When we say “moderate” you’ve got to remember we’re talking about tone, not ideas or views. A Democrat moderate is still left wing in most political definitions.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the middle lane of the Democratic primary process. We’re talking about Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Mike Bloomberg.
Joe Biden won’t make the distance. The other candidates are already ignoring him because it seems low, even for them, to kick a dying dog. He goes after Sanders and Bernie just laughs it off. Joe’s likely heir will be Buttigieg, maybe a bit to Bloomberg. Biden will make a sentimental convention speech and then retire into the warm bosom of Wall Street speechmaking.
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Pete Buttigieg is an up and comer. If he doesn’t make the ticket this time expect a successful run for higher statewide office and another run for the top slot. He’s knocking away at Klobuchar to slim down his moderate competition and making piñatas out of Sanders and Bloomberg. He can come across as robotic and slick. But better that than a whiny school marm like Amy Klobuchar.
Amy has none of the message discipline of Pete or the fire of Bernie. She is Liz Warren without the nerve and sheer unintentionally amusing craziness. Klobuchar is hectoring and nasty in the way only a nanny state harridan can be. She folds under pressure most of the time and when she hits back, as she did one time against Buttigieg last night, you found yourself rooting for Buttigieg anyway.
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Bloomberg failed his first test in Nevada in a deer in the headlights sort of way. For all his cash his debate prep was almost the worst I’ve ever seen. His attitude speaks to his annoyance of having to compete against idiots and his word play is uncomfortable. Bloomberg thinks he can win with only lots of money and weird online ads. He’s wrong and that was apparent last night. May be out long before the convention. Reminds me of a financially supercharged version of the 1996 Phil Gramm campaign for president. $12 million spent…for one delegate at the GOP convention.
Is this all set in stone? No. But it’s the smart money right now. Stay with LifeZette to watch it change.
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