PBS Democratic Debate--7 Candidates, with Biden, Warren and Sanders 'In The Lead'

I've tuned into the Democratic Candidates this week more than I planned to, but am glad I had a half hour or more to catch the televised debate in which Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as well as four others shared important ways they would unite the party and bring critical change to help the United States heal on many levels from the difficulty and even devastation wrought by Donald Trump's administration. Tom Steyer asserted that reality that Trump is saying he is helping the economy is a main point the Democrats have to assess and provide evidence that they can bring real change for all people and not benefit only the ultra rich.

There is commentary on PBS and likely coming out online as I type this out on the East Coast. Andrew Yang said he's got a great book with the data to help more people understand the economics of the country and other key points. Biden and Sanders were not in agreement about Medicare for All (Bernie Sanders' plan) would be affordable. Bernie did share that personal taxes would go up to pay for that yet the coverage and savings in premiums would be worth it. Biden and Warren offered alternatives that would allow people (at least for a few years) to keep their private insurance or allow a way to buy into a public plan, perhaps for a few years or longer.

Don't quote me on particulars but rather this was the overall sense. Everyone seemed confident and competent. There are 25 people in the running for the Democratic nomination. The next big states to place well in are Iowa and New Hampshire. I would hope more of the candidates would cull the wisdom and best ideas from one another and present more of a united front. Many spoke to the mission of having a Democratic candidate who has the best chance of winning over Donald Trump (or the Republican Candidate.)

Here's to paying attention to more political factors as 2019 wraps up and the last year of the Presidential election comes into focus. All activists are needed to promote safety and success for the environment, animals and people in the US and in the world in many ways. Keeping decent ties with China is important Biden shared I believe because they produce twice the harmful gases that the US does. We need to find ways to get more countries to cooperate in reducing fossil fuel emissions.