A Debate Recap, and a Debate Preview: This Week in the 2020 Race
NY TIMESA three-hour tour
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. walked into the debate at No. 1 in the polls — and squared off against Nos. 2 through 10 for the first time.
To protect himself from incoming attacks, he brought a trusty shield: the legacy of former President Barack Obama.
As our colleagues Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns wrote in our debate overview, Mr. Biden “clung tightly to the legacy of the Obama administration” at the debate in Houston on Thursday, “as an array of progressive challengers, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, brandished more daring policy promises and questioned Mr. Biden’s political strength.” But Mr. Biden also seemed steadier and better prepared than in previous debates.
The nearly three-hour debate (really, it didn’t feel like a minute over two and a half hours!) had its share of memorable moments: Andrew Yang promised to give 10 families $1,000 a month for a year; Beto O’Rourke declared that, “Hell yes,” his administration would “take your AR-15, your AK-47”; Julián Castro questioned Mr. Biden’s ability to remember; Mr. Biden made reference to a record player; and Mayor Pete Buttigieg described his experience with coming out as gay.
- Our colleagues’ assessment of the night: The debate showed that time is running short, and this race is getting testy.
- Just want some quick takeaways? Here are six.
- Here’s a look at who experts said won the night.
- We also tracked speaking time, fact-checked the candidates and noted that issues like abortion and the gender pay gap did not come up