19 candidates, one message: Unity can defeat Trump

Sep. 7--MANCHESTER -- The 19 Democratic presidential candidates gathered here Saturday said only party unity could take down President Donald Trump in 2020.

The candidates had assembled to woo Granite State voters and donors at the state party convention.

"I hope you will fall in love with one, I predict you fill fall in love with many," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez in his address to the 9,000 in attendance.

There were stark differences in the levels of support each candidate had in SNHU arena: fans of Sen. Elizabeth Warren cheered the loudest, and chanted her name during lulls in her speech. Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders were almost as enthusiastic. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who polls show has the broadest support, was met with more moderate applause, as were Sen. Kamala Harris and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

All the candidates -- which included Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Casto, former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, businessman Tom Steyer, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, former Rep. Joe Sestak, writer Marianne Williamson and businessman Andrew Yang -- panned Trump administration policies, and talked up their policy ideas. Their platforms were broadly similar, and all expressed support for abortion rights, a higher minimum wage and more funding for public education.

Efforts to make health care more affordable, take on the gap between rich and poor, and address climate change were other talking points stressed over and over by the candidates

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Nina McLaughlin called the convention a circus, and the Republican National Committee bought billboards across the street from the arena to mock the Democratic frontrunners. Last month, a free Trump campaign rally broke the attendance record for the arena with 11,500 attendees.

Early in his speech, Vermont's Sanders called for the party to unify behind the eventual Democratic nominee.

"No matter who ends up wining that nomination, and needless to say I hope it is us, we will all come together to defeat the most dangerous President in modern American history," he said. Sanders said he hoped the Democratic Party could run a campaign that would bring more first-time voters to the polls.

Warren of Massachusetts thanked the volunteers working on her campaign before launching into her speech-- more personal than Sanders' stump speech in which she talked about her family living paycheck-to-paycheck, and dreaming of becoming a teacher.

Warren, like Sanders, advocated for publicly funded healthcare for everyone and free public college, paid for by a higher tax on the wealthy.

When Warren said, "It's time for a wealth tax in America," the arena started chanting, "two cents, two cents." Warren explained her idea to tax two cents per dollar for net worth over $50 million to cheers.

The arena emptied after Warren's mid-afternoon speech, leaving small coteries of Yang, Gabbard and Williamson enthusiasts in the stands. Late entrant to the race Sestak seemed to win a few new fans on the convention floor with a speech about his daughter, while de Blasio was all but ignored.

Biden criticized Trump administration policies that he thought benefited wealthy people, and voiced his support for labor unions.

"Wall Street did not build this country -- you built this country. The middle class built this country and unions built the middle class," Biden said.

Buttigieg said he thought his experience as a mayor qualifies him for the presidency.

"Pragmatic and value-driven leadership -- it's what mayors practice every day and we need a lot more of that in Washington right now," said the South Bend, Ind., mayor. "The purpose of the presidency is not the glorification of the President but the unification of the people."

Harris said she did not think the economy is as strong under Trump as he has touted. "The only thing he's manufactured is chaos," said the California senator.

With her campaign, Harris said, she wanted to rise above party politics to address peoples' basic worries about their health, their children's safety and their ability to pay the bills.

Klobuchar and Bullock focused on the need to attract more moderate voters.

"We need to bring these voters with us in 2020," Klobuchar said of independent voters and moderates. "We don't just want to win, we want to win big."

Bullock said he was not willing to surrender rural voters to the Republican party.

Almost all the candidates told the convention it was important to reelect Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Three Republicans are running against her already, and a fourth -- former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski -- may enter the race.

Shaheen thanked the activists in the arena who helped her win reelection in 2014, and who worked on campaigns in 2018. The 2020 elections would be close, she said, in the primaries and the general election.

"Listen to all the candidates, listen to their plans. Pick your favorite and get to work," Shaheen said.

"But remember no matter who you support in the primary, when the nominee is chosen we've all got to come back together and support this nominee."

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