Eighth Presidential Primary Debate « Post Debate Releases

Post-Debate Releases from the Eighth Presidential Debate

Biden  |  Buttigieg  |  Klobuchar  |  Steyer  |  Trump


Biden for President

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

Joe Biden at the Democratic Debate in Manchester, NH

“Fiery” … “On the offensive” … “Strong gun answer” … “Leads standing ovation” … “Really bringing it tonight” … “Very good night”

Tonight, Joe Biden delivered a forceful debate performance ahead of Tuesday’s first in the nation primary, reminding Granite State voters of his proven accomplishments, bold vision for the future, and ability to defeat Donald Trump. Biden commanded the audience and sparked a standing ovation for Col. Alexander Vindman after Trump unjustly fired him, and he highlighted his unmatched foreign policy experience and deep relationships with U.S. allies. Biden also painted a stark contrast to other candidates’ records, championing his plan to protect and build on Obamacare, reducing gun violence in our communities, and proven ability to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

Julia Manchester, Political Reporter, The Hill
https://twitter.com/JuliaManch/status/1225965790240923648

 
Jennifer Rubin, Columnist, Washington Post
https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1225963978452541440


Jennifer Palmieri, Former Communications Director, Hillary for America
https://twitter.com/jmpalmieri/status/1225984065775587330

 
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)
https://twitter.com/ChrisCoonsforDE/status/1225961917359017986

 
Ben LaBolt, Former National Press Secretary, Obama for America
https://twitter.com/BenLaBolt/status/1225968405783687168?s=20

 
Charlotte Clymer, Human Rights Campaign
https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/1225958523651207168

 
Edward-Isaac Dovere, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
https://twitter.com/IsaacDovere/status/1225959262259752965


Ilyse Houge, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
https://twitter.com/ilyseh/status/1225978542263095296

 
Susan Crabtree,  National Political Correspondent, RealClearPolitics
https://twitter.com/susancrabtree/status/1225969045674967041
 
 
Fred Guttenberg, Gun Safety Activist
https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1225974491886608384
 

Former Congressman Gwen Graham (D-FL)
https://twitter.com/GwenGraham/status/1225984109740208128

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Pete for America

What People Are Saying About Pete Buttigieg’s Standout Performance at Tonight’s Debate

“WINNER” ... “Gave The Strongest Answer On That Stage”...“Buttigieg Stayed Cool In The Hot Seat”… “After Eight Debates, It Can Be Said: Mr. Buttigieg Is Pretty Good At Debating” … “Had A Good Night” …  “Acing A Question” ... “I Can See Him In The White House” … “If I’m Pete Buttigieg, I’m feeling pretty good about how tonight went.”

Van Jones on CNN:I'm so glad this guy's in this race. I'm so glad he's in the country, and I can see him in the White House.”

Joe Lockhart on CNN: “These debates are really about moments. They're not about who wins on points over two hours or two and a half hours. And there really weren't a lot of standout moments. I think Pete Buttigieg's answer on Commander-in-Chief was a standout moment. But there was a little cognitive dissonance. He gave the strongest answer on that stage -- and he's 38 years old.”

Jonathan Karl on ABC:Pete Buttigieg, I thought, had a good night. He went after Biden pretty hard. Biden went after him. But what was interesting about what Mayor Pete did here is he also had probably the most forceful defense that I have heard against Donald Trump's attacks on Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, and by far a more forceful defense against those attacks than Joe Biden himself.

The New York Times: Buttigieg stayed cool in the hot seat.

New York Post: Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar shine in latest Democratic debate

BuzzFeed News: How You Know Pete Buttigieg Is A Frontrunner: His Rivals Kept Targeting Him In Friday’s Debate

The Hill: Buttigieg, Sanders aim to build momentum from New Hampshire debate

Associated Press: Front-runners Buttigieg and Sanders beat back debate attacks

Dallas Morning News: Buttigieg and Sanders harness Iowa momentum at N.H. debate, as Klobuchar commands spotlight, too

The New York Times: “Buttigieg stayed cool in the hot seat … After eight debates, it can be said: Mr. Buttigieg is pretty good at debating. Once again, he found himself on the receiving end of attacks from across the stage. But at no point did Mr. Buttigieg allow himself to be drawn into a dispute he wanted to avoid. [...] By now, it’s clear Mr. Buttigieg is skilled at building a political umbrella and fitting all of his points underneath it.

While other candidates are aiming to take chunks of his voters away, he has emerged as the candidate focused most on making a general election argument against Mr. Trump — a good place to be in a Democratic primary when ousting the president is most voters’ top priority.”

CNN: WINNERS: Pete Buttigieg: The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor went into the debate as the candidate with the most momentum in the race -- and nothing that happened over the two-plus hours at Saint Anselm College will change that dynamic. Buttigieg was in control most of the night, acing a question about whether he would have ordered a strike against Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and, smartly, leaning heavily into his own military service.”

New York Post: “The Democratic Party’s two youngest frontrunners — Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar — faired the best during Friday night’s nearly three-hour forum, as their competition struggled to find decisive lines of attack…

“If I’m Pete Buttigieg, I’m feeling pretty good about how tonight went.”

The other candidates, especially Klobuchar, repeatedly took aim at the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, but failed to land any punches hard enough to stop Buttigieg’s momentum from his surprising performance in the Iowa caucuses.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (Arrow: Up): He won, in part, because Biden couldn’t land a punch. That means the small-city mayor who shocked the Iowa caucuses got to build on his moment and continue to portray himself as the future in a more experienced field.”

The Los Angeles Times: “Buttigieg managed to keep, yes, his cool and delivered a pointed riposte, touting the outside-the-Beltway credentials that, for some, are a large part of his attraction … “If you are looking for the person with the most Washington establishment experience under your belt,” he responded, “you’ve got your candidate and it’s not me.”

Buzzfeed: “Buttigieg quickly parried each attack… Though some of the incoming was sharp, no line seemed to rise to the immediate game-changing or instant-classic levels of past pre-New Hampshire primary debates. (Think Barack Obama’s “You’re likable enough, Hillary” or Chris Christie’s takedown of Marco Rubio in 2016.)

...

“At one point Buttigieg even shared a kind exchange with Biden, on the question of whether investigations into the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter, would be problematic if the former vice president is the nominee.”

The Hill: “Buttigieg was ready for the attacks and went on the offensive, making the case that the best challenger to put up against Trump is someone who intimately understands working class voters in the American heartland. He also made the case for generational change, saying that it’s time to “turn the page” on old Washington ways — a direct shot at Biden, whom he’s battling to be the party’s centrist standard bearer … Buttigieg skillfully parried attacks against him for most of the night”

Associated Press: “Buttigieg sought to turn skepticism of his resume into a positive, portraying himself as a fresh face from outside Washington with experience in dealing with real-life problems and ready to lead a weary nation in a new direction.”

Dallas Morning News: “Buttigieg, whose stint as mayor of the nation’s 308th largest city, South Bend, Ind., ended a month ago, offers a soothing, pragmatic tone that appeals to Democrats weary of the rancor consuming American politics ... In Iowa, he dominated that lane, outrunning Biden and Klobuchar, who ran fourth and fifth, respectively.”

FROM TWITTER:

David Axelrod @davidaxelrod: .@PeteButtigieg turned the Soleimani question into a Commander-in-Chief answer that was very powerful.


Karen Tumulty @ktumulty: We have "a president who has no regard for the military" -- a point @PeteButtigieg also makes very effectively on the stump. It's how he won over one Trump voter I meet in Iowa --

Jeff Yarbro @yarbro: Tonight making it clear that @PeteButtigieg is strongest candidate to take on Trump when it comes to national security.

Maria Shriver @mariashriver Mayor @PeteButtigieg says we're going into the fight of our lives. He’s absolutely right about that. The Democrats are in the fight for the soul of the party, the heart of their party, the mind of their party, the future of their party. #democraticdebate

Joe Lockhart @joelockhart: Mayor Pete nailed the Commander in Chief question.  The question is will people be persuaded given his experience level.  He did all he could do though with a great answer

Dan Weeks @DemocracyDan Let’s talk about fixing our democracy. @PeteButtigieg is the only non-millionaire on the #DemDebate stage, has nearly 1 million grassroots donations, and has a comprehensive plan to enfranchise all citizens and stop big money in politics. And he can win. #nhpolitics

Max Burns: .@PeteButtigieg is echoing a great Robert F. Kennedy line about America's GDP measuring "everything except that which is worthwhile" in life - the health of our children, the intelligence of our public debate, the integrity of our public officials. It still plays. #DemDebate

Jorge Andrés @IBThatRaspOnTV Everyone went after @PeteButtigieg and he stood his ground. Big win for him. #DemDebate #democraticdebate

Jorge Andrés @IBThatRaspOnTV Excellent and strong closing statements by @amyklobuchar @JoeBiden & @PeteButtigieg ... #democraticdebate #DemDebate

Paul Rieckhoff @PaulRieckhoff Most substantive debate so far. Good job by @ABC. Strong night for @JoeBiden, @PeteButtigieg and @amyklobuchar. A push for @ewarren and @BernieSanders. Annoying as hell, but helpful to @TomSteyer. A win for @AndrewYang just being up there among the big guns.

###


Amy for America

“A+”: Senator Klobuchar’s Debate Performance Widely Praised

National and New Hampshire Leaders, Reporters Agree: Klobuchar Had A Stellar Debate

Washington Post, Vox, Business Insider, CNN Call Klobuchar A Debate “Winner”

MANCHESTER, NH
 — The reviews are in: Senator Amy Klobuchar had an extremely strong debate. Here’s what they’re saying:


"Senator Klobuchar showed that she is up to the immense challenge of unifying the country after four years of Donald Trump. Her steady leadership and political courage came across loud and clear tonight," said Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli.

“Amy showed the passion, grit, experience, and temperament that has attracted so many voters here in New Hampshire. Granite Staters see Amy as an honest, personable and compassionate candidate. She is the kind of leader that can unify our country and win big in November,” said State Senator Jay Kahn.

Amy Klobuchar debates with the kind of authority and common sense we need in a president! - Former AP NH Reporter Norma Love

Amy is so strong tonight and has such conviction. Is she ready to take on Trump? Oh yeah! - Former State Rep. Sally Kelly

Amy Klobuchar believes that the Affordable Care Act is a beginning, not an end. As President, Amy will reduce health care costs and expand coverage. - New Hampshire State Senator Jay Kahn

Winner: Amy Klobuchar - VOX

WASHINGTON POST: Debate winner, @amyklobuchar - Washington Post

The Winner - Business Insider 

Klobuchar closing statement: A+ - Chris Cillizza

Klobuchar Made A Mark - Associated Press

Amy Klobuchar is absolutely crushing it. Easily the best performance of the night. - Scott Bixby

tldr tonight: New Hampshire, meet Amy Klobuchar. - Ali Vitali

@amyklobuchar was a real star. Folks are voting in just a few days so think this will translate into support in the voting booth. - Jennifer Palmieri

"This was a breakthrough night for Amy Klobuchar." - Jon Karl

I thought Amy Klobuchar had a good night. She was a forceful, and made the pitch for her brand of moderate politics as the most likely to win. - Jeet Heer

A very big night for #AmyKlobuchar. A breakthrough night for Amy Klobuchar, period. - Geovanny Vicente Romero

2020 Watch: HANDS DOWN - @amyklobuchar wins the award so far at #DemDebate for giving shout-outs to NH’s two US Senators - Paul Steinhauser

###

Tom Steyer 2020

Steyer’s Strong Stance on Race, Economy, and Climate Define New Hampshire Debate

(MANCHESTER, February 7, 2020) –– Tonight, Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer took the debate stage in Manchester, NH to make the case that he is the best candidate to build a broad and diverse coalition of Americans to beat Trump in November. Steyer also called for reparations, challenged Biden to disavow racist comments, and showed he is the only candidate with enough experience to beat Trump on the economy.

Steyer began the night emphasizing the need for a diverse, national coalition to beat Trump, highlighting his 24% support from African American voters in South Carolina. “That’s what it’s going to take,” Steyer said. “Turnout, but turnout across the spectrum of Democratic voters. Somebody that can pull… everyone together in every way we’re divided.”

On stage, Steyer said that the 2020 presidential election will come down to the economy. Steyer stated, “We’re going to have to take Mr. Trump down on the economy. If you listen to him, he’s crowing about it every single day… You have to have experience to take him down… You need to go toe-to-toe with this guy and take him down on the debate stage or we’re going to lose.”
When discussing foreign policy, Steyer brought in his number one priority –– climate –– to explain how he will lead as commander in chief. Steyer said, “This view of the world that our response should be military is driven by our gigantic military complex and ignores the biggest problem we face in the world, which is climate change. It cannot be solved with guns and tanks and planes. They can only be solved with diplomacy and allies and interaction with other countries.”

Steyer made race a prominent part of the night’s discussion, noting that he is the only candidate calling for reparations and creating a formal commission on race. “I would set up a formal commission on race day one to retell the story of the last 400 years of America about systemic racism against African-Americans,” Steyer said. “Not just legal discrimination, injustice and cruelty, but also the contribution that the African-American community made to America, in building it and leading the entire country from a moral standpoint… We need to repair damage that’s been done officially and pretending we’re all the same is not accurate.”

Steyer also called on Vice President Biden to disavow racist comments about Jerry Govan, a consultant for the Steyer campaign, made by Dick Harpootlian, a Biden surrogate in South Carolina. In response, Biden refused to disavow Harpootlian and said Harpootlian is “sorry” for what he said. Harpootlian has a history of disparaging comments about African Americans, once commenting that “I don’t want to buy the black vote. I just want to rent it for a day.”

The night concluded with Steyer’s vision for a better America. “[Trump] doesn’t understand that investing in education, health care, and good union jobs is actually an investment in our common humanity and growth in the future, mobility and justice. That is the America that lives in our hearts and minds that will beat Mr. Trump, because he will never be able to imagine it. So, in fact, what we need to do is have a new conception, a new dream of America. Dream it and make it happen. Imagine the mountain and then we climb it together.”

Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Trump campaign statement on yet another Democrat debate

 
“Democrats were given multiple opportunities tonight to denounce socialism and none of them did. They also made clear that if they’d been in charge, they’d never have given the order to take out Qassem Soleimani, the notorious terrorist responsible for killing hundreds of Americans. As a major political party they are hopelessly out of touch with the majority of Americans. By contrast, President Trump has reinvigorated the American Dream, brought unemployment to generational lows, increased paychecks for low- and middle-income Americans, and lowered healthcare and prescription drug costs for people nationwide. President Trump will crush whichever Democrat is unlucky enough to face him in November.”

- Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director