Debate Watch Party Allows Immediate Feedback With Fellow Caucus Goers

A group of caucus goers gathered inside Smokey Row on Saturday evening to listen to the 2nd debate for candidates seeking the Democrat Party nomination for President.

Oskaloosa, Iowa — Learning more about the candidates running for President is something many Iowans embrace. When candidates take the stage in debates, it allows a voter to gauge a candidate with their peers.

On Saturday night, Iowa played host to the second national debate for the Democrat Party. The stage hosted three of the party’s biggest names, Sanders, Clinton and O’Malley.

So, at Smokey Row Coffee in Oskaloosa and in homes around town, people gathered in debate watch parties. Inside Smokey Row, a group of Hillary supporters gathered around a TV set in the back meeting room to watch what the former Secretary of State had to say.

Across the nation, nearly 8.5 million people tuned into the debate, which equated to the least watched of all the primary debates so far this year.

The focus for the debate changed abruptly after the event in Paris unfolded, and organizers decided to focus the evening primarily on foreign policy issues.

Inside Smokey Row, Hiatt Campbell watched the TV intently listening to the candidates, and shared some thoughts with Oskaloosa News about the debate.

Campbell explained that, as of the first part of the debate, none of the three candidates seeking the nomination from the Democrat Party for President had said anything she didn’t agree with.

Campbell was interested how the candidates may word the ongoing War on Terrorism, and if “were going to war with radical Islamic people. I don’t necessarily believe they should call it that because Islamic people might see that as a threat to them just because they are using the word Islamic.”

Both Sanders and O’Malley agree with Campbell’s thinking about not using the terminology of Radical Islam. “I don’t think the term is what’s important. What is important to understand is we have organizations, whether it is ISIS or Al Qaida, who do believe we should go back several thousand years. That we should make women third-class citizens, that we should allow children to be sexually assaulted, that they are a danger to modern society.”

Sanders went on to say, “And that this world, with American leadership, can and must come together to destroy them. We can do that. And it requires an entire world to come together; including, in a very active way, the Muslim nations.”

O’Malley added, “I believe calling it what it is, is to say radical jihadis. That’s calling it what it is. But John, let’s not fall into the trap of thinking that all of our Muslim American neighbors in this country are somehow our enemies here. They are our first line of defense.”

“And we are going to be able to defeat ISIS on the ground there, as well as in this world, because of the Muslim Americans in our country, and throughout the world, who understand that this brutal and barbaric group is perverting the name of a great world religion,” said O’Malley.

Campbell believes that it’s important to be concerned about what the world thinks of the eventual nominees for President.

When it comes to experience on foreign policy, those gathered at Smokey Row said that they saw Hillary Clinton leading the way on foreign policy because of her experience as Secretary of State. That analysis was carried by several large editorial boards after the debate; The Los Angeles Times said that Clinton “earns the advantage on foreign policy”.

The Iowa Caucus will be February 1st, 2016.