Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate included fewer candidates than all this season, but the exchanges about who has the most experience, best plans for student debt and universal health care were familiar arguments.
The last Democratic debate of the year took place at Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles, sponsored by Politico and PBS Newshour. Seven candidates participated, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Two other democratic presidential candidates −Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard − did not participate in the debate.
»MORE: Booker, Gabbard will not compete in the upcoming debate
Andrew Yang drew some attention for his comments about the inequity for women in government. His joke about not allowing too many men to run things struck a nerve with many on social media.
-- Could be quote of the night from @AndrewYang on balance of men and women in government: "If you get too many men, and leave us alone for a while... we kind of become morons." #DemDebate
— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) December 20, 2019
Yang, a businessman, also shed a light on the issue of racial diversity during his time on stage.
Andrew Yang is asked about being the only person of color on the debate stage tonight.
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) December 20, 2019
Here's his response: pic.twitter.com/5SpxLDINAa
Sanders, who has recently come under fire because of his growing income, pointed to his own privilege as a white man.
"And I'm white as well!"
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) December 20, 2019
Bernie Sanders, so far, is the only white candidate to say this tonight and recognize white privilege. I think that's worth something.#DemDebate
Warren spoke on the racial disparities as it relates to student debt. The Massachusetts senator has promoted a $50 billion aid plan for HBCU students for the last several months. She reiterated that Thursday night.
Warren also got into a head-to-head battle with Buttigieg about hosting wine events, calling them wine caves, that, she said, would not be open to many of his constituents. Buttigieg responded by saying Warren’s income was much closer to those wine donors than his.
This week:
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) December 20, 2019
Elizabeth Warren was leading the fight to stand up for the working class in a labor dispute.
Pete Buttigieg was kicking it with billionaire and multimillionaire megadonors in a wine cave. pic.twitter.com/tHCXhnpPZz
Much of Warren's money was raised at the same kind of shady dinners with fundraisers she’s blasting everyone else for.#DemocraticDebate #Buttigieg #ElizabethWarren https://t.co/Wh3orw0GkV
— Brad Polumbo 🇺🇸⚽️ 🏳️🌈 (@brad_polumbo) December 20, 2019
To be clear Pete Buttigieg has less money because he’s 37, not because he hasn’t structured every second of his career around getting powerful and connected enough to finally leave politics and cash in
— Natalie Shure (@nataliesurely) December 20, 2019
Buttigieg and Klobuchar also went back and forth about experience level. Many folks also gave her props for halting the fundraiser conversation.
the winner of this fight about fundraisers is Klobuchar who told them to stop and Biden who showed indignation in being accused of being in the pocket of donors
— Jennifer 'Vote Early' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 20, 2019
Two of the more experienced politicians on the stage, Biden and Sanders, were both questioned about their votes and opinions on the Iraq war. For Biden, his discussion about his battles with stuttering, including mimicking a stutter, got reactions.
I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter. And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up. https://t.co/0kd0UJr9Rs
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 20, 2019
To see additional coverage of Thursday’s debate, look here:
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