- Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota wants assault weapons banned and universal background checks for gun control.
- Governor Steve Bullock of Montana believes gun violence is a public health issue and not a political one.
- Author Marianne Williamson says the NRA is the problem when it comes to gun violence but they’re not the only big companies causing problems in America; pharmaceutical, health insurance, and fossil fuel companies all need to be reformed.
DETROIT – The first night of the Democratic Primary debates is over, and with that comes winners and losers of the event. There was no time to waste when it came to the questions candidates were asked. The biggest question of the evening also happened to be one of the first to be queried. Were the candidates about grand gestures when it came to changing the country and its policies or did they want to tread lightly when enforcing their new ideas?
The two biggest voices for drastic measures were that of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Both candidates have become allies, as their progressive views line up with one another. In fact, as they stood side by side on stage, they teamed up against the other candidates rather than go after each other.
The Winners Of The Night
Former Representative from Maryland John Delaney came out on top when it came to debating the Sanders-Warren alliance. His performance on stage could give him the boost in the polls he needs. Moderators purposely looked to him when asking questions about the Medicare-for-all plan that the two candidates would like to put into action.
“Folks, we have a choice,” said Delaney. “We can go down the road that Senator Sanders and Senator Warren want to take us with bad policies like Medicare for All, free everything and impossible promises that’ll turn off independent voters and get Trump reelected.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren was seen as the debate winner in terms of how she portrayed herself to the people. She wants to make big changes in the United States and made those ambitions known.
“We need to be the party that fights for our democracy and our economy to work for everyone,” said Warren. “I know what’s broken in this country. I know how to fix it, and I will fight to make it happen.”
What Other Candidates Said
Tim Ryan made a statement at the very beginning of the night without using any words. The Representative from Ohio did not put his hand over his heart during the national anthem.
When it came to the topic of immigration reform, the candidates had plenty to say on the subject. Each had a different plan should they be elected in the 2020 Presidential Election.
The youngest on stage, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana says that an immigration reform plan has been needed his entire life. He stated that he believes Washington could get it done.
“Americans want comprehensive immigration reform and frankly, we’ve been talking about the same framework for my entire adult lifetime,” said Buttigieg. “Protections for dreamers, making sure that that we have a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, cleaning up lawful immigration. We know what to do.”
Former Representative of Texas Beto O’Rourke had an opposite way of thinking than that of Buttigieg. His plan wants to implement what his state of Texas has already done.
“In my administration, after we have waived citizenship fees for green card holders … freed DREAMers of any fear of deportation, and stopped criminally prosecuting families and children for seeking asylum and refuge,” said O’Rourke. “Then I expect that people who come here follow our laws and we reserve the right to criminally prosecute them if they do not.”
Senator Bernie Sanders believes there is truth to what O’Rourke said. He also wants a new immigration reform policy. He wants to help immigrants.
“I think the main thing that we’ve got to do, among many others, and Beto made this point, we’ve got to ask ourselves why are people walking 2,000 miles to a strange country where they don’t know the language?” said Sanders.
Towards the end of the debate, the candidate that made the most impact was Senator Elizabeth Warren while the candidate that didn’t say much to advance his campaign was Former Representative of Texas Beto O’Rourke. The consensus among each candidate is that a lot has to be done to change the United States for the better and to do so would require getting President Donald Trump out of the White House.
Their Odds Of Winning The Democratic Nomination
Below you find the ten candidates that spoke on night one of the debates and their election odds of winning the nomination. Senator Elizabeth Warren is perched atop the list. Governor Steve Bullock of Montana has no odds listed.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – +375
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana – +600
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont – +900
Beto O’Rourke, a former representative of Texas – +4,000
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota – +6600
Author and spiritualist Marianne Williamson – +10,000
Former Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado – +10,000
John Delaney, a former representative of Maryland – +10,000
Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio – +10,000
Governor Steve Bullock of Montana
The second night of the debate is tonight at 8:00 pm ET. Ten new candidates will take the stage to discuss their views on various topics. The event is being aired by the CNN network.