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Originally Posted by Red Slinger
Warren is really strong when it comes to domestic policy. It seems to me that she hasn't really been tested on international or military issues. As the debate field shrinks the other candidates will try to expose each others weaknesses.
Sanders strength also is domestic policy but he does have a little more exposure to international policy. His vote against the Iraq war certainly bodes well. One of the interesting things about Sanders is that his campaign from the last election has really transformed the Democratic party. A good deal of his platform that 4 years ago was considered extreme is now being adopted by most of the candidates. Issues like Medicare for all are now supported by the majority of Americans whereas 4 years ago many thought that Obamacare was too "socialist". Whether he wins the nomination or not, Bernie has captured the soul of the Democratic party, at least for now.
Harris has come out strong so far but that's a little easier to do when you are the hunter rather than the hunted. The other candidates will take a good look at her record and be ready for her going forward.
Buttigieg has charisma and great communication skills. The common complaint about him so far is that he is a little light on policy. It will be interesting to see how his campaign develops and if he gets any significant traction. So far, his campaign has a bit of a darkhorse 2008 Obama feel to it.
Biden is struggling to defend his record and communicate his vision. I suspect the more exposure he gets the further he drops in the polls. He still has name recognition, charisma and his time with Obama to help him but those will only take him so far. My wild guess is that he'll end up in 3rd place by the time the dust settles.
I don't really think anyone else stands a chance with the possible exception of Booker. To break into the top tier he'll have to really bring a better performance and some solid policy that differentiates him from the pack.
I sincerely hope the rest of the field gets out of the race soon so that these candidates can really start to build their case.
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Very accurate call by you on Harris and what you predicted happened when Gabbard went after Harris' skeletons as a prosecutor where she kept prisoners in prison despite having evidence that they should have been freed. Her polling took quite the dip after the recent debates, while Gabbard and Yang are two candidates who saw a jump. Not a good look for Harris to the voters who no doubt looked up those stories after watching the debate.