DEMOCRATS at BAY

The first Democratic presidential debate is over.  The choice of the plush and louche Las Vegas for this "progressive" give-and-take was kind of surreal.  The proceedings went as could be expected, given the absence of a Trump-like personality which generally unshackles the most tied scenarios.

The candidates who are at the bottom stayed there.  Sanders looked like King Lear lost in a play not of his making. Mrs. Clinton ruled without being condescending. Remains to be seen how she will handle her Congressional hearing next week when the very intelligent, if not likable, Republican chairman of the House committee will unleash the pack of hounds. He will not let Mrs. Clinton "triangulate", but at the same time he must curse the Republican majority leader for having made a "gaffe", which gave Mrs. Clinton a claim to martyrdom and victim-hood.
Bernie Sanders was right in saying that he was sick of hearing about the e-mail saga. One overdoses indeed, given the Republican repetitive drum and also considering Mrs. Clinton's unconvincing revisionism. 

The real problem lies elsewhere in the American Zeitgeist. The questions regarding President Obama's "proximity reluctance" are growing in numbers. His analytical method is considered as standing in the way of an assertive posture. One can understand that the United States "aversion" to become entrapped in inextricable situations, but caution should never be allowed to marginalize principle, alliance, choice. Arguing that "dumb wars" have to be avoided is a cause, refusing to make difficult choices is a mistake. The American president plays golf by himself, he also reasons by ignoring the counter argument. Hence this intelligent individual is mostly a lonely man , both abroad and at home.

The next president will have an uphill task, having to re-energize alliances, political discourse and strategic credibility. This president started with a Nobel Prize and the "famous" Cairo address. Seen now all this looks all totally unreal. The aborted Arab Spring, the Crimean theft, the Chinese arrogance, all contributed to fuel disenchantment and further increase the frustrations of Main Street. Since there is almost nowhere to go after President George W. Bush opened the gates to hell, which President Obama chose to leave mostly unattended, both left and right in America have raised their most unappealing heads! The center is not holding, it is backtracking.

The next Prudential's are very important but the claimers are a mostly unconvincing lot. The winner will be a default candidate. One could apply Oscar Wilde's bon mot:  Men marry because they are tired, women because they are curious.  Both are disappointed.    Ergo...