Democratic Debate 3: Highs And Lows

Democratic Debate 3 took place last night in Houston, Texas.  Let’s take a look at the highs and lows.

Politics
Hosted by Texas Southern University and moderated by Linsey Davis, David Muir, Jorge Ramos, and George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, Democratic Debate 3 was the first of the 2020 contest to occur on one night only. The previous debates in Miami and Detroit were all 2-night events.

The 10 candidates who met eligibility requirements to participate in Democratic Debate 3 were Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden.  Among the topics discussed were health care, gun violence, jobs, climate, change, foreign policy, and immigration.

Aside from having fewer participants on stage, the debate format allowed for a much freer exchange. The ABC moderators also seemed much better prepared, much more in control of the crowd and much more conducive to a spirited discussion.

Let’s take a look at the best and the worst moments of the evening.

Right out the starting gate, Andrew Yang announced that he would use campaign funds to distribute “freedom dividends” of $1000 a month for a year to 10 random families.  The idea spurred chuckles among the debate participants since it would almost certainly be impossible to implement due to the risk of being a campaign finance violation.

Kamala Harris took aim at Donald Trump’s role in the recent string of mass shootings, saying:  “(Trump) didn’t pull the trigger, but he’s certainly been tweeting out the ammunition.”

She also provided comic relief by comparing Trump to THE WIZARD OF OZ, saying he is like the guy who, when you pull back the curtain, “he’s nothing but some small dude.”

Beto O’Rourke outright called Donald Trump a white supremacist.  Then, in perhaps the response of the night, he addressed assault weapons in the hands of ordinary Americans and what he would do about it.

When asked about his support of a mandatory buyback program of guns that were made for the battlefield and not the streets of America, Beto was extremely passionate.

“If it’s (a) weapon that was designed to kill people on a battlefield. If the high impact, high velocity round, when it hits your body, shreds everything inside of your body because it was designed to do that so you would bleed to death on a battlefield, and not be able to get up and kill one of our soldiers,” then “Hell, yes.  We’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47. We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore.”

Perhaps a low point came during 2 separate combative exchanges between Julian Castro and Joe Biden.

“I’m fulfilling the legacy of Barack Obama and you’re not,” Castro barked at Biden to gasps from the audience. He then called Biden’s age into question, asking “Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?” in an exchange that just didn’t go well.

Castro seemed hell-bent on attacking Biden in an attempt to gain traction for his campaign, while Biden was shocked at the attacks since Castro served as HUD Secretary during the Obama administration.  Unlike the lift the “Biden Attack” gave Kamala Harris during the first debate, Castro’s effort to gain points at Biden’s expense simply fell flat and did not move the needle for him at all.

Another low point was a brief protest toward the end of the night that interrupted Joe Biden during his final response.

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In conclusion, the takeaway from the night was that Biden was strong.  Bernie was not.  Joe Biden will leave this debate as the undisputed frontrunner among the evening’s candidates, with Elizabeth Warren strongly in 2nd place.

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Democratic Debate 3 in Houston, TX.