Here we go. The Nevada caucuses are coming up in days, with early voting already started. Michael Bloomberg will be on the stage, though not on the Nevada ballot. Andrew Yang has dropped out, and Tom Steyer hasn’t qualified. This is a whole new debate.
The debate starts at 9 PM ET and is slated to last for two hours. It’s moderated by NBC News’ Lester Holt, Chuck Todd (traditionally a disaster), and Hallie Jackson, along with Telemundo’s Vanessa Hauc and The Nevada Independent's Jon Ralston. You can watch on NBC, MSNBC, and Universo, or livestream on NBC News, MSNBC, Telemundo, and The Nevada Independent.
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:05:22 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
And there off. First question to Sanders—why is he better than the moderate Bloomberg beat Trump. Sanders swings out on “stop and frisk.” And gets in M4A, raising minimum wage to $15, taking on fossil fuel industry. Warren tries to jump in, is ignored. Bloomberg hits back with Bernie taking away people’s insurance. He’s very wooden, clearly his first time out. And then Warren goes in for the kill with the derogatory things he’s called women and his deplorable history. Says we can’t “substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.”
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:10:20 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Biden talks about the NBC poll yesterday (the one that erased Warren) and says the usual Joe stuff and Buttigieg gets one in on both Bernie and Bloombie, let’s “put someone in who is actually a Democrat.” Bernie wants to burn this party down and Bloomberg wants to buy it.
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:14:48 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Warren glides over the attempt to make her fight with Sanders over his worst trolls and she talks about the housing crisis and her work, and jabs Bloomberg again over his blaming the global financial crisis on black and brown people getting mortgages.
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:20:26 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Chuckles asks about the unions’ opposition to M4A because they have great plans they fought for and Bernie says he won’t reduce their benefits but expand them, after he gives his usual spiel. Goes to Warren on healthcare. She takes the opportunity to take on Buttigieg’s and Klobuchar’s plans as weak, and then Bernie’s team who piled on her for saying there had to be a transition and then saying the same thing himself. She got ‘em all.
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:23:40 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Okay, it’s our usual healthcare question but they’re actually fighting and we’re getting some stuff, not all entirely true. Like Buttigieg having the gall to say that either Sanders or Warren were telling unions they didn’t know what was good for them. Which was supremely assholish. But the other thing that’s kind of good here is that Biden and Bloomberg aren’t in it at all.
Thursday, Feb 20, 2020 · 2:29:46 AM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
Lester Holt going after Bloomberg for his “throw kids against the wall” and other really racist remarks on stop and frisk. He’s saying that he feels really bad that he did that, now. It wasn’t his idea, really, and all big police departments use it and he sat down with black people to learn about it. He feels very, very defensive on this one.