Politics

What You Need To Know About The Candidates Before The Democratic Debates, Night 2

Taysha Robinson

Jul 31, 2019 05:05 AM +0000

Tonight marks the second night of the July debates among Democratic candidates with last night's kicking off the second overall debates of familiar candidates like Bernie Sanders and Beto O' Rourke, as well as slightly less familiar candidates like Marianne Williamson. With candidates like Kamala Harris and Joe Biden leading the Democratic conversation, it's easy to forget that there are more people vying for the nomination alongside the 2020 Republican nominee.

To prep you for night 2, we've compiled a second list of Democratic candidates that features all of the candidates that will be debating tonight for your viewing pleasure. Similar to yesterday's list, here you will learn the names of the candidates, what they stand for, if they have a chance at the nomination, and ultimately whether or not they deserve your black vote*. Enjoy.

*Detailed explanations of "do they deserve your black vote" only goes towards candidates polling more than 5 percent from the Black Democratic Primary voter's poll.

July 31 Debate (Night 2)

What He Said:
"We cannot be the first generation to leave less to our kids, not more. That's why I'm running for President. Let's build opportunity for every American and restore integrity to our government."
The Rundown:
Known for seeking compromise
Is best known for being a part of the so-called "Gang of Eight", a bipartisan group that crafted a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013.
Signature Issues: Has called for modernizing the economy in fields like artificial intelligence and increasing infrastructure spending.
Can he win the nomination? Probably not.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Bennett has 1 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen."
The Rundown:
Has run for president twice before.
He is considered one of the most likable figures in the Democratic Party.
He believes that 2020 is his last chance to run for the presidential seat.
Signature Issues: Restoring America's standing on the global stage; strengthening economic protections for low-income workers in industries like manufacturing and fast food.
Can he win the nomination? Yes. As vice president to Barack Obama, he is one of the popular Democratic candidates. However, as shown in the first presidential debate, his past policy stance and his tendency to be handsy are major hindrances to ensure his nomination. Also, this is his third time running for president, and the other two didn't show well in his favor.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Biden has not endorsed specific reparation bills, though he does believe that there needs to be research on the issue. Regardless, he does not support reparations commission. He has been said to want 16 years of free public education, but like other Democratic candidates, he doesn't have a plan for implementation. He has not said anything specific on police brutality but based off his work with the Obama administration, it can be expected that he will take a proactive approach to investigating police violence. Biden support Obama's Affordable Health Care Act but doesn't have a healthcare platform of his own. He has stated that he believes we should "stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities. Biden has the highest percent in Black voters at 38 percent, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind…where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame."
The Rundown:
Running on the politics to uplift the American people.
Enjoys a vast fundraising base, thanks to long-standing connections to donors around the country.
Signature Issues: Has been one of the leaders in the Senate on criminal justice reform, but his appeal would most likely center on his call to unify the country.
Can he win the nomination? Possibly. Then again, his close connection to Mark Zuckerberg and Wall Street might make the Democratic party think otherwise.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Booker introduced H.R. 40 Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African American Act. In addition, he supports establishing a savings account with $1000 in it for every baby born in the U.S. Depending on family income, up to another $2000 a year would be added to the account, which could be accessed for high education payment. Since announcing his campaign, he has introduced the Next Step Act, which would tackle law enforcement practices by prohibiting racial and religious profiling and require implicit bias training. If elected, he plans to grant clemency to nonviolent drug offenders to reform the criminal justice system and scale back the war on drugs. He believes in making Election Day a national holiday and expanding the Voting Rights Act. He joined 14 of his Senate colleagues in introducing the Medicare for All Act of 2019 and he created the Environmental Justice Act to strengthen legal protections against environmental injustice for communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities. Booker has 4 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"I'm running for president because it's time for new leadership. Because it's time for new energy."
The Rundown:
Once a rising political star, has struggled to find a role during the Trump administration.
Money could be an issue, especially if former Representative Beto O'Rourke, a small donor magnet, also mounts a bid.
Significant Issues: Has emphasized a platform of universal prekindergarten, "Medicare for all" and immigration reform.
Can he win the nomination? Four years ago, maybe. Today, probably not.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Castro has 1 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"As president, I will take on the wealthy. I will take on the big corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people."
The Rundown:
Could credibly make the case that he has fused liberal policy feats like universal prekindergarten with falling crime and a sturdy economy.
Past forays into national politics, like a progressive nonprofit and a halting endorsement of Hillary Clinton, have ended in disaster.
Significant Issues: Is likely to run on his signature prekindergarten program and the city's low crime rate.
Can he win the nomination? Nope.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
*De Blasio has 1 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What She Said:
"There are a lot of challenges that are facing the American people that I'm concerned about and that I want to help solve."
The Rundown:
Supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primaries.
Has drawn condemnation for meeting with Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has been accused of using chemical weapons against civilians.
Has apologized for her history of anti-gay statements and her past work for an anti-gay advocacy group.
Significant Issues: Opposition to American military intervention overseas, including in countries like Syria.
Can she win the nomination? Nope.
Does She Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Gabbard has 0 percent of Black Democratic primary voters, according the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What She Said:
"I'm going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom I am going to fight for other people's kids as hard as I would fight for my own."
The Rundown:
Was once a congresswoman from a conservative House district (with positions on guns and immigration to match).
Transformed herself into a progressive champion after joining the Senate in 2009, eventually becoming one of the leading liberal voices in President Trump's Washington.
Significant Issues: Has long placed women's equality and opportunity at the center of her policy agenda.
Can she win the nomination? Despite announcing her presidential run in early March, she has yet to gain traction as a strong presidential candidate. She most likely won't win the nomination.
Does She Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Gillibrand has 1 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What She Said:
"I believe our country wants and needs some leadership that provides a vision of the country in which everyone could see themselves."
The Rundown:
One of few new Democrats to join the Senate after 2016.
Quickly drew notice for her tough questioning of Mr. Trump's cabinet nominees — and later, his Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh.
Significant Issues: Unveiled middle-class tax cut legislation last fall, and has championed a liberal civil rights agenda in the Senate.
Can she win the nomination? Possibly. After her strong performance in the first debate, she has been in the top tier of the presidential candidates.
Does She Deserve Your Black Vote?
*Harris co-sponsored H.R. 40 Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. In terms of Education and Student Debt, Harris plans to immediately allow current debt holders a chance to refinance high-interest loans to lower rates, and she wants to expand on Income Based Repayment to ensure no student pays more than they can afford. Her state is the first to prohibit police officers from turning off their body-cameras, and she plans to legalize marijuana and reform federal sentencing laws that profit off people in prison. Harris intends to raise the living wage and increase the federal government's investments in child care and negotiate down the price of prescription drugs. For Voting Rights, she intends to restore the full protections of Voting Rights Acts, fight for automatic voter registration, and she wants to make Election Day a national holiday. She also believes in Medicare for All. Harris has 16 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"I'm running for president because I am the only candidate who will make defeating climate change our nation's No. 1 priority."
The Rundown:
A two-term governor known for his environmental policies.
Has become one of the party's most forceful climate advocates, calling on Democrats to embrace a green-energy job program.
Significant Issues: Has made climate a centerpiece of his agenda as governor and as a national figure, campaigning widely in the midterm elections on a message of creating renewable energy jobs.
Can he win the nomination? No.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
Inslee has 0 percent of Black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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What He Said:
"Universal basic income is an old idea, but it's an old idea that right now is uniquely relevant because of what we're experiencing in society."
The Rundown:
Is running a long-shot campaign on a proposal to establish a universal basic income funded by the government.
Has drawn some media attention for highlighting tech issues like robotics and artificial intelligence.
Significant Issues: Establishing a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for all Americans.
Can he win the nomination? Being that he filed to run on November 6, 2017 and people still don't know who he is…it's very unlikely.
Does He Deserve Your Black Vote?
Yang has 1 percent of black Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Morning Consult weekly tracking poll.
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