Seven Democratic candidates gathered in Los Angeles Thursday night for the final debate of 2019. With the first primary contest six weeks away, the presidential hopefuls attempted to push through the impeachment news and holiday season distractions to make their marks with voters. The night was marked by spirited attacks on one of the frontrunners, discussions of age and race and a deep dive into climate change that activists had been clamoring for since the debates began back in June.
Later, Sen. Amy Klobuchar attacked Buttigieg over his failed race for Indiana state treasurer in 2010, when he was defeated by 25 points. Klobuchar has campaigned on her own electability in Midwestern swing states, based on winning in every congressional district in Minnesota, including those won by Trump.
“I’d also be the youngest woman ever inaugurated,” Warren quipped, drawing perhaps the biggest applause of the evening. “It’s the two oldest white men in the field, Biden and Sanders, who’ve assembled the multiracial coalitions that most resemble what Obama accomplished,” wrote Johnson. “Much of this is a result of those candidates’ high name recognition and the perception that their appeal to working-class white voters is key to success on Election Day.