Thread by @kgosztola

Sanders: "Donald Trump lies all the time." That's why no one should believe him when he attaches the socialist label to Democrats.

Sanders showed how he would respond to Donald Trump's scaremongering on socialism in speech in 2019:
medium.com/@kevin_33184/b… #DemDebate

Biden said, "President Trump wants to stick a [socialist] label on every candidate." He thinks Trump will attach this label to all down-ballot Democratic candidates and that would be bad. #DemDebate

Steyer echoes Bernie. He doesn't promote this idea that "socialist" label will be bad. Turnout must be increased substantially to beat Trump. #DemDebate

Yang: The entire socialism/capitalism dichotomy is entirely out of date. He mentions automation, refers to record corporate profits. He says there needs to be a new human-centered way of capitalism to improve people's lives. #DemDebate

Warren doesn't really address the issue of Donald Trump labeling Democrats "socialists" to scare voters. She says Democrats can speak about corruption and unite around fighting corruption. #DemDebate

Buttigieg says he is not interested in labels. Not going to speak to what Republicans will say to scare people. Talks about unity and dividing.

Then he attacks Sanders saying his politics is "my way or the highway." #DemDebate

Sanders: "I've never said that."

He goes on to say that we must confront billionaire class, raise the minimum wage, expanding universal healthcare, end overcharging for pharmaceuticals. How you bring people together and defeat Trump. #DemDebate

Biden is promoting health insurance industry talking points, attacking Sanders for supporting Medicare For All. "How much is it going to cost?" He raises the example of Vermont's bungled attempt to institute state single-payer while scaremongering. #DemDebate

Biden claims Medicare For All is going to cost double cost of every current social program. Now, Klobuchar is piling on saying this is not a realistic conversation because Medicare For All can't pass in Congress. #DemDebate

Klobuchar is shilling for health care and health insurance industries by claiming Medicare For All will kick people off their plans. That's a fear tactic. No citizen will need a private plan when the government pays for their health care. #DemDebate

Biden is celebrating "politics of the past." He doesn't know what in the past was so bad.

How about mass deportations of immigrants? Perpetual war? A health reform that preserved power of health care industry? #DemDebate

Aside from Biden's years with Obama, there's the crime bill. There's also 2005 bankruptcy bill. #DemDebate

Steyer says we're going to have to beat Trump on the economy. He's going to beat Democrats unless they can take him down on the economy. #DemDebate

Warren says we need to re-establish the rule of law in the United States.

This is a romanticized idea that has not really existed for elites. They've been above the law. So, how about establishing for first time in US history. #DemDebate

Yang's answer is in line with polling. I don't think most Americans particularly followed impeachment. Now, maybe, he could articulate it better by not suggesting we should look past corruption and move forward (like Obama did). #DemDebate

Klobuchar doesn't know if Sanders will be able to get Republican support for his bills. But she thinks she can. She touts newspaper endorsements from the NYT and three papers in NH. #DemDebate

Sanders says there are many conservative Republicans who are concerned about civil liberties, high cost of prescription drugs. He highlights opportunity for transpartisan action in Congress. #DemDebate

Buttigieg says it depends on the circumstances, whether he would kill Soleimani. But Soleimani was an Iranian general, not a terrorist. An Iranian general should never be a "legitimate target" unless US wants all-out war. #DemDebate

Sanders mentions Kim Jong un, Mohammed bin Salman, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping.

"You cannot go around saying you're a bad guy we're going to assassinate you. Then if you do that you're opening the door to international anarchy." #DemDebate

Warren doesn't say who but suggests people on the stage would leave US combat troops in Afghanistan War for five more years. Time to end the war.

But maybe there's a plan she'd support where special forces continue operations. #DemDebate

Biden delivers a fervent monologue in support of US imperialism, trying to scare voters over what will happen if US withdraws all troops from Middle East. #DemDebate

Wall and a moat full of alligators to describe Trump's idea of security did not get any audible laughs, and I'm sure Buttigieg will spend the night wondering why that joke didn't land #DemDebate

Where's Tim Ryan when you need him? You don't have to yell, Joe. #DemDebate

"I concluded [Bush/Cheney] were yelling through their teeth" on Iraq War, unlike Biden, Sanders says.

He outlines fears and how sad it is that nightmare scenarios unfolded. #DemDebate

Klobuchar may have softened her rhetoric on drugs since she was a "tough on crime" prosecutor, but here's something worth knowing.

She criminalized Somali users of khat, which is an herbal stimulant. #DemDebate theintercept.com/2020/02/03/amy…

Biden's part of the reason why Clarence Thomas is on the Supreme Court #DemDebate

This is a terribly moderated question. Biden is speaking on Supreme Court twice before Sanders, Warren, or anybody else gets to talk. #DemDebate

Every single candidate has their hands up in the air, including Pete, who just spoke. So he shouldn't be begging for time. #DemDebate

Devastating question for Pete about increase in black arrests while he was South Bend mayor, which outpaced national average.

Pete deflects by saying systemic racism is a national problem. No responsibility taken. Speaking purely in abstract terms. #DemDebate

ABC News correspondent Linsey Davis is not having any of Pete's bullshit on racial disparities in South Bend. #DemDebate

Pete may have gotten a boost from Iowa, but my guess is his failure to answer a direct question - twice - on his role in increased racism in South Bend may have undone what he gained. #DemDebate

Sanders: 200,000 people are in jail because they cannot afford the $500 they need to get out of jail. We're going to work to end cash bail #DemDebate

When prominent supporters of Bernie Sanders write provocative op-eds, why won't Sanders back them up in public? These are good and important columns that challenge establishment Democrats and their failures, whether it's Nina Turner or Zephyr Teachout.

Warren brings up wealth tax. This is part of what Mike Bloomberg wants to stop from becoming policy. He wants to protect his $55 billion wealth and never pay his fair share in taxes. #DemDebate

Warren on Bloomberg: "I don't think anyone ought to be able to buy there way into a nomination."

Also, "I don't think anyone who sucks up to billionaires out to be able to do it" (Like Pete?)

Klobuchar uses the question on Bloomberg to give her most reasonable answer of the night. That she would fight for constitutional amendment to get money out of politics. #DemDebate

Sanders on Bloomberg: "If you're worth $60 billion and you can spend several hundred million dollars on commercials, you get a slight advantage." Need public funding of elections.

Sanders: "I don't have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign." #DemDebate

Buttigieg is not going to push away billionaires who want to contribute to his campaign. That's what he just said in his jumbled circular response #DemDebate #PetesBillionaires

*ought

Steyer's a pretty good Bernie hype man #DemDebate

"Coming up: the seven candidates continue debating"

Even ABC News can't come up with a good topic to keep this going. And yet, we're gonna fill some more air time. #DemDebate

Sanders: "Our priorities are determined by the 1% and by wealthy campaign contributors. Our priorities are determined by those who want to see the rich get richer and are turning their back on working people."

His campaign is about changing national priorities #DemDebate

Steyer: "We are not going to win by just criticizing Mr. Trump."

Right, give voters an incentive to vote in November so they have a real shot at meaningfully improving the material conditions in which they live. #DemDebate

ABC pundits work overtime to inflate how well Pete did at responding to attacks. They show clips of attack lines from fellow candidates but don't show their own correspondent, Linsey Davis, who tried to get Pete to address his role in racism in South Bend. #DemDebate

Key exchange (second time asking question):

DAVIS: "How do you explain increase in black arrests in South Bend under your leadership for marijuana possession?"

BUTTIGIEG: "Again, overall rate was lower"

DAVIS: [interrupts] "No, there was an increase..."

I confess to really enjoying Chris Christie bashing Democrats favored by political establishment while Rahm Emanuel sits next to him.

Here Christie says Buttigieg outright lied about his record on marijuana arrests. "He looked like a deer in headlights."
#DemDebate

But not as good as my favorite clip of the week.

Rahm Emanuel nervously smirks as Chris Christie says, "No one trusts Mike Bloomberg because Mike Bloomberg's for Mike Bloomberg" and energized base of Democratic Party will never support him. #DemDebate