In first Democratic debate since impeachment, who won, who lost and who won SC voters
Democratic presidential hopefuls hit the stage Thursday night for the last 2020 debate of the year and the first since the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
But amid talk about the impeachment and what the seven 2020 campaigners want to do for voters, did presidential hopefuls appeal to South Carolina voters?
The State asked political experts in the Palmetto State to weigh in on who won the December debate, who lost and who did the best job reaching South Carolina’s voters. Participants include College of Charleston political scientist Gibbs Knotts and Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine.
WHO WON THE DEBATE AND WHY?
Isaac Devine: “(U.S. Sen.) Amy Klobuchar (won) because she answers questions clearly. She was aggressive without being argumentative with others. She was able to distinguish herself from the others without tearing the other down.”
Knotts: “My winner was Amy Klobuchar. She talked about her appeal in states won by (President) Donald Trump, particularly in the industrial Midwest. Klobuchar also challenged (South Bend, Indiana, Mayor) Pete Buttigieg’s experience. This was a smart move because Buttigieg has strong support from moderate Democrats, a group that is critical for her. Klobuchar also needs to do well in Iowa, and Buttigieg is standing in her way in this important early state.”
WHAT WAS THE BEST LINE OR MOMENT OF THE NIGHT AND WHY?
Isaac Devine chose Klobuchar’s comments while outlining her foreign policy. Klobuchar said the country needed to “return to sanity.”
“With everything that has happened lately, we do need a return to sanity and her saying that was kind of catchy but also so true.”
Isaac Devine also gave props to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren for her quip about how she would be the “youngest woman ever inaugurated” to the office of the presidency.
“...It is a reminder that we haven’t had a woman president, so even at her age, she would be the youngest. Kind of funny but truthful.”
Knotts: “Elizabeth Warren had the best line of the night. She was asked a question about being the oldest person ever sworn in if she were to win the presidency. Without missing a beat, she responded, ‘I’d also be the youngest woman.’ This was a powerful and very well delivered line from one of only two women on the stage. It was also a chance to remind voters that the country has elected 45 male presidents and no women.”
WHAT WAS THE WORST LINE OR MOMENT OF THE NIGHT AND WHY?
Isaac Devine said the worst moment of the night for her was the debate between Warren and Buttigieg about taking donations from millionaires. Warren faulted Buttigieg for holding a high-price fundraiser in a wine cave in California.
“I thought it was irrelevant. Everyone agrees we need to take the money out of politics. But until that can happen, so what if people with money donate to your campaign? It just seemed to get personal to me and not on an issue that matters to the citizens.”
Knotts: “(U.S. Sen.) Bernie Sanders delivered one of the worst lines of the night. It occurred after a moderator asked candidates about recent remarks from (former President) Barack Obama who said that women were better at leading and that old men get in the way of progress. Rather than address the lack of diversity in American politics, he started by answering a previous question about climate change. Sanders eventually tied it back to the question about diversity, but this was not his strongest moment.”
WHO DO YOU THINK DID THE BEST APPEALING TO SC VOTERS AND WHY?
Isaac Devine: “(It’s) hard to say. Andrew Yang spoke to a lot of the things that I hear people talk about; but I still think people like (Former Vice President) Joe Biden, and he didn’t have any big gaffes tonight, so he probably held his front-runner status.”
Knotts: “Joe Biden did a very good job appealing to South Carolina voters. He has a strong lead in South Carolina and reinforced some of the reasons for his support in the Palmetto State. South Carolina Democrats are more moderate than national Democratic voters, and Biden’s policy positions align well with voters in this state. He also drew on his experience as Barack Obama’s vice president, talked about his support for expanding and improving the Affordable Care Act, and made the case that he was the person on stage best positioned to defeat Donald Trump.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 11:02 PM.
