Picking a “winner” from the third Democratic presidential debate was difficult, not just because there are still so many people onstage, but also because so many of them had a good evening. And while the media seems to be celebrating the fact that there were a few sharp exchanges, the truth is that there were very few. For the most part, candidates were much more willing to talk about what they believed was right rather than where fellow Democrats were wrong. And everyone was in agreement that Donald Trump was a disaster, an embarrassment, and a threat who has to be removed from the national stage. As a theme for the night, “We all agree Trump has to go” was not bad at all.
That doesn’t mean every answer was sterling, or that every candidate had a great evening. For the most part, little happened that would seem to have much lasting impact on campaigns … save for one incident. Here’s a brief rundown of how the candidates handled themselves, and others, during the debate.
- Joe Biden was not great, but he also wasn’t bad. He has developed a serious habit of thinking of something else he wants to say before he completes the current thought, which often means the person cutting Biden off in mid-sentence is Biden. In a couple of instances Thursday night, particularly when talking about education, this tumble of ideas so outran what Biden was saying that the answer became almost incoherent. And Biden’s “I’m for Barack” answer on health care still represents his major, somewhat uninspiring theme: Remember the guy I used to work for? Had it not been for one moment, people would probably be talking about how Biden had an off night. But Biden’s night turned out to be at a couple of notches better than it might have been, thanks to Julián Castro.
- Elizabeth Warren has a plan. In this case, it’s not her plan for the economy, or education, or health care, or the climate crisis—though she certainly has those as well. No, Warren has a plan for how to handle debates. That plan is not to get involved in the tit-for-tat of back-and-forth answers. At one point in the three-hour debate, Warren didn’t speak for almost 40 minutes, as she refused to launch into a rebuttal of other candidate’s statements, or try to interject herself into the byplay. Instead, Warren sits back, waits to get a question directed her way, and answers it—at length.
- Bernie Sanders had a cold, or at least his voice was strained from the effort of talking over crowds 20 hours a day. And of course that wasn’t the most important thing about Sanders or what he came to say, but it did shape something of the energy with which his replies were made, turning down the dial a bit, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Sanders was at his best early in the night in what was probably the biggest real clash, in which he traded health care claims with Biden. But generally, Sanders was good throughout the evening. The strangest thing was how much the media had already scripted the evening as a Biden-Warren clash. Which did not happen. But Biden-Sanders was genuinely good.
- Kamala Harris seemed somewhat shaky at the beginning of the evening, but recovered and spent most of the evening displaying a good mix of humor and tough positions. Harris was forced to defend her role as a prosecutor, and mostly did it well, but the way things were pitched at her definitely seemed to be more as accusations than as questions. But Harris had some great moments, including in talking about the need for black teachers in early childhood education.
- Cory Booker had a really terrific evening. In a night on which several candidates seemed to be taken aback by the nature of the questions, or find themselves entangled in exchanges that generated more heat than light, Booker seemed at the top of his game. He was smooth without being slick. He got in moments of humor, moments of passion, and a good deal of his own plans. In terms of sheer performance, he was the best of the night.
- Pete Buttigieg had a decidedly mixed evening. He was at his best in talking about his personal story. For a moment there, everyone watching needed to step back and simply think about the fact that there has been a genuine change in national attitudes when it comes to LGBTQ Americans. But Buttigieg was also intent on trying to set himself apart on health care by making some attacks both on Biden and on Medicare for all—and those attacks (on the “damn bill,” on one hand, and on how, unlike Bernie and Warren, he “trusts Americans,” on the other) were among several grating moments.
- Amy Klobuchar was so absolutely intent on not being labeled a leftist that it sapped the energy from many of her answers. It wasn’t that she said bad things so much as that she was dancing, dancing, dancing around points so as never to speak up in ways that might let her hometown opponents scream “Liberal!” Honestly, the climate town hall showcased Klobuchar at her best by allowing her to speak at length on her own terms. In the debate format, she was less able to hold her ground, and she let a very leading question drag her into a swing at Sanders. She was at her best when she was going after Trump. Fortunately, she spent a good deal of time going after Trump.
- Beto O’Rourke had a strong night, one that’s going to generate a lot of talk simply because O’Rourke uttered, “Hell yes, we’re coming for your AR-15” and other assault rifles. Since the El Paso shooting, gun violence has been Beto’s issue, and he absolutely owned it Thursday night. He talked about it in his opening. He talked about it in his closing. He made his strongest points on the topic. He owned it to the extent that every other candidate talking about gun violence felt obliged to tip their hat to Beto. That single issue probably isn’t enough to move O’Rourke up the ranks, but … maybe.
- Andrew Yang seemed very lightly engaged throughout most of the night. During his opening, he offered to raffle off money in a way that will likely run afoul of about a dozen state and federal laws. During an immigration discussion he told one of the most compelling stories of the evening and actually seemed highly engaged. Mostly he spent the evening being a little too cool for school, resulting in a lukewarm, detached performance.
- Julián Castro did not have a good night. And that’s too bad. Castro had a stellar first debate when he stepped up to go toe-to-toe with O’Rourke, and he must have come into the night thinking that the way forward was to go through Joe Biden. Unfortunately, in the first exchange with Biden, Castro didn’t just come off as downright mean and leaning into an accusation that Biden was senile; it was actually Castro who was wrong. In a later exchange, Castro was absolutely right to call Biden on his selective attachment to Obama, and Castro had some good answers to questions when he wasn’t going after Biden. No one will remember.
Ranking the evening on a pure performance basis:
Booker, Warren, O’Rourke, Harris, Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Yang, Castro.
