Live coverage of Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate

by Joan McCarter for Daily Kos

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday, Jul. 30, 2019 Tuesday, Jul. 30, 2019 at 4:55:11pm PDT

Welcome to the second debate among Democratic presidential candidates. It will run tonight and tomorrow night, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET. The candidates were divided among the nights in a lottery drawing, which has bizarrely resulted in an all-white lineup for night one.

Your candidates tonight are:

Gov. Steve Bullock
Mayor Pete Buttigieg
former Rep. John Delaney
former Gov. John Hickenlooper
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
former Rep. Beto O'Rourke
Rep. Tim Ryan
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Marianne Williamson

The debate is hosted by CNN, and will be moderated by Dana Bash, Don Lemon, and Jake Tapper. Telemundo will simulcast it. You can watch at CNN.com and it will stream on news organizations’ apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Roku.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:40:51 AM +00:00 · Barbara Morrill

New thread here.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:02:09 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

And here’s the intro. Get your beverage of choice, your popcorn, and get your commenting fingers warmed up.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:05:19 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Anybody else slightly nauseated by that “heartland values” bs in the intros? Oh, well. At least we don’t have to listen to Chuck Todd dominating the whole thing tonight.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:08:17 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Ok, this is the best flag salute and national anthem in a while.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:14:50 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Ok, opening statements and the rules. 1 minute for opening statements, 1minute to answer questions, 30 seconds for follow-ups and rebuttals, 15 seconds for clarifications. They’ll take time away for people who don’t play nice.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:17:36 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Bullock lists progressive creds that won three times in red state, says he can beat Trump cuz he can do that. Williamson, 1776, people, possibility, thriving, actualization, resistance, militia, suffrage, civil rights, multi-nationals, false gods, planet, rise up, new possibilities, yes. Delaney: choice to be socialists or and I pretty much stopped listening because he doesn’t have new ideas.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:21:26 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Ryan: economic populist message, kitchen table, anxiety, we shouldn’t be talking left or right but new and better, buildling new systems. Hickenlooper: big wins in 2018 but none of those new flipped seat House people are socialists. Why are Dems helping the GOP say the front-runners are crazy liberals? Sorry, Hick. No thanks. Klobuchar: getting real, we have to be Trump. Bio stuff of shared dreams. Goes after Trump and his “racist attacks,” the Trump b.s. Which is a good first hit. Playing up those heartland values midwest thing.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:23:44 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

O’Rourke: goes more philosophical, idealistic, “before anything else we are Americans first.” Positive message that acknowledges Trump but remains optimistic. Hopeful. Can get to substance later. Buttegeig: we’re running out of time, how did Trump get w/in cheating distance of WH (I know! I know! McConnell). Trump is reflection of problem. He’s doing the “I’m the new thing.”

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:26:11 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Warren: Donald Trump disgraces the office every day and any one of us would be better. Gives bit of rigged system stump speech. Again talks about Dems as the answer as a whole, her specifically because she knows how to do it. Sanders: starts with health care and uninsured, then homelessness and no taxes for Amazon. Corporate tax breaks, fossil fuel industry getting tax breaks to destroy the globe, and a few other things. Was slightly all over the place.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:29:10 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Tapper starts with healthcare and Sanders: What do you say to Delaney calling your M4A “political suicide.” A: “You’re wrong.” Healthcare is a human right not a privilege and you only have to look at Canada to know that it’s good. Delaney: says we should tell people their healthcare is illegal which is not what it does so that’s bs. Sanders comes back with right answer—people already change insurance all the time. If you want stability you get rid of the insurers. Delaney says that’s not the issue but it definitely is. And no one loves their insurance company.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:31:53 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Warren: good answer, we should stop using GOP talking points about taking healthcare away. Setting it up to be her and Bernie against Delaney. Q: are you okay with raising taxes? A: She points out it’ll be tax increases on corporations and less out-of-pocket for consumers, but gets to her real point talking about Ady Barkan and the fight he’s having WITH insurance to be able to pay for his care while he’s dying. Would you raise taxes on the middle class? Answer: costs will go up for corporations, costs for middle class will go down.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:35:43 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Bullock: Goes with the crazy liberals trying to take stuff away. Back to what Warren said, why do the GOP job with talking points? Buttegeig: Highlights his public option for people who want it model which will become M4. Good point on follow up with Tapper, and this stupid question of higher taxes. The issue is premium costs and out-of-pocket costs going down and saving money. O’Rourke asked same question. Beto and Bullock fighting here over whether tacking a public option onto ACA is enough. Beto says it’s not. He would put everyone uninsured, underinsured on Medicare.

Wednesday, Jul 31, 2019 · 12:38:53 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter

Tapper: setting up Warren v. Klobuchar asking if she would be wiling to fight for M4A. She goes with the public option on ACA as the easiest way to move forward quickly, like a bill Sanders was on. Sanders answers that current insurance isn’t enough for a lot of people. Hits Tapper for using GOP talking point with the tax thing. Warren: look at it in larger frame of what’s happening now—insurance companies are bleeding us and they don’t have a “God given right” to do this. Klobuchar tries to jump in, doesn’t work. Delaney says he’s the only one who understands health insurance business.