Candidates Go Nuclear in Nevada Debate
Perhaps it was the Las Vegas atmosphere, but last night’s debate introduced America to a new side of the Democratic Party. One driven by a singular desire: to continue to the next stage. The candidates were fueled by narcissism, privilege, and last (but certainly not least) desperation. Each came out last night with their swords drawn. When I tuned in I had expected the same milquetoast outing as we’ve seen in previous debates, but what I saw can only describe as pugilistic carnage. Candidates were volleying punches at one another at such a frequency that they didn’t even wait to see if their attack landed before starting anew. Was this a response to a new well-moneyed challenger entering the ring? Perhaps. But it is clear that many of the prospective nominees walked onto that Vegas stage with a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality.
Fresh face, new blood. Mike “Stop and Get Frisky” Bloomberg was the new face on stage. We have suffered through what seems to be an eternity of unwelcomed “Team Bloomberg” ads popping up on TV, YouTube, and even memes. This multimillion dollar ad blitz was good enough to get him onstage, but he seemed uneasy throughout the first half of the debate. Pocahontas had him up against the ropes regarding both his company’s and his own alleged claims of workplace discrimination, workplace hostility, and the numerous non-disclosure agreements former Bloomberg employees have had to sign over the years. Take a look for
yourself, it was almost hard to watch:
A recurring themes in last night’s attack on Bloomberg revolved around how Bloomberg is just another “out of touch” billionaire looking to buy his way into politics. I’ll never be able to wrap my head around how an individual’s success in the private sector should somehow count against them as they seek the Democratic nomination. Some arbitrary line has been drawn to state that if your wealth has come to you as a public servant, that is acceptable, but if you dare to benefit from capitalism you are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. My favorite one-liner from last night’s debate was Bloomberg calling out Bernie by pointing out that “the best known socialist in the country is a millionaire who owns three houses.”
Mainstream media outlets have been quick to criticize Bloomberg’s performance last night. I believe this criticism is missing the mark. As Bloomberg wisely pointed out, every other candidate has been in full campaign mode for the past year. They have all had nine debates to work out their kinks and develop their comfort and attack strategies on stage. All things considered he had a good night. Bloomberg is not on the ballot in Nevada or South Carolina, so these debates serve two purposes: 1) get warmed up for future debates 2) get his face and name out there. By all accounts he achieved both. We can expect to see a better prepped Bloomberg in the South Carolina debate, and then we’ll see his campaign machinery really get into gear as they are operating with a nearly endless supply of money. Something that the other candidates on stage don’t have going for them.
The battle of the moderates. Up to this point Pete Buttigieg has been the fresh faced nice guy. He’s your hometown Mayor Pete. That chapter of his campaign came to an end last night as he waged an all-out assault against fellow moderate Amy Klobuchar in an attempt to come out as the moderate that can win. The exchange was awkward, uncharacteristic, and not exactly well received by the crowd. The exchange started when moderator Vanessa Hauc questioned Klobuchar’s readiness for the highest elected office because, when asked in a prior interview, she couldn’t name the president of Mexico or speak on his policies. This question was dumb and pointless (more befitting for trivia night at your local watering hole), but provided the spark needed to elicit good television. Buttigieg pounced at the opportunity to hold Klobuchar to account for her record in Washington. It escalated to the point where a clearly shaken Klobuchar bellowed asking whether Mayor Pete thought she was dumb. Pete is the Mayor of Shadetown, population Amy Klobuchar.
The Warren war party. If anyone embodied the vitriol underlining last night’s debate it was the senator from
Massachusetts. Up to this point, she has played the role of a policy wonk who tries a little too hard to be liked. She has a plan for everything, but no one cares. Last night she left the policy briefs, charts, and reports at home and opted in favor for an old fashioned prison shiv. I already covered her raking Bloomberg over the coals, but the entire stage would face her wrath at some point in the night.
She started by attacking the health care plans crafted by Buttigieg and Warren. Calling them a consultant crafted PowerPoint and a Post-it Note, respectively. After a disappointing fourth place finish in New Hampshire she needed draw blood, and hopefully in the process, gain supporters. Only time will tell if
what we saw last night is the new Elizabeth Warren.
Unseen, unheard, unscathed. Whether he intended to or not, Joe had a good night last night. Not in the traditional sense of getting one’s point across and landing political punches against one’s rivals. Biden’s success came from largely staying out the fray and avoiding too many #BidenBlunders. When he began his 2020 candidacy he was the presumptive nominee, but a lot has changed. His polls have been in a freefall recently. Poor performances in Iowa and New Hampshire has raised concerns regarding his long term viability. Fortunately for good ol Joe, he is the establishment candidate in a state where former senate majority leader Harry Reid still has a good deal of political pull. Biden is counting on a “good enough” if not great performance in Nevada to serve a springboard into South Carolina where Joe stands the greatest chance of winning.
The Trump card. When all was said and done last night, there was one clear winner: President Donald Trump. The candidates were too busy squabbling with one another to remember why they were all there: to convince Democratic voters why they were be best suited to defeat President Trump. If this debate serves as a preview of how each of these candidates will perform when the debate really matter (for the hearts, minds, and most importantly votes of the middle 50% of America), I’d be feeling pretty good right now if I were the President.