Going into the fifth Democratic Debate, the stage had already changed. Julian Castro did not make the cut, and Beto O’Rourke dropped out. On top of that, Mayor Buttigieg has surged in the polls and become a leader in Iowa, the state that sets the stage for others. In recognizing why Iowa is an important state, keep in mind that Barack Obama won the 2008 Iowa Caucus, and this led him to win the entire race. With Buttigieg nearing the top of polls in Iowa, he has become a major part of this race. So by November 20th, Buttigieg, Biden, Warren, and Sanders had successfully separated themselves from the numerous other 2020 candidates.
The night was calm, with very few attacks, which surprised many viewers. Senator Warren, who has been a frontrunner for a while and has been gaining more traction, was recorded having the most speaking time, with Mayor Buttigieg at a close second. Warren was able to bring up her two favorite issues, the wealth tax and Medicare for All. However, these topics didn’t get the usual backlash. During the first hour of the debate, she was strong, but in the second half, her voice seemed to fade into the background. Buttigieg, the man everyone thought would be torn apart due to his new frontrunner status, remained in the clear; there was only one disagreement with Representative Gabbard, which he handled with a skillful and assured answer.
For the first time, the (all-female) group of moderators asked direct questions on reproductive health, on which we got powerful statements from Senators Sanders and Klobuchar. Klobuchar also had her best debate yet. She came prepared with a zinger for launching: “Women are held to a higher standard, otherwise we could play a game called ‘Name Your Favorite Woman President,’ which we can’t do because it has all been men, including all vice presidents being men. And I think any working woman out there, any woman that’s at home, knows exactly what I mean.” She seemed more used to the debate stage, and was able to slide her voice into the difficult topics.
Biden made one too many stumbles on the issues. When talking about domestic violence, he referred to stopping the culture of the issue as “punching” it out. In fact, he used the word three times, much to the disapproval and laughter of the crowd. Later on, he used examples of how he had the approval of the black community and black voters. He noted the endorsement he received from Carol Moseley Braun, the first black woman elected to the senate, introducing her as the only black female senator. Unfortunately for him, the other black female senator, Senator Harris, was standing a few feet away from him.
Senator Booker probably had his best debate yet. According to CNN, he was fourth in line speaking-time-wise. He made clear points and proved to be one of the most charismatic faces on the stage. The debate was noticeably polite, and many experts pointed out it wasn’t much of a debate at all, given the number of times candidates actually attacked each other.