The 2020 Debates: February’s Flop
On the night of 7 February 2020, seven Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage at Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire. The debate came after weeks of controversy between the Democratic hopefuls: Elizabeth Warren accusing Bernie Sanders of misogynistic slander, Joe Biden taking a devastating blow to his popularity, and the Iowa Caucuses, which tied support for Pete Buttigieg and Senator Sanders.
Some candidates had very little reason to be present. Biden and Amy Klobuchar had minimal support in Iowa, receiving only 15.8% and 12.3% of the total vote, at an event suggestive of likely voter decision-making on the national level. Behind them came Andrew Yang, who received 1% and Tom Steyer, who received a whopping 0.3%. Though there is plenty of time for the top three candidates to gain traction at the national level, the results of these four are hard to recover from. That is not to say they offered nothing. Steyer, though refusing to announce any policy, was the first to discuss climate change and race – questions that the moderators did not prioritize, and which other candidates failed to raise first.
Pete Buttigieg, who won the most delegates in Iowa, had a miserable performance. When asked about his ability to govern with so little experience, he claimed to have done great work as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012 to now. However, as of 2018, the small Midwest town had a poverty rate of 24.7% and was crowned “one of the most dangerous cities in the United States” with 1,012 violent crimes per 100,000 residents reported in 2016. Additionally, the town’s violent crime rate has skyrocketed since Buttigieg took office, from nationally ranking 105th in violent crime to 27th between 2012 and today. Moderators also questioned the Mayor on race – for example, why it is that black residents are four times as likely to be arrested than white residents in South Bend. Buttigieg practically dismissed the question, replying that he has personally spoken to police officers about tackling racism. In terms of policy, the Mayor offered nothing substantive with the exception of one moment, in which he rapidly said he wanted to: tackle big pharma, raise wages, and raise taxes on the upper class. However, the Mayor said this with great haste, not dwelling on either very much. Furthermore, if Buttigieg was at all interested in such goals, he would likely not attack the very similar platform proposed by Sen. Sanders.
Elizabeth Warren’s rhetoric was incredibly strong, as the Massachusetts Senator passionately argued for: removing troops from conflicts in the Middle East, tackling gun violence in America, federally defending women’s right to choose, investing in education, offering universal childcare, and improving working conditions. Though her goals were clear, impressive, and well-articulated, some argue the Senator’s Republican past is her Achilles’ heel. Old friends of Warren have described her as “a diehard conservative,” who had strong faith in the free market. Additionally, Warren was affiliated with the GOP until she was 47, in 1996. These do raise some red flags for the Senator; especially considering her main opponent, Sen. Sanders, has demonstrated his liberal views since he began activist work in the 1960s. As of late, the two have had an astonishingly similar voting record, as they agreed on 93% of votes during the 2017-18’s 115th Congress.
Bernie Sanders had a strong though imperfect performance. The Senator from Vermont argued for: withdrawing troops from conflicts abroad, tackling climate change, codifying Roe v. Wade, fighting large pharmaceutical monopolies, increasing gun regulation, and confronting institutional racism by ending the war on drugs, ending the private prison system, and investing in education. Sanders’ missteps were primarily his soft treatment of the other candidates, and a repetitive platform. First, when asked if he believed Joe Biden had betrayed black voters, Sen. Sanders said no, as he trusted Biden as a friend. However, the former Vice-President voted for bills that supported racial segregation in public schools and helped write the 1994 “tough on crime” bill, which led to the mass incarceration of African Americans. Second, when Sanders was asked how he would resolve the issue of child poverty, he simply repeated his primary talking points regarding healthcare and the economy. Though his platform is noble, he could have taken better advantage of the moment by answering the question.
Ultimately, Friday’s debate was unfortunate. Sanders and Warren offered concrete policy reform. However, the former lacked the necessary presentation skills and the latter must still overcome her Republican shadow. Meanwhile Pete Buttigieg glossed over policy, flatly lied, and focused his energy on evading important questions. And the rest of the candidates had nothing to offer in the little time they spent talking.
With such an underwhelming night, voters may have found themselves empathizing with the words of Walt Whitman:
“Surely whoever speaks to me in the right voice, him or her I shall follow, /
As the water follows the moon, silently, with fluid steps, anywhere around the globe. /
All waits for the right voices;”