Beige is the new blue — Democratic moderates
by Tom Sullivan
“It took over 100 people eight days to build the set for CNN’s Democratic debates. Nine 53-foot semi-trucks were needed to haul in all the equipment,” tweeted CNN’s Oliver Darcy.
“Next time use an old high school gym and spend the money on hiring investigative journalists,” replied Philadelphia Inquirer’s Will Bunch.
Watching Part One of the second Democratic debate was an endurance contest. CNN’s 30-second response format was a disaster, barely giving candidates time to formulate a sentence before being cut off. Questions from CNN moderators seemed designed not to probe policy issues, but to get candidates to snipe at each other.
“Question after question was framed up from the ideological perspective of a Heritage Foundation intern,” writes Ashley Feinberg at Slate, “or otherwise crafted as a gotcha to generate a 15-second clip for Republican attack ads down the line.”
Despite that awful format and the gotcha questions, there were a few moments worth the headache.
With Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at center stage, moderates no longer at the center of Democratic politics tried to find purchase by attacking them from the wings as dreamers with unworkable plans. Their health care plans, they argued, would take away private insurance policies people like and for which unions negotiated.
Warren turned those criticisms back on the moderates.
“Let’s be clear about this. We are the Democrats,” Warren began. “We are not trying to take away health care from anyone,” Warren responded, “and we should stop using Republican talking points” to speak about providing health care.
Let's stop using Republican talking points. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/vrFgfoOrhK— Team Warren (@TeamWarren) July 31, 2019
South Bend, Indiana’s Mayor Pete Buttigieg had improved his debate prep, producing a couple of stand-out moments. First, taking on the predictable Republican line of attack.
If we embrace a far-left agenda, they’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. If we embrace a conservative agenda, they’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. So let’s stand up for the right policy, go up there, and defend it. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/vt6RhQ7sQr— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 31, 2019
Responding to a question meant to get him to comment on Sanders’ age, Buttigieg (at 40 sec.) pivoted to addressing Republicans in Congress directly for enabling a racist demagogue in the Oval Office.
“If you are watching this at home,” Buttigieg said looking straight into the camera, “and you are a Republican member of Congress, consider the fact that when the sun sets on your career and they are writing your story of all the good and bad things you did in your life, the thing you will be remembered for is whether in this moment with this president you found the courage to stand up to him, or you continued to put party over country.”
I don’t care how old you are—I care about your vision. We cannot have a vision that amounts to back to "normal." It’s the only reason we got this president, that "normal" didn’t work. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/uGIVdlv2Dq— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 31, 2019
If Aaron Sorkin had scripted that speech, the camera would slowly have panned in close and stirring music would have swelled.
When Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, another moderate, tried to attack Sanders, claiming he didn’t really understand what his health care plan would do, Sanders snapped to applause, “I do know. I wrote the damned bill!”
I wrote the damn bill! #MedicareForAll #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/4YtVuDbPWc— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 31, 2019
“To win this election and to defeat Donald Trump — which by the way, in my view is not going to be easy — we need to have a campaign of energy and excitement and of vision,” Sanders said. Voters would not be getting that from moderates, Sanders implied.
Ryan, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, former congressman John Delaney of Maryland, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper each tried to argue their positions would have more appeal for the mushy center of the electorate. Hickenlooper seemed to be pitching a government that is ISO 9001 certified, a message sure to mobilize tens of millions of nonvoters under 40 to knock doors for him.
Each moderate in his way made the same bland pitch: “Vote for me, I’m BEIGE.” Many will not survive to make the next round of dabates.
After multiple assaults on her plans from moderates, Warren won the night by responding to another poor-mouthed critique, this time from Delaney.
“I don’t understand why anyone goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States,” she answered, “just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for.”
I genuinely do not understand why anyone would go to all the trouble of running for president just to get up on this stage and talk about what’s not possible. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/cOCz5TS3AF— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) July 31, 2019
R.I.P., Delaney campaign.
Tonight, round two. Former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris will occupy center stage.
- Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet
- New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
- Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
- New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker
- Former Vice President Joe Biden
- California Sen. Kamala Harris
- Andrew Yang
- Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
Update: Somehow cut off some last names in above list while formatting. Fixed. (Thx: BH)