1. I’ve been spending this morning trying to think of a word other than “dominating” to describe Hillary’s performance last night. Her opposition was so inept — with three of the candidates looking like they were debating for dog catcher on public-access television and the fourth just grumpy and incoherent — that “dominating” feels somehow understated. Only Conan the Barbarian can sum up last night’s pillaging:
She crushed her enemies, they were driven before her, and she heard the lamentation of their women.
2. At the same time, however, that wasn’t actually a debate. Can you imagine the Republican candidates treating a front-runner under FBI investigation (excuse me, whose “server” is under FBI investigation) with kid gloves? Heck, last cycle Republicans all but turned into #Occupy protesters when discussing arguably the most clearly impressive part of Mitt Romney’s résumé – his business success. This cycle, the fur flies from the start of each debate, and — thanks to Donald Trump — the insults can get grade school-level personal. The strongest shot at Hillary all night was Lincoln Chafee’s trembling pronunciation that he was scandal-free. Policy differences were papered over to the extent that Hillary — the queen of Wall Street — got away with casting herself is a kinder, gentler socialist than Bernie Sanders.
3. What the heck is Jim Webb doing on that stage? Though I have many disagreements with him, he’s a warrior, a scholar, and likely has the most impressive personal biography of any candidate (from either party) in the race. So it’s just sad to see him ignored by the crowd, dismissed by the candidates, and left sputtering about the debate rules.
4. Life is easy for the Democratic one percent. I hate to keep bringing this up, but Mitt Romney spent more than a year on the defensive about his success. Hillary is asked about her wealth, the crowd groans, and she smoothly says that she’s worked hard and wants everyone to have a chance at success. Really?!? That’s it?!? Life is good for rich people who support abortions on demand and paid family leave. A pox on the rest of your houses.
5. I have a sinking feeling that many in the media will take their marching orders from Hillary and Bernie and stop talking about her emails, her numerous, dangerous breaches of federal law, and the resulting potential damage to national security. Less-powerful people would be headed for indictment and would — at the very least — find themselves discredited and disgraced. Soon enough, however, unless the FBI actually has the fortitude to confront the Democratic front-runner and/or her closest aides, the email scandal will enter the “IRS zone” — where each new revelation will demonstrate the length and breadth of the lawlessness, but the mainstream media simply won’t care.
6. Joe Biden, if you’re going to get in the race, you better do it now, because Hillary’s looking inevitable again.