How Warren Won Without Having a Big Moment

[BlueMTexpat]

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/13/how-warren-won-without-having-a-big-moment-228102

Frankly, I am not really into which pundits consider who is "winning" and who is not. The final decision will be made by the voters. But still, there are some who felt as I did about Elizabeth Warren's performance after last night's debate.

Snippets

...
But perhaps the most notable takeaway is how good Elizabeth Warren in this format. There was no one moment of stand-out eloquence, no flash of humor that sent the audience and debaters laughing. It was, rather, her capacity to turn every question into an occasion for an answer that demonstrates political shrewdness, if not always substantive candor.

For instance, she still will not say that her health career plan will raise taxes for the middle class, which it almost certainly will and which Bernie Sanders frankly acknowledges. Instead, she says:

“What families have to deal with is cost, total cost.…And understand, families are paying for their health care today. Families pay, every time an insurance company says, sorry, you can't see that specialist. Every time an insurance company says…sorry, we are not covering that prescription. Families are paying every time they don't get a prescription filled because they can't pay for it. They don't have a lump checked out because they can't afford the copay. What we're talking about here is what's going to happen in families’ pockets, what's going to happen in their budgets...”
...
On the subject of education, Warren fused her personal background with a message aimed squarely at the public school unions that form a key part of the Democratic Party’s base—rejecting flatly the idea of public money for charter schools— and managed to shoehorn in another popular notion as well.

“You know,” Warren said, “I think I'm the only person on this stage who has been a public school teacher. I wanted to be a public school teacher since I was in second grade. And let's be clear in all the ways we talk about this, money for public schools should stay in public schools. Not go anywhere else. I've already made my commitment. I will—we will have a secretary of education who has been a public school teacher. I think this is ultimately about our values. I have proposed a two-cent wealth tax on the top one-tenth of one percent in this country. That would give us enough money to start with our babies by providing universal child care for every baby age 0 to 5. Universal pre-k for every 3-year-old and 4-year-old in this country, raise the wages of every child care worker and preschool teacher in this country. Cancel student loan debt for 95 percent of the folks who’ve got it.”

This is a skill most debaters, even those with years in public life, do not possess. They know how to deliver up packaged pieces of policy, and predictable applause lines. But taking a question and using it as a platform for a coherent message is a skill in short supply. [emphasis mine] (The last Presidential candidate to demonstrate such skill was Newt Gingrich back in 2012).
...

While I hate the comparison to Newt Gingrich (ugh to the nth power!), he did have an ability to reach voters.

[Ninga]

1. Well, not a big one...but several small brilliant ones. Nt.

[Blue_true]

5. She had the second highest speaking minutes, second to Biden.

And just ahead of Senator Sanders. She simply did a better job with the time that she got than either Biden or Senator Sanders.

[BlueMTexpat]

7. This!

[hedda_foil]

2. Gingrich is disgusting. Trump before Trump. But he was a master at framing.

I think that's what Greenfield is talking about.

[Hekate]

3. Exactly. Framing public discourse is not a notable Democratic skill...

Which is a polite way of saying we suck at it and the GOP generally leaves us in the dust.

I think Elizabeth Warren is brilliant at it. I like her and really admire her skills and intellect.

[LAS14]

4. K & R

[JI7]

6. Warren knows the way to win will be to convince others to support her

for whatever reason that may be.

so she focuses on getting out her agenda.