How Long Each Candidate Spoke

Economy

Health care

Immigration

Gun control

Civil rights

Climate change

Foreign policy

How Long Each Candidate Spoke

Each bar segment represents the length of a candidate’s response to a question.

Former vice president Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Senator Kamala Harris of California spoke the most during Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate. It was the second debate of the week after 10 other candidates opened the 2020 campaign on Wednesday.

The candidates in the second debate spent more time discussing civil rights and spent less time on jobs and the economy.

First debate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80 min.

Economy

Immigration

Health care

Gun control

Foreign

policy

Climate

change

Other

Second debate

Immigration

Health care

Civil

rights

Foreign

policy

Climate

change

Economy

Gun

control

First

debate

Second

debate

0

Economy

Immigration

10

Immigration

Health care

20

Civil rights

30

Health care

Foreign policy

40

Climate change

Gun control

Economy

50

Foreign policy

Gun control

Climate change

60

Other

70

80 min.

Here are some key questions the candidates were asked, where they found common ground and where they disagreed.

What Is the First Issue for Your Presidency?

Eric Swalwell
“For Parkland, for Orlando, for every community affected by gun violence — ending gun violence.”
Michael Bennet
Climate change
Kirsten Gillibrand
“Passing a family bill of rights that includes a national paid leave plan.”
Kamala Harris
“Passing a middle class working families tax cut.”
Bernie Sanders
“I reject the premise,” he said. “We need a political revolution.”
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
“The first thing I would do is make sure that we defeat Donald Trump.”
Pete Buttigieg
“We’ve got to fix our democracy before it’s too late.”
Andrew Yang
“I would pass a $1,000 freedom dividend for every American adult.”
John Hickenlooper
“I would do a collaborative approach to climate change.”
Marianne Williamson
“The United States of America is going to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up.”

“Medicare for All” or “Public Option”?

When the moderator asked who would abolish private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan, only Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Ms. Harris raised their hands. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York explained that she supports Mr. Sanders’ “Medicare for all” bill, but that it will have a transition period for people to actively buy-in.

Bernie Sanders
People don’t like their private insurance companies, they like their doctors and hospitals. Under our plan, people go to any doctor they want, any hospital they want.
Kirsten Gillibrand
The quickest way you get there is create competition with the insurers. God bless the insurers if they want to compete.

Other candidates who addressed the question said they preferred some kind of public option for a government-run plan while still maintaining the private insurance system, at least in the immediate future.

Pete Buttigieg
Mr. Buttigieg said that a plan that offers Medicare for those who want it “will be a natural glide path to the single payer environment.”
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
The quickest, fastest way to do it is build on Obamacare, to build on what we did. And secondly, to make sure that everyone does have an option.
Michael Bennet
I feel very strongly that families ought to be able to have this choice.
John Hickenlooper
You can’t eliminate private insurance for 180 million people, many who don’t want to give it up.

The Future of the Party

Several candidates made pitches for the direction of the Democratic party. Representative Eric Swalwell of California directly went after Mr. Biden’s age, and Mr. Sanders pivoted from a question about diversity in the party to reiterate his economic message.

Eric Swalwell
If we’re going to solve the issues of climate chaos, pass the torch. If we’re going to solve the issue of student loan debt, pass the torch. If we’re going to end gun violence for families who are fearful of sending their kids to school, pass the torch.
Bernie Sanders
We need a party that is diverse, but we need a party that has the guts to stand up to the powerful special interests who have so much power over the economic and political life of this country.

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado was asked to address his criticism of Mr. Sanders’ policies, and Ms. Gillbrand attempted to provide middle ground.

John Hickenlooper
Well, I think that the bottom line is if we don’t clearly define that we are not socialists, the Republicans are going to come at us every way they can and call us socialists.
Kirsten Gillibrand
I disagree with both their perspectives. The debate we’re having in our party right now is confusing. Because the truth is there’s a big difference between capitalism on the one hand and greed on the other.

How Their Experiences Have Shaped Them

Several candidates referenced personal challenges as a way to discuss their policies. On health care, Mr. Biden mentioned a tragic accident in his family, and Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado brought up his own cancer diagnosis as he argued to build on the Affordable Care Act.

Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Look, this is very personal to me. When my wife and daughter were killed in an automobile accident, my two boys were really very badly injured, I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like if I had not had adequate healthcare immediately.
Michael Bennet
I had prostate cancer recently, as you may know, and it’s why I was a little late getting in the race. The same week my kid had her appendectomy out, and I feel very strongly that families ought to be able to have this choice.

On student debt:

Pete Buttigieg
So college affordability is personal for us. Chasten and I have six figure student debt. I believe in reducing student debt.

Ms. Harris challenged Mr. Biden on his opposition to busing during the 1970s and 1980s by describing her experience as a child.

Kamala Harris
There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me. So I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats.

Should Illegal Entry Be a Crime?

The candidates were asked if it should be a civil offense instead of a crime to cross the United States border without documentation. Mr. Bennet appeared to be the only candidate not to raise his hand, while Mr. Biden simply said that he would not emphasize the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have not committed a serious crime.

Pete Buttigieg
Mr. Buttigieg said that criminalizing illegal entry “is the basis for family separation. You do away with that, it’s no longer possible.”
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
That person should not be the focus of deportation.

Ms. Harris turned to face Mr. Biden as she brought up the Obama administration’s deportation policy.

Kamala Harris
And on this issue, I disagreed with my president. Because the policy was to allow deportation of people who by ICE’s own definition were non-criminals.