I’ve avoided American presidential debates for 60 years and never felt a single twitch of regret. After reading the commentary on the Nevada debate and seeing some taped excerpts I felt for the first time that I missed a show which would have given me much pleasure.

A message from a Trump-hating leftist to Steven Hayward, author of The Age of Reagan, explains my regret. Read it and you will see why: “Last night was the first Dem debate I tuned into, and it was horrifying. Bernie was an angry uncle. Bloomberg was an arrogant [ear]hole. Warren was a ballbusting bluestocking. Pete was a glib greenhorn. Biden was barely alive. And Klobuchar was a smirking SNL character. . . It’s a [*******] catastrophe!”

Are there Democrats who reacted more cheerfully to the Nevada show? Probably, but I haven’t come across any so far. In 2003 R&R Partners coined “What Happens Here, Stays Here” for the Las Vegas tourism department and “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” has since become a popular phrase. How many liberal Democrats wish that this event will stay forever inVegas, buried in the suburban sands and forgotten forever. Tom Steyer, a billionaire competing for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination clearly one of them. “I saw the person who won the debate last night,” moaned Tom, “whose name is Donald Trump.”

The Democrats’ ninth debate presidential was a demolition derby that dented every one of the six participants, even if only because they showed up. The candidate most heavily damaged was Michael Bloomberg. Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed her dainty foot on the accelerator as soon as he came in sight. “I’d like to talk about who we’re running against,” she snarled, “a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians,’ and, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”

I’m not saying that there’s any such thing as a horse-faced lesbian (never seen one) and I’ve never seen a fat woman in my whole life either, but I’m pretty sure that if such persons really exist they must have experienced the purest pleasure at Bloomberg’s feeble defense. Betsy’s sneer that his defense was that he had treated ‘some women’ well got the loudest guffaw of the night.

Joe Biden skidded into the Bloomberg’s battered car by implying racist motives behind his continuation of Mayor Giuliani’s stop-and-frisk policing policy. Sanders side-swiped Bloomberg by reminding everyone that he endorsed George W. Bush in 2004 and made lots and lots of money. Buttigieg beeped a suggestion: “Let’s put forward somebody who’s actually a Democrat.”

Although he was the featured target, it wouldn’t be fair to say that Bloomberg was the sole target of bile. Apparently Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar have been annoying each other in previous debates. This emerged with prickly exchanges in Vegas. Buttigieg criticized Klobuchar for voting to confirm Trump-appointed officials and judges. “If you’re going to run on your record in Washington,” he sneered, “then you’re going to have to own those votes.” Klobuchar snapped back with smirking irony: “I wish everyone were as perfect as you, Pete.” This is what passes as wit in contemporary American political speech.

Mayor Pete had already exasperated her by pointing to her failure to name Mexico’s president. Senator Amy shot right back. “Are you trying to say that I’m dumb – are you mocking me here, Pete?” She got her own back by reminding the young fellow of his failed run for Indiana’s state treasurer. She may have scored but failed to fortify her ‘Minnesota Nice’ persona.

Sanders fended off questions about his democratic socialism, his health troubles and the nastiness of his supporters. He was resentfully defensive about his sudden fortune and multiple homes, but he escaped without much damage. He countered Buttigieg’s divisiveness charges by boldly asserting his deep, deep love of the working class. None of his opponents pointed out that Bernie had spent his life among the loafing class before getting his hands on a political office. This confirms my impression that they are a dim-witted bunch despite their material and political successes.

Joe Biden was there, stumbling and fumbling like Joe Biden.

The aftermath of the debate has not boosted Joe’s prospects. He lost the Nevada vote and delegate count by a wide margins. He promises a big come-back in South Carolina. Doesn’t seem likely.

Bernie, in sharp contrast won a decisive victory on both counts. Those Democrats who never shared his admiration for the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro, and Hugo Chavez dread this prospect.

The enthusiasm of his followers (commonly known as the Bernie Bros) will exacerbate the hostility of the anybody but Bernie faction. This e-mails message from my new friends at “Our Revolution” organization gives you of the Democratic Party split. Read it and you get a sense of what the Any B.B. faction faces.

“Despite the best efforts of the ruling class, our movement won in Nevada and is on the path to victory. While it’s ok to celebrate, it’s even more important that we don’t take our eye off the ball. With South Carolina and Super Tuesday just around the corner, we are on the verge of taking a gigantic leap forward. Our Revolution has invested in holding over 26 Campaign Kickoffs with thousands of our members of local Our Revolution groups in CA, TX, FL, OH, MI, CO, WA, MI, and other must-win states. Now it’s up to us to turn all that organizing power into victories powerful enough to save our democracy and global environment from corporate destruction.”

“Rush a donation…blah…blah… here to help us keep up the momentum, fight back against increasingly desperate corporate attacks, and continue to defeat the unlimited resources of the corporate establishment!”

In case you’re missing it, the “corporate establishment” is the Clintons’ Democratic Party.

John Frary of Farmington, the GOP candidate for U.S. Congress in 2008, is a retired history professor, an emeritus Board Member of Maine Taxpayers United, a Maine Citizen’s Coalition Board member, and publisher of FraryHomeCompanion.com. He can be reached at jfrary8070

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