Pandemic overshadows Biden-Sanders clash
Democratic candidates spar in first one-on-one debate
Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, in a bizarre debate held amid the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, delivered only a shaky performance as he batted away jabs from Bernie Sanders in a sometimes heated one-onone clash.
Biden also made some news in the debate, pledging to name a woman as his running mate, a pledge that Sanders later picked up on.
“In all likelihood I will,” Sanders said, adding that it would be a progressive woman.
The 77-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Sanders were both asked what they were doing personally to prevent getting the coronavirus.
Both of them said that they halted their campaign rallies, have staff working at home and stopped a staple of campaigning – shaking hands.
“I do not have any symptoms and I feel very grateful for that,” Sanders said. But later in the debate he was seen on camera sniffling and wiping his nose with a handkerchief.
“Well fortunately I don’t have any of the underlying conditions that you talked about, that I have to worry about,” Biden said defensively.
“I’m taking all the precautions anyone would take whether they are 30 years old or 60 years old or 80 years old… I wash my hands God knows how many times a day with hot water and soap, I carry with me… hand sanitizer… I make sure I don’t touch my face.”
Later in the debate, Biden and Sanders repeatedly attacked each other over everything from the use of super PACs to bankruptcy laws to social security to the gun industry.
“Why don’t you get rid of the super PAC that you have right now, which is running very negative ads about me,” Sanders said, prompting Biden to laugh.
“Don’t laugh Joe, it’s the truth,” Sanders said.
Biden claimed that Sanders had “nine” super PACs, which Sanders denied.
“You want me to list them? Come on, give me a break,” Biden said.
“No, I won’t give you a break on this one, Joe, you condemned super PACs, you’ve got a super PAC it’s running negative,” Sanders said.
Sanders also claimed Biden has repeatedly said he would be open to cutting social security, a claim Biden denied – sort of.
After saying he “never said” he would cut social security, Biden added that everything was “on the table.”
“All right America, go to the web site right now, go to the YouTube right now,” Sanders said about Biden. “Joe you just contradicted yourself.”
The former vice president was looking for a strong, gaffe-free performance to show he can handle his new frontrunner standing, but he didn’t succeed.
Biden struggled to answer the opening question about what he would do to confront coronavirus, repeatedly urging people to go to his website to see his plans.
“Go to joebiden.com it lays out precisely what I would do,” he said.
Sanders took advantage of the debate to plug his Health Care for All national health plan, and ripped pharmaceutical companies for what he said was looking at the virus as a way to make more profits.
Biden responded, “It is not working in Italy right now and they have a single payer system.”