Democratic Debates Focus on Sanders, Bloomberg

Democratic candidates met for a rowdy two-hour debate in South Carolina Tuesday night, but most of the discussion focused on mega-billionaire Michael Bloomberg and poll-leader Bernie Sanders.

The debate sets the stage for Saturday’s South Carolina primary, where the candidates will look to take a bite out of Sander’s rapidly growing lead.

Sanders Stays on Top

As usual, the field attacked Sanders over his socialist policies and spending plans. He managed to parry most of the tough questions, but his composure seemed to be shaken on a few occasions.

He came under fire for a recent “60 Minutes” interview in which he defended Fidel Castro’s communist regime in Cuba. When questioned about the comments, he said he’s against authoritarianism, but he also defended Cuba’s progress on education; prompting a round of ‘boos’ from the audience. The boos visibly upset Sanders, but he managed to recover and end the night with a strong close.

Most experts believe he will hold onto his front-runner status through the next major primary.

Ultimately, the debate failed to unseat Sanders from his lead, so he was the night’s biggest winner.

Bloomberg Bungles

On the other hand, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn’t fare as well.

Senator Elizabeth Warren challenged Bloomberg over the non-disclosure agreements he has with several former female employees. The NDAs prevent the women in question from revealing comments Bloomberg made while they worked at his company. Warren accused Bloomberg of telling a pregnant female employee to “kill it”, which he strongly denied.

Bloomberg released three women from NDA agreements earlier in the week, but Warren speculated that there may be dozens more.

Bloomberg’s performance was slightly better than his previous debate but was still relatively poor. Several of his jokes fell flat with the audience. At one point, he quipped to Sanders, “that’s why Russia is helping you get elected, so you’ll lose.” However, the comment garnered only a tepid reaction from the audience.

At one point, Bloomberg glanced at his watch, and the media is already jumping all over him for that. Ultimately, Michael Bloomberg took another loss on Tuesday, bringing his record to 0-2 on the debate stage.

Biden’s Strong Showing

Meanwhile, some of the ancillary candidates had strong showings. Former Vice President Joe Biden was particularly sharp. Many analysts called it his best debate performance as of yet.

Biden desperately needed a win, and he hopes the momentum will carry him to a victory in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. Biden has said that he will take South Carolina but, even if he wins, it is doubtful that he will gain much ground on Sanders.

Warren Goes After Bloomberg and Bernie

Senator Elizabeth Warren was also one of the night’s winners. She continued her all-out assault on Bloomberg by attacking him for his NDAs with former female employees and his past contributions to Republican campaigns. She also made compelling arguments against Sanders.

Warren’s policy positions aren’t much different than Sanders’, and she emphasized that fact during Tuesday’s debate. However, she said she has a better chance of making those policies a reality. If she continues to drive home this angle, she could capture more votes from Sanders and climb her way back to the front of the polls.

The Losers

Amy Klobucher didn’t manage to make much of an impact in Tuesday’s debate. She’s had two poor performances since she stole the stage in New Hampshire, so it looks like she will continue to lag the rest of the field.

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg had a decent performance, but it was nothing that will shake up the status quo. He tried to bring attention to the possible consequences of a Sanders nomination and possible presidency, but it wasn’t enough to qualify his performance as a success. For now, Buttigieg remains trapped in a cycle of voter cannibalism with the rest of the moderate candidates, which increases the likelihood that the eventual candidate will hail from the party’s extreme left.

You can also Tom Steyer to the group of moderate candidates that are trailing the pack. Like Bloomberg, Steyer is a billionaire with plenty of cash to throw around, but it hasn’t helped him on the debate stage. He’s in contention for third place in the South Carolina primary, but his campaign continues to be a footnote.