Six Democratic candidates took to the stage in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening in advance of Saturday’s caucuses in the state.
It was the ninth debate of this cycle for Democrats but the first to feature former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who has been rising in national polls and spending lavishly on his campaign.
Who were the winners and losers?
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WINNERS
Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.)
Warren, coming off a disappointing fourth-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, needed to roll the dice in Vegas. She did — and won.
The Massachusetts senator and former Harvard Law School professor is a formidable debater in general but she was especially focused and forceful Wednesday.
More importantly, perhaps, she was the clear winner of the debate’s most memorable moment.
That happened when the topic arose of Bloomberg’s treatment of women.
Asked by co-moderator Hallie Jackson about alleged sexist comments, Bloomberg tried to pivot to reference the number of women who held senior roles in his company and during his mayoral administration.
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“I hope you heard what his defense was: ‘I’ve been nice to some women,’ ” Warren shot back. “That just doesn’t cut it.”
Warren went on to pummel Bloomberg at length for his refusal to release women who sued his company from nondisclosure agreements.
Warren had already telegraphed what was coming when she began the night with a zinger drawing a parallel between Bloomberg and President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE.
“I’d like to talk about who we’re running against,” she began. “A billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians.’ And, no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”
Warren faces an extremely steep uphill climb to get back into serious contention for the nomination. She hasn’t finished in the top two in either of the first contests, and she has been eclipsed on the left by Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.).
But she could hardly have hoped for a better night than she got Wednesday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Sanders went into the debate as the undisputed front-runner for the nomination.
He leads the RealClearPolitics national polling average by a full 10 points, has an army of intense supporters and is the clear favorite to win Nevada’s caucuses.
All Sanders needed to do on the debate stage was avoid a glaring misstep. He easily cleared that bar.
No one did Sanders significant damage, and he probably benefited from the volume of fire turned on Bloomberg. Sanders himself mentioned Bloomberg’s support for stop-and-frisk in his first remarks of the night.
When Sanders’s rivals did try to attack him, he rebuffed them with relative ease.
Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE (D) tried to raise a spat between Sanders and the powerful Culinary Workers Union in Nevada, only to get slapped down.
“We’ve more union support than you’ve ever dreamed of,” the Vermont senator said.
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Love him or hate him, there is no reason to assume Sanders’s trajectory toward the nomination is about to shift anytime soon.
Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Democrats demand Republican leaders examine election challenges after Georgia voting chaos Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (D-Minn.)
Klobuchar had revived her campaign with her performance in a previous debate, days before the New Hampshire primary. She climbed to a surprise third-place finish in the Granite State in the immediate aftermath.
The Minnesotan had another strong — though not quite so stellar — night on Wednesday.
There is no doubt about the brand of politics Klobuchar is selling — a practical centrism rooted in her Midwestern upbringing. The fading fortunes of former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE give her some room to grow.
Klobuchar emphasized her modest roots after Bloomberg made an ill-advised reference to how a businessman of his wealth could hardly use Turbo Tax to do his tax returns.
She referenced her husband, saying he did the couple’s tax returns and they “probably could go to Turbo Tax.”
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Later in the debate, Klobuchar’s exchanges with Buttigieg grew particularly testy, with her accusing him at one point of implying she was stupid.
During another exchange, she pushed back against the former mayor’s propensity to be sanctimonious, telling him, “I wish everyone was as perfect as you, Pete.”
It’s still very hard to see a plausible route to the nomination for Klobuchar. But she had a good night nonetheless.
MIXED
Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg is under pressure on several fronts.
He is polling poorly in Nevada and in the fourth state to vote, South Carolina. His strong showing in Iowa and New Hampshire has not been as transformative as his supporters had hoped. And his position in the centrist lane in the primary is under serious threat from Bloomberg.
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A stand-out night would have helped, and he didn’t get one.
He did not have any obvious gaffe, either.
Buttigieg, on Wednesday, was OK. And that probably isn’t good enough.
LOSERS
Former New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergEngel scrambles to fend off primary challenge from left It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process Liberals embrace super PACs they once shunned MORE
Make no mistake about it, Bloomberg had a dreadful night.
He came under attack from virtually every other candidate. That was no surprise — they were never going to let him away scot-free on a debate stage having seen him lay out about $350 million in advertising.
More shocking was that Bloomberg was so ineffectual in defending himself. The way Warren filleted him over the nondisclosure agreements was only the most glaring example.
He was hesitant in his defense even of stop and frisk, despite the fact that it was an iron certainty the topic would be raised.
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Bloomberg also displayed a kind of testiness that is familiar to New Yorkers from his three terms as mayor.
One example was the “Turbo Tax” reference for which Klobuchar punished him. Another came when he rolled his eyes at Warren.
More generally the former mayor’s manner of vigorously defending his own vast wealth — he is reportedly one of the 20 richest people in the world — seems politically problematic in today’s Democratic Party.
It is, of course, possible that none of this will matter. Bloomberg will not be on the ballot until Super Tuesday, March 3, by which time memories of this debate will have faded — or perhaps been buried beneath an avalanche of ads.
But none of that changes the fact that this was a strikingly poor performance.
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Biden’s campaign is in dire straits.
He came fifth in the New Hampshire primary, there are signs that his bedrock support among black voters is beginning to erode and, according to one national poll released early Wednesday by ABC News and The Washington Post, his support has halved in the past month.
Even in better times earlier this cycle, Biden was an indifferent debater. The same was true on Wednesday, when he seemed to fade into the margins at times.
He occasionally came back with some fire in his belly — particularly when arguing that he had racked up real accomplishments during his long political career while some of his rivals have merely talked airily of aspirations.
But Biden was overshadowed once more by most people on the stage, and that’s a very bad sign when his campaign is already so troubled.