Sanders & Warren's Teamwork At The July 30 Debate Has Twitter Cheering
When CNN announced that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren would appear on the same debate stage on July 30, everyone from political analysts to social media users was on tenterhooks. Many people anticipated that Sanders and Warren would battle it out over critical issues facing the country — but that isn't even close to what happened. Instead, the two progressives joined forces against more centrist candidates, and these memes about Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren at the July 30 debate are proof that their alliance is giving voters hope.
From the very beginning of Tuesday night's debate, Sanders and Warren found themselves defending their progressive politics from their more moderate colleagues. When former Maryland Rep. John Delaney accused Warren and Sanders of wanting to take health care away from millions of Americans, the senators made it clear that they were simply trying to guarantee health care for everyone.
Later on, Warren and Sanders slammed Delaney and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper for their apparent opposition to a Green New Deal. Sanders suggested that Democrats were "afraid of big ideas," while Warren accused her fellow candidates of using Republican talking points to criticize one another. In the end, Warren and Sanders' alliance during Tuesday night's debate was the subject of numerous memes and tweets — and left more than one person hoping for a Warren/Sanders or a Sanders/Warren ticket in 2020.
As Axios pointed out, Warren and Sanders managed to set themselves apart as progressives in a Democratic field crowded with moderates. Many of the candidates at Tuesday night's debate opposed the senators' universal health care plans in favor of giving Americans the choice between public and private insurance. Warren and Sanders, however, made the case that Medicare for All would benefit every single person in the United States.
Warren and Sanders were also in agreement on other key issues, like immigration, climate change, trade, and beating President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Both senators support decriminalizing entry into the U.S., and used Tuesday's debate as an opportunity to defend the Green New Deal from Delaney and Hickenlooper. Then, at one moment during the debate, Sanders explicitly voiced his support for Warren's opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
"Elizabeth is absolutely right," Sanders said. "If anybody here thinks that corporate America gives one damn about the average American worker, you're mistaken."
Following the debate, CNN's Anderson Cooper asked Sanders about his apparent alliance with Warren during the debate. Cooper pointed out that the two senators have proposed many similar policies, and then wondered what would happen now that they have worked together on a debate stage to take down moderate arguments.
"She runs her campaign and I run my campaign," Sanders responded. "Elizabeth Warren has been a friend of mine for 25 years. I respect her. She's an excellent senator."
It became evident during Tuesday night's debate that Sanders and Warren have found common ground on a variety of issues, ranging from health care to trade. The longterm friendship between the two progressive senators, coupled with their clearly displayed alliance on the debate stage, has many voters longing for a Warren/Sanders ticket in 2020.
Will it happen? That's months away. But clearly, Twitter is looking to the future.
