2017 is turning out to be be continuing on the path set by 2016 by becoming wierderer and wierderer. Imagine if you will, the Clinton News Network broadcasting a full, unedited political debate in an really non-partisan way (really! I mean it). The format was straightforward. The speakers were self-controlled, by and large sticking to the questions proffered by the audience. The audience questioners presented represented a fair balance of differing opinions.. And most incredible of all, the moderators were reasonable and unbiased. All this from a network notorious for Fake News and which both ignored Bernie during the primary and maligned Cruz as well.

For those who may have missed this: full debate is here. Excellent sound and video quality. A concurrent straw poll was conducted by the rebroadcaster, not CNN, with amazing results. No spoiler here. You'll have to watch this debate to get the results of over 40,000 online voters.

Unsurprisingly, each debater played to his ideological/programmatic strengths and criticized the opponent's weaknesses. However, unlike Hillary's debates, no talking over occurred. Debaters kept to their time allotted and, most important of all, despited their substantial disagreements, were quite civil and polite to each other. This greatly enhanced the substantive qualities developed.

Now, as should be obvious, a 1 hour 40 minute debate can only scratch the surface of an enormously complex issue such as healthcare. Other important issues directly impinge upon the health care debate. To a limited extent such digressions were permitted--but kept well-in-check by the moderators. Issues peripherally, but importantly mentioned, were obscene salaries to CEOs of Insurance and Big Pharma companies, wealth inequality of our society, and tax policy.

Major issues, not unexpectedly included:

1. Single payer--which was primarily discussed as expanding Medicaid, not as expanding Medicare (one point off for Bernie for not pushing that issue).

2. The very real flaws of Obamacare (which apparently 1/3rd of the population doesn't know that the ACA is Obamacare!) Bernie did not criticize the failings, very real ones of the ACA, with the degree of ardor to which he should have attacked those flaws, probably in deference to the departing President (TDHG = Thank dog he's gone).

3. Bernie did defend positive benefits of the ACA, which all should know as no lifetime limitations on coverage, no exclusion of pre-existing illnesses, and prohibition of cancellation for new, serious health problems.

4. Surprising, and indeed hopeful unanimity between Cruz and Sanders was displayed on the issue of importation of drugs from Canada. This is only a start and could be expanded to other countries which subject their drugs to rigorous testing and provided those drugs to their populations with evidence of safety. There was a hint from Cruz that in fact he might go along with such an expanded plan.

5. Cruz also proposed a program that would mandate a streamlined approval process by the FDA to approve drugs already in use in certain countries (e.g., EU, UK, Canada, etc.)

6. On the negative side, Cruz continually conflates the idea of affordability of healthcare to access TO healthcare (1 point off for Cruz).

7. Although Cruz talked about interstate competition between insurance companies, he brushed off the the concept of single payer.

8. Cruz out-of-hand criticized government interference in the health marketplace as "bad" (another point off for Cruz who does not acknowledge the horrendous interference by alleged insurers who allegedly provide health insurance to their clients).

9. Correctly, Cruz pointed out the enormous amount of governmental regulations which do not obtain a positive outcome: 7000 pages of regulations which still result in a horrible system. Bernie did not argue with that but kept silent.

10. No definitive outline of a plan was presented by Cruz other than retention of: no exclusion of pre-existent conditions (but he did not rule out cancellations for newly acquired diseases); no discrimination between gender for premiums.

11. Things allowed to go by the wayside, as pointed out by Bernie included coverage of people under age 26 by their parents' policies.

12. Cruz waffled on governmental ability to negotiate prices with Big Pharma (another point off for Cruz). Of course, Bernie was all-in for that one.

In the computer industry, programs that do not actually exist are called "vaporware". In Trumptopia, the health plan certainly fits in that category.

Ted Cruz talks a good game--but he doesn't make the rules. There is no "ready-for-prime-time" healthcare program. My dog, haven't the Republican geniuses had enough time to prepare their own plan 6 years into the ACA?

On the other hand, Trump is planning a truly harmful intervention, if the article cited is to believed.

In sum, the debate highlighted main differences between Sanders and Republicans. In fact many DINOs still are not aboard the single-payer train. Valid information on both sides of the debate were presented; it was not all smoke and mirrors.

A more forceful, non-apologetic showing must be made on behalf of single payer advocates before it can successfully impact the majority of Americans. Until an overwhelming majority of citizens loudly demand it, no health care changes (at least positive ones) will be presented by our bought-and-paid-for Congress.