What Went Down In The Fourth Democratic Debate

Is the glass half empty because it’s two hours in and we still have another hour to go? Or is it half full because there’s still another hour where one of the moderators might plausibly bring up climate change?

The exchange on Sanders’s health was striking to me, because of how well he handled it. As others have mentioned, he’s seemed really sharp throughout the evening. And his response was unusually personal and I thought came off as very sincere, thanking people for their prayers. Overall, it’s been a successful night for him so far, and he had a lot at stake.

Well, Gabbard has used some pretty euphemistic language — saying she opposes “regime change” wars — in order to avoid saying that she supports keeping Assad in power in Syria. She hasn’t had a great night. Biden is getting a little less speaking time in than Warren, but I think the foreign policy debate has played to his strengths. And the likes of Klobuchar and Buttigieg attacking Warren, taking some of the heat off Biden. Given his sometimes-shaky performances, that might not be a bad thing.