Health Care Likely To Be A Source Of Tension As 2020 Democratic Candidates Take The Stage For Debates

The Associated Press: 2020 Democrats Converge In Miami For 1st Night Of Debates
Ten presidential candidates, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will converge on the debate stage on Wednesday on the first night of Democratic debates to offer their pitches to voters and attempt a breakout moment for their campaigns. For many of the White House hopefuls, it will be the highest-profile opportunity yet to offer their vision for the country and, if for just two hours, chip into a political news cycle often dominated by President Donald Trump. Given the massive field , the debate will be split over two nights , with 10 other candidates — including former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — appearing Thursday. (Summers, 6/26)

Boston Globe: Two Nights. Twenty Candidates. The First Democratic Debates Mark A New Phase In The Presidential Race
In a windowless conference room in downtown Miami, Julian Castro practiced answering mock debate questions while an aide kept an eye on the clock, raising two hands in the air whenever Castro spoke longer than one minute. Elsewhere in the city this week, another Democratic presidential contender, California Senator Kamala Harris, huddled with her advisers over Caribbean food. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren squeezed in one last rally with her final debate preparations. And New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s aides passed around a memo laying out his goals for the mere 7 to 11 minutes he will likely speak onstage. (Bidgood, 6/25)

The New York Times: Debate Night One: Political Dynamics To Watch
Ms. Warren is the only candidate on the first night who is polling in double digits, but there are plenty of intriguing story lines and political dynamics to watch for. (Goldmacher, Parlapiano and Ramic, 6/26)

Politico: Five Topics To Watch For In The First Democratic Debates
Thanks to Bernie Sanders’ 2016 run for president, “Medicare for All” has cemented itself firmly in the Democratic lexicon. Now, the 2020 candidates have embraced policies aimed at addressing the cost of health care that range from Sanders’ single-payer plan to improving the Affordable Care Act. Look for health care to be one of the most prominent issues over  which candidates clash during the debates.Supporters of California Sen. Eric Swalwell were most likely to say health care was their top issue, while supporters of author Marianne Williamson were least likely to rank it the issue they cared most about. (Jin and Oprysko, 6/25)

Vox: Democratic Debate June 19: 2020 Candidates’ Policies On Health Care
The Democrats running for president in 2020, while sharing a general goal of “expanding health coverage,” have two fundamental disagreements about health care. One is on the policy: Would the best insurance system be one fully funded by the federal government? The Democrats who support Sen. Bernie Sanders’s Medicare-for-all bill are saying it is, while other candidates prefer to build more gradually on the public-private system we have now or openly running against the idea of single-payer. The other debate is over strategy: Even if Democrats are lucky enough to win full control of the government in 2020, which is by no means guaranteed, should they try to enact another major health care overhaul? Or should they use their time, energy, attention, and political capital for other pursuits? (Scott, 6/25)

CQ: Democrats Face Pressure In Debates On Overhauling Health Care
When 20 of the Democratic presidential candidates reach the debate stage Wednesday and Thursday, one key difference that could emerge is whether candidates say they would seek another overhaul of the nation’s health insurance system. The debate will be an opportunity for the White House aspirants to outline their health care plans – an issue that polls consistently show is a priority for Democratic voters. Most of the party’s 23 candidates have yet to release their own comprehensive plans explaining their priorities on an issue that contrasts significantly with President Donald Trump’s approach. (McIntire, 6/26)

The Wall Street Journal: First Democratic Debates To Pit Experience Against Lesser-Knowns
Mr. Biden has been here before, but this will be his first time on a presidential debate stage as the front-runner. The former vice president has been making the case that he’s the best candidate to beat Mr. Trump. But Mr. Biden is also reckoning with a Democratic Party that has shifted leftward on some issues, even in the two years since he left office. In response, he recently reversed himself on his longstanding support of the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of Medicaid funds for abortion in nearly all cases. (Day, Collins and Parti, 6/26)

PBS NewsHour: Avoiding Debate Blunders Is Just As Important For 2020 Dems As Scoring A Breakout Moment
Political watchers said candidates focused on engineering a signature moment would do well to follow another debate rule: avoid a major mistake that can draw headlines for all the wrong reasons. “As we look at the memorable moments in debates, almost all of them are cases where people fell to pieces, rather than cases where people said something really memorable and inspiring,” said David Birdsell, an expert in presidential debates and the dean of the Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. (Yarvin, 6/25)

The Hill: Poll Finds Trump Vulnerable On Health Care In Battleground States 
A majority of people polled in four major battleground states would not vote for a president who supports many of the policies being pursued by the Trump administration, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted on behalf of pro-ObamaCare group Protect Our Care, found voters in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin would not consider voting for a presidential candidate who supports policies including eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions, cutting funding for Medicare or letting insurance companies stop covering the costs of prescription drugs. (Weixel, 6/25)