While the Iowa caucus, the first leg of the Democratic nomination contest for the presidential election of November 3, was held on February 3, "Le Monde" launches its campaign logbook. A daily update, five days a week until September, with campaign facts, political advertisements, polls, maps and figures that allow you to follow and experience the most important electoral competition in the world.
Originally scheduled in Phoenix, in one of the four states which will vote on Tuesday, Arizona (along with Florida, Ohio and Illinois), the debate was brought back as a precaution to the studios of the CNN chain in Washington, without the public, who usually contribute to electric atmospheres. The last two candidates, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, settled within six feet (nearly two meters) of each other after soberly waving their elbow.
The debate logically opened on the health crisis giving the two men the opportunity to immediately distance themselves from the President of the United States. While the latter devotes a good part of his interventions to the celebration of his action and the competence of the team which surrounds him, the former vice-president and the independent senator of Vermont first addressed themselves to victims of the pandemic.
"My thoughts are with all those who suffer from coronavirus", immediately assured Joe Biden before Bernie Sanders followed him with the same empathy. “We have to silence this president now. It’s unacceptable to hear it blaspheming on non-factual information, which upsets Americans. ”, continued the latter.
The latter was in a delicate position on Sunday evening. He is clearly outdistanced by the former vice-president in terms of already counted votes and especially of delegates, with no clear prospects of reversing the trend. He is the victim of a useful vote by a critical mass of voters who believe that Joe Biden is best placed to defeat Donald Trump in November. The threat posed by the coronavirus added to the difficulty.
Often confused and stammering in recent debates, Joe Biden has indeed posed as an alternative to the chaotic management of Donald Trump, evoking his experience as vice-president faced with similar crises, forcefully appealing for general mobilization. "We are at war against this virus", he said before repeating a little later: "It’s like we’re under attack. In a war, you do whatever is necessary to take care of your people. Everything you need to manage this crisis would be free, paid for by American taxpayers. ”. When asked whether he would call on the military to respond to a hospital capacity problem that could arise quickly, he responded firmly and quickly in the affirmative.
