corporate money, he must start with Hillary.