Words of great national importance were unspoken in this week’s Democrat candidates’ debate, conspicuous by their absence.

The unspeakable words at the Democrat debate were “national debt.”

The word “debt” alone was spoken aloud seven times: three times by O’Malley, four by Clinton, once by Sanders.  In each case, referring to student college-loan debt. 

Those references came in the broader context of the candidates promising all sorts of free stuff to American citizens, and, in some cases, non-citizens.  In fact, the debate offered a virtual cornucopia of free stuff as our cups runneth over with salivating anticipation.

O’Malley said, “Our economy isn't money; it's people.  It's all of our people, and so we must invest in our country, and the potential of our kids to make college a debt-free option for all of our families, instead of settling our kids with a lifetime of crushing debt.”  He is concerned about settling – or should it be saddling? – our kids with a crushing debt.   

Clinton said, “First, all the 40 million Americans who currently have student debt will be able to refinance their debt to a low interest rate.  That will save thousands of dollars for people who are now struggling under this cumbersome, burdensome college debt.”  Of course, a lower interest rate means less payback to the federal coffers.  But there’s plenty of money there.  And if not, it can be borrowed.  Or the Fed’s money wizards can spin more fiat currency out of whole cloth. 

Sanders said, “I pay for my program, by the way, through a tax on Wall Street speculation, which will not only make public colleges and universities tuition-free; it will substantially lower interest rates on college debt, a major crisis in this country.”  So Bernie will raise taxes to replenish lost revenue to the Treasury caused by lower interest rates on college loans.  Bernie has a plan.

Their other references to “debt” were all in the same vein.   

But the words national debt were unspoken, even though sometime during the debate the national debt level rolled over $18.4 trillion (corrected), as this year’s federal budget deficit rang the bell at somewhere around $430,000,000,000. 

So, here’s the riddle: if the Democrats who aspire to be the president of the United States are so concerned about the “major crisis” of “crushing” and “cumbersome and burdensome” college debt, why were the words “national debt” unspoken?  After all, each of those college kids is already $154,493 deep into the federal debt hole.