Dems talk health, financial inequality
TMIAMI EN Democrats railed against a national economy and Republican administration they said exists only for the rich as presidential candidates debated onstage for the first time in the young 2020 season, embracing class warfare as a defining theme in their fight to deny President Donald Trump a second term in office.
The Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada hosted a small but spirited watch party
Health care, more than any other issue, led the debate. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, more than anyone else, stood out — on her own at times — in calling for “fundamental change” across the nation’s economy and government to address persistent issues of inequality.
“I think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for? It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top,” Warren declared shortly before raising her hand as one of the only Democrats onstage willing to abolish her own private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan.
The debate marked a major step forward in the 2020 presidential campaign as Democrats seek to break out from the crowded field that has so far been dominated by former Vice President Joe Biden, who will appear in a second debate featuring another 10 candidates Thursday night. Biden was not mentioned during Wednesday’s faceoff.
Immigration was also on the candidates’ minds as they pointed to the photo of a drowned Salvadoran father and his toddler daughter at the Rio Grande and blamed Trump and his policies on migrants crossing into America illegally.
Former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro said, “Watching that image of Oscar and his daughter Valeria was heartbreaking. It should also piss us all off.”
Top-tier candidate Warren spent the evening at center stage. She was flanked by lower-tier candidates including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Texas Rep. Beto O’rourke and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who needed big moments to spark momentum in the crowded field.
Several candidates, including Castro, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland were eager to jab their rivals on issues including health care and immigration.
Modest differences on health care underscored a much louder internal fight over how aggressive Democrats should be on the nation’s most pressing issues.
On one side: candidates like Warren who are demanding dramatic change that includes embracing liberal policy priorities like free universal health care, debt-free college, a forgiving immigration policy and higher taxes on the rich.
On the other: pragmatic-minded Democrats like Biden — and little-known former Maryland Rep. Delaney — who are calling for modest policy solutions that could ultimately attract bipartisan support.
Trump, the elephant not in the room, was in the air traveling to Japan for a round of trade talks as Democrats faced the nation for the first time in the 2020 campaign.
Earlier in the day, he confirmed that he would watch the debate from Air Force One. His first tweet of the night: “BORING!”