By: John Hall
The third Democratic debate brought the leading contenders for the Democratic nominee for President to center stage. Potential candidates like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and front- runner Vice President to President Barack Obama, Joe Biden shared the stage for the first time.
Joining the trio were California Senator Kamala Harris, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, and the former Texas Representative Beto O’ Rourke. The second debate left Joe Biden wide open for personal attacks, as persons questioned his ability to run an effective campaign, as his “gaffs” superseded his clearer answers.
As the front runner Biden was immediately the target on stage, as the candidates began taking massive swings from his contenders. Perhaps the most startling was the direct attack made by Julian Castro, who went after Biden stating, “You just said two minutes ago persons won’t have to buy in, you’re forgetting what you said two minutes ago.” Castro, referring to the proposed revised Medicare bill that Biden would bring forward as President, took the swipe soliciting wows by the audience. Biden himself was not above reproach as his gaffs continue as he stumbled to recall the names of Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama during several statements.
@fivethirtyeight- Voters are still confused who to vote for at this time. Even with the Democratic field thinning by more than twenty persons, finding a candidate that aligns with most of their views is hard.
The moderators also had several questions throughout the night that kept candidates on their toes. Kamala Harris was asked by ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis, several questions regarding the legalization of marijuana, the outside investigations of Police Officers and other topics, and was asked why she didn’t change any of these things when she had the power to implement the changes. A visibly startled Harris paused, needing a few seconds to answer and refute the statements, to which she recovered slowly.
The strongest of the ten appeared to be Elizabeth Warren, who, for the first time, was able to stand and continue speaking on her platform of anti-corruption. Warren has accused American President Donald Trump of being the proverbial totem of corruption and was firm when answering each question posed to her.
Additionally, Pete Buttigieg continued to be calm and collected throughout the debate; his posture has continually been one of reason as he does not speak loudly nor interrupt his contemporaries. The Rhode scholar continues to wow voters as he continues to address all matters without fear or hesitation.
The days after the debate, Buttigieg said respectfully that Biden had a few bad answers that were well-intentioned, yet believes that Biden’s view of rolling back the time on business in Washington is archaic. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, ‘Mayor Pete’ as he is affectionately called said the Democrats’ message would come up short if the only thing offered is a normalizing of business in Washington again. He believes wholeheartedly that normal was not working for the working-class American, which led to the election of Donald Trump.
Each candidate continues to move slowly ahead as the Democratic Primaries are soon approaching, all intending to hold the front runner position. The candidates are cautioned by every news media outlet that continues to remind them of the divisiveness and stigma attached to the debates. Attacks like the ones Castro waged against Biden, is not an isolated incident.
The second debate saw the candidates putting each other to the test as mentioned in an article posted by The Washington Post the Jennifer Rubin said, “The candidates were scolding one another and castigating President Barack Obama’s legacy, rather than focusing on President Trump.” While it serves the candidates well to show the American people why they may be the better contender, doing so at the cost of demeaning other candidates won’t help them any if their competitor becomes the nominee.
@fivethirtyeight- graph- The results of the third debate show Elizabeth Warren gaining significant traction with some voters.
Warren’s campaign has been void of the blatant attacks against other candidates; however, her message appears too radical and socialistic in nature. While the socialist movements scorn some voters, Warren’s anti-corruption message resonates well with most voters, who have felt the harsh effects of greed, especially within the automotive and agricultural industries.
On Sept. 16, 2019, Warren’s campaign hit the road and headed to New York City, after the rally she spent nearly four hours posing for selfies with supporters. The website fivethirtyeight showed several polls that included 3000 Democratic voters; the polls showed that Warren gained significant traction after the debates. This means nothing if Biden holds more popularity amongst the Democratic voters and if the candidates continue to tear each other part to maintain supremacy in the debates.
Both Warren and Buttigieg stand a fair shot at gaining the Democratic nomination during the primaries, both from their strong ideas on the critical issues that face the American people. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the candidates will best Joe Biden.
