This is not your father’s Democratic Party: Debate shows how leftward it has moved

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) stood at center stage, but pulled her party to the left during Wednesday night's Democratic debate.

June 26, 2019 10:21 PM PT

Reporting from Washington — The Democratic Party opened its 2020 presidential debates with a remarkably policy-focused exchange that illustrated how consistently to the left they have moved. For the night, at least, this was Elizabeth Warren’s party.

The Democratic senator from Massachusetts, who entered the debate with momentum behind her campaign, set the tone and dominated the early part of the debate, which focused on economic policy.

“When you’ve got a government, when you’ve got an economy that does great for those with money and isn’t doing great for everyone else, that is corruption, pure and simple,” she said. “We need to make structural change in our government, in our economy and in our country.”

Even those of her rivals who don’t fully share that assessment declined chances to put themselves at odds with Warren. Instead, they sang from the same hymnal of left-wing economic populism declaring the need for broad reforms of the political and economic system.

“It is time we have an economy that works for everybody,” said Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, after minimizing his differences with Warren’s plan to break up big tech companies.

The shift in the party goes beyond economics. As the debate made clear, it includes gun control, abortion, climate change and immigration, among other issues. On each of those, candidates took positions to the left of those embraced by either of the last two Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who was barely mentioned by any of the candidates.

Rather than Clinton’s call for abortion to be “safe, legal and rare,” for example, the debate featured candidates stressing that the universal healthcare plans they backed would include public funds to pay for abortions for poor women.

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From left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney take the stage before the Democratic primary debate in Miami, hosted by NBC News on Wednesday. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)

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Ten Democratic presidential candidates at the start of the first Democratic primary debate for the 2020 presidential election, hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami on Wednesday. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Bill de Blasio, Tim Ryan, Julián Castro, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Tulsi Gabbard, Jay Inslee and John Delaney, from left, greet the debate audience in Miami. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

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Julian Castro, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard, from left, before the debate. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

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Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke and Amy Klobuchar, from left, on the debate stage in Miami. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)

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Night 1 of Democrats’ first presidential primary debate for the 2020 election. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Elizabeth Warren, center, answers a question as Julián Castro, Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke and Amy Klobuchar, from left, wait for their turns. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Bill de Blasio, Tim Ryan, Julián Castro, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar and Tulsi Gabbard in Miami on Wednesday night. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Bill de Blasio speaks as Tim Ryan and Julián Castro look on Wednesday night. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Amy Klobuchar, Tulsi Gabbard, Jay Inslee and John Delaney, from left, debate in Miami on Wednesday. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Cory Booker listens as Julián Castro speaks Wednesday night. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke was the first of three candidates to break into Spanish at Wednesday’s debate. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii on the first night of the Democratic debates. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Moderators question Democrats on Night 1 of the party’s presidential primary debate. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Immigration rights activist Angel Ulloa watches the debate broadcast at a viewing party in El Paso. Ulloa is the local coordinator of the Latino progressive organization Jolt, which hosted the watch party in a bar near the U.S.-Mexico border. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

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Candidate John Delaney, a former Maryland congressman positioned himself as a moderate in the field and attacked the idea of abolishing private insurance. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee reiterated his call for heavy investment in green technologies as a way to create jobs while slashing carbon emissions. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) set the tone in the early part of the debate. She spoke of specific policy proposals, such as breaking up big tech corporations and raising taxes on the wealthy. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, shown here, got into a spat with fellow Texan Julián Castro over immigration reform when O’Rourke stressed the importance of prosecuting human traffickers and drug smugglers. Castro argued that there are other laws that enable them to be prosecuted. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Moderators Chuck Todd (L) speaks to audience during a technical problem alongside Rachel Maddow as they host the first night of the Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, on June 26, 2019. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Democratic presidential candidates from left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto OíRourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney listen to a question during the Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Members of the audience listen to a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential hopeful US Representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district Tulsi Gabbard (C) speak to Governor of Washington Jay Inslee (R), former US Representative for Maryland’s 6th congressional district John Delaney and former US Representative for Texas’ 16th congressional district Beto O’Rourke during a brake of the first Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, June 26, 2019. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Democratic presidential candidates Washington Gov. Jay Inslee , left and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney answer a question at the same time during a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential candidate former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro speaks during a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, smile during a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., answers a question, as former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke listens during a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential candidates, from left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto OíRourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney listen before the start of a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

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Democratic presidential hopefuls (fromL) Former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, US Senator from New Jersey Cory Booker and US Senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren laugh during a break in the first Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, June 26, 2019. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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People watch a Democratic presidential debate during a watch party hosted by the former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

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Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, former housing secretary Julian Castro and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) embrace after the first night of the Democratic presidential debate on June 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida. A field of 20 Democratic presidential candidates was split into two groups of 10 for the first debate of the 2020 election, taking place over two nights at Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, and Telemundo. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Democratic presidential hopefuls (fromL) US Senator from New Jersey Cory Booker and US Senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar greet supporters as Governor of Washington Jay Inslee greets US activist Al Sharpton after participating in the first Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, June 26, 2019. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images)

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Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) greets a member of the audience after the first night of the Democratic presidential debate on June 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida. A field of 20 Democratic presidential candidates was split into two groups of 10 for the first debate of the 2020 election, taking place over two nights at Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, and Telemundo. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

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Chuck Todd of NBC News greets Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), former housing secretary Julian Castro, former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke and other candidates after the first night of the Democratic presidential debate on June 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida. A field of 20 Democratic presidential candidates was split into two groups of 10 for the first debate of the 2020 election, taking place over two nights at Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, and Telemundo. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

On healthcare, only two candidates — Warren and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio — raised their hands when asked who would favor fully abolishing private health insurance plans in favor of instituting “Medicare for all.” But even those who favored a more moderate approach, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, for example, said they preferred a new government health insurance option for all — an idea that was considered too radical to pass when Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act less than a decade ago.

On immigration, former Obama Cabinet official Julián Castro pressed for decriminalizing illegal border crossings, making that a civil rather than a criminal offense. While Castro was correct in saying that the Trump administration had used the criminal law in a far more aggressive way than its predecessors, the law that makes unauthorized border crossings a criminal offense has been on the books for decades. Eliminating it is a move popular with some activists.

At least three of the candidates — Warren, Booker and Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio — share Castro’s view. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke disagreed, and the clash between the two Texans over decriminalizing the border made for one of the night’s most intense moments, but it was notable that the disagreement came on a proposal that went far beyond anything that the Obama administration, in which Castro served, ever talked about.

And there was broad party consensus on gun control, an issue that Democrats for years shied from. Booker’s proposal to require gun licensing goes significantly further than what gun-safety advocates have dreamed of proposing.

The leftward tilt of the party did give some candidates pause.

“We have a perception problem with the Democratic Party that we are not connecting to the working class,” said Ryan, who represents the Youngstown, Ohio, area. “We have to change the center of gravity from being coastal elites and Ivy League.”

Klobuchar took a veiled swipe at Warren’s promises to enact broad changes in the political and economic system.

“I don’t make all the promises others up here make,” Klobuchar said. “I’m going to govern.”

But others argued for going further left, notably De Blasio, struggling for a breakout moment and calling the primary a “battle for the heart and soul of our party.”

“This Democratic Party has to be strong and bold and progressive,” he said.

From left, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Gov. Jay Inslee and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard greet supporters at the end of the debate.

Pushback against the party’s leftward drift may be more pronounced during Thursday night’s debate, when 10 more candidates will be on stage including former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been leading in early polls and making the case for a more centrist platform that could appeal to swing voters. He will be up against Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a democratic socialist who, like Warren, calls for fundamental changes in the U.S. economic and political system.

In the context of the primary season, Warren is competing with Sanders for the votes in the party’s left wing. She used her time in the spotlight Wednesday to her advantage, showing the skill she has developed on the campaign trail at connecting her long list of specific policies, such as tax increases on the wealthy and breaking up corporations, to her broader themes of economic populism.

Warren’s prominence in the debate’s first hour drew complaints from some, including the sister of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, one of the rival candidates, who tweeted: “It’s clear who MSNBC wants to be president: Elizabeth Warren. They’re giving her more time than all the other candidates combined. They aren’t giving any time to Tulsi at all.”

In the end, Warren did get considerably more time than Gabbard and some of the other candidates who have drawn scant support in polls. Booker and Castro got the most time overall, but Warren was a central figure in the debate — literally and figuratively — not only because she was the only one in the 10-candidate field polling in double digits, but also because she has dominated the early ideas competition in the party. Many of the other candidates ended up responding to policy proposals she has put forward, such as breaking up big tech corporations and raising taxes on the wealthy.

That emphasis on ideas from the party’s left pleased Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, a political group that helped elect the upstart progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

“Tonight’s debate made one thing clear: Progressive ideas are at the center of debate in the Democratic Party,” she said. “Many of the topics discussed tonight — a 70% marginal tax rate, ‘Medicare for all,’ breaking up large corporations — were originally proposed by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.”

In the general election, of course, some of those positions may play differently. Republicans saw the move to the left as political ammunition for them.

“Tonight we heard a lot of the same socialist rhetoric that 2020 Democrats have been spewing across Iowa for months now,’’ said Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann. “While this might be appealing to a New York liberal like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, these policies would cripple Iowa’s small businesses and our agriculture industry.”

Times staff writer Molly O’Toole contributed to this report.