2020 Debate Recap: Video Highlights From When Democrats Were Last Onstage

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/us/politics/debate-recap-video.html

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WASHINGTON — The last Democratic debate took place barely a month ago, but it might as well have occurred in a different political era. Ukraine was just another country in Eastern Europe, and the House had not begun its impeachment inquiry.

That debate, held Sept. 12 in Houston, was the first time in the 2020 race that the Democratic candidates faced off on one night instead of being split into two evenings. It was also the first time that two of the leading contenders, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Senator Elizabeth Warren, were onstage together.

Two additional candidates will participate in the CNN/New York Times debate at 8 p.m. Tuesday: Representative Tulsi Gabbard and the billionaire Tom Steyer.

To refresh your memory ahead of the debate, here are some highlights from last time. (And if you really want to study up, here’s a recap of the summer debates, too.)

Mr. Biden continued to embrace former President Barack Obama. On the topic of health care, Mr. Biden drew a particularly clear contrast with Ms. Warren, who has aligned herself with Senator Bernie Sanders in support of creating a “Medicare for all” system. “I know that the senator says she’s for Bernie,” Mr. Biden said. “Well, I’m for Barack.”

Mr. Biden’s performance on the debate stage was uneven. At one point, he was asked a question about repairing the legacy of slavery in the United States. In a meandering answer that included a mention of playing the radio for young children so they hear more words, he used a particularly outdated reference: “Make sure you have the record player on at night.”

At the time, the revelations about Mr. Trump and Ukraine had not yet emerged, and House Democrats had not begun their impeachment inquiry. Yet Mr. Trump still came under attack from multiple candidates, including Senator Kamala Harris.

Mr. Castro, the former housing secretary, is among the more youthful candidates in the Democratic field, and he took what appeared to be a swipe at Mr. Biden over his age. “Are you forgetting already what you said just two minutes ago?” Mr. Castro asked, accusing Mr. Biden of contradicting himself over the mechanics of his health care plan, though Mr. Biden did not appear to have done so. Mr. Castro’s line of attack failed to elevate him in the race: He stood at 1 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released on Monday.

Mr. O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman, drew praise for his response to the mass shooting in El Paso, his hometown, in August. Talking at the debate about military-style rifles, he was emphatic: “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” he said. His campaign quickly began selling T-shirts with his “hell yes” declaration.