It's on to South Carolina, with Democrats debating in the state as its primary comes up this Saturday, February 29. Debating tonight, in reverse alphabetical order: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The debate is starting at 8 PM ET and is slated to last for two hours. It will air on CBS and stream on a number of platforms.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:05:01 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Nora O’Donnell starts with Sanders, says with unemployment so low how will you beat Trump with Democratic socialism. He takes the opening to say the economy is great for billionaires like Bloomberg, but not everybody else—rattles off the statistics for life for the not 1%.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:07:22 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Bloomberg starts out snippy, attacks Bernie on Russian interference for him, Bernie uses it as an opportunity to say he’ll be strong against Russia. Warren jumps in to say that clearly Bernie is doing will because progressive ideas are winning, however much the other candidates disagree. She then makes the case for her record and how she’s “done the work, dug in” to get it done.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:09:26 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Gayle King goes to Buttigieg with a question about why Russia would want to help Bernie, which was a gimme to him and kind of a dump question—chaos is the answer. Simple. Buttigieg then talks about tone and I think socialism. Then they go to Steyer for some reason to attack Bernie for . . . something.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:12:07 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Now we go to Biden without a question. He goes to guns and Bernie’s history of opposing gun safety legislation. Sanders responds first to Buttigieg (he’s gonna be Pete because that name is too long to type now) over his wealthy funders. Now Pete is going to talk about his contributors.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:14:06 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Pete’s coming across just a tiny bit desperate for $$ here. King asks Biden why he’s losing support with Black voters in SC. Biden says he’s worked hard to earn the AA vote, talks about Obama administration record. Says he’ll “earn the vote” and intends to win SC.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:17:11 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
King to Bloomberg, when you apologize on stop and frisk what are you apologizing for. Says too many people were picked up and he changed the system when he learned that (he didn’t, Obama administration made him do it) then generally talked about his largesse for all the people and all the black and brown supporters he has. Pete says the word humility (he got that memo, that he needed some) and talks better about race than he did before about racial disparities and inequalities.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:18:20 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Now to Klobuchar, yes, stop and frisk was racist but let’s not talk about the past but what we’re going to do going forward which maybe she really needs to make happen since she had kind of a bad week on that herself this week from her record as a prosecutor.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:20:40 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
To Warren, why is Bloomberg the riskiest against Trump. Warren points out that Bloomberg funded Lindsey Graham, Pat Toomey, Scott Brown in MA—he’s put awful Republicans in the Senate, but lost on her race. Heh. He cannot earn the trust of the core of the Democratic party. Great answer. Bloomberg says he’s been training for this job since 9/11 when he stepped on the pile of rubble (never mind that was Rudy).
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:22:32 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Warren, this isn’t a sideshow, this is personal to me. Tells her story again about losing her first teaching job because of pregnancy. Uses the allegation that Bloomberg told a pregnant female employee to “kill it.” There where some ooohs and booos from the audience. An uncomfortable moment that she leaned into.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:28:45 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Moderators are not very good. But anyway, back to Medicare for All with Bernie. Not a whole lot new here. Asks Klobuchar if the $$ adds up and she says “no” talks about his 60 Minutes interview in which he didn’t have solid answers on financing. She’s getting a little tightly wound again. Pete tries to jump in, moderator called on Steyer, Sanders finally gets to respond. Talks about the studies that would save money.
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2020 · 1:31:30 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
That was a mess. The moderation was disastrous. Steyer gets to free form on climate change, and O’Donnell tries to cut him off and goes back to Pete on Sander M4A plan. Pete talks about keeping the House and Senate. Biden jumps in and chides the moderators a bit, because they are really bad.