David Axelrod: "It sounds here like @KamalaHarris is now taking something more like the @JoeBiden

[Jarqui]

29. Things like this go a good distance with me:

Richardson: Obama Saved Me During Debate
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/richardson-obama-saved-me_n_148144

As I’m chatting with Obama, the moderator says, “Governor Richardson, what do you think of that?” And I look at him like a deer in the headlights. I was about to say that I hadn’t heard, when Obama puts his hand over his mouth and says, “Katrina.” So I gave my four-point plan on Katrina. When I was done and the debate moved on, I looked over and said, “Thanks, you’re okay.” He said, “Nothing to it, brother.”

That story was originally told when Richardson endorsed Obama in Mar 2008 and said "He could have thrown me under the bus, but he stood behind me."

There seemed to be a multitude of things like this that were good predictors of the sort of President Obama would prove to be. The above demonstrated goodwill, fair play or sportsmanship. Classy and decent.

I did not get the same feeling from Kamala's behavior in the debate. It was strategized and calculated to hurt Biden long before the debate. It unfairly tied the decision for her busing to Biden when in fact, the decision was made by local politicians five years before Biden became a Senator. It inferred racial overtones. And it unfairly left her opponent 30 seconds to respond to a complex issue we haven't fully sorted out in 70 years of debate. And now, she's backpedaling closer to Biden's debate position.

Crap like that turns me off a candidate.

I thought Kamala had the best campaign kick-off. She's been great in the Senate hearings. My daughter is a new teacher so Kamala's policy to help improve teacher compensation really resonated for me. Her food fight line in the debate was great. So I didn't go into that debate down on Kamala. But she sure dialed down my enthusiasm with that stunt.

I like all of the debate candidates in some manner - not necessarily all as presidential candidates. I was kind of proud of the line ups and discussions of the issues on both nights except for this moment by Kamala.