Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:13 pm
The conventional media wisdom was that Democrats would go after each other in New Hampshire, but instead, they had a great debate and focused on beating Trump.
One of the things that was obvious about the debate was that the Democrats are focused on beating Trump.
The tone was set when Pete Buttigieg defended Joe Biden:
Buttigieg defends Biden, " To be the kind of president, to be the kind of human being who would seek to turn someone against his own son, who would seek to weaponize a son against his own father, is an unbelievably dishonorable thing." pic.twitter.com/gqf5fDI3nz
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 8, 2020
There was a lack of ugliness in this debate. On numerous occasions, the candidates agreed with each other on the issues. The focus was on beating Trump. The reality is that there isn’t much daylight on the issues between the candidates. Even on healthcare, the difference between the candidates is how they get to universal coverage, not if there should be universal coverage.
Biden led the audience in a standing ovation for Col. Vindman:
Biden says Vindman should be getting a medal, not Rush Limbaugh, and leads the crowd in a standing ovation for Col. Vindman. #Demdebate #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/EWtZ4rKPTH
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 8, 2020
Bernie Sanders called out the Senate Republican cowards who knew Trump was guilty but wouldn’t convict him:
Sanders calls out Senate Republicans for knowing that Trump is guilty, but not having the guts to convict him. pic.twitter.com/OpD3THJr6k
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 8, 2020
Elizabeth Warren called for a national right to choose law:
Elizabeth Warren calls for a national law to protect the right to choose. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/Vk59g4YqPQ
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 8, 2020
The Democratic candidates seem to have committed themselves to not holding an ugly primary. As the pressure of the campaign builds, in what is going to be a close contest where no candidate may get the needed delegates to clinch the nomination before the convention, it will be interesting to see if the spirit of unity holds.
The corporate media likes drama and debates that create moments of tension between the candidates. In New Hampshire, ABC deserves credit for staying mostly focused on the issues.
The debate likely didn’t move the needle for any candidate, but it did show that Democrats are united in a common mission to defeat Donald Trump.
Democrats know that a bruising primary only helps the president, and the biggest loser in the New Hampshire Democratic Debate was Donald Trump and his campaign to divide the Democratic Party.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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