5 Takeaways from the South Carolina Democratic Debate
- Published Feb 26, 2020
1. Candidates Target Bernie Sanders
Tuesday night, presidential candidates went after frontrunner Bernie Sanders. Sanders has already secured victories in Nevada and New Hampshire. Experts say Sanders could take an even bigger lead if he does well in California and Texas primaries next week.
Sanders was on the defensive most of the night as the other contenders questioned him on his campaign promises.
“I mean, look, if you think the last four years have been chaotic, divisive, toxic, exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump,” candidate Pete Buttigieg said. “Think about what that will be like for this country.”
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2. Elizabeth Warren Still Attacking Mike Bloomberg
Bloomberg wasn’t immune from the attacks Tuesday night as Warren continued to argue that the former New York mayor oversaw a toxic workplace for women and made them sign nondisclosure agreements. She also said he has previously supported Republican political candidates.
“I don’t care how much money he has, the core of the Democratic Party will never trust him,” Warren said. “He’s the riskiest candidate standing on this stage.”
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3. Biden Is Looking for a Big Win in South Carolina
Joe Biden is hoping to win South Carolina after the former vice president earned disappointing results in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
According to NPR, reporters asked Biden if he would continue in the race if he didn’t win the state. He responded, “I will win South Carolina.”
Biden is hoping his past work with the African American community will help him earn the support of black voters.
"The people know me," he said. "My entire career has been wrapped up in dealing with civil rights and civil liberties. I don't expect anything. I plan to earn the vote."
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4. Candidates Looking for Diverse Votes in South Carolina
The debate also featured talk of how they would solve inequality among black Americans, a topic especially important to South Carolina.
“We should have a formal commission on race to retell the story of the last 400-plus years in America of African Americans,” businessman Tom Steyer said.
Warren also talked about a policy that would look at how past policies hurt African Americans.
“It is important to recognize the role that the federal government played for decades and decades in discriminating against African Americans having an opportunity to buy homes,” she said.
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5. Arguments, Shouting Mark Latest Debate
CBS moderators lost control of parts of the debate as candidates shouted over one another and interrupted each other on Tuesday night.
The heated arguments come as Super Tuesday is less than a week away.
"I guess the only way to do this is jump in and speak twice as long as you should," Biden said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, meanwhile, warned that the candidates will have to eventually work together.
“If we spend the next four months tearing our party apart, we're going to watch Donald Trump spend the next four years tearing our country apart,” she said.
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