I have very little hope that Maddow and Todd will come up with original questions and won’t force the candidates to repeat the same things we’ve already heard many times. Maybe they should have invited yesterday’s rabbi instead.
In any case, I can’t resist the temptation to watch!
20:08 – “a progressive is someone who makes progress” is a great slogan.
20:09 – telling Bernie he’s achieved nothing is rude and unfair. What’s with this moderator?
20:10 – it’s funny that it takes a 74 – year-old fellow to notice that times have changed and public education for all can no longer be limited to K-12. Knowledge has expanded, so public education for all should expand.
20:13 – I don’t think Obama and Biden ever claimed they were progressive. The label only came into vogue this year.
20:15 – words can’t explain how bored I am with hearing about Bernie’s votes on guns. Enough already! He explained it many times.
20:21 – Obama is becoming the Democratic oracle. Everybody will now claim special closeness to him and invoke his name as a talisman. The guy is still young but he’s getting consecrated in front of our eyes.
20:25 – Hillary’s on a tear tonight. I like it. We need anger, we need passion.
20:28 – 1990s??? What do 1990s have to do with Hillary who was unemployed at that time?
20:33 – this is unexpectedly lively. I’m glad I didn’t skip it.
20:43 – when they start on Wall Street, I fall asleep. It’s empty chatter with no meaning.
20:45 – Hillary should take the debate from Bernie’s economy turf to her “everything else under the Sun” turf. Hillary, talk about feminism! Parental leave! Abortion rights! Foreign policy!
20:46 – it’s ridiculous to ask Hillary to give up her texts for free when nobody else is being asked to compromise their livelihood in this way. Absolutely ridiculous.
20:51 – Maddow ‘ s question to Bernie is ridiculous. The idea that companies will not work with him because of a few speeches he made is bizarre.
21:02 – my heart bleeds for poor Bernie whenever he is forced to talk about foreign policy.
21:04 – Bernie’s foreign policy (“we cannot be the policeman of the world”) is verbatim what Jeb’s is.
21:10 – let’s not bring Cuba into this as some great achievement. There is no achievement here. A deal with the devil had to be made to thwart Putin. That’s nothing to celebrate.
21:13 – Crimea is Ukraine, Senator. These are not separate entities.
21:14 – Hillary’s answer on Russia is gladdening my heart. It’s not for nothing that Putin detests her. Why the fuck did the stupid moderators interrupt her?? This was going very well.
21:24 – Bernie is very gracefully dismissing the stupid hype around the Iowa caucus.
21:25 – in 1964??? Seriously? Why not ask Bernie about his experiences in the Napoleonic wars? That would be as relevant but more fun.
21:32 – yes! We do know that the goddamn emails are a fucking absurdity.
21:34 – Maddow asks Bernie the most absurd questions ever. A couple of people messed up. That doesn’t amount to “losing control.”
21:36 – Hillary can be gracious, too. If she tries really hard.
21:43 – finally, a question on Flint! I was growing desperate. Yes, Snyder has to resign. He is a national disgrace. He’s worse than Rauner, and that’s saying a lot!
♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧♤♡◇♧
CONCLUSION: A great debate. I knew that when the dead weight of O’Malley were shed, the debate would go much more smoothly.
Both candidates are energized, passionate, and worth listening to. Both did great. Nobody disappointed. The inanity of the moderators did not stop the candidates from saying what they needed.
We all won tonight.
Clarissa's Blog 
Well, Jimmy Carter has already endorsed Trump over Cruz, so the election is over! 🙂
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And that has got to be reader Dreidel. 🙂
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Yep, I posted without signing in first again — must be losing it.
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It’s not you, it’s WordPress. It has many weird characteristics.
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I endorse Trump over Cruz, too.
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Wow, Clinton used the word ‘rigged’ to describe the economy. She must be feeling the Bern!
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Bernie has pushed her in a decidedly great direction.
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9:08 S: “Other people have nice things. We can have nice things.”
Not a huge fan of Obamacare as it operates right now, honestly.
9:10 “I’m a builder.” Sanders shakes his head subtly.
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9:12 HRC claims she’s progressive; Sanders is too much obsessed with purity. Hits him hard on his gun votes. Goes to the dictionary.
9:14 Campaign finance reform! Our system is too corrupt and is getting in the way of having nice things.
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“Nice things” are definitely a motif here.
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“Not fair to cherry pick a poll-tested, strategically used quote that I made during this campaign.”
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Now they’re arguing over labels! Who’s “progressive” versus “moderate” — what a ridiculous waste of debate time!
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It’s fascinating how “progressive” turned from an insult into a coveted label.
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Hillary will claim she’s a ” progressive moderate” during the general election.
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And that will be the truth. It’s a good thing to be, too. Moderate progress is better than no progress.
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9:22 Bern: Shades of Howard Dean. Ha
HRC: Howard Dean is in the room.
9:23 Bern: She’s establishment. But I won the pledge drive.
9:24 HRC I’m not establishment. Shades of Helen Reddy!
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Clinton doing very well in this debate.
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She’s allowing the actual feeling come through and that’s good. Because when she doesn’t she sounds fake.
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20:21 – Obama is becoming the Democratic oracle. Everybody will now claim special closeness to him and invoke his name as a talisman. The guy is still young but he’s getting consecrated in front of our eyes.
General election:
Obama!
Reagan!
Obama!
It really comes down to the most “charismatic” and recent presidents in the last 40 years.
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Exactly. 🙂 Obama will become the Democratic Reagan.
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The Democratic base right now:
"One Last Time" from the musical Hamilton from The Gilder Lehrman Institute on Vimeo.
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Still arguing over labels!
“You’re ‘establishment’!” “No, you are!” “Stop calling me names!”
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Hillary wants a confrontation. It’s an interesting strategy.
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She’s getting one! At least they’re both showing genuine anger now.
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Bernie is an angry fellow. Which is why I identify with him strongly.
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Hey, Trump is the angriest person in the race.
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No, Trump is faking. He’s a billionaire, what’s he got to be angry about?
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Whatever he’s angry about he’s not putting in his political stump speeches. He gets super angry when people won’t genuflect and tell him he’s awesome. That’s real.
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The fellow has a real, serious narcissistic personality disorder. That makes him very dangerous because he doesn’t control it.
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Which is why if it has to be Trump or Cruz, Cruz is the preferable candidate.
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9:28 Massive booing when she defends herself on campaign finance.
9:28 Bern: The money is causing all of the problems. Huge cheers
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In a matter of minutes she defined herself as a progressive outsider who gets shit done, then flipped to ‘the whole establishment loves me’, then pivoted back to ‘I’m an outsider because I’m a woman’.
Ugh, this sounded very fake.
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9:30 HRC: All of the superpac money is coming for me, not you. You voted for derivatives.
9:31 Bern: Do a youtube search CSpan junkies. Ugh!
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Chuck Todd is a moron and Maddow is insufferable.
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Maddow tends to be very smug in this format, and that’s annoying.
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Maddow is ALWAYS smug.
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Maddow is always smug on the cable channel MSNBC. The only time she presents an adult demeanor is when she’s an occasional guest panelist on one of the Sunday morning broadcast channel political talk shows.
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She was good in the town hall format a few months ago.
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Commercial:
Movie: Where to invade next.
Drive your minivan in the mountains to propose.
House of Cards guy takes over etrade commercial
Heartburn meds.
Dry eye drops.
Alan Grayson is running for Senate again.
Spine institute.
Everyone watching this debate is old.
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Ha ha ha! SO TRUE!!!!!!
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Man, Rubio would get murdered in this format. Can anyone imagine him thinking on his feet in a one-on-one debate format?
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I think Rubio would just cry. I can imagine his chin trembling and him getting all pouty.
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Debates are highly subjective. Trembling chins and pouting might work for him.
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“Chin trembling”
Haha, this is hilarious. Yes!
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Rubio will beat Hillary like a drum in the general election debates! (Can I say “beat her” without being called a violent sexist?)
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Hey, have you heard of this huge Cruz scandal that will be revealed after the New Hampshire primary? I’m curious!
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Actually, no. The current Cruz “mini-scandal” is that his campaign staff put out misleading information about Carson quitting the race during the Iowa caucus.
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There are insistent rumors that there is another, bigger scandal.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3392924/posts
I’m guessing he’s into boys.
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One can only hope! That would get him out of the race, at least. Then Trump would be Rubio’s only real rival for the nomination.
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I don’t generally believe in conspiracies but I won’t discount the possibility that something is in the works to facilitate Rubio’s way to the nomination.
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Chuck Todd the moron can’t come up with a follow up question after Bernie just wrecked him with his reply on public financing of campaign.
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9:42 Now I don’t know whether it was wise or a mistake for Elizabeth Warren to avoid running.
9:43: The money is coming for me (again!) This means I’m the one!
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Warren would be as unelectable in the general election as Bernie would (or will) be.
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Goldman Sachs really is a fucked up company.
That $5B fine, by the way? They get to write it off as a loss such that they pay $5B less in taxes. This is what they negotiated with the government in their settlement.
The government is happy to have a “$5B DOLLAR FINE” headline in the media and pretend they’re tough on wall street crime. Win win!
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Commercial:
Alternate energy PAC.
Inspirational sports story.
I have trouble cleaning my house with dogs.
Cancer institute
Cable company wifi commercial.
50 years of Todd Rundgren.
Basically, More magazine ads.
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Hillary: “NO, I’m NOT for (increasing troops). But of course , that’s ONLY a THEORETICAL question…”
Great answer 🙂 🙂
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Bernie is giving a very contradictory answer about forces he’d use against ISIS.
First, he says he’s in favor of “a great coalition,” and every country he mentions except Russia is a Western member of NATO.
In the next sentence, he says the coalition has to be composed of Arab nations.
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It’s “Muslim troops and Russia.” Of course, now you’ve got to communicate the news to “Muslim troops and Russia.”
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I’m thinking about the 3 am ad. It’s supposed to show readiness but it just implies HRC is an insomniac who never sleeps.
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That transcript question will be problematic for her, I think.
If she doesn’t release her transcripts people will rightly wonder if she says different things to different crowds.
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Everybody in their right mind says different things to different crowds. 🙂
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Hillary is actually giving a good answer on normalizing relations with Iran!
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I like it, too.
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1008: Why is she saying Iran is the source of state sponsored terrorism. This is a throwback. Or I’m naive. I don’t think any state has much control even over their “sponsorship”.
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1013: Russia has more nukes lying around than North Korea. Yikes, Bernie you are so wrong.
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1013-1017: Despite real problems with the VA, most health care providers are ill equipped to deal with soldiers’ issues like combat injuries and PTSD.
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That’s true. Soldiers need serious psychological rehabilitation and long-term physical therapy.
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MSNBC is running a LOT of commercials during this public service event. But I’m sure the channel is getting paid top-dollar for the advertising time.
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They had a countdown clock for the past 24 hours, hyping up the debate like crazy.
CNN’s commercials during yesterday’s town hall were decidedly better.
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Commercials:
Diabetes pill. Peeing sugar out will improve A1C and help you lose weight!
Your cable company will help your granddaughter learn magic tricks.
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Liberals mock Fox News for having viewers with an average age in the late 60s — ignoring the fact that the average age of MSNBC viewers is only about three years younger.
Of course the average age for viewers of almost ALL channels (except maybe the Disney and cartoon channels) is older. How many young viewers have the free time during weekdays to watch television???
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It’s not an issue of time as much as of the medium. Young people don’t like TVs. They like phones. If it can’t be done on a phone, they don’t want it.
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It’s very amusing that BOTH Bernie and Trump are contesting the legitimacy of the Iowa caucus results that put them in second place! 🙂
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I’m sure you’re the only person who interpreted it like that.
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Bernie is dismissing the silly hype, and rightfully so. There is no story here. 20 or 21 delegates – who cares?
I like it that he doesn’t get stuck on silly small things.
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He claims to be dismissing that issue tonight, but he’s done nothing to keep his staff from publically raising it.
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1023: Iowa caucus. Are you going to concede? Bernie downplays by pointing out the proportional nature of the caucus and says yeah I agree with the Register.
1025: Overton window question. Are you outside of it? Bern:VOTER TURNOUT, STUPID.
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10:31
You’ve Got Mail — again. Bernie’s chewing his lip. Also BRING IT, Republicans. I dare you to answer some subpoenas.
1032: Please comment again on this, Bern. THIS IS OFF THE TABLE.
1033: Let’s go to your scandals, Bern. He’s splitting. HRC is smiling.
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Commercials:
Numbers USA; again. The most Barbara Jordan clips in a year.
A Disney film.
OTC allergy medication.
Nontraditional cleaning commercial.
E commerce site
Crunchy spine ad again.
Consult a doctor right after a crash with your cell phone app!
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Good for Hillary for honestly stating her support for capital punishment in a Democratic debate! That’s obviously an answer aimed at the general election.
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“Liberals mock Fox News for having viewers with an average age in the late 60s ”
Lol no. Liberals mock Fox news for having batshit insane viewers who also happen to be old. You know, the kind of crazies who are attracted to advertisements about doomsday prepping and buying back gold.
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You’ve seen an advertisement about doomsday prepping on Fox?? Please link to the video.
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Observation: Far more outrage over lead poisoning in this debate than the Republican one.
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Everybody who is not calling for immediate resignation of Snyder needs to have their head examined. The guy is a criminal of Putinoid proportions.
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The guy needs to be under the jail.
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Absolutely. And not just him. There should be a criminal investigation.
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1055 p What’s your priority? I want to do things, not stop things. Solar panels, clean energy, etc: HRC
Bernie’s face though.
1057:BernieL Same question. You didn’t mention most important one: campaign finance reform is alpha and omega. Overturn Citizens United Mitch McConnell is going to have a party on his front lawn of angry people.
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I don’t understand the insistence on campaign finance reform. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be done but I don’t see how it’s important. For instance, the Freedom caucus in Congress shuts down the government, wreaks havoc and annoys business easily and gladly all the time. They are not beholden to anybody. And so what? They are still extremely destructive.
There are fanatics in the Congress and that’s an enormous problem no campaign finance reform will cure.
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11 pm: HRC: Kissinger loves me.
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These days, Kissinger loves Putin. Hillary can’t compete.
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Hillary’s Kissinger reference was disturbing no matter what Kissinger thinks of Putin. Kissinger is a war criminal.
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“Citizens United” is a non-issue! All the wasted $$$$$$$$$ by the Koch brothers on the right and Bloomberg on the left to buy various elections demonstrates that billionaires can’t buy votes in this country.
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That what I think, too. I don’t like Citizens United but I’m not seeing how it changed anything in practical terms.
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1103: I reject Cartesian duality -HRC.
1104: Oh Bern. Are you running like you’re running out of time?
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The next debate is only TWO days away: the Republicans on Saturday night on ABC at the unusually early hour of 8 p.m. eastern time.
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Is Trump skipping it or has he learned his lesson?
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He hasn’t said.
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MSNBC congratulating themselves on the enormous amount of work they did to prepare the questions for this debate. ‘3 weeks of hard work’.
Seriously? This wasn’t exactly a production of ‘Lion King’ here.
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They congratulate themselves on the great feat the moderators accomplished by shutting up every once in a while.
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Why does MSNBC keep showing images of Hillary shaking hands post-debate, when Chris Matthews and Debbie Wasserman Schultz are discussing the results in the voice-over?
Wasserman Schultz is much more telegenic, with her amazing Gorgon hair. 🙂
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Nothing much to say about the debate, which I didn’t see. But I saw 99 comments and so thought I’d push the number into the triple digits.
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Thank you, what a nice thing to do!
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