SocraticGadfly: #MichiganPrimary quick takes: Big Mo for #FeelTheBern and the next #DemDebate

March 09, 2016

#MichiganPrimary quick takes: Big Mo for #FeelTheBern and the next #DemDebate

Bernie Sanders has to be seen as having momentum on his side after winning, first of all.

Second, while he still trailed Hilary Clinton among black voters, he sliced that to a 2-1 gap. Part of that is probably due to him finally getting more general name recognition.

Third, places like Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania shape up more favorably to him. Florida? Clinton's polling well ahead right now, but that can certainly shift in a week.

Speaking of, the next Democratic debate is down there, tonight, in Miami.

Getcha popcorn. Clinton knows all the things I just listed. Will her eyes be spitting daggers there, as the fight heats up for Second Tuesday? Will Bernie bring up Debbie Wasserman Schultz's support for payday lender loan sharks?

Given all of the above, this primary is going far past Second Tuesday and into April.

That's in part because, as Harry Enten of 538 notes while eating egg off his face, this means more teevee for Bernie. That's doubly true with the next debate tonight.

And, some gloating for now.

Looks like Hillary Man and Lebanese militiaman Peter Daou of Hillary Men infamy couldn't get fellow Lebanese in Michigan converted. Sanders won Dearborn, with its large Lebanese and other Arabic population, and also won Flint, which also has a fair-sized Lebanese population. GFY, Daou.

Ditto for Markos Moulitsas, the Daily Kos creator who believes secret librulz are in the CIA and is trying to do a cramdown of Clinton support among individual contributing bloggers.

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With what I said above, here's a few other issues and questions I'd like to see at tonight's debate:
1. Foreign policy and foreign aid. Bernie, this might be one as tough for you as for Clinton, because of your support for Big Ag, but both of you need to discuss how we get a more enlightened, less neoliberal foreign policy that doesn't do cramdowns of Merika in exchange for foreign assistance, and that, along with the EU, doesn't undercut local agriculture, especially in sub-Saharan Africa
2. Policy toward Latin America, and leaders of the left. In other words, Bernie, when are you going to pin the tail on the Clinton donkey about Honduras? This is Miami, home to many Latinos from the Caribbean and from Central America, and the debate is hosted by Univision. Come out swinging.
3. Foreign policy, Latin America and the War on Drugs. See No. 2 for relevance.

That said, since Haim Saban owns Univision, hell will freeze over before any of this is brought up by the moderators, so No. 2? Bernie, it's all on you.

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You can see my takes on the debate on Twitter via the feed window there.

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