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question is very on-target anyhow. (Check the transcript -- I'm pretty sure it was actually Sharpton.) However, DK got the chance to handle the same question, and did indeed sort of take a pass on it.
Two days ago, I saw Dennis here live at UC Berkeley. One of the very first things he said was, "OK, Berkeley, tell me in one word what the real motivation for going into Iraq was." Everyone yelled "OIL!" Then he cupped his hand to his ear and said, "I can't hear you. Tell me again." Everyone yelled "OIL!!" even louder. Then he said, "We have to keep yelling that so they can hear it, all across the country."
Now, as you rightly observe, he had a great chance to say the same thing tonight, when the question "Why would Bush lie?" came up. But he took a pass on it.
I can only conclude, having seen him now about 7 times in person, that there are certain things he will say in person to a live audience, that he is not quite willing to say on TV. I say this even though I am totally a DK supporter, and am working very hard for his campaign. (I was even out canvassing for him TODAY for hours before the debate.) IOW, he is still a politician, making judgements about what is prudent to say, in different kinds of situations. He low-keyed the mention of oil tonight. If you look at the transcript, you'll see he MENTIONED the word, but it was more or less buried in a bunch of rapid sentences about his plan to get us out of Iraq.
For example, when I saw him here in December, he said to a live audience at a union hall, "The corporate media helped lie us into war!" That's what he really thinks. But that is the type of thing he apparently judges as a bit "too hot" to say on national TV.
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