5th Democratic Primary Debate: on Civil Rights


Amy Klobuchar: Name your favorite woman president--we're not done yet!

Q: You've said this of Mayor Buttigieg: "Of the women on the stage, do I think that we would be standing on that stage if we had the experience he had? No, I don't. Maybe we're held to a different standard." Senator, what did you mean by that?

KLOBUCHAR: I'm honored to be standing next to Pete. But what I said was true. Women are held to a higher standard. Otherwise, we could play a game called "name your favorite woman president," which we can't do, because it has all been men. And including all vice presidents being men. And I think any working woman out there, any woman that's at home knows exactly what I mean. We have to work harder, and that's a fact.

What matters is if you get things done. I'm the one that has passed over 100 bills. I am the one that has been able to win every red and purple congressional district as a lead on a ticket every time. I govern both with my head and my heart. And if you think a woman can't beat Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi does it every single day.

Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta Nov 20, 2019

Joe Biden: MeToo: Change the culture of how women are treated

Q: The "Me, Too" movement has forced a cultural reckoning around the issue of sexual violence and harassment against women. Are there specific actions you would take to address this problem?

BIDEN: The first thing I would do is make sure we pass the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization. I wrote the original act. We have to fundamentally change the culture of how women are treated. It's everyone's responsibility.

Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta Nov 20, 2019

Kamala Harris: Dems take black women for granted

Candidates have taken for granted constituencies that have been the backbone of the Democratic Party. When black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth, when the sons of black women will die because of gun violence, when black women make 61 cents on the dollar as compared to all women, the question has to be, where you been? And what are you going to do? And do you understand who the people are?

This is a fight for our rule of law, our democracy, and our system of justice. To fight, I believe need someone who can unify the country and who has the experience of having done that. I've done that work. I believe we need someone who has the ability to speak to all people regardless of their race, their gender, their party affiliation, where they live geographically or the language their grandmother speaks. My entire career has been spent having one client and one client only: the people.

Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta Nov 20, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: I welcome the challenge of connecting with black voters

As mayor of a city that is racially diverse, I have lived the struggles of a community where too many people live with the consequences of racial inequity. I care about this because my faith teaches me that salvation has to do with how I make myself useful to those who have been excluded. I have the experience of seeing my rights expanded by a coalition of people like me and people not at all like me, working side by side, making it possible for me to be standing here.
Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta Nov 20, 2019

Tulsi Gabbard: Correct racial injustice in an institutional way

We have seen for far too long the kind of racial bigotry, divisiveness, and attacks that unfortunately have taken the lives of our fellow Americans. It's important that we set the record straight and correct the racial injustices that exist in a very institutional way, beginning with things with our criminal justice system, where predominantly the failed war on drugs that has been continuing to be waged in this country has disproportionately impacted people of color and people in poverty.

This is something that I'll do as president and commander-in-chief, is to overhaul our criminal justice system, working in a bipartisan way to do things like end the failed war on drugs, end the money bail system, enact the kinds of prison reforms and sentencing reforms that we need to see that will correct the failures of the past.

Source: November Democratic primary debate in Atlanta Nov 20, 2019

  • The above quotations are from Democratic Primary Debate: November 20th in Atlanta, hosted by MSNBC.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Civil Rights.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Tom Steyer on Civil Rights.
  • Click here for more quotes by Pete Buttigieg on Civil Rights.
2020 Presidential contenders on Civil Rights:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 23, 2019