The Democratic Presidential debate taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada tonight will be substantially different than the first two Republican Presidential debates.
It will include only five candidates, unless Joe Biden shocks everyone and shows up at the last minute.
It will include three former Republicans in earlier life—Hillary Clinton, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee.
It will include a declared Socialist, who is really a Democratic Socialist, Bernie Sanders.
It will include three former Senators, a sitting Senator, and a former Governor.
It will include five people who have their differences, but not that much chasm between them, and they all have records of substance.
It will include five people, all with great intelligence and sincerity.
Any of the five could fill the office of President, which cannot be said of the majority of Republicans who are running for the Presidency.
None of these five candidates have demonstrated a mean spirit, or prejudice, or narrow mindedness in their political careers, while almost all of the GOP candidates have ugly things about their backgrounds, records, and public utterances.
The talent in the Democratic Party is far greater than in the Republican Party, which now has probably its worse set of candidates in its entire history, and even worse than in 2012.
When one looks back at GOP Presidential contenders in the last few decades, they include some really competent, decent, and well intentioned political figures.
That cannot be said about the GOP in 2015, which is in the process of disintegrating before our eyes.
The only good thing about the growing indications of the self destruction of the Republicans is that they will be replaced by a new group that fits in the mainstream, and will force the Democrats to work harder to keep a moral and ethical edge on the new party that will emerge.