Matt Shuham is a Harvard student and a volunteer for the Elizabeth Warren campaign. He is live blogging from an objective point of view.
7:00pm Candidates are brought out, students are introduced
7:10pm Candidates introduce themselves. Elizabeth Warren has the biggest applause, but Alan Khazei isn’t far behind.
7:20pm Candidates address foreign policy. Consensus is that the money we’re spending in the Middle East is being ill-spent, and would be better spent at home.
7:20pm Warren: “We should never go to war unless we’re willing to pay for it.”
7:21pm Tom Conroy: “We need to focus on our investments, money and resources.”
7:22pm Question on marijuana legalization – Khazei, Bob Massie, Warren, Conroy, DeFranco are for medical legalization. Herbert William Robinson is for full legalization and taxation.
7:25pm “What would you do to create jobs? Who supports the President’s bill?”
7:25pm Massie says the bill is a good start, we need more green investment.
7:27pm Warren does her usual regulation and small business pitch, the crowd takes it well. Khazei says he supports part of the plan, not the payroll tax cut.
7:34pm “What superhero would you be?” What is this, a CNN debate?
7:35pm Warren: I’ve stood toe-to-toe with the world’s largest financial institutions.
7:36pm Tom Conroy: We’ve got capitalism on one side, and democracy on the other.
7:38pm Alan Khazei: I would try to get Barack Obama to reconsider Elizabeth Warren to head the CFPB.
7:40pm Massie: Capitalism must be just… the US is behind.
7:42pm Robinson: “You mess up the economy, your taxes go up”
7:43pm Conroy: I’m a supporter of a woman’s right to chose and Planned Parenthood.
– sorry for the short blackout –
7:55pm Massie: I would reverse Citizens United
8:00pm Would you support in-state tuition for illegal immigrants?
8:05pm DeFranco: I would, they would bring in revenue, and they’re here under no fault of their own. Very strong answer overall in my opinion. She’s an immigration lawyer, after all.
8:07pm Khazei: We should have passed the DREAM Act.
8:08pm Massie: Remember the Statue of Liberty’s message. Massie is putting on a good show, an impressive intellectual effort without seeming distant.
8:09pm Warren: When people come to the US and go to college here, we’re making a mistake by forcing them out. She brings up a good point that has been glossed over thus far.
8:11pm Conroy reiterates the same points. He’s putting forth the most “political” image. Not looking too good, but he’s getting by.
8:12pm Khazei: We should push banks to let people refinance, and we should make sure we have an environment for start-ups and small business. Khazei is doing very well. He’s poised and prepared, like he’s been here before…
8:15pm Robinson: No small gains tax on Green companies. I’m not sure why Robinson’s here, but he keeps us paying attention.
8:16pm Warren: We have to do principal write-down, refinancing, cash-for-keys. These are explicit suggestions, I’m not sure if it’s such a good idea to reveal them so early.
8:18pm DeFranco: I hope we’re at the bottom of the market. Don’t hope! That means you don’t know!
8:20pm “Name one thing you have done in the past year to improve our state.” Is Warren sweating this question?
8:21pm Warren: I spent a year building a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I guess she isn’t…
8:22pm Khazei: Opportunity Nation and Americorps are building a base of volunteers around the country, including Massachusetts.
8:25pm Warren: Military service should be volunteer. Women are just as tough as men, and should be in combat positions.
8:26pm Khazei gives a great pitch for a national service network, incentivized by college scholarships and other rewards. This is his bread and butter.
8:28pm closing remarks. Warren reiterates her support for the middle class and financial reform to a big round of applause. Khazei gives similar remarks to similar applause. Maybe they’re closer than the polls indicate? Robinson: I’m a regular guy (maybe a little too regular?). DeFranco: I will fight for the people after the powerful. I don’t think she’s made it to the big leagues yet. Conroy: I know I can represent the shared problems of Massachusetts’ citizens. I’m the only one in this race with the experience beating incumbents. Massie this is the United States of America – we should be leading the globe. We need a new locomotive in the Senate, like Ted Kennedy was.
The candidates were mostly in harmony on the key issues. The realistic competitors here are Warren, Khazei, and Massie. The latter two put up impressive fights against Warren, the crowd favorite. Warren was on her A-game, even though it was her first debate (ever). If she wasn’t in the race, Khazei and Massie would provide a good primary battle, and either would be a good candidate for Senate. But she is, and the audience here knew it.