The Democratic Party’s two youngest frontrunners — Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar — fared the best during Friday night’s nearly three-hour forum, as their competition struggled to find decisive lines of attack, said Post debate expert Eric Phillips.
“The clearest piece of evidence that nobody knows where this is going is that nobody knew who to gang up on,” said Phillips, who spent three years at City Hall as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s longest-serving press secretary. “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.
But, Phillips added, Klobuchar’s failure to score a direct hit was offset by her other strengths during the debate, giving her campaign another solid performance to bank on as she struggles to make inroads.
Vice President Joe Biden: He can’t seem to own the Obama years without owning Washington’s last 30 years. At some point, it’s impossible to win when you haven’t gained a supporter in a year.
Arrow: Down
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg: 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.
Arrow: Up
Senator Amy Klobuchar: She has Biden’s folksy touch, Warren’s substance and Pete’s sense of decency. She did well and probably has the highest ceiling of any candidate, but can’t quite seem to put it all together on the same night.
Arrow: Up
Sen. Bernie Sanders: A good debater, he pivots, sees traps and sounds forceful without fake toughness. He doesn’t convert anyone, but he doesn’t need to in this fractured field. Trump wants to debate socialism, but he doesn’t want to debate Bernie.
Arrow: Sideways
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: At some point, Warren has to carve into Bernie’s base to have a chance. This was a lost opportunity, and it reaffirms concerns her professorial style just isn’t ruthless enough to take on Trump.
Arrow: Down
Tom Steyer: He’s more like the group’s coach rather than a candidate. It makes you wonder why he doesn’t use his largesse to help someone who has a chance.
Arrow: Down
Andrew Yang: He’s running for student council, not the presidency. Yang offers a compelling set of values, and he paints an ideal picture of America — but it isn’t backed up by any policy detail.
Arrow: Down
Phillips is a longtime political adviser to local, state and federal campaigns and elected officials. He spent four years at City Hall, including three years as Mayor de Blasio’s longest-serving press secretary. He now works at a global crisis communications firm.
