Ken Berwitz
The next Republican debate will be tomorrow night. It\’s “main event” will include all candidates averaging 2.5% or more in national polls over the past month. I hope it will be informative, and maybe entertaining as well. I expect that its result will be that, after the subsequent polling is done, a few more of the no-chance Republican candidates will drop out. I will be very interested to watch it.
The next Democrat debate will be held on Friday, November 6th. It will be between the three remaining candidates, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O\’Malley. I will be even more interested to watch this one than the Republican primary…because this, in all likelihood, is Martin O\’Malley\’s final chance to make any kind of a run for the nomination.
After the last debate, I marveled that O\’Malley – a former two-time Mayor of Baltimore and two-time Governor of Maryland – was so unsalable as a candidate; so plodding, so over-matched in the relatively few opportunities he had to present himself (Ms. Clinton and Mr. Sanders got the lion\’s share of time).
But this time, with just three candidates, it is going to be one-third for each. This is his chance to show why he should a) be taken seriously at all and b) is more capable/electable than either of his opponents.
If he does well, he probably is in it for the long haul. If he doesn\’t, he\’s probably out….leaving Hillary Clinton with what little competition Bernie Sanders can give her — which is to say that, barring unforeseen circumstances (either scandal-related or the result of health issues) she owns the nomination.
That\’s the debate I\’ll be most interested in. Looking forward to it.
