The “by a show of hands” challenge has a controversial past in American presidential debates. Republicans chafed and objected in 2007. Trump stood alone in 2016. And on Wednesday at the NBC Democratic Debate, the first primary debate of the 2020 season, the show of hands-on health care got big applause from the crowd, but only two hands up on stage.

NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt posed the question, following on Sen. Elizabeth Warren‘s answer to the prior debate point.

“We’re going to turn to the issue of healthcare right now, I’m really trying to understand where there may or may not be daylight between you,” said Holt. He pointed out that many people have health insurance through their employer, before asking about what the candidates would do.

“Who here would abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan, just a show of hands,” said Holt.

Only Warren and Mayor Mike Bloomberg raised their hands, as the crowd timidly at first and then more enthusiastically applauded.

The follow-up questions on the topic of health care got more into the weeds, but the moment NBC wanted to make indelible was the show of hands, and for that image, on the question of abolishing their private plans for government-run health care, only two jumped in.

Now we watch to see how reporters and anchors on the networks ask the other candidates, and would-be kingmakers like Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, what they have to say about that divide.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2Jdph6F