The Democratic Debates have started, and with them come a new wave of candidates trying to convince the American people why they would be best suited for President. At the beginning of the September debate, questions focused on the issues of medicare, racism, immigration, and gun violence, but not many answers were given. Throughout the entire debate, attacks were made on both President Donald Trump and on Joe Biden, as politicians were trying to win over the admiration of the audience.
Right from the gate, California Senator Kamala Harris directly addressed President Donald Trump, accusing him of lying and trying to distract people from his failed policies. Throughout the debate, a candidate always managed to bring the argument back and criticize the President, but few actually stated exactly what they would do differently from him and how.
Next, the candidates were asked how they will provide healthcare to the country, and this is where things got interesting. The debate started with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden. They were arguing which person would actually be able to pay for what they plan to do with healthcare. Biden made jibes at Sanders, and this is when Julian Castro decided that it was his time to shine. Castro mentioned that he worked for Barack Obama while he was president, and that Biden’s plan for medicare would leave 10 million people without health insurance. He then said that his medicare wouldn’t require people to buy in, like Biden’s did, but rather would automatically enroll them into a public healthcare plan. When Biden corrected Castro for his incorrect remark about Biden’s plan, Castro proceeded to say that Biden had forgotten what he had said from two minutes before, seemingly mocking his age. This brought the debate to a standstill, as the other politicians were quick to step in to say that making aggressive attacks against other candidates is the reason that people can’t stand watching debates. Castro tried to defend himself by saying that that is how elections go, but Senator Amy Klobuchar struck him down saying, “a house divided cannot stand,” and everyone moved on.
Overall, the debate showed that most of the candidates didn’t really know who to attack first: the President or Biden? This resulted in unnecessary clashing and failed one liners instead of actual answers of what the politicians would do for the country if they were elected. While other candidates, like Beto O’Rourke, actually answered questions, they were overshadowed by the one liners and audience applause.