What to Expect From Today’s Democratic Presidential Debate
The 2020 Democratic presidential race is about to take an unexpected and much-needed turn. For the first time, we will witness the 10 Democratic candidates, including all the candidates with the most votes, take the stage together and overnight. What can you expect from today’s debate? For every candidate to fight Biden, for one, and for broader discussion of today’s impeachment-related news.
Beto O’Rourke on gun control
This morning (and probably in response to recent events in New Jersey ) O’Rourke announced a new gun control strategy: stop banks and credit card companies from buying weapons. “Credit cards have made possible many mass shootings in America over the past decade, and, given the reluctance of Washington to act, they must stop selling military weapons today,” – wrote it on Twitter . Expect O’Rourke’s plan and broader discussion of gun control laws and red flags to be a central part of the debate, and other candidates will declare their support for a similar strategy.
Elizabeth Warren on Social Security
Warren recently announced plans to expand Social Security, including increasing each recipient’s monthly plan by $ 200. “How do we pay for all this? The richest 2% of recipients will pay their fair share of wages, and the richest 2% of families will pay a portion of their investment income, ”Warren said in an email. “Overall, this plan will provide full funding for social security for another 35 years.” Expect Warren tonight to discuss her plan and further requests from the moderators regarding her proposed wealth tax.
Kamala Harris on criminal justice reform
Harris last week announced her plan to reform the criminal justice system (which came after most of the other candidates had already announced their plans). “We cannot pretend our criminal justice system exists in a vacuum,” she wrote on Twitter . “Too often, we entrust this broken system with solving all the problems of the community when there are decades of lack of investment in schools and public health. We must invest in our communities. ” Her plan includes “significant” federal investment in policies that would effectively end the mass imprisonment; this plan is likely to be the focus of her debate, given her prosecutor’s record.
All against Joe Biden
If the debates in Miami and Detroit taught us anything – beyond the fact that 10 candidates on two different nights was exhausting – it’s that each candidate understands what’s at stake; if they can’t stand out during a debate, they’ll be lucky to make it to the next debate and actually lose the race. And the singling out often means a ploy to grab the country’s attention through a debate with former Vice President Biden (who, according to CNN, remains the leading Democratic nominee as of Thursday, according to CNN).
Harris has experienced this firsthand; In the 24 hours after the debate over Biden’s controversial reputation in the bus industry, Harris received a boost in funding and raised more than $ 2 million from donors. Expect revenge between Harris and Biden. Tonight will also mark the first time that Warren and Biden share the debate scene, although Warren has largely refrained from attacking other candidates during the debates in Miami and Detroit. That said, Biden is likely to remain in the crossfire overnight, perhaps especially for the candidates struggling in the polls (mostly Harris, Corey Booker, and Amy Klobuchar).
Bahamas, impeachment and other top news
You should also look forward to a discussion of current, current events tonight, including:
- Climate Change Relief Efforts for Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas; Julian Castro and Sanders addressed the issue, while Pete Buttigieg criticized Trump for #SharpieGate.
- California law restricting employers in the gigantic economy (especially Uber and Lyft) from classifying workers as independent contractors and depriving them of rights such as minimum wages and workers’ compensation. Harris, Warren and Sanders expressed their support for the bill.
- Today’s news is that the House Judiciary Committee has approved rules regarding an impeachment investigation that has just happened and will likely require multiple tweets from candidates.
And if you want to get into the debate , both ABC and Univision will be broadcasting the debate tonight at 8:00 pm ET.