On January 14, six candidates lined up on stage for the debate. The candidates ranged from Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and billionaire Tom Steyer. This was the first debate in which there was not a single person of color on the stage, due to Cory Booker withdrawing from the race and Andrew Yang and Tulsi Gabbard not having the support and funding to appear. The frontrunners have not changed, with Biden, Sanders, Warren, and Buttigieg all having a shot at the Democratic nomination. At the moment of the debate, there were only three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, a specific voting form used in early primary states. This was the last debate and the last chance for these candidates to make their mark on American voters before the first caucuses.
The debate kicked off with a few pleasantries, then the mediators launched right into who should be commander-in-chief of the US. Biden and Sanders quickly distinguished themselves on foreign policy immediately, comparing the effects of the wars they both voted for. Every candidate agreed on removing troops from Iraq, though moderate candidates (such as Klobuchar, Buttigieg, and Biden) are planning on leaving some troops in the Middle East to train against and combat terrorism. The conversation then sidelined into the current political situation with Trump before anyone could get too far into the Biden vs. Sanders debate.
Another moment from the debate that the news couldn’t stop talking about was the dispute between Warren and Sanders. For weeks before the debate, the public has watched the surrogates and supporters of Sanders and Warren, the historically peaceful duo, have their first quarrel. To sum it up: Warren accused Sanders of telling her in a private meeting that a woman couldn’t be elected as president. Sanders denies ever saying this, but the press and mediators have been eating the unusual disagreement up. The two brushed off the suggestions of conflict and steered clear of any arguments. This didn’t halt Warren and Klobuchar from making sure that everyone knew that a woman could be elected, beginning a great number of zingers from the two female candidates, including Warren’s memorable “The only people on this stage who have won every single election they’ve been in are the women, Amy and me.” The crowds went wild and every candidate grinned. This was a crowd-pleasing moment compared to the intense debates on foreign policy and trade deals.
Sanders got called out on how much his healthcare plan costs. In the past, he has rarely gotten attacked, instead often being used as an example or anchor compared to other candidates. However, as he led in Iowa at the time of the debate, the unspoken peace on Bernie’s healthcare situation was broken. For a while, his healthcare plan was a way to call Warren out, stating that at least his was easier to comprehend than Warren’s plans. And with that, the same healthcare debate that we’ve seen for the last six debates kicked off once again: Sanders and Warren want Medicare for All while everyone else thinks people should be able to choose between public and private healthcare. Both plans cost billions, but the main debatable topics are how candidates are going to get that money, if it’s too much money, and if the population will be satisfied with the plan chosen.
Overall, the debate had very few attacks, and experts assume this is because candidates are scared of adding to their disapproval ratings, which seem to spike when a candidate becomes a verbal aggressor. Biden was able to come out unscathed. The frontrunner seemed to talk only on issues he was most comfortable with and was able to lay low with no tough questions from the mediators. This became true for Warren as well, who spoke clearly, shining on her policies and making the issues more personal. The only female frontrunner was deemed the overall winner of the debate by many experts, but many wonder if this will have an effect on her sliding poll numbers.
As of recent polling, Biden appears to be in the lead nationally, but the four frontrunners (Biden, Sanders, Warren, and Buttigieg) are still nearly tied neck and neck in Iowa. Only time will tell who will surface as the Democratic nominee. Remember to tune into the results of the Iowa caucuses and check the polls regularly. The winner of this nomination holds the future of the party and the nation in slippery hands.