Christ Stirewalt: Dem debate was like ‘reality television’ that failed to stop Sanders
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Politics Editor Chris Stirewalt said on Thursday that last night’s 2020 Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas was similar to a reality television show that failed to take down frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“It was like reality television. It was a sordid, ugly affair in which there were vendettas, personal attacks and insults. It was a real garbage situation,” Stirewalt told “America’s Newsroom.”
“Nothing happened on that stage that slowed Bernie Sanders,” Stirewalt said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stirewalt said that Democrats need to unite behind one person to block Sanders, I-Vt., from winning the nomination.
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“That’s their urgent work. That work was not done last night, in any degree, and Super Tuesday is right around the corner," Stirewalt said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sanders defended his label of being a democratic socialist on Wednesday night. The progressive senator has been enjoying a surge in the polls in recent weeks, including an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday that showed him with a national double-digit lead -- 27 percent of support, which is well ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who earned just 15 and 14 percent, respectively.
During the debate, NBC News moderator Lester Holt asked Sanders about the poll result.
"Our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released yesterday [showed] two-thirds of all voters said they were uncomfortable with a socialist candidate for president. What do you say to those voters, sir?" Holt asked.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What was the result of that poll?" Sanders countered. "Who was winning?" Some in the audience applauded Sanders for challenging the question.
"The question is to you," Holt continued.
"Well, the question was, 'Was I winning' -- and I think by a fairly comfortable margin -- [you] might mention that," Sanders replied.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stirewalt called out former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klochubar of Minnesota for their performances on the debate stage.
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“They were perfectly ridiculous,” Stirewalt said. "You got a guy rocking a 9 percent and you got a gal rocking a 7 percent and they're up on stage fighting in the dumbest, most personal way with each other -- personal attacks,” Stirewalt said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“A garbage situation for Democrats,” he added.