By Lauren Gambino
The Guardian (3/15/20)
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders auditioned in real time for the job of president on Sunday night during the first one-on-one debate of the Democratic primary, as the world confronts the growing threat of the coronavirus pandemic and American public health officials warned the worst is yet to come.
The fast-escalating national emergency over the coronavirus dominated the discussion between two candidates with starkly different visions for the country.
“This is bigger than any one of us,” Biden says. “This calls for a national rallying for one another.”
Both candidates were sharply critical of Donald Trump’s ability to lead the nation through this crisis. As of Sunday night, the US had 3,244 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 62 reported deaths, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
“Well, the first thing we have got to do, whether or not I’m president, is to shut this president up right now,” Sanders said. “He’s undermining the doctors and the scientists who are trying to help the American people. It is unacceptable for him to be blathering unfactual information, which is confusing the general public.”
The two-hour primetime debate, hosted by CNN and Univision, took place as viewers across the nation retreated into their homes amid disruptive, even draconian, efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus. Hours earlier, New York City had ordered public schools closed; California had asked bars to shutter, and the Federal Reserve announced it was slashing interest rates to near zero.
As the debate opened, the US Centers for Disease Control published an advisory on its website recommending that events of 50 people or more be cancelled or postponed for the next eight weeks throughout the United States. …
- The Michael Brooks Show — Sanders V Biden Debate Recap: Sunday night debate reflections on the need for left to begin crafting deeper politics and community. Nothing from the debate changed the dynamics of the race. Start at about the 5-minute mark. Link To 30-Minute Video