Summary
On February 19, 2020, six Democratic candidates debated for their spot as the 2020 nominee in Las Vegas, Nevada. To qualify for the debate, candidates had to have either 10 percent or more in four national, Nevada, or South Carolina polls; have 12 percent or more in just two Nevada or South Carolina polls; or, have secured at least one delegate in Iowa or New Hampshire.
The debate was moderated by a panel of five journalists, including: NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC anchor Lester Holt, Meet the Press moderator and NBC News political director Chuck Todd, NBC News chief White House correspondent and MSNBC Live host Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo senior correspondent Vanessa Hauc, and the Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston.
Of note, the debate was the first to feature former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (background and polling). In response to his arrival, the first segment of the debate focused solely on candidacy potential and who would be most likely to win the national election against President Trump. A fiery back-and-forth ensued, with Mayor Bloomberg saying a nomination of Senator Bernie Sanders (background and polling) would mean “four more years of Trump,” and Senator Elizabeth Warren (background and polling) saying that electing Mayor Bloomberg would just be “substituting one arrogant billionaire for another.” Senator Amy Klobuchar (background and polling) chimed in next, stating that the key to winning an election is voter turnout, and that she was able to amass substantial voter turnout in several Republican districts in her home state of Minnesota.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (background and polling) then quipped that NBC’s own poll found him to be the most equipped to win against Trump, and followed up with a claim that Mayor Bloomberg “didn’t get a whole lot done” during his mayoral tenure. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (background and polling) interjected, imploring the Democratic party to “wake up” and warned against a Super Tuesday outcome placing Sen. Sanders and Mayor Bloomberg as the frontrunners. He characterized both candidates as the “most polarizing figures on the stage,” and stated that “most Americans don’t see where they fit if they have to choose between a socialist and a billionaire that thinks money ought to be the root of all power.” Sen. Sanders responded, arguing that “speaking to the needs” of the working class is not at all polarizing, to which Mayor Buttigieg somewhat agreed in asserting that “we’ve got to unite this country to deal with these issues.”
As for health care, the major focus again was on the Medicare for All vs. Public Option debate, and featured somewhat familiar commentary on each candidate’s respective plan. Moderators first asked Sen. Sanders if his plan would truly strip away all private insurance and if his plan would “go too far.” After responding with a quick “no,” Sanders elaborated on two points justifying his approach. First, he stated that “for a hundred years…this country has been talking about the need to guarantee health care for all people,” and that spending twice as much per capita on health care as compared to any other developed nation has still left the U.S. with approximately 87 million individuals who are un- or under-insured. He again castigated the “greed of the pharmaceutical industry,” who he claimed charges Americans 10 times more for a drug in comparison to their prices in other nations. Last, in response to recent concerns from union workers about how Medicare for All would affect their current benefits, he promised that he “will never sign a bill that reduces the benefits they have” and that he will “only expand [their benefits] for them.”
When asked why her own plan has shifted from full blown Medicare for All to one with a slower transition period, Sen. Warren quickly pivoted to a pointing out the weaknesses of others’ plans, calling Mayor Buttigieg’s “a slogan to paper over a plan that would leave millions of people who can’t afford their health care” and that Sen. Klobuchar’s is “even less” and akin to a “post-it note.” She then commended Sen. Sanders’ plan but alluded to his inability to draw in supporters, and claimed that she would work to bring in support from as many people as possible. In his defense, Mayor Buttigieg responded that his plan would in fact “make sure there is no such thing as an uninsured American,” adding that it does so “without kicking anyone off the plan they have.”
Mayor Buttigieg continued that implying people do not know what health plan is best for them is the reason why “people are skeptical of the policies we’ve been putting forward.” He also remarked that a public option has continues to have the most support from the American people, which he stated was remarkable given that the Affordable Care Act was as far as anyone would go just 10 years ago. Sen. Klobuchar also defended her public option approach, claiming it would reduce premiums for 12 million people and expand coverage to approximately that same number.
Sen. Sanders, committed to his cause, argued that “somehow or another” every developed nation has a single payer system that provides universal coverage, but claimed that the U.S. has continually chosen not to due to the “greed” of the health care system. Instead, he stated, the function of a rational health care system should be to “provide health care to all people as a human right” and not to “make companies rich.”
Vice President Joe Biden touted that he was the only individual on the stage “who has got anything done on health care.” His plan, he stated, is the one President Obama originally wanted, and would build on the architecture of the individual Exchange market by adding a Medicare-like public option plan for consumers to purchase. Recognizing the high cost of the plan – amounting to approximately $750 billion over 10 years – he stated he would ensure the “rich pay taxes too.” He also added that those in support of Medicare for All “have no idea how much it will cost.” Last, he claimed that Mayor Bloomberg had historically criticized Obamacare, having called it a “disgrace.” Mayor Bloomberg denied these claims and pointed to an instance where he expressed his support for the legislation on the public record. He offered his support for a public option plan as well.
Two additional Democratic Primary debates are planned at this time, with one scheduled for Feb. 25 in Charleston, South Carolina, and another on March 15 in Phoenix, Arizona.