The Defining Moment
 
There will be many defining moments in the presidential campaign over the next 17 months, but there was a big one during the second round of Democrat debates last night. 
 
Sen. Kamala Harris turned to Joe Biden and said, "I don't believe you are a racist, but. . ."  She then proceeded to slice and dice him.
 
The issue was busing, one of the most unpopular social engineering solutions of the 1960s and 1970s that tore communities apart.  But Sen. Harris was attacking Biden because he was, according to her, against busing in the early 1970s.
 
To make her point, Harris described a little minority girl waiting to be bused to her school, and added, "That little girl was me."  It was a powerful moment.
 
But it was no spontaneous moment.  Within minutes, her campaign blasted out a photo of Harris as a little girl, presumably waiting for her bus.  Not long after, her online store was selling T-shirts featuring that photo.
 
Biden's rebuttal would have gone over well at a Republican debate.  He said he wasn't necessarily against busing, but he was against the federal Department of Education imposing it on local school districts. 
 
Well, the first problem for Biden is that his opposition to busing pre-dated the federal Department of Education.  It didn't exist until 1979.  Second, his response allowed Harris to hit back, saying that it was up to the federal government to safeguard civil rights.
 
The moment ended oddly when Biden eagerly noted, "Anyway, my time is up, I'm sorry."  Usually, candidates are fighting for time, talking well past their allotted time and even talking over one another.  But Biden apparently understood that this exchange wasn't going well and just wanted it to be over.
 
There's no question that Kamala Harris gave herself a big boost last night.  And there's no question that Joe Biden took a big hit. 
 
Operatives say that attendees at watch parties were disappointed with Biden's debate performance.  And you don't have to take my word for it.  Even liberal commentators on MSNBC like Chris Matthews and Joe Scarborough said that Biden's performance was "a disaster" and were asking if Biden is "finished."
 
 
 
"Medicare For All"
 
Senator Bernie Sanders made a forceful pitch for his "Medicare for All" plan, which bans private health insurance.  That was one issue which actually divided the candidates.  While they all claim to support universal coverage, there was a robust disagreement about whether the government should literally outlaw private health insurance.
 
But one thing all the candidates did agree on was that their healthcare plans would include "all," even illegal immigrants, and the audience cheered. 
 
It wasn't that long ago when Barack Obama stood before members of Congress and declared that Obamacare would not cover illegal aliens.  That was when Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out "You lie!"  Remember that? 
 
Now all the Democrat candidates, including Obama's vice president, are promising to spend your tax dollars to provide healthcare to illegal immigrants.  Only 31% of voters support this position.
 
But "Medicare for All" could prove to be a tough sell for other reasons.  Senator Sanders also insisted that his healthcare plan would cover abortions too.  Voters strongly oppose taxpayer-funded abortions.
 
And then there is the issue of cost.  As Sen. Michael Bennet noted in last night's debate, several states have tried to create similar single-payer plans and all backed off.  California, Colorado and even Vermont all backed off because of the costs.
 
According to some estimates, doubling income taxes would not be enough to pay for it.  As Senator Joe Manchin quipped, "We can't even pay for Medicare for some."
 
 
 
About Those Cages. . .
 
Mayor Pete Buttigieg received a rousing round of applause last night when he blasted President Trump and the Republican Party for "putting children in cages."  Granted, those are images that no one likes to see.  But it is important to provide some context and history. 
 
To begin with, Donald Trump did not build those "cages."  Barack Obama did, and that's according to Obama's former ICE director.  And kudos to CNN's Jake Tapper for explaining this fact to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
 
But as Mayor Buttigieg conceded, there is a clear legal reason why the children are being separated at the border.  Their parents are breaking the law and committing a criminal offense by illegally entering the country.  The "cages" are also meant to separate and protect the children from other illegal aliens in the detention facilities who may harm them.
 
Sadly, our Border Patrol officials have discovered that many of these so-called "family units" are not families at all.  The children are being used by adults as "shields" to evade deportation, and in some cases they are even being "recycled."
 
 
 
Values Voter Summit
 
Join me in our nation's capital, October 11th - 13th, for the 2019 Values Voter Summit.

Vice President Mike Pence said, "The Values Voter Summit [is] the greatest gathering of conservative pro-family Americans in the nation." And he is absolutely right! 
 
That's why American Values has been a proud sponsor of the Summit every year.
 
As always, this year's Summit will feature an incredible lineup of top government officials, opinion makers and faith leaders. There will be educational and informative breakout sessions, as well as events honoring those who have made significant contributions to the conservative movement.
 
American Values will be hosting a special luncheon Saturday, October 12th.
 
Register now at valuesvotersummit.org.
 
I look forward to seeing you there.