The ninth Democratic presidential debate came to us live from Las Vegas on Wednesday, with six of the seven top contenders taking the stage just three days before the Nevada caucuses. While billionaire businessman Tom Steyer did not qualify, another billionaire entered the fray for the first time since debates began in June: former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who isn’t even on the Nevada ballot.
After a remarkable opening speech from cherished former Sen. Harry Reid, NBC’s Lester Holt introduced fellow moderators Chuck Todd of MSNBC, Hallie Jackson of NBC and MSNBC, climate reporter Vanessa Hauc of Noticias Telemundo, and Jon Ralston of The Nevada Independent.
As (almost) always, we watched, so you don’t have to.
Any predictions?
Lester Holt kicked things off by reminding everyone that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was polling out front and that Bloomberg was the new man on the stage. Sanders got the first question: Why should people choose him over the billionaire? Sanders didn’t hesitate to focus on the importance of beating Trump, and the impact of the “Stop and Frisk” policy under Bloomberg’s 12-year time in office. Sanders then focused on the key tenets of his movement.
Bloomberg zoomed in on healthcare, claiming that Sanders’ plan will kick people off of their insurance and is a losing plan. Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren jumped in, noting who voters need beat: a man who calls women “fat broads and horse-faced lesbians.” She then clarified that she wasn’t talking about Donald Trump; she was talking about Bloomberg, vowing not to trade “one arrogant billionaire for another.”
Klobuchar was next, insisting that the only way to win was by driving voter turnout. The Minnesota Senator noted that she’d welcomed Bloomberg to the race and the debate stage until she learned of a memo wherein the campaign insisted that Biden, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar needed to drop out of the race.
Bloomberg dodged every comment that he was given a chance to respond to, before listing his bonafides and insisting he could beat Trump.
Former Vice President Joe Biden came in hot, noting that a just-released NBC poll indicated that he was the one who could best beat Trump. He also brought up “Stop and Frisk.” Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg was next, calling Bloomberg and Sanders as “polarizing” as Trump, and noting that Democrats needed an actual Democrat. Sanders pointed out that his movement was about helping people who are suffering tonight, and called out Buttigieg for accepting billionaire money. Buttigieg fired back that Sanders was “at war” with the local Culinary Union.
And that was just the first question.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE BERNIE BROS?
Jackson then broke in and asked Warren the first question: Is Sanders responsible for his supporters’ behavior? Warren dodged the bait, asserting that each candidate is responsible for their own supporters before turning to her work with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—via an anecdote about a Bloomberg constituent who lost his home to Wells Fargo.
Sanders then disavowed the so-called “Bernie Bros” who are frequently blamed for abuses on social media. He then pointed out that the black women on his campaign have also endured heinous abuses online.
Buttigieg tried to connect the social media abuses to a culture inspired by Sanders. Sanders took a moment to note his pro-union voting record, but Buttigieg pushed back, again blaming Sanders for his followers’ behavior against Culinary Union.
HEALTHCARE
Klobuchar piped in to suggest that choosing a woman would solve the problem, and, with a quick nod of alliance to Warren, pointed out that Sanders’ plan would take away health care from Culinary Union members.
Todd then asked Sanders if that was true. He said it was not, and vowed to never sign a bill that would “reduce” their current benefits—vowing to only “expand” them. Todd then asked if Warren’s vision for health care evolved because of criticism. She quickly took aim at Buttigieg’s health care proposal, calling it a “thinly papered-over … PowerPoint” version of the current system, and Klobuchar’s “a Post-it.” She then called out Sanders for dodging questions about funding his plan. She then explained the importance of starting the process of reform, and being willing to circle back again if “you don’t get it right the first time.”
Buttigieg got the first chance to respond, mocking Warren’s characterization, and insisting that nobody should have health care reform “forced” upon them. Klobuchar got the next chance, making a roulette wheel reference in a nod to Las Vegas: “You don’t put your money on a number that isn’t even on the wheel,” she said, before repeating her oft-cited assertion that two-thirds of Senators aren’t onboard with any Medicare for All bill.
Sanders then named several nations that have successfully executed single-payer health care, noting that only in America is health care is a multi-billion-dollar industry. He also noted that some members of that industry are donating to Buttigieg. Biden shouted his way in, noting that he’s the only one on the stage who got health care reform done, noting that he paid for it by making sure Bloomberg paid “the same tax rate as his secretary.” He then pointed out that Bloomberg called Obamacare a “disgrace,” while the other candidates on the stage came up with their own plan, and Sanders just dodged questions about how to pay for it.
Warren got another chance to chime in. She named four health care costs that harm households; Buttigieg’s plan, she said, only tackled premiums. Klobuchar’s plan, she noted, was “just two paragraphs” long.
Bloomberg then voiced support for Obamacare, citing an op-ed he wrote in a publication he wasn't able to name. When Biden attempted to interrupt, Bloomberg chided him like a child, in an awkward and unpleasant moment.
STOP AND FRISK
Lester Holt, as the black dude on the panel, got the joy of asking Bloomberg about his infamous quote from a 2015 appearance at The Atlantic festival in Aspen. Bloomberg said all he cared about was giving people a “right to live,” and claimed that when he realized it was “out of control,” he reduced the stops and the frisks by 95%. He then stated that he’s been talking to African American people about its impact.
Biden pointed out that the policy changed because Barack Obama, as president, sent federal monitors to NYC—which Bloomberg vocally protested. Bloomberg then responded that “we stopped too many people,” but pointed out that everyone on the stage had been wrong about criminal justice at some point in their careers.
Warren then pointed out that Bloomberg’s apology focused on results, when it should have been focused on the intention and design of the plan, as well as the “willful ignorance” Bloomberg exercised while ignoring the protests in city streets. “You need a new apology,” she finished.
Klobuchar was asked how voters can trust her if she made mistakes as a prosecutor, citing recent headlines surrounding the case of Myon Burrell, a teen who may have been wrongly sentenced to life in prison. She voiced support for further investigation into the Burrell case.
TRANSPARENCY: HEALTH AND WEALTH
Transparency was the next topic: Sanders was asked about his health and medical records. The Vermont senator thanked Las Vegas for the great care he received after his heart attack, and challenged anyone to keep up with him on the campaign trail. Buttigieg responded that he’s unsatisfied with the amount of records that Sanders has released, but was more concerned about the lack of a funding plan for Sanders’ health care plan.
Sanders said Buttigieg’s plan would continue the status quo, while citing new research that Medicare for All would save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in administrative costs. Buttigieg responded by saying Sanders responds to any critics by calling them supporters of the status quo.
Bloomberg was then asked about his tax returns, and said he’d release them, but it would take time. The entire panel scoffed at this, while the media mogul tried to shift to his philanthropy.
Klobuchar pointed out that everyone else had released their returns. Bloomberg took that as an opportunity to point out that he’s only been in the race for 10 weeks, while his competitors had been in the game “for a couple years.”
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
Warren started to point out that it takes time to campaign before she was cut off by Jackson, who asked about allegations that Bloomberg created a toxic workplace for women.
Bloomberg endorsed the work of the MeToo movement and pointed out that his namesake company is considered a good place to work, where women are paid the same as men. Warren fired back that the mayor’s response was to point out that “some women” liked working for him.
She then challenged him to release former employees from their non-disclosure agreements. Bloomberg declined, saying the NDAs had been signed voluntarily; Warren challenged him on the “voluntary” aspect of it, but Bloomberg didn’t waver.
Biden piled on, noting that it wouldn’t be hard for Bloomberg to do the right thing, adding that even Buttigieg pushed back on McKinsey’s NDA. After a funny moment where Buttigieg clarified that his NDA was about a client list, Bloomberg insisted he would not be releasing anyone from “consensual” NDAs. The room erupted in boos.
Sanders took the moment of havoc to point out that Bloomberg endorsed George W. Bush.
Hauc was next, asking Klobuchar about her inability to recall the name of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in a forum one week earlier. Klobuchar attempted to deflect, but Hauc repeated herself. Klobuchar was obviously flustered by the pushback, which Buttigieg joined in,saying that Klobuchar touted her experience over his own, yet faltered on this question.
Klobuchar found her strength then, and fired back at Buttigieg for trying to paint her as unintelligent.
She then called Buttigieg out for his lack of experience.
Warren then hopped in to defend Klobuchar, insisting that forgetting a name once doesn’t mean you don’t understand policy. Hauc asserted that Klobuchar doesn’t know anything about Mexican policy, either. Klobuchar took great offense to that, and challenged Hauc to watch the interview she did immediately following the event in question.
Biden noted that he’s the only guy on the stage who’s actually met López Obrador and worked with him; he offered a four-tier list of what’s needed to succeed in foreign policy before Holt announced the first break.
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KEEPING NEVADA LIVABLE
Local politics expert Jon Ralston was up, ready to ask the candidates about “Nevada trivia.” He challenged Biden first, asking how to keep Las Vegas and Reno livable without tanking their economy. Citing the importance of solar, high-speed rail, and charging stations for electric cars, the former Vice President offered what might have been the first response of the night to not spark an immediate argument among the candidates.
Bloomberg was asked about his environmental plan. He noted the need to get completely off coal, to re-join the Paris Climate Accord, and maintain relationships with China, before saying that Biden’s solar plan was outdated.
FRACKING AND FOSSIL FUELS
Warren was asked about her proposed ban on drilling and fracking on federal lands—which, Ralston noted comprise 85% of Nevada—and whether it applies to essential elements. Warren expressed a willingness to adjust her proposal if elements could be found nowhere else, before making a joke about it being safe to talk about science in Nevada, if not Washington, D.C. She then vowed to support research in the United States, and require stateside production of innovations developed in the U.S.
Sanders was then asked about his proposed fracking ban. Without hesitation he insisted that he stands by it and touched on points of the Green New Deal before declaring that the fossil fuel industry’s profits aren’t more important than the future of the next generation.
Klobuchar spoke to the necessity of incremental change while explaining why she didn’t agree with banning fracking—otherwise the bills will never pass. Warren characterized this as “thinking smaller” before vowing to rollback the filibuster.
Biden was asked for which companies he’d end oil and gas subsidies, and how he’d punish those destroying the planet; he dodged the question before focusing on the scourge of environmental racism and his infrastructure plan to provide $50/hour jobs with benefits. He then made the day-one promise to invite all members of the Paris Climate Accord to Washington. After Hauc repeated her questions, Biden noted that these are industries that should be sued, before closing with a quick jab at Sanders’ vote to protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Bloomberg was then asked for his stance on fracking. He noted that it’s important to keep China in the loop, but noted that India is even more crucial at this point. He then noted that it will be impossible to end all fracking, but it could be done better, before declaring that the planet is falling apart and that all of the various deadlines to save the planet, i.e. 2050, were wrong.
Buttigieg made another jab at the polarizing nature of Bloomberg and Sanders before saying that he had a plan to be carbon-neutral by 2050, but his leadership was needed to make it happen.
Warren stated that she refused to let environmental justice be an insignificant topic, noting that she had a trillion-dollar plan to address the communities most damaged by bad environmental policies and practices.
MIDDLE CLASS vs BILLIONAIRES
Jackson pointed out that many families and small business owners are doing well under Trump’s policies, then asked Biden if their taxes will go up. Biden said they would not, before sliding a dig at Bloomberg’s blaming of redlining for the economic recession of 2008—citing greed as the real culprit. Buttigieg also vowed to not just keep taxes down, but to also invest in Latinx business owners and community. Warren stepped in and brought up what she called the “entrepreneurship gap” between whites and people of color, bringing up her plan to invest in such people’s businesses and tackle the wealth gap once and for all.
Bloomberg was then asked by Todd about the “redlining” comment, where, as Todd said, it was “implied” that the billionaire blamed the market crash on the end of the racist practice. Bloomberg denied he supported redlining before noting that he’s the only person on the stage who has started a business.
Sanders was up next, decrying the tax code, which benefits billionaires. Bloomberg interjected that Sanders created the tax code, and the Vermont senator fired back that money from the very rich shaped the tax code more, by buying politicians. Todd began to ask Sanders what he meant when he said “billionaires should not exist” and Klobuchar chimed in to say that she believes in capitalism. Todd then asked Sanders what he meant, and he noted that Bloomberg holds more wealth than 125 million Americans combined. Bloomberg said he earned the money, stressing that he’s given a lot of it away to better the nation—and that a lot of it went to the Democratic Party, sparking a light cheer from the crowd.
Buttigieg pointed out that he’s the only non-millionaire (much less billionaire) on the stage, and again insisted that Trump would win with the wrong nominee. Sanders again decried the evils of wealth inequality, and challenged Bloomberg’s assertion that he worked hard for his money, pointing out that his employees did the hard work.
Bloomberg then said the current discussion was going to get Trump re-elected and that Sanders was proposing something akin to communism, which angered the other candidates. Warren brought up her two-cent wealth tax, noting that it can provide childcare and preschool—and pay the black and brown women who do most of that work—then dove deeper into education, from special education to HBCUs to student loan forgiveness.
She then asked if the nation wanted to invest in Bloomberg or in “an entire generation.”
SOCIALISM IS SCARY
Holt asked Sanders about the recent poll that said voters feared socialism; Sanders challenged Holt to name the “winner” of that poll, knowing he came in the lead, but Holt didn’t bite. After telling Bloomberg that his “communism” comment was “a cheap shot,” Sanders clarified that tax cuts for the rich are also a form of socialism. Bloomberg taunted Sanders for being a millionaire with three houses.
Bloomberg then said he agreed with half of what “the senator to my left” said about a wealth tax, garnering a quick reply from Warren.
Biden was next, pointing out that he’d long been the poorest man in Congress, until he wrote a bestselling book, then demanded that companies and billionaires pay their fair share of taxes, because “we should reward work, not just wealth.” Todd then asked Buttigieg about an essay he wrote praising Sanders’ socialism when he was in high school, and posited that the former South Bend mayor might be out of touch with his millennial generation. After a joke about “liking Bernie before it was cool,” Buttigieg then reiterated that Sanders had no funding for his proposals.
Warren then pointed out that Buttigieg’s positions have changed repeatedly as his donor list grows, and threw a sharp barb at Klobuchar and Biden as well, saying that their hearts were in the right place but they cared too much about being liked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Klobuchar pointed out that her desire to work with Republicans and build a strong coalition was about getting rid of McConnell and getting things done.
And then, well over an hour in, it was time for our second break.
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BLOOMBERG’S WEALTH AND BUILDING A COALITION
Buttigieg was then asked about the value of Bloomberg’s massive philanthropy. The youngest and self-described poorest candidate on the stage celebrated Bloomberg’s generosity but insisted he shouldn’t be president. Biden charged in, addressing Warren’s previous taunt about wanting to be liked by McConnell, and noted that he’d worked with and beat him multiple times as Vice President.
He then reiterated that the middle class is getting killed, no matter how much people claim Trump’s economy is benefiting them. Warren then brought up Biden’s statement (as veep) where he said he hoped to “continue working with” McConnell, and listed just a few of Moscow Mitch’s many, many sins.
DREAMERS
Hauc shifted the topic to Dreamers, and the current SCOTUS case that jeopardizes their safety and security in the United States. Klobuchar said her plan was to win, and pointed out that Congress wants to protect Dreamers, and emphasized the need to pass “comprehensive immigration reform.”
Buttigieg then went for Klobuchar again, saying she must stand by her votes in Washington, noting that she keeps confirming Trump’s judges and the current head of Customs and Border Protection, and voted to make English the national language. He then pointed out immigrant-friendly policies enacted in South Bend before saying “this country is your country” in Spanish. Klobuchar told Buttigieg to “get the facts right” before pointing out her voting record. As Hauc tried to cut Klobuchar off, she pushed back, even as Buttigieg tried to jump in. Klobuchar then rattled off bill after bill after bill after bill she’d passed before telling Buttigieg that he had “not been in the arena” and had only “memorized talking points.”
Buttigieg then stated that the primary was “the arena,” before Todd cut the discussion off amidst complaints from the other candidates.
NO-CLINCH CONVENTION?
Todd then noted that it’s unlikely any candidate will clinch, and asked if candidates believed “the person with the most delegates at the end of this primary season” should win. Only Sanders agreed with that.
Then, surprisingly, it was time for our third break.
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CLOSING STATEMENTS
Klobuchar was up first for closing statements. She focused on unity over division, and reiterated her ability to lead a ticket and bring people with her, as well as her 100-bill success in Senate. She then made a multi-pronged joke about hearts, spanning Trump’s lack of one, Bloomberg’s and Sanders’ heart conditions, and her own big heart. As her time was up, she name dropped her website.
Bloomberg was next; he dropped his website but noted that he didn’t want anyone’s money, before pointing out what a massive failure and non-manager Trump was.
Buttigieg vowed to create a “sense of belonging” in the country, and leaned on his “polarizing” opponents theme.
Warren pointed out that she learned to fight from her mother after her dad lost his job, and brought up her life’s work: studying middle class economic suffering. She also brought up her support for students and unions before noting that she’s been a politician the least amount of time, but had been fighting for families the longest.
Like previous debates, Biden was again interrupted by immigration activists before he could start his statement.
Once they were removed, he brought up his own struggles in childhood before focusing on gun violence and vowing to address it. He closed by saying Sanders had a worse immigration record than he did, citing a 2007 vote.
Sanders dedicated precious seconds to defending that vote, comparing some of the bill’s provisions to “slavery.” Sanders reminded viewers that he was building a movement against inequality before asking them to join him.
And then, just like that, it was over … and everything seemed to come up Warren.