Party of seven holds this year’s last debate
Presidential debates often tend to reduce in size. The Thursday night talkfest had a line-up of just seven participants, much smaller than previous outings.
On stage at Loyola Marymount University, standing from left to right were Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer at the school that overlooks Marina del Rey.
Topics discussed included the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump, voted on Wednesday night by House of Representatives members who approved dual charges: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The Democrats seemed to anticipate Trump’s acquittal in the GOP-controlled Senate. Some concentrated on trying to defeat him in the November election.
Several of the leading contenders vowed to take a more coordinated and forceful approach on dealing with China, including on human rights.
“We’re not looking for a war,” Biden said, “But we’ve got to make clear: We are a Pacific power and we are not going to walk away.”
Other subjects batted around by the seven were the nation’s economy, climate change, taxes, immigration, gerrymandering, Hong Kong, press coverage, more power for women, Dreamers, protection for journalists, reparations, fundraising and protecting the U.S. Constitution.
The Wall Street Journal, on Friday, published a poll that ranked the top contenders in this order: Biden, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg, Klobuchar and Bloomberg. Late entry Michael Bloomberg did not qualify for a debate position.
The candidates clashed notably on trade, free college and tax policies.
Warren and Sanders have argued in favor of universal free college. Buttigieg has said tuition breaks shouldn’t be used on children of the wealthy.
Disagreement positions were stated on trade. Sanders and Klobuchar expressed differing views on President Trump’s amended North American trade agreement, which was approved Thursday by the House.
Democrats have been largely united over Trump’s impeachment, which now moves to a Senate trial that likely will command attention in the weeks before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3.
Yang said, “We have to stop being obsessed over impeachment, which unfortunately strikes many Americans like a ballgame” and start “digging in and solving the problems that got Donald Trump elected in the first place.”
Buttigieg was frequently pushed onto the defensive as several of his rivals challenged his political ascent by bluntly questioning his fund-raising practices and credentials for the presidency. He has been persistently attacking Warren for her support of single-payer health care.
Warren, Wednesday night, struck back at Buttigieg for his courting of wealthy donors at private fundraisers — including an event at a so-called wine cave.
Less than two months before the Iowa caucuses, the race remains highly fluid, with considerable room for movement not just among the top few candidates but among the underdogs, as well.
The debate stage exhibited a lack of diversity. When a moderator noted that Yang was the only member of a minority group on the stage, Yang described that distinction as “both an honor and disappointment.”
Gender is likely to remain as a central dynamic in the final phase of the race.
When Warren was asked to address the reality that she, like Biden and Sanders, would be the oldest president ever inaugurated, her reply drew loud applause: “I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated.”