The First Jabs of 2020 There are signs that the dam of goodwill among Democratic presidential candidates is about to break. By David Catanese
https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2019-05-03/2020-democrats-begin-to-joust-while-joe-biden-stays-focused-on-trump
The opening months of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary have largely been an amicable, well-mannered affair.
There are sudden signs that’s about to change.
This week, several candidates tossed brushback pitches against rivals, with most of the heat being directed at Joe Biden, whose newly minted front-running candidacy appeared to open the door to a more contentious phase of the campaign.
“The Democratic race began in earnest last week,” says Simon Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network think tank. “And Biden’s surge is likely to cause other candidates to start going after him.”
Both Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts served up policy contrasts with the former vice president, pointing out past positions he took that they believe are out of sync with today’s Democratic Party.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey swiped at Sanders for advocating for voting rights for the incarcerated. And Jay Inslee, the Washington governor who is making climate change the centerpiece of his longshot bid, took aim at Beto O’Rourke’s commitment to a plan to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, Biden spent his first week as a declared candidate as most typical early favorites do: staying above the fray, declining to engage his primary rivals and keeping the focus on the Republican he ultimately seeks to dislodge from the White House, President Donald Trump.
“I understand the president’s been tweeting a lot about me this morning. … I wonder why the hell he’s doing that,” Biden asked a crowd Wednesday in Iowa City during his first visit to the caucus state. “I’m going to be the object of his attention for a while.”
The marked shift in tone among candidates is an acknowledgement that with Biden’s entry last week, the race is now close to fully formed and it has a clear leader with a cast of diverse aspirants clawing to become his most formidable alternative.
“It’s not differences about personalities or concerns over character. It’s about differences about philosophies of how we govern,” says Faiz Shakir, Sanders’ campaign manager. “We’re going to continue to educate people about the differences in the way they govern. You can anticipate there will be other points of contrast over time. Voters should be given choices and we intend to give them choices.”
Meanwhile, Biden spent his first week as a declared candidate as most typical early favorites do: staying above the fray, declining to engage his primary rivals and keeping the focus on the Republican he ultimately seeks to dislodge from the White House, President Donald Trump.
“I understand the president’s been tweeting a lot about me this morning. … I wonder why the hell he’s doing that,” Biden asked a crowd Wednesday in Iowa City during his first visit to the caucus state. “I’m going to be the object of his attention for a while.”
The marked shift in tone among candidates is an acknowledgement that with Biden’s entry last week, the race is now close to fully formed and it has a clear leader with a cast of diverse aspirants clawing to become his most formidable alternative.
“It’s not differences about personalities or concerns over character. It’s about differences about philosophies of how we govern,” says Faiz Shakir, Sanders’ campaign manager. “We’re going to continue to educate people about the differences in the way they govern. You can anticipate there will be other points of contrast over time. Voters should be given choices and we intend to give them choices.”
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