As 2020 Democrats fight for undecided SC voters, who did the debate hurt or help?
Did any of the 10 Democratic presidential candidates on the Atlanta debate stage do a strong job appealing to South Carolina voters?
That is what The State asked three South Carolina Democrats to weigh in on, along with who had the best line and the worst moment.
Though 17 Democratic presidential candidates are still in the 2020 field, only 10 qualified for the fifth primary debate stage at Tyler Perry Studios in Georgia.
To weigh in on the debate, The State asked four questions to Carol Fowler, a former chairwoman of both the S.C. Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee; Amy Hayes, former chairwoman of the York County Democratic Party; and Sam Johnson, a Democrat with a history of involvement in S.C. politics.
Here is what they said.
1. Who won the debate and why?
▪ Fowler: “It was a good debate. Democratic voters surely appreciated both the attacks on President Trump and the general civility and collegiality of most of the candidates toward each other. MSNBC did well at giving every candidate a chance to explain her or his positions. The moderators were excellent. There’s no question that we have a wealth of good candidates, and it’s hard to pick one winner, but I thought both (U.S. Sen. Kamala) Harris and (U.S. Sen. Amy) Klobuchar made real progress tonight.”
▪ Hayes: “The moderators won. They did a better job than previous moderators of keeping the candidates in check, pointing out when a candidate had not answered the question, making candidates answer questions outside their wheelhouse and hitting a broader range of topics, including climate.”
▪ Johnson: “Mayor Pete (Buttigieg) won the debate. He directly addressed one of his major challenges, the African American vote, with a very heartfelt and genuine statement. However, he incorrectly states that African American voters don’t know him. More directly, it is important for him to take the time to get to know African American voters and build a genuine relationship with the African American community. Former Vice President Joe Biden continues to answer the call of being electable but not close the door to the rest of the field, which leaves the electability of the rest of the field as an open-ended question.”
2. What was the best line or moment of the night and why?
▪ Fowler: “The best moment was when Klobuchar said that it is clear that women candidates are held to a higher standard because otherwise we could play “name your favorite woman president.” She added that people who don’t think a woman can beat Trump should see that Nancy Pelosi beats him every day. This is humorous, but it also strikes a serious note with women, who will be a significant majority in Democratic primaries.”
▪ Hayes: “I personally enjoyed Pete (Buttigieg’s) comments about the quest for a carbon negative farm being as good a symbol of dealing with climate change as the electric car. It showed his skill in taking an issue often associated with the left and framing it in a way that can appeal to people who don’t identify as such. It’s also some pretty cool science, unless restorative agriculture is used as an excuse to permit more drilling.”
▪ Johnson: “Pete’s response to Sen. Klobuchar’s attack of his experience was a key highlight. He stated, ‘So, first of all, Washington experience is not the only experience that matters. There’s more than 100 years of Washington experience on this stage, and where are we right now as a country?’ “
3. What was the worst line or moment of the night and why?
▪ Fowler: “The worst moment was when Tulsi Gabbard attacked the Democratic Party and a couple of the other candidates. This can’t have helped her win votes from the partisan Democrats who are most likely to be watching the debate and whose votes will determine the nominee.”
▪ Hayes: “The worst moments were when Biden seemed to lose his train of thought or slipped up. He stammered during his opening. His repeated use of the word ‘punch’ while talking about violence against women was very odd. By the time he said, ‘The only black woman to be elected to the Senate,’ it was clear he was having an off night. Voters will be wondering if a president can afford to have off nights.”
▪ Johnson: “Tom Steyer did not have a singular negative moment. However, he didn’t move the needle from a billionaire dabbling in politics to a potential president of the United States.”
4. Who do you think did the best appealing to SC voters and why?
▪ Fowler: “None of the candidates did much to appeal specifically to South Carolinians, although the issues that matter to people in South Carolina are for the most part the same issues that matter to all Americans. Corey Booker did a good job of explaining what really matters to African American voters — as he said, he is one — and African American voters will be the majority in the S.C. primary. Former Vice President Biden did well tonight and will undoubtedly maintain his leadership position in our state, but he missed an opportunity to speak to S.C. Democrats when he talked about working for a U.S. Senate majority by taking Senate seats in Georgia and North Carolina. He skipped right over South Carolina, where we have such an excellent candidate in Jaime Harrison.”
▪ Hayes: “Kamala Harris. She seemed to be speaking aloud the private conversations of many S.C. Democrats on a number of occasions, including her truth-telling about the value of black voters: ‘The question becomes, ‘Where have you been; what are you going to do?’ She mentioned ‘the Obama coalition.’ Many S.C. Democrats who were around and involved in the 2008 primary take a lot of ownership in the story of his victory. She is making herself a part of that story.”
▪ Johnson: “I think Joe Biden continues to be the front runner and obvious choice for the voters of South Carolina because he has a strong relationship with the necessary audiences in the state. Unless he commits a fatal campaign error or someone else proves their electability, the vice president will be in the driver’s seat. But, to prove your electability a candidate will have to come to South Carolina and spend the time to building a relationship.”
