Dem Debates Round 1: The Hangover
Four hours of political debates can be grueling. Thankfully, our team has written analysis and commentary on each of the candidates' performances, just for you.
Night One: And We Thought the GOP Debates Were Messy
Elizabeth Warren
Camille: Warren did extraordinarily well opening the debate. She was charismatic and strong from a policy perspective. As a fellow debater, I can appreciate how intensively she was flowing the round.
Trisha: Warren’s ideas managed to dominate the first half of the debate because they established her own philosophies as the main points of contention. Despite not speaking nearly as much as O’Rourke or Booker, she was able to sum up more abstract policy and explain her plans far more deftly. Specifically, her ability to focus on the shift from center to leftist ideology when it came to progressivism allowed her to say “I stand with Bernie” on healthcare, while also maintaining her own presence and personality.
Surya: Understandably, Warren started the debate well with her past debate experience. She continued to stick to her message and beliefs and held an unwavering determination. Although I have multiple, MULTIPLE disagreements with her policies, she presented herself as a force to be reckoned with, and came out on top.
Cory Booker
Camille: Booker was a star in this debate alongside Castro. Not only did he get the highest speaking times, but he was extremely passionate and brought attention to the struggles of minorities. I think he will see a rise in the polls.
Trisha: Booker may have gotten the most words in, but in comparison to Klobuchar, Warren and breakout star Castro, he did not have the depth on unique policy that was expected from him. Given the precedent he set in the past, the actual substance in his policy proposal is disappointing because he seems to have forgotten that the plural of anecdote isn’t facts. However, he does get points for delivery and command of a room but his policy did not match his presence.
Surya: Booker did an outstanding job. Once again, as with Warren, my disagreements with policy were at moments forgotten because of his extremely persuasive speaking. However, he failed to commit to either a message of policy or identity politics, while most other candidates adhered to one or the other. This debate also gave me the idea of a Warren/Booker as a duo...
Julian Castro
Camille: Castro was a star in tonight’s debate. He effectively called out Beto on his immigration stances and pushed for repeals to Section 13.25. As a Latino-American, I believe that Castro will incentivize a lot of Latinx voters to come to the polls if he is able to make it far enough into the race.