2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThe debate on who "won" the debate is really silly
Folks are treating it like a baseball game -- a binary contest in which one side "wins" and the other side "loses".
But in reality, a political debate at this early stage of the campaign, with more than two candidates going at it, isn't a binary contest. It is possible for more than one participant to "win."
Clinton's objective wasn't so much to "beat Sanders" as it was to project an image to people who know her but have begun to doubt her ability to run a strong campaign of a confident, sharp candidate. One that looks ready to lead. She accomplished that.
Sanders goal was to show folks who didn't know him that he wasn't some scary grandfatherly socialist who has no chance of convincing mainstream voters to support him. He accomplished that.
There has been one non online survey type poll posted here so far and while folks can debate its particulars, I think one aspect of that poll is pretty telling: A big majority of those polled indicated that after the debate they had a more favorable opinion of Clinton and a big majority of those polled also indicated that after the debate they had a more favorable opinion of Sanders.
In short, neither "lost"
JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)All I can see on the boards tonight is 'pundit backed opinion vs. Pundit polls vs. Everyone else that watched the debate '. I love that our people made an excellent showing, I just don't get the bullying.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)We should be talking about the issues, talking about *how* each candidate will implement their policy positions. Sorting out rhetoric from likely policy based on voting records and the like.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)to the country and introduced the country to his ideas last night. What is making so many mad is that the media is controlled by just a few, very rich, very powerful people who get to tell their for profit journalism companies what to say. It's not real journalism. Hasn't been for a very long time. That's why I don't watch tv news anymore. I get my news from other sources. They are trying to influence voters by telling them who won the debate. That is not news. That is not journalism. I think all tv news needs to be re-brandished as entertainment because that is all they are. After all that is the excuse they use when they get sued in court for not telling the truth.