Thread by @jentaub

🇺🇸Here we go. Night 2 of the Democratic Candidates Debate.

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Our first moderators are Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, and Jose Diaz-Balart

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First question to Sanders. Will taxes go up for the middle class to support your programs?

Sanders says, "Health care in my view is a human right." Said people will pay less for healthcare under his Medicare for All plan.

Will eliminate student debt by taxing Wall Street

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Guthrie asks again about taxes. Says yes middle class will pay more in taxes but less for healthcare.

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Guthrie asks Biden the next question. Reminds him he said we shouldn't demonize the rich, and "No ones standard of living will change."

Biden doesn't directly answer question. Talks instead about clean air and water. Speaks to enormous income inequality. Cut tax loopholes

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Harris gets big applause when she mentions Trump tax cut. "Working families need support" and rules are written for the "people who have the most" and not for "the people who work the most." She mentions tax credit of $500 a month. Also (like Biden) will repeal Trump tax bill

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John Hickenlooper (who is this guy -- yes, I know, former Governor of Colorado) is asked a question about the climate crisis. Only question he should be asked is why is he on the stage. Go home John.

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When askes whether a socialist can beat Trump. Sanders says, "Trump is a phony and a pathological liar"

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Kirsten Gillibrand jumped in and said "I disagree." Not sure what she is disagreeing about. Said we want capitalism, but not "corrupted capitalism"

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Okay. Michael Bennet is asked a question. Again, I have a different one. Why are you here? Go home, Michael.

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Mayor Pete is asked about free college. He is against it except for middle and low income students. Not for free college for billionaires. Cough. Cough. This is crazy. Billionaires don't get free college. Also he says don't need to go to college

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Good for Swalwell. He jumped in and said he has $100,000 in student loan debt. This generation needs to lead

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Andrew Yang is asked how he can afford to give $1,000 per month per person. His Freedom Dividend. He says this will improve GDP. Said automation is destroying jobs and that's why Donald Trump got elected

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Swalwell says we need to modernize schools, wipe away student debt for teachers who go into communities who need them. Wow. He goes there. Alludes to Biden's age. Time to pass the torch.

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Biden says, "I'm still holding on to that torch." This is a reference to Swalwell saying that he ws 6 years old when he heard a candidate (then Biden) say it was time to pass the torch

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Biden wants free community college. Wants to freeze debt while a graduate's wages are low. Wants continuing education for everyone.

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Bernie jumps in. "Who has the guts to take on Wall Street, to take on the fossil fuel industry." Everyone is shouting over each other

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Yes! Kamala says, "You guys, American does not want to witness a food fight, they want to know who we are going to put food on the table." Nice. (Not sure if if quote is verbatim.)

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Huge applause for Harris. No one should have to work more than one job to have a decent life.

She is winning this debate

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Gillibrand defends Medicare for All plan and mentions how she drafted the part of the bill that deals with the transition. In contrast Mayor Pete favors a different transition to single payer.

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Biden is talking about family tragedy. Wants people to buy into the exchange for a Medicare like plan. Said "we must move now." He says he is opposed to anyone who takes down Obamacare. Applause

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Holt asks Sanders, if California and Vermont cannot do Medicare for all, how can it be done at the national level. Sanders says how can countries like Canada and in Europe provide this for their people at 50% less of a cost. Says system is about making profits for ins. cos

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First question for Marianne Williamson is how to lower cost for healthcare and drug costs. Says plans don't win election. "we have a sickness care system in the United States" not healthcare. Need to ask why so many Americans have unnecessary chronic illnesses, Applause.

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She also tied illness to our industrial policy to environmental policy.

Now Bennet is talking about having cancer before he ran for office. And he is now claiming everything is banned

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Bernie said you can go to any doctor or hospital under this plan.

Good for Harris. She jumps in,

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Harris says when child has fever and takes child to Emergency Room, knowing if they go in, even with insurance, they will be out $5,000 deductible. "That's what insurance companies are doing in America today.

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When polled by moderator, all ten candidates raised their hands indicating that their healthcare plan covers undocumented people in the US.

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Oh. Biden looked very bewildered when Guthrie asked whether he had raised his hand. But then he gets what she is asking him. Says he can deal with insurance companies by "putting insurance executives in jail" for their misleading advertising. Now he is stumbling over words

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Harris asked about immigration. Said she'd immediately upon swearing in restore protection for DACA, release children from cages, get rid of private detention centers, etc. Also "will ensure that this microphone that the president of the United States has in her hand" . . .

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Harris is killing it tonight. Big applause. Takes on Trump's cruelty.

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I know that John Hickenlooper is speaking, but I just want to talk about Kamala Harris. She is the star tonight. She is smart, focused, on point, clear, energetic.

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Williamson is speaking truth about the kidnapping and child abuse at the border. "What President Trump has done" attacking our moral core. Not presidential material, but a good conscience.

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Gillibrand opposes for-profit prisons to lock up children.

Now all panelists are asked whether crossing border should be a civil or criminal offense

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Mayor Pete is talking and Joe has his finger up trying to get the moderator's attention. Joe is not looking at Pete when he's talking.

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When asked, Joe says he would send reunite families and surge billions of dollars in help to the region. Go to the root cause. Said crisis was abated during Obama era. "We all talk about these things. I did it. I did it."

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But he is asked Obama-Biden administration deported 3 million people. He says only should be deported if committed a major crime. Said Obama did a "heck of a job compared to this guy."

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Good for Bernie. Said he agreed with what Kamala said. Then picked up on Joe's point about root causes. Need to invite leadership from Mexico and Central America to solve problems

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Swalwell discusses strengths of diversity.

Harris says she opposed Obama's policies on this. She speaks about domestic violence victims fearing coming forward because abuser will get her deported.

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Bennet says Russia, not China is the bigger threat to our national security. Said President has pushed back on China in the wrong way.

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Bennet shouting and ends with praising the Statue of Liberty. Gets applause.

Yang says Russia is our biggest geopolitical threat and should focus on that. They "are laughing their asses off" he said. Against tarriffs and trade wars with China

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Mayor Pete said China is using technology for the perfection of dictatorship. We have bigger issue than the export balance on washing machines. We must invest in our own infrastructure

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Pete also said we must show we care about democratic values if we want to be an alternative to authoritarianism.

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Rachel Maddow and Chuck Todd are taking over the moderator seats. Fingers crossed that the sound tech works tonight.

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Maddow addresses Pete Buttigieg, asking about what's going on in his community. Said "It's a mess, and we're hurting." Admits "I couldn't get it done." Talks compassionately about the life of Eric Logan. "Nothing that I say will bring him back."

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Describes a "wall of mistrust." Also seems unhappy that cop wasn't wearing a body camera,

"Why has it taken so long" asks Hickenlooper. Why five years after Ferguson isn't there police acountability.

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Swalwell says, "you should fire the chief."

Williamson says there are deep realms of racial injustice and comes out for reparations.

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Harris tries to jump in and Todd tries to cut her off. She asserts herself reminding them that she's the only black person on stage. Rachel gives her 30 seconds and says she'll come back to her

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Harris addresses Biden. Says I don't think you are a racist. But says it was hurtful for him to talk about two US Senators who built their careers on segregation and you worked with them to oppose busing. She's the little girl bussed to school. Love her

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Huge applause for Harris. Now Biden given a chance to respond.

"This is a mischaracterization of my position across the board." Says he was a public defender not a prosecutor as a cut at her.

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OMG. Big Biden Fail. He just said he still stand by his position to oppose federal government involvement in busing. He is shouting defensively.

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My heart is racing. Biden was unacceptable in his demeanor and his answer. I know Bernie and Gillibrand are talking. Cannot think about anything other than his rudeness to her about her story about busing and his double-down on his position opposing fed involvement in busing

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Hey @ElieNYC, are you yelling at the television?

Now there's a lot of talk about dealing with Mitch McConnell. Says he can get Mitch to do stuff. He got money for stimulus and cancer research. Applause after he said we won back the Senate.

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Now Benet is taking down Biden said the deal he struck was good for the Tea Party. Said it was a terrible deal for America. Applause.

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Good for Gillibrand. The corruption in Washington is real, she said. Reason tax cuts to rich had to be passed was to make donors happy.

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Gilibrand - imagine Parkland kids having as much power in our democracy as the Koch Brothers and the NRA.

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Maddow asks about Roe v. Wade. What is your plan, Sanders if it's struck down by the Court. "I will never nominate any justice to SCOTUS unless he/she will defend Roe." Said he does not believe in courtpacking, but does believe we have power to rotate judges to other courts

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Gillibrand says I will guarantee women's reproductive freedom. Opposed Hyde amendment.

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Now Harris on the climate crisis. President supports science fiction, not science fact. She supports Green New Deal, wants to re-enter Paris Agreement. Donald Trump is greatest national security threat to US.

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Also, earlier, Bernie said that Medicare for All protect all women's access to abortion

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Buttigieg is talking about how rural America can be "a huge part of how we get this done." We should have a Pittsburg summit

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Maddow is asking Hickenlooper about partnering with oil and gas companies. Now he's talking about socialism not being the solution. That was the question. Please go home, John.

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How to cut carbon emissions without Congressional support Maddow asks Biden. He said renewable sources. "I would immediately insist that we build 500,000 recharging stations" to get to a "full electrical vehicle future by 2030." Also invest in green tech., rejoin Paris

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Bernie wants to get the world leaders together to stop investing in munitions and instead in technology to save the planet.

Pass the torch, says Swalwell.
Inspire people says Williamson.

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Each asked for top issue.

"For Parkland for Orlando and other communities facing gun violence, ending gun violence" -- Swalwell.

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For some reason Biden is talking about Obama. Now he said first thing is "We defeat Donald Trump." (But the question was the first issue while president).

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Could not keep up with all of these top issues for each candidate. Many had climate first. Several smartly rejected the request to focus on just one.

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Maddow addresses @ericswalwell about buybacks. Said take the most dangerous weapons from the most dangerous people. Assault weapons. Nice callout to the Moms and Brady group. "We must be a country that loves our children more than we love our guns."

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@ericswalwell She asks Bernie about his position on guns. He said it was a mischaracterization of his view. She said it was a quote. Said he has a D- voting record from NRA. Wants to end gun show loophole.

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@ericswalwell Harris says congress does not have the courage to act. So she'll give them 100 days to put a bill on her desk. If they don't she'll take executive action. Background checks, ban importation of assault weapons.

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@ericswalwell Buttigieg: "If more guns made us safer, we'd be the safest country in the world." He "trained on weapons of war" and there are weapons that have no business in Americans cities and neighborhoods

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@ericswalwell Said he got the Brady Bill passed and go assault weapons banned (but the bill had a sunset provision). Hmmmm he said the enemy is the gun manufacturers not the NRA. . .but as I think Swalwell chimed in the NRA is controlled by gun manufacturers.

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@ericswalwell The he above is Biden.

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@ericswalwell Chuck Todd asked what relationships to reset after Trump

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@ericswalwell Williamson: European leaders
Hickenloooper: China
Yang: China, NK
Buttigieg: Entire world
Biden: NATO alliance
Sanders: United Nations
Harris: NATO alliance
Gillibrand: Iran, Middle East
Bennet: European allies and LA
Swalwell: Break up with Russia, Makeup with NATO

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@ericswalwell Biden said somethings, Then Bernie said unlike Joe he did not vote for the war with Iraq. Also, he led effort to get Saudi Arabia out of Yemen. Also said war with Iran would be worse than Iraq.

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@ericswalwell Wrap up round for each candidates.

Swalwell: This is generation that will end climate chaos and solve student loan debt, end gun violence,

Williamson: Idea about Donald Trump. He's harnessed fear for political purposes "and only love can caste that out."

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@ericswalwell Bennet: Children living in poverty. Doesn't make empty promises. Says we need broad coalition to beat Trump. Create opportunity.

Hickenlooper: Has a scrappy spirit. Reducing teenage abortion. Legalized marijuana. Attacked climate change. Against big government

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@ericswalwell Gillibrand: Women in America on fire. We marched, we ran for office and we won. Says she will take on the fights no one else where. Said she voted against bailout twice. Ended Don't Ask Don't Tell taking on Pentagon.

Yang: I'm proof Democracy works. Who can beat Trump?

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@ericswalwell Harris: We need a nominee that has the ability to prosecute the case against four more years of Donald Trump. Also this election is about you. Healthcare, pay bills. Leads with dignity, honesty, truth, for the families to prosper.

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@ericswalwell Buttigieg: Policy is personal to him. In 2055 when he's the age of the current president, he wants to look back on having dealt with climate crisis etc.

Sanders: People have great ideas but how come nothing changes Why do 3 peolple have more than bottom half. Must have guts

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@ericswalwell Biden gets last word. President has ripped out the soul of the country. Embraced dictators and thumbed nose at allies. Must unite the United States. "We can do anything if we're together." Ends with "God bless you all and may God protect our troops."

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