Sohn: Democratic debate offer real talk, real issues

Democratic presidential hopefuls, from left, Jim Webb, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chafee, held the stage at the Democratic presidential debate hosted Tuesday by CNN in Las Vegas.
Democratic presidential hopefuls, from left, Jim Webb, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chafee, held the stage at the Democratic presidential debate hosted Tuesday by CNN in Las Vegas.

Tuesday's first Democratic debate offered everything that two previous Republican debates lacked: depth, smarts, leadership and hope.

It was quite the contrast from the last GOP free for all.

While Hillary Clinton was the clear debate winner, there were no losers on that Las Vegas stage. All five candidates offered thoughtful, interesting, viable and laudable goals for our country's future.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley summed it up well in what was probably his best speech of the night, made in the debate's final 60 or so seconds:

"On this stage you didn't hear anyone denigrate women, you didn't hear anyone make racist comments about new immigrants, you didn't hear anyone speak ill of anyone because of their religious belief," he said.

"What you heard was an honest debate of what will move us forward, to lead to a clean electric grid by 2050, and employ more of our people, rebuild our cities and towns, educate our children at higher and better levels, and include more people in the economic and social life in our country. I truly believe we are standing on the threshold on a new era of American progress. Talk to our young people under 30. You'll never find among them people that want to bash immigrants or people that want to deny rights to gay couples. That tells me we are moving to a more connected, generous and compassionate place and we need to speak to the goodness within our country."

That's not to say there were no disagreements - even fireworks.

As Clinton took the inevitable questions about her emails, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders piped up to move discussion forward and away from what has clearly evolved into much ado about nothing: "The American people are sick of hearing about your damn emails." She laughed and thanked him. The crowd exploded into applause for both candidates. When former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, tried to come back to it, and CNN debate questioner Anderson Cooper asked her if she wanted to respond, she decisively, but gracefully, quipped, "No." The crowd clapped its approval again.

What unfolded after that was a well-rounded and full debate of everything from the fine line between Sanders' view of corporate and Wall Street greed to Clinton's belief that capitalists - especially small business - are not all bad. (From time to time, she noted, we in America just have "to save capitalism from itself."

The far-ranging discussion spanned energy needs, growing jobs, climate change, guns, paid family leave, the middle class, war, the Middle East, college tuition, immigration and several other topics.

No one left the stage bruised and the audience stood with pride and hope for the country, according to pundit analysis, focus groups and the polls.

It was a far cry from the disappointing seven-hour marathon of Republican middle school boasting and bullying in September.

The Democrats offered five people with real energy and real talk.

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