Democrats turned their presidential debate into a spiral of attacks against one another here Wednesday night, spending more than two hours squabbling over policy details and questioning each other’s honesty or character but only sporadically making a strong case for defeating President Trump in 2020. …
What took place showed the limitations of a field of more than 20 candidates and a set of qualifications for participation that encourage conflict and the pursuit of viral moments at the expense of more civil and substantive discussion about the problems facing the country. …
By the conclusion Wednesday, it seemed almost as if the Democrats had decided to put their worst face forward. Their disagreements overwhelmed almost everything else. Attacks on Trump were infrequent. And the absence of a message of hope or uplift seemed a big missed opportunity. CONT.
Dan Balz, Washington Post