Winners and Losers of MSNBC Democratic Debate

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The promise of an exciting primary debate rarely delivers, but Wednesday night in Las Vegas was the jaw-dropping exception to the rule.

MSNBC and NBC hosted the Democratic debate in Las Vegas, and any concerns that this version would be a redux of previous wonky snooze-fests was put to rest right at the top. It opened with fireworks — mostly bottle rockets and roman candles aimed at Mike Bloomberg — then impossibly got more lit from there.

This was, of course, the first Democratic primary debate that featured the former New York City mayor, who’s recent ascendancy in the polls has made him a very real threat to his fellow candidates, save the newly anointed presumptive favorite, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who also caught a lot of heat.

Overall, the ordeal was remarkably free-wheeling and, as a result, quite informative, confrontational and of course, entertaining. This was a direct result of MSNBC’s great decision to allow debate moderators to let the candidates mix it up. It was an instructive moment for future broadcasters: let the debate breathe and not overproduce the entire ordeal.

Bloomberg may have caught the most flak, but notably did not seem to take the bait initially, instead choosing to focus his comments on two basic issues: 1) who is the best candidate to defeat President Donald Trump, who he labeled the worst president in history, and 2) who would do the best job in the White House.

But the hits keep coming, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren was uniquely tough on Bloomberg, holding his feet to the fire over the 60+ alleged cases of sexual harassment against his company, painting Bloomberg in the most uncharitable light possible. Bloomberg’s demurring did not serve him well, especially when candidates challenged him to simply release his former employees from their NDAs.

Every candidate has reason to feel good about their evening and every campaign has reason to be concerned. Such is the life of a presidential candidate on a debate evening and so here follows our immediate reaction to the evening.

WINNERS

American Television Viewers

Holy shit that was wild, right? Like all great miniseries, the first half-dozen episodes of set-up finally paid off, as this particular episode finally exploded in the dramatic climax viewers needed. The characters involved featured familiar archetypes: the aging QB, the super informed straight-A student(s), the life-hacking know-it-all millennial, the crotchety yet avuncular guy and the polarizing rich guy. The best thing that can be said about this debate is that it served as a perfect tease for the next episode.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator Warren seemed to show the survival instincts and energy of a gazelle being chased by a cheetah one sees in wildlife documentaries. Unfair to say that she was desperate, but her lagging polling numbers inspired her to be remarkably focused, particularly in her attack on Mayor Bloomberg. At one point a referee may have stopped the fight in a TKO decision in favor of Warren with Bloomberg the loser, but that’s not how debates work. Did Warren do enough to save her campaign? We’ll see. But she is not going down without a fight.

Bernie Sanders

Like any smart team in the lead, the independent senator played prevent defense. Bernie opened strong, made his points, then seemed to wisely watch the shit show unfold around him, avoiding the worst mud-slinging with the confidence that comes with the front runner. Did he improve his standing? Unlikely. But more importantly, he avoided any major miscues and earned big applause, which will likely ensure his newfound status as the presumptive favorite.

Amy Klobuchar

Senator Klobuchar had a strong showing. Her down-to-earth, well-informed yet aggressive style helped her stand out from her fellow candidates who seemed more interested in shooting arrows at one another. Further, when she took shots at others, she did so with the Midwestern smile, and humor, that seemed to elevate her above the fray. Did she do enough to move the needle? Probably not, which is a shame because what she lacks in “zazz” she more than makes up for in experience and demeanor. And when did we start valuing “zazz” so much from presidential candidates anyway?

PARTICIPATION TROPHIES

Pete Buttigieg

Nobody plays the part of Pete Buttigieg better than Pete Buttigieg and that was on full display Wednesday night. Mayor Pete mostly stayed out of the fray, letting Senator Warren play lead attack dog against Bloomberg. But, the former mayor of South Bend did get into it with Senator Amy Klobuchar, ridiculing her for not knowing the name of the President of Mexico. It turned out to be an odd, unforced error that led Klobuchar to reasonably chide him for being an unfair stickler, it was maybe the most memorable moment for Buttigieg that didn’t necessarily serve him well.

Joe Biden

The former Vice President (and frontrunner) was his usual charming and avuncular self. No malarkey tolerated. But therein lies the problem. The Joe Biden Strategy of simply “being Joe Biden” hasn’t served him well in the past month or so, judging by the polls. And Biden did nothing materially different Wednesday night to differentiate him from the guy that voters have been losing interest in. Everyone in the Democratic party seems to love Joe, and he was every bit as relatable and likable on this evening as he is in almost every outing. He avoided major miscues, but also, problematically, avoided any big moments that would help him reclaim some ascendancy in his campaign.

LOSERS

American Citizens

What the hell is wrong with us? Politics isn’t supposed to be reality television. There was a time when political debates were boring-assed civic discussion in a closed set with a cigarette smoking moderator. No, we cannot go back to that, but watching candidates yell at each other in simply meme-ified soundbites that oversimplify complex criminal reform policies to three easy words “stop and frisk” as simple gotcha moments? No one wins that game. But guess what? There is a very good chance that Bloomberg’s polling will go unchanged by Wednesday’s debate performance.

Mike Bloomberg

The former New York City mayor started reasonably strong by not taking the bait, but the relentless attacks eventually took their toll. Some may have called this a “disaster” for Mr. Bloomberg, but there’s a case to be made it wasn’t that dreadful a performance. He took his shots, mostly it seemed from an effectively aggressive Senator Warren, but his non-answer on the NDAs surrounding sexual harassment cases at his company was a tough moment. Bloomberg has spent a ton of money on top campaign advisors, and seeing the candidate spend two hours without their wise counsel did not paint him in the most favorable light. The media consensus for Bloomberg however? Not so good. That’ll hurt going forward into the Nevada primary this weekend.