Democratic Primary Picks Up Speed Heading into Nevada

With the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, and Super Tuesday looming on March 3rd, the candidates for the Democratic nomination for president feel time running out and the stakes raised for their respective campaigns to break through. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Michael Bloomberg have emerged from Wednesday’s debate with battle scars and for some, renewed vigor.

The most notable aspect of the latest debate was the presence of Michael Bloomberg, who stepped on stage with perceived targets on his back, and his fellow candidates all took turns lobbing fire at the newcomer. This was Bloomberg’s first time being on stage with his fellow Democrats since entering the race 3 months prior, and they were eager to confront the Multi-Billion dollar former NYC Mayor on various flaws they see in his candidacy. Candidates pressed Bloomberg on his treatment of Women throughout his years as a politician, and confronted him on the various Non-Disclosure Agreements that he has signed with Women who have reportedly been targets of misogynistic or discriminatory comments by him, such as when he berated a former employee who was having trouble finding a nanny by saying ““It’s a f------ baby! . . . All you need is some black who doesn’t have to speak English to rescue it from a burning building.” Bloomberg's biggest aggressor was Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachuset’s, who repeatedly questioned Bloomberg on these NDA’s and prompted him to release the women involved from the agreements right there on stage, to which Bloomberg declined, saying “None of them accuse me of doing anything, other than maybe they didn't like a joke I told, they signed those agreements, and we'll live with it." Warren also drew a parallel between Bloomberg, and President Trump by saying “I’d like to talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians.' And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.” These attention grabbing attacks on Bloomberg, coupled with her case of being the “unity candidate” helped Warren reach her campaign's biggest fundraising hour yet following the debates, but it is unclear if this new cash-flow will help her secure delegates in Nevada.

These accusations of sexism and racism should have been attacks that Bloomberg would be prepared for, but he had not had a formal debate in 11 years and it showed. Also on the docket of attacks was Bloomberg's handling of the “Stop and Frisk” policy as Mayor of New York City, which led to minorities being disproportionately stopped by police. Bloomberg has repeatedly attempted to clarify and apologize for the policy but that did not stop candidates from bringing it up on stage, and Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders both directed pointed attacks toward him.

Bernie Sanders was another target of attacks, and Bloomberg seized his opportunity to attack Sanders, who is largely considered the front-runner of the race. Bloomberg seeks to occupy the more moderate, centrist lane of the race, and see’s Sanders as the candidate who leads the more liberal leaning lane of the race. Bloomberg drew his distinction as the Anti-Bernie candidate by saying ““What a wonderful country we have, the best known socialist happens to be a millionaire with three houses. What’d I miss here?” Bloomberg’s presence may have shielded Sanders from more attacks from the other candidates who have frequently confronted him on the large amount of spending he has proposed relating to Medicare-for-All, free public college, and other policies.

Sanders has a clear lead in polling heading into Nevada, with Warren and Biden close behind, but with momentum carried over from New Hampshire, and the moderate candidates splitting the vote, Sanders looks to be the favorite. Joe Biden's weak performance in New Hampshire, and his decline in the polls do not bode well for him in Nevada, and he instead seeks to have a strong showing in South Carolina, which has a more diverse population that he seeks to benefit from. The moderate wing of the candidates feel the pressure to stop Bernie Sanders from securing the nomination, and Bloomberg appears to be complicating that agenda. Given that there are still so many candidates left in the race, many have speculated that a contested convention may occur.

Originally published the Fulcrum, October 7, 2019.