Democratic Debate: Kamala Harris dominates with ‘segregationist’ attack on Biden as ex-VP forced to defend race record and age

Kamala Harris took a firm grip of the second Democratic debate and refused to let go, launching an excoriating attack on Joe Biden’s record on race relations, as the former vice president was several times forced on the defensive.

A day after another woman senator, Elizabeth Warren, dominated many headlines with her strong performance in the party’s first night of debates, Ms Harris dialled up the temperature with an assault on Mr Biden that was both stinging and personal.

Seizing on the recent controversy triggered by Mr Biden’s comments that he had decades ago been civil to Republicans he disagreed with to get legislation passed, including those who supported segregation, Ms Harris, whose father is from Jamaica and whose mother from India, confronted him directly.

“I do not believe you are a racist. And I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground,” Ms Harris said, in the most dramatic exchange of both debates.

“But I also believe – and it’s personal, and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.”

Mr Biden, who has long considered himself a champion of civil rights, briefly looked stunned. He insisted Ms Harris was misrepresenting his record, but she recalled being a schoolgirl who was bussed to class. “I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly.”

The attack on Mr Biden may have been expected. As the party’s frontrunner, according to the polls, he was likely to the person the others went after. He has also long been vulnerable on matters of race relations; while he served as Barack Obama’s vice president, he has also often been attacked over issues such as his support for the 1994 crime bill that unfairly impacted communities of colour, and his 1991 questioning on Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing.

But the vehemence of Ms Harris’s attack, and Mr Biden’s struggle to respond effectively, or even accurately, will have likely raised further questions as to whether he is of the right generation, or political persuasion, to represent a Democratic party whose elected members have shifted to the left in recent years. 

Another candidate, congressman Eric Swalwell, took a jab at Mr Biden’s age.

“Joe Biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans 32 years ago,” he said. Mr Biden responded: “I’m still holding on to that torch.”

It was said as a defence of his record, and of his endurance, but to many it will have been seen as an unintentional admission that he was selfishly not standing aside for the likes of Mr Swalwell, and Pete Buttigeig, who is a full four decades younger than the 76-year-old Mr Biden.

The other white septuagenarian man on the stage, Bernie Sanders, 77, probably endured fewer attacks than the man standing to his right, but only because he adopted an “eyes down” approach and frequently delivered answers that did not tally precisely with the question he had been asked. 

This meant he stuck to his script, but it also meant he said very little on Thursday night that he has not been saying for the last 40 years or more. The Vermont senator, too, must be hoping there is a prize for endurance.

Asked if it was possible for a socialist, as he has described himself, to beat Mr Trump, Mr Sanders barely needed to reach for an answer. “I think the response is…the last polls I saw had us 10 points ahead of Donald Trump,” he said calmly. “Because the American people understand Trump is a phoney and a pathological liar.”

Going into Thursday’s debate, Mr Buttigeig, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was among the top five polling candidates, along with Mr Biden, Mr Sanders, Ms Warren and Ms Harris.

It was not clear whether he advanced his cause in Miami. He spoke fluently at several points, but with only the slowest-burning passion. The mayor, a former US military officer who is the only openly gay candidate running for president for the mainstream parties, also faced difficult questions about a racially charged recent police shooting in his city, in which a white officer shot and killed a black man, Eric Logan. 

Mr Buttigieg said an investigation was underway, and he acknowledged the underlying racial tensions in his city and others. “It’s a mess,” he said. “And we’re hurting.”

The other candidates, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, former governor John Hickenlooper, senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Michael Bennet, and author and social activist Marianne Williamson, took something of a back seat. In such a setting, it was vital they sought to make an impression, but this was also difficult to achieve.

They will likely have more opportunities. The Democrats are to have a total of 12 debates before the primaries and it is likely people’s polling numbers will rise and fall.

Even so, everybody had some supporters. 

Sandi Huffman-Hansen, a 49-year-old student affairs worker from Coral Gables, said she intended to vote for Ms Williamson and that her comment that America focuses on “sick care” instead of “healthcare” resonated with her. “I [also] like how Gillibrand is pushing for women’s rights, and how Swalwell is so focused on gun legislation,” she told The Independent.

Heather Chapman, a 43-year-old business centre worker from Parkland, said Mr Swalwell’s focus on guns was appealing, especially in light of the tragedy in her community just a little over a year ago.

“I definitely think Rep Swalwell shined tonight,” she said. “His passion to end gun violence comes through.”

Sam Bevens, a 19-year-old student at the University of Florida in Miami, said he was impressed by Ms Harris, but that he still had his eye on Mr Sanders.

“I think Kamala definitely did really well,“ he said, “I think she’s going to surge.”

Ms Harris will have been quietly satisfied with her performance. Much less so Mr Biden. 

Bioreports posted a graphic showing Mr Biden had dominated the evening in terms of time spent talking – 13.18 minutes compared to Ms Harris’s 12.09.

Both will have known, however, that very often it is the choice of words that matters more than the volume.