NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Winners and losers from the Bernie Sanders-Joe Biden debate

By Aaron Blake
Washington Post·
16 Mar, 2020 04:39 AM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders greet each other before they participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios. Photo / AP

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders greet each other before they participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios. Photo / AP

As coronavirus shuts down many activities across the country and even causes states to postpone their primaries, the two remaining Democratic presidential candidates with a shot at the nomination pressed forward with an audience-free debate Sunday night.

Here's what we learned, in the form of winners and losers.

Winners

Joe Biden

Sen. Bernie Sanders right now needs a fundamental change in the race to chip away at Biden's delegate lead, and it's not clear anything transpired Sunday night that might provide that. He repeatedly pointed to votes Biden had taken as a senator and bills he had worked on that don't fit as well with today's Democratic Party, and Biden got testy at times. But Biden was largely focused, and he repeatedly brought things back to what was clearly a point of emphasis for him: saying he had worked to get things done while Sander, I-Vt., lobbed bombs from the sidelines. "I did that, while you were watching," he said at one point about a renewable energy bill. He repeated his talking point that "people want results, not a revolution," and then expanded on it. "We have problems we have to solve now," he said. "What's the revolution going to do? Disrupt everything."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Joe Biden participates in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios. Photo / AP
Joe Biden participates in a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios. Photo / AP

Biden wasn't sterling at the debate, but he seldom is, and the lack of an audience seemed to work against Sanders, who often thrives on them. Sanders also needed more from this than Biden did. Biden drove home the point that he would be a steady, pragmatic hand at an uncertain time. And the crisis we find ourselves in right now fits nicely with that message.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other possible female VPs

"I will pick a woman to be my vice president," Biden said. Sanders was asked whether he would do the same thing, and had to be pressed by a moderator before he said, "In all likelihood, I will." This may not be terribly surprising. With two white men remaining in the Democratic field, it's been likely the nominee's running mate would either be a woman or a racial minority. But it did solidify that people such as Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Stacey Abrams, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. - and others - are now the ones competing for a shot at the nation's number two job. On the flip side, people such as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., (who is black) and former housing secretary Julián Castro (who is Latino) will apparently not be in the mix.

For Biden, it was a wise move. He was coming off a half-hour of pretty tough attacks on his voting record on issues such as the economy and abortion, and it successfully changed the subject. (Biden, for what it's worth, has also said he would name an African American female to the Supreme Court.)

Audience-free debates

This was the first debate in decades without an audience. Let's hope it's not the last. The audience marred a recent debate by clearly favoring certain candidates (former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg) over others (Sanders). And there is really no reason for audience reactions to color who has good answers and who doesn't. It encourages playing to the crowd rather than having substantive debates. Sunday night's debate may not have been the best we've ever seen, but it was certainly better thanks to the lack of cheering and booing.

Losers

Sanders on coronavirus

One of the things that plagued Sanders during his 2016 campaign was his tendency to fall back on his economic message as kind of a crutch, even when asked about topics such as race relations. And that struck again Sunday night. Repeatedly when asked about coronavirus, Sanders struggled to come up with immediate solutions and reverted to talking about his Medicare-for-all proposal. When he was asked about how he would hold China accountable for allegedly covering up the spread of coronavirus, he pivoted to attacking President Donald Trump. About the best he could muster was talking about the need to bring world leaders together to respond. Oh, and he incorrectly referred to coronavirus as "ebola."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Bernie Sanders participates in a Democratic presidential primary debate with former Vice President Joe Biden at CNN Studios. Photo / AP
Bernie Sanders participates in a Democratic presidential primary debate with former Vice President Joe Biden at CNN Studios. Photo / AP

It got to the point where Biden repeatedly pointed to the lack of answers from Sanders. After Sanders brought up one of his pet issues - income inequality - Biden shot back that coronavirus "has nothing to do with the legitimate concern about income inequality in our country." He added, "I don't disagree with that. You're asking about the crisis. . . . It's not going to be solved by a change in tax policy. It's not going to be solved with a change in health care."

Biden's Medicare-for-all attack

While Biden is ahead in the delegate race and is on pace for the nomination, it was he who started the jousting Sunday night. While talking about coronavirus, Biden launched into talking about how Medicare-for-all wouldn't solve the problem. "With all due respect to Medicare-for-all, you have a single-payer system in Italy," Biden said. "It doesn't work there. It has nothing to do with Medicare-for-all."

Biden repeatedly made the case that such situations could be addressed with immediate action rather than an overhaul of the health-care system. But then Sanders responded: "The trick is, do we have the guts to take on the health-care industry, some of which are funding the vice president's campaign?" Biden then pulled out of the joust, saying, "I don't want to get into a back-and-forth in term of our politics here." But he started it. And then he didn't finish it.

It didn't seem Sanders was nearly as anxious to mix it up Sunday night. You kind of wonder if Biden hadn't gone at him right away if they might have had a more civil debate - which would have been good for Biden. After Sanders began attacking Biden's record hard on entitlements and bailouts, Biden appeared taken aback. When asked about how he would reach out to Sanders supporters, Biden said, "He's making it hard for me right now. I was trying to give him credit for things."

Discover more

World

In a week he had to regain stride, Bernie Sanders mostly stumbled

11 Mar 04:00 PM
World

Analysis: Five takeaways from Tuesday's primaries

11 Mar 04:00 PM
World

Progressives need to get behind Biden

11 Mar 06:38 PM
World

Biden v Sanders, issue by issue

15 Mar 08:47 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Woman's arm reportedly ripped off in lion attack at Queensland zoo

06 Jul 04:49 AM
World

Ozzy Osbourne's final Black Sabbath gig draws thousands in Birmingham

06 Jul 02:09 AM
World

Brics leaders to challenge US tariffs at Rio summit

06 Jul 01:49 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Woman's arm reportedly ripped off in lion attack at Queensland zoo

Woman's arm reportedly ripped off in lion attack at Queensland zoo

06 Jul 04:49 AM

A woman in her 50s has been rushed to hospital with significant injuries.

Ozzy Osbourne's final Black Sabbath gig draws thousands in Birmingham

Ozzy Osbourne's final Black Sabbath gig draws thousands in Birmingham

06 Jul 02:09 AM
Brics leaders to challenge US tariffs at Rio summit

Brics leaders to challenge US tariffs at Rio summit

06 Jul 01:49 AM
'Arson attack is cowardly': PMs condemn Melbourne synagogue blaze

'Arson attack is cowardly': PMs condemn Melbourne synagogue blaze

06 Jul 01:35 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP