So, I watched bits and snatches of the climate discussion that CNN presented. First my impressions and then some unasked questions:

Beto O’Rourke: If he doesn’t get elected president, he has a great future as a Grade B actor in infomercials.

Kamala Harris: Full of energy and has a nice smile. Comes across as very pleasant with a few exceptions when the inner prosecutor comes out, which is what the anti-Trumpers want. Very talented actress.

Elizabeth Warren: Similar to Harris in the persona she presents – full of energy and smiles. The difference is that whereas Harris presents issues in personal terms (“I have two children…”) Warren does so through her thought out “plans.” As with Harris, also a very talented actress.

Bernie Sanders: Got the most applause of the evening, but comes across as slightly annoyed or even pissed off. I would be too if others had stolen my thunder.

Pete Buttigieg: comes across as the boy next door who mowed your lawn for you when you were laid up with a broke leg. He then grew up to be the scoutmaster on weekends and the corporate CEO’s gofer who hopes to take the boss’s place when he retires but we both know he doesn’t have what it takes.

Joe Biden: Oh, lord! Poor old Joe! Whereas Trump can’t complete a thought on his own, at least he can hide by trickery. His fans don’t expect nor do they want anything more than entertainment. But poor old Joe just stumbles and bumbles around like an old drunk who is temporarily sober by accident. I can’t see how as more people see more of him his support won’t disappear like water into the sand. But then, I couldn’t see how Trump could get elected either.

Unasked question
These impressions are, of course, far more important than the content of what the individuals said. After all, 90% of what they said was simply rhetoric. That’s especially so given the unasked questions.

The unasked questions: Quite a few of the candidates were asked variations of the question of how will you work with or pressure the Republicans to go along. What nobody asked, nor did the candidates address, was the question of how will you get the DEMOCRATS to go along. After all, they can’t even get a super committee appointed in the House, nor can they get a serious bill up in the House. If it weren’t for the youth who are raising such hell about the issue, this discussion wouldn’t even be held. Which leads to a related issue: Several of the candidates were happy to pile on to the oil companies. But not a single one of them mentioned that CNN, which had moderators in the 2016 Clinton-Trump debates, never asked a single question about climate change back then. Nor did Hillary raise it on her own.

That about says it all.

Well, it almost says it all. I forgot about Amy Klobuchar. There’s a reason I forgot her, but I can’t remember the reason any more than I can remember her, except for her smile. Makes her look like she’s either bearing her teeth or is about to throw up. Totally untrustworthy appearance.