The debate: Did you hear…?

They beat Joe Biden like a piñata at the second CNN debate. That was expected.

Uncle Joe fought back. That was expected, too, even if he tripped over his tongue several times and mistakenly furnished his text number as a web address. Surprisingly little was made by the media about that gaffe. They were perhaps distracted by the unexpected criticism of actions by Barack Obama, who remains very popular among Democrats, who may punish candidates who piss on his legacy.  

Receiving criticism (in order to get at Biden) were Obama’s signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and the high number of illegals deported, under U.S. law, on his watch. Those throwing barbs seemed to suffer from amnesia. Did they not know a health care plan — like it or not — had been a Democratic wet dream since Harry S Truman? 

I may deal with these issues in the future. With the luxury of delaying comment for a few days, allowing my notes to marinate, I want to hit on some remarkable things said by the candidates, starting with Andrew Yang, who wants to make “free-for-all” Bernie Sanders seem like a tightwad. Yang proposed a “freedom dividend” that would provide a $1,000 monthly check to every American, just like Alaska does, he said. (He did not explain that check comes from oil companies drilling in Alaska. I have been to Alaska. That giveaway program is very popular with Alaskans. D’uh.) 

In a related subject, saving the environment (which would mean shutting down those Alaskan oil drillers) Yang said, “We are too late” to stop global warning and the oceans’ rise. He said we should start moving people to higher ground.

He’s sounding like a prophet of doom here, but no worse than one-issue candidate Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who said we have reached a “tipping point” and we need a crash plan to avert disaster. Sadly, most voters are not nearly as alarmed as Inslee.

You know who ought to be alarmed? Rich people.

Democrats should follow his example and “tax hell out of the wealthy,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. He said it twice.

That may work for New York, with a bumper crop of Wall Street zillionaires, but how will that work in, let’s pick a town at random, South Bend, Ind.? How about it, Mayor Pete?

Remember the ‘60s? If you don’t, remember the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John. What do they have in common? They are all British. What else do they have in common? They all left their homeland when the government decided “to tax the hell out of the wealthy.” 

The rich don’t grow roots. They can move. 

New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker (and de Blasio, Kamala Harris, Julian Castro) went after Biden, and was credited with energizing his campaign, but I don’t get the dipping into Kool-Aid without knowing the flavor remark. He said that was a saying in his community. Newark, where he lives now or in suburban, wealthy, mostly white Harrington Park, where he grew up? 

Julian Castro grew up in Texas, and became mayor of his hometown of San Antonio — a beautiful city. The family traces its roots to Mexico, which is why he is in favor of Open Borders.

What? He didn’t say that!

No, he didn’t, not in those words, but what do you think it means when he talks about “decriminalizing” illegal border crossings? 

A couple of other candidates meowed about “decriminalizing,” and at some future point some other candidate will have to demand to know what they mean by that. Would they deport anyone? 

Biden explained that crossing the border is illegal (we’re not talking about asylum seekers) and people who do it are subject to removal — which is what Obama did.

Biden also called for jailing opioid manufacturers, which, very surprisingly, got almost no notice in the press. 

It’s funny — Castro said using the term “open borders” was a “right-wing talking point,” the exact phrase used by Harris and Elizabeth Warren when they didn’t have a suitable answer.

They need to be better.