Key takeaways from the 2020 Democratic candidates’ debate
But will it change the fundamentals of a nominating fight that remains remarkably stable at the top with five months until voting begins? Here's a look at some takeaways and potential answers:
STATUS QUO PREVAILED
The third Democratic debate seemed to end in a 10-way tie.
Former Vice President
Biden took on the most fire, but parried it and, as front-runner, benefits the most from a no-decision. Sen.
Mayor
The likely result: little change in a primary that has been remarkably static for months.
FIGHT THAT DIDN'T BREAK OUT
The first matchup between Biden and Warren had so much anticipation — and so little fireworks.
There were a few criticisms of Warren on health care, though she not directly answer whether her plan would raise taxes on the middle class.
During a discussion on trade, Biden even said he agreed with Warren's call to bring labor to the table.
Certainly, the head-to-head confrontation will come if Biden continues as the front-runner and Warren maintains her momentum as perhaps the most likely progressive alternative. But perhaps the two campaigns were right after all when they said privately before the debate that September — five months before the
BERNIE BATTERED ON HEALTH CARE
Sanders took heavy fire on his single-payer health insurance proposal, with Biden and others hammering the
The former vice president went hardest at Sanders when the senator argued that his estimated
Biden roared that Sanders would effectively be handing Americans a pay cut, arguing employers who now pay a share of workers' premiums would pocket that money instead of giving workers raises if the government were to cover all health care costs. Biden punctuated the point with one of the quotes of the night: "For a socialist, you've got a lot more confidence in corporate America than I do."
Buttigieg piled on Sanders, too. Buttigieg said he "trusts the American people to make the right decision" between private insurance and a public option. "Why don't you?" he asked Sanders.
OF AGE AND EXPERIENCE
At the center of the debate stage were three candidates in their 70s who have had a collective headlock on the upper tier for months. Of the seven younger contenders, Castro, 44, was most explicit in arguing it was time for a new generation — and he specifically targeted the front-runner, 76-year-old Biden.
"Our problems didn't start with
Castro also seemed to allude to speculation about Biden's mental acuity during an exchange about health care. When Biden denied that his health plan required people to buy into Medicare, Castro exclaimed, "Are you forgetting what you said 2 minutes ago?" He continued to suggest Biden didn't remember what he'd just said about his own plan.
Later, during a discussion about deportations under the Obama administration, Castro mocked Biden for clinging to former President
MONEY FOR NOTHING
Yang is an unorthodox candidate, and he came to the debate with an offer to match his persona: a proposal to use his campaign funds to pay 10 randomly-selected families
Yang announced the maneuver in his opening statement. It's intended to illustrate the center of his quixotic campaign, to provide monthly
His offer drew cheers from the audience and chortles from some of the other candidates onstage. "It's original, I'll give you that," Buttigieg said.
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