Taegan Goddard: My Reaction to the Third Democratic Debate

[brooklynite]

Elizabeth Warren is a candidate very comfortable with how she’s running this race. She’s very good at this: Confident, knowledgeable, passionate and yet still in the moment. She knows this race won’t be won at a debate five months before the voting begins and never tried to score cheap shots. Her performance has been the most consistent of any of the candidates.

Joe Biden began the debate noticeably sharper than he was in the previous two. Unfortunately, he did not sustain that for the full three hours. His answers were sometimes incomprehensible and often confused. That said, Biden was best when he praised his rivals. He shows true empathy, kindness and compassion and it’s a major reason why he’s so popular.

Bernie Sanders did not have the greatest night. While his angry man persona is either endearing or grating, depending on your perspective, the issues he brought to this debate have been taken by other candidates who do a much better job explaining them. It’s unlikely he won many converts tonight.

Kamala Harris’s steady pounding of Trump was perhaps the most interesting strategy tonight. It was almost like she was egging Trump on to respond on Twitter. It might just work. On paper, Harris might be the perfect Democratic candidate for president. On a debate stage, I’m just not sure she’s connecting with many voters.

Pete Buttigieg is clearly one of the smartest candidates and gives wonderful interviews, but his performance in these debates suggests it’s not his best forum. He’s gone from one of the most interesting candidates in the field to sometimes sounding like he’s running for high school class president. The exception, of course, was when he spoke of his perspective as a military veteran.

https://politicalwire.com

[Celerity]

1. good analysis nt

[calguy]

2. Kamala's frequent and pointed attacks on trump

Gave me the impression that she already knows she's not going to win the nomination. She seemed to be sort of auditioning herself for consideration for VP. She did quite well in the role of attack dog.