Ten candidates took the stage for the first Democratic debate for the 2020 presidential election on Wednesday in Miami.
In case you missed it, or are just looking for a recap, Channel 9 political reporter Christopher Heath broke down nine things we learned from the first debate.
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Gone in 60 seconds: With 10 candidates on the stage with strict time limits, there was a limited amount of time for anyone to give details for their policies. The usual "throat clearing" that candidates do when asked about an issue took up most of the time.
Hi, my name is: Only a few of the 10 candidates on the stage in Miami are what could be considered "household names," making Wednesday the first chance for some to talk to a national audience. Candidates like John Delaney and Julián Castro made the most of this time, interjecting where they could and pushing back on other candidate ideas.
Hablo español: Beto O'Rourke, Julián Castro and Cory Booker all flexed their Spanish skills. In a county (Miami-Dade) where almost 70 percent of the population is Hispanic, those candidates with an ability to speak Spanish used the platform to deliver a message to the fastest growing portion of the U.S. population.
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Doctor, doctor: Health care was a driving issue for Democrats in 2018 when they regained the U.S. House; 2020 appears to be no different. While the candidates criticized the GOP and President Donald Trump for efforts to undermine health care, they were not united on a plan for expansion. Only Elizabeth Warren and Bill de Blasio said they were in favor of abolishing private insurance in favor of "Medicare for all," an idea that John Delaney said was unworkable due to cost and the prospect of denying people the option of private coverage.
Kentucky Waltz: Mitch McConnell cast a large shadow over the debate hall as the candidates struggled to explain how they will move any legislation through the U.S. Senate if McConnell and the GOP continue to control the upper chamber after 2020. Republicans hold 53 seats right now, and while there are some Democratic targets in 2020, the party is far from a lock to retake the Senate, leaving McConnell and a GOP majority in a position to stifle any legislation.
Don't speak: It's live TV and anything can happen. For NBC, an issue with microphones led to a quick break to commercial and a tweet from President Trump.
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A civil action: In the two-hour debate, there were no personal attacks, with candidates instead fighting over issues of policy. While details remained thin, there were noticeable disagreements about broader issues, albeit, without the personal and character attacks.
Florida: From the 2018 school shooting in Parkland to the migrant children being housed in Homestead to sea-level rise in Miami, there were more than a few Florida-specific issues on display. The state of candidates all called for increased focus on mental health as well as universal background checks for guns. They also roundly denounced the expansion of child-separation calling for reunification and expedited hearing for people seeking asylum. On sea-level rise, the answers were a bit more divergent, although the calls for reducing pollution and carbon ran throughout.
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Working class hero: The first question of the night is one Democrats will have to answer, as it will be the tent pole of the Trump re-election plan: the economy. Majorities of Americans say, according to polls, that the economy is doing good night now. When he was in Orlando last week, President Trump made several references to the economy, jobs, and the stock market; showing he plans to run on what are positive economic numbers. For Democrats, the chorus on Wednesday was that while the economy is good, it's not good for everyone and too many people are still struggling to get by even in a robust national economy.
The second Democratic debate will get underway Thursday at 9 p.m. also in Miami. Follow our local expert Christopher Heath on Twitter (@CHeathWFTV ) for live updates from the debate.