Health care debate reflections

Some reflections on the Democratic debate on health care in Iowa this past Thursday...

Joe Biden has an effective answer on the first question, and it's praised by Edwards in his response which followed. Dodd also chimes in after Clinton's answer with the same message: it's about leadership, who can bring people together, etc. All jabs at Hillary's closed-door meetings in 1993, but without mentioning her by name. Biden follows up on the leadership theme throughout the debate, doing very well referring to his own experience.

Biden and Richardson talk about home care of elderly relatives and Hillary joins in; with the baby-boomers retiring this will become an economic necessity. Edwards has an impassioned plea for taxing work and capital gains the same, at least, and it gets a nice audience response, as does his plea for reality-contact that universal care will be very expensive and his joke that Hillary's plan is the same as his--the split-screen on this last one showed Hillary's stone-faced expression. Edwards is scoring some points here. Later on he had a proposal to treat bonuses and golden-parachutes for CEOs the same as workers' pensions.

Hillary's response points to her first attempt as the vanguard that moves the sticks as far as Democratic positions go. She's right that there's a huge difference on health-care with the Republicans. Biden gets a laugh with his desire to raise obscene amounts of money like the other candidates, and his jabs at Richardson's experience. Biden wants reality-contact with the need for a chunk of Republicans to go along with the plan of any Democratic president. Richardson gets laughed at for being unable to answer with a yes or no. Later on he is laughed at for, as Biden put it, "When in doubt, blame President Bush." Biden's constant joking about Richardson running to be Secretary of State is funny because it's so true, and Biden can do it without seeming nasty because he's doing the same thing. Biden could actually be president, while Richardson doesn't have a chance.

The debate was good for Biden and Edwards, neutral for Dodd and Clinton, and bad for Richardson.