Latest Democratic Presidential Debate: All You Need to Know

The fifth Democratic primary debate saw some attacks between candidates, while others just repeated what they’ve said before, however, the politician who was attacked the most this time around was, in fact, President Trump.

Was There a “Winner” in the Debate?

It’s always hard to decide whether or not a debate has a winner, especially when there are several people involved, however, it could be said that out of all candidates, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg has gained the most by far.

The trio of Sanders, Warren and Biden pretty much repeated what they have been saying over and over again in the debates, with Warren being on the defensive over her health care plan (Medicare-for-all), Sanders talking about his own overhauls and stepping out of foreign conflicts, and Biden making the argument that he is the best contender and has the most realistic chance of beating Trump.

The two businessmen present for the debate – Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer, each shined in their own way, with Yang’s speaking time seeming to be mostly focused on comedy, getting laughs out of the audience, and Steyer focusing on climate change.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) took a jab at Buttigieg for his failure to connect with minority voters, such as the black community, but was more focused on attacking Tulsi Gabbard, who did not respond to her attack, and Gabbard instead focused on Buttigieg, who has probably become the candidate with the biggest target on his back, given his recent surge.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar had some interesting moments, making several comments about women, how they are “held to a higher standard” and if you tried to play a game called “name your favorite women president,” you couldn’t, as there are none so far. She’s been presenting herself as a moderate alternative, pointing out Biden’s weak performances and Warren and Sanders’ perhaps, too progressive, ideas and policies.

The biggest winners were most likely Sen. Cory Booker and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Booker had quite a bit to say, in regards to the progressive candidates’ “Medicare-for-all”, calling it ineffective, particularly, the means to fund the plan, alongside the wildly dangerous free college tuition and erasing student debt plans. Booker also rebuked Biden several times, when Biden said he had the support of “the only African-American woman who’s ever been elected to the United States Senate,” as well as Biden’s stances on marijuana legalization.

Buttigieg, the candidate with the thinnest resume out of all Democratic candidates, primarily defended his efforts to appeal to voters, and his lack of experience, all the while fending off the various attacks at him, which were surprisingly not many, as the focus was more on Trump and the ongoing impeachment inquiry.

Buttigieg’s closing statement worked to his favor quite a bit, as he reached out to “progressives,” “moderates,” and “a lot of future former Republicans,” who, as he said, are all welcome in the movement he’s building.