The second round of Democratic debate is already upon us. With so much anticipation surrounding the 2020 presidential election, it’s almost staggering to know that there will be a total of twelve Democratic debates. The reality is that the race has only just begun. But many of the candidates are eager to differentiate themselves more prominently from the rest because the pool of candidates is still overflowing and competitive. Since the last debate, only one candidate has dropped out of the running and former Vice President Joe Biden remains in the lead. However, a recent poll by PerryUndem reported that voters think female candidates are more favorable for the 2020 election.
The first round mainly touched on issues like healthcare, immigration, and the American economy. We had three main takeaways from that debate, but we have many items that we are hoping to see in this new round of debates. Let us know what you would like to see during these next two nights of debates!
- Elizabeth Warren had an overall strong performance during the first debate, but she clearly specializes in revolutionizing healthcare and breaking up big corporations. Joining her on stage for the second debate will be Bernie Sanders, who has a somewhat similar focus. We hope Warren will be able to differentiate herself from her colleague more distinctly.
- Kamala Harris was the other female candidate who had a very strong showing during the debates. She demonstrated how aggressive and elegant of a leader she is as well as presented clear positions on a variety of topics. In the second debate, she will share the stage with Joe Biden and we can only anticipate that they will have another tense exchange, but Biden will be more prepared.
- Although Marianne Williamson is considered an anomaly of sorts, she has become memorable because of how different she is from the rest of the candidates. We hope to see Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Tulsi Gabbard have a stronger presence on stage.
- Tragedy struck for during the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival this past weekend when a shooter attacked the festival attendees. Gun violence was discussed in the first debates, but this latest shooting reminds the country that this is a rampant problem. We’re hoping that the Democratic candidates will propose compelling ideas about how to address America’s gun problem.
- It’s been noted that climate change was only talked about for fifteen minutes during the first round of debates. That’s frighteningly low, considering how it is the most pressing issue. Jay Inslee, governor of Washington, has dedicated his entire platform to climate change and puts all his proposals in terms of addressing climate change. We hope climate change will be discussed more.
- Women-related issues, specifically in regards to healthcare and reproductive choice, was brought up in the first debate, but we would like to see more. Our current sitting president has been accused of doing terrible things to so many women. If the Democratic candidates could make a stronger stance about how they will be an advocate for women, we believe that will make an incredible difference to voters.