That’s A Wrap
Well, it could be because this is our third live blog of the week (and our second of the day), but I struggled to identify some of the key moments in tonight’s debate while impeachment remains the topic du jour in Washington.
One thing was certain though: Democratic candidates seemed less willing to see how far they could push each other to the left on big policy ideas. Some of the lower-tier candidates like Klobuchar and Booker managed to deliver strong performances this evening, as well. Tonight could prove pivotal for Booker’s future in the race, too, as he’s still a long shot to qualify for the Dec. 19 debate.
Of course, the race shifted after the last debate. Biden is still in the lead, but the gap between Warren and Sanders is tightening and Buttigieg has made some big gains in both Iowa and New Hampshire polls, so there’s always the question of how this debate will alter the race going forward.
To relive the live blog in all its chronological glory, scroll back to the bottom and read up. If you’re not into that idea, though, I’ve got two other options for you. First, check back here tomorrow — we’re partnering with Ipsos to measure how the debate changes voters’ views of the race. Second, I asked the live blog team to sum up the night’s events in a newspapery headline. Here’s what they came up with:
Perry: 2020 Rivals Generally Lay Off Surging Buttigieg And Front-runner Biden
Nate: Rivals Mostly Avoid Attacking Buttigieg And Other Candidates Who Are Leading In the Polls
Galen: A Debate That Covered Roughly 15 Topics In Two Hours Risks Not Making It Above The Fold On A Day Rocked By Impeachment Testimony
Dan: Medicare For All Takes A Backseat And So Do Attacks On Front-runners
Nathaniel: Debate Highlighted By Handful Of Fierce, One-On-One Attacks
Amelia: Debate Moderators (Mostly) Avoid Health Care, And The Candidates Stay (Mostly) Polite
Geoff: No One Has Enough Bandwidth For A Debate This Week But It Went On Anyway And Nobody Particularly Shined
Clare: This Debate Was Supposed To End At 11; Buttigieg Gets The Hot Seat Treatment
Meredith: New Iowa Frontrunner, Buttigieg, Avoids a Pile-On, To Everyone's Surprise