AANHPI federal employees encouraged to advance to leadership roles by Biden administration

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig addressed AANHPI federal employees
at a recent leadership development conference.

In the last week of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, the Biden-Harris administration highlighted their commitment to make the federal workforce more reflective of the US population.

On May 23, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted a conference focused on supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) federal employees and cultivating leaders within the federal government–marking the first time such an event has been held at this scale and by any administration since 2014.

“OPM recognizes that with each unique perspective in our workforce, we are better prepared to meet the diverse needs of the American people,” said US Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja. 

“Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander federal employees contribute every day to the vital work of the federal government and support its mission to serve the American people. We are proud to celebrate AA and NHPI Heritage Month and recognize the talents they bring to public service.”

The government-wide convening, held at the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) headquarters in Washington, DC, drew hundreds of AA and NHPI public servants from across the country. Hundreds more tuned in virtually for select portions of the all-day program, which was organized by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) in close partnership with the OPM and the DOT. 

More than 1,000 employees representing over 100 federal agencies registered to attend the hybrid conference.

Through a fireside chat discussion and breakout sessions with Biden-Harris Administration leaders, attendees explored the most urgent challenges facing AA and NHPI public servants and celebrated AA and NHPI Heritage Month under the theme "Visible Together." 

The conference welcomed plenary speaker Michelle Kwan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Belize, where she shared how she continues to exemplify leadership through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in her distinguished career in public service. 

Federal employees, OPM facilitators, and subject matter experts also discussed ways to foster career advancement, develop leadership skills, and strengthen the pipeline for AA and NHPIs at all levels of the federal workforce.

While three members of President Joe Biden’s historically diverse Cabinet are Asian American, and representation is evident throughout staffing at every level of the Administration–with 14% of candidates appointed or nominated to positions within the Biden-Harris Administration identifying as AA and NHPI as of December 2022—the story is different for the federal government’s civil service.

According to OPM demographic diversity data, Asian Americans made up 6.49% of the total federal workforce in Fiscal Year 2021, while Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) comprised 0.56%. Of federal employees at the Senior Executive Service (SES) level, just 4.68% were Asian American, and 0.16 percent were NHPI.

“AA and NHPI participation across all levels of government allows our communities to have a seat at the table, and we are stronger when the federal workforce reflects the diversity of America,” said Krystal Ka‘ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. 

“This conference reaffirms the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting government service, empowering AA and NHPIs, and attracting and retaining top talent, especially for the Senior Executive Service. Most importantly, we are ensuring that the contributions and humanity of AA and NHPI federal employees—whose work impacts millions of Americans and future generations—are seen and valued.”

President Biden re-established and reinvigorated WHIAANHPI in May 2021 through Executive Order 14031. The Initiative’s whole-of-government approach comprises a mandate to “foster the recruitment, career and leadership development, retention, advancement, and participation of AA and NHPI public servants at all levels of the Federal workforce.” Separately, the President signed Executive Order 14035 in July 2021 to create a government-wide initiative to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal government.

In January 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration released its first-ever national strategy to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities, which outlines commitments from dozens of agencies including all 15 executive departments in the President’s Cabinet. 

Various agencies including OPM and DOT identified addressing barriers to the hiring and promotion of AA and NHPI employees; strengthening Employee Resource Groups; forging partnerships with educational institutions that serve AA and NHPIs; and cultivating mentorship opportunities for aspiring AA and NHPI leaders as high-priority goals.

The May 23 conference builds upon WHIAANHPI’s previous partnership with OPM on webinars to help community members jumpstart their federal careers and encourage AA and NHPI students to apply to the Presidential Management Fellows Program, the federal government’s flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders.

Earlier this month, the White House Forum on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders , co-hosted by WHIAANHPI, featured a breakout convening with dedicated to promoting careers in the federal government, where agency and program representatives highlighted opportunities including AmeriCorps, US Public Health Service, presidential appointments, and the Pathways internship program. In December 2022, WHIAANHPI also collaborated with the White House Fellows Foundation and Association to provide an overview of the 2023-24 White House Fellows Program.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.

Democratic candidates scramble for Nevada's AAPI vote

COURTESY ROGER LAU

Elizabeth Warren's campaign was present at Las Vegas Lunar New Year celebration.

With just days to go before the Nevada's Feb. 22 Caucus, voters, media and the candidates are learning that Nevada is an entirely different ball game than either Iowa or New Hampshire, two mostly white states.

Nevada is the first early state with a majority nonwhite population; 28 percent of the Democratic electorate is Latino, 14 percent is African American and 11 percent is Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

“The culture is shifting. It used to be we were afterthoughts. Now people understand AAPI is a determining group in Nevada,” said Grace Vergara-Mactal, executive director of Service Employees International Union.

If you've visited Las Vegas or Reno, you can't help but notice the plethora of AAPI employees working in the casinos, restaurants and other service industries. Nevada hospitals and schools have been active in recruiting nurses and teachers, respectively, from the Philippines.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing segment of the Nevada electorate and one that has been heavily courted by the candidates and the Democratic Party.

From AAPI Data and APIA Vote have prepared a fact sheet on Nevada's AAPI population. Here are some highlights:

• Largest AAPI ethnic groups in Nevada include: Filipino (162,936), Chinese (50,878), Japanese (26,359), Korean (16,169), Vietnamese (16,169), and Indian (15,022). 

• From 2010 to 2016, the number of eligible AAPI voters in Nevada grew 35%. 

• This compares to a 13% growth rate for the statewide eligible voting population between 2010 to 2016. 

• AAPI youth (ages 18-29) comprise 22% of the AAPI CVAP population in Nevada. • AAPIs age 50 

For the first time, the DNC will provide Caucus-goers voting material in Tagalog, one of the major dialects of the Philippines. Last month, Democrats held a workshop on how to take part in the Caucus for Tagalog speakers. 

After the New Hampshire Primary where Elizabeth Warren finished a distant fourth, the candidate, who has campaigned in Nevada heavily, released her Agenda for the Asian American Pacific Islander community, outlining her positions and goals on a number of. issues, including immigration, family reunification, health care, education, housing and racial discrimination.

In a lead-up to the Nevada Caucus, the major candidates participated in a Twitter Town Hall directed at the AAPI communities. Although the program was nationwide, the timing of the event was evidently chosen to get information to Nevada's AAPI voters.

Candidates have been keying in on the AAPI community targetting specific Asian subgroups. Elizabeth Warren located her Nevada field office in the heart of Las Vega's Chinatown. Her campaign has been active for a year in the Silver State.

Warren's campaign rang in the Lunar New Year with the launch of its “AAPI Weekend of Action” at the annual Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade.

“We want to make sure we’re meeting people where we’re at. That’s why we’ve been making a huge investment here in Nevada and Las Vegas, making sure we had staff on the ground,” said Roger Lau, Warren's campaign manager, the first Asian American to hold that position for a major candidate.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are paying attention and listening to what the politicians are saying,” said Lau.

“They have health care issues they have to deal with. They have educational concerns. They want to make sure we have childcare,” Lau said.

INSTAGRAM

Pete Buttigeig meets with AAPI community members in Las Vegas late last year.

Former Vice President Joe Biden announced on January 31 the formation of the ​Nevada Asian American and Pacific Islander (​AAPI) Leadership Council​, which will focus on mobilizing and engaging Nevada’s growing AAPI community on behalf of the candidate.

Ash Mirchandani, a Las Vegas business and community leader, will chair the group, and Doris Bauer, a board member of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), will be vice chair.

“This council is a testament to the energy and support that the AAPI community has for Joe Biden. With only a short time left before the Nevada caucus, this council will be charged with convincing even more members of our community to join Team Joe," said ​Mirchandani in a statement.

"We will be phone banking, knocking doors, hosting community events, and most importantly, making the case for why Joe Biden is the best candidate to expand access to health care, improve our standing in the world, and ensure America’s long-term, equitable economic success,” 

“With only a few weeks before the Nevada caucus, I am excited to take the next step to ensure my community turns out for Joe Biden. Filipinos are one of the fastest-growing communities in Nevada, and we will be decisive in determining our Democratic nominee nationwide,” ​said Bauer.

Earlier in January, the AAPI Victory Fund, ​a PAC focused on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Island voters, endorsed ​Biden for President​. ​

The newly formed council and the Victory Fund are holding an Early Vote Event on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the popular Chinatown restaurant, Harbor Palace Seafood Restaurant. Starting at 4:45 p.m., the event requires an RSVP.

California Sen. Kamala Harris and businessman Andrew Yang, two of the three AAPI candidates, had invested heavily in the Silver State. Their absence leaves a lot of their followers deciding who they will cast their votes for.

Sanders has a small army of volunteers on the ground in the state who are knocking on doors, waving signs at commuters and handing out campaign literature in multiple languages.

The Vermont senator leads the presidential field by a solid margin among likely Democratic caucus-goers heading into Nevada’s four-day early voting period, but all six of the candidates actively campaigning in the state this week earned double-digit support according to The Nevada Poll™.

Sanders topped the poll conducted for the Las Vegas Journal-Review  and AARP Nevada with 25% of respondents expressing support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden with 18%, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, 13% followed by Steyers, 11%, Buttigeig  and Klobuchar had 10%.

Except for Steyer, all have qualified for the Feb. 19 debate. Billionaire Mike Bloomberg qualified for the debate Tuesday morning. Steyerand Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard have until 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday to meet the debate criteria established by the DNC.
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The next Democratic debate can be viewed:

• Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
• Time: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: The debate will air on NBC and MSNBC. 

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However, the debate may be too late for for Nevada voters. Almost 60% of voters are expected to take part in the state's early voting.

"Democrats just assume that Asian-Americans will turn up at the polls, and vote Democrat," said Dr. Michelle Diggles, author of a new Third Way study on Asian-American political participation. "There are very real serious ramifications for the assumption that demographics are destiny for the Democratic Party. If you don't do outreach, if you don't target, if you don't talk about the issues that they care about, they'll stay home."

“Candidates that don’t pay attention to the AAPI population will meet their demise,” William McCurdy II, the state’s Democratic Party chairman, told CNN. “They want to be courted. They want face time” with candidates.

UPDATED: Feb. 18, 9:45 a.m. to include Mike Bloomberg in the Nevada debate.

Sunday Read: Andrew Yang whiffs on the question of racism

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

From left, Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigeig and Elizabeth Warren tangle on race during the New Hampshire debate.

OPINION:

It may be a bit unfair that we (as in "people of color," specifically Asian Americans) expect so much from Andrew Yang. We put on his shoulders the weight of representing our own experiences and dreams.

You would think that as a POC, Yang would be able to give a more substantial answer to the question of racism in US society. In the New Hampshire debate, racism came up as a topic between Pete Buttigeig and Elizabeth Warren and then Andrew Yang came in at the end of the discussion. I thought to myself, "Oh, here we go, Andrew. Knock it out of the park." Instead, he whiffed. At most, he got a bloop single.

To my mind, racism permeates all aspects of US society. It is at the root of our country's inequality in wages, housing, justice system, education, income, opportunity and social standing. Most of all, racism is the unseen, but deep-dive underlying Marianas Trench that divides Americans from one another.

By and large, throughout his campaign, Yang has steered clear from "identity politics." Whenever the question of race comes up, he seems uncomfortable, and for lack of an answer, he falls back on his major plank on his platform - the universal basic income, or as he calls it, the Freedom Dividend - as the answer to all ills in American society.

That's what he did during the Friday (Feb. 7) debate in New Hampshire.

Mayor Pete Buttigeig was asked about his rocky record with the African American community in South Bend, Indiana. He was asked about the high rate of arrests of black people in his own city.

He claimed that the arrests for marijuana possession were lower than the national average and lower than the state of Indiana.

Fortunately, moderator Linsey Davis didn't let him get away with that answer. In fact, she disputed his figures. There was an increase. Davis said when Buttigieg took office in 2012, the numbers had increased and were still up in 2018, the most recent year the number was recorded.

Buttigeig  did not dispute Davis' figures, but tried to address her allegations:

"Yeah. And one of the strategies that our community adopted was to target when there were cases where there was gun violence and gang violence, which was slaughtering so many in our community, burying teenagers, disproportionately black teenagers, we adopted a strategy that said that drug enforcement would be targeted in cases where there was a connection to the most violent group or gang connected to a murder," he said.

"These things are all connected. But that's the point."

Davis then asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, if Buttigeig's answer was good enough to satisfy any doubters of the mayor's record on race.

Warren's swift "No," prompted applause from the audience.

"We need to rework our criminal justice system from the very front end on what we make illegal all the way through the system and how we help people come back into the community," she said.

“We cannot just say that criminal justice is the only time that we want to talk about race specifically,” Warren said, calling for “race-conscious laws” on issues like housing, education and employment, in order “to make this country a country of opportunity for everyone, no matter the color of their skin.”

But Yang, as the only POC onstage, chimed in, disagreeing with Warren: “We can’t regulate away racism with a patchwork of laws that are race-specific.”

Yang, apparently, believes his signature campaign promise to give every citizen a universal basic income of $1,000 a month, can cure the racial ills facing this country. As if to lend weight to his argument, he cited “the writings of Martin Luther King.”

“We can’t regulate that away through any other means except putting money directly into the hands of African Americans and Latinos, to people of color, to allow businesses to actually flourish and grow in those communities,” Yang said. “The only way that will help is if Black and Latino consumers have buying power.”

Yang’s simplistic solution fails to address the larger point of the brought up by his white rivals: Laws have actively contributed to that lack of “buying power” in the economy. The country has a long history of policies that have institutionalized racism, creating discrimination in housing, education, health care and voting, among other aspects of society.

As such, it needs to be attacked and addressed in all its myriad forms, using any weapons available at our disposal. There is no one cure for this horrible and taxing disease.

You only have to ask any middle-class African American if their hard work and middle-class wage has eliminated racist incidents from his or her life.

Hell, one only has to look at how Trump and his white supremacist supporters in the Senate and elsewhere have attacked President Barack Obama. Even the most powerful man in the world was unable to change racial attitudes towards him and his family -- from questioning his birth certificate, his education and his loyalty to the US not to mention the cruder racist epithets and stereotypes hurled against them.

And as we can see clearly from the current White House, racism can come from the rich as well as from the economically challenged. A $1,000 a month check will not wash clean that ingrained stain.

After the Friday debate, CNN analysts Dana Bash and Erin Burnet again threw Yang softball after softball questions trying to give him an opportunity to give a more substantive answer since only Yang, as the only person of color on stage, could give an answer with any weight. 

Bash asked  Yang if there was anything he'd like to add that he didn't say on stage.

Although he admitted that his Freedom Dividend would not get rid of "structural" racism, easing the economic inequality would at least give American something to build on. "I did feel a bit of responsibility because I knew I was the lone candidate of color on the stage. ... I just don't think you can legislate away racism."

Burnett asked Yang what it felt like to hear white candidates talk about black voters. Yang responded as if he didn't understand the question. He again fell back on his stock stump talking point -- the Freedom Dividend. The closest he came to answering the question was saying that Martin Luther King was pushing for the universal basic income before he was assassinated.

Even though last year he admitted that he was the victim of discrimination while he was growing up in New York state, Yang avoids talking about America's greatest shame as if it is part of a deliberate strategy. 

Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Julian Castro, who have talked eloquently about race during the previous debates and during the course of their campaigns, have all dropped out of the race for the presidency. Maybe Yang has learned something from their missteps andn doesn't want to offend his white supporters, including those right-wingers who have announced their preference for the candidate who doesn't accuse them of being racists.

Tulsi Gabbard and Duval Patrick didn't qualify for the debate stage and barely register in the polls leaving Yang as the most visible candidate of color who can and should speak about racism with any sense of moral authenticity. 

Though Yang has spoken candidly on the campaign trail about facing racism and discrimination as he grew up in upstate New York, he has also faced other criticisms of his handling of race, such as his self-deprecating jokes about Asian Americans, which have sometimes perpetuated stereotypes, including the “model minority” and good-at-math tropes.

Yang has attracted praise from from the white supremacist wing of the GOP  and to his credit, he has disavowed their support. But he also claims to be attracting substantial numbers of whites who regret voting for Trump in 2016. Perhaps Yang doesn't want to offend his white supporters, but in tippy-toeing around the touchy subject in favor of whites, he's turning off POC voters who want to hear him speak from his heart about their truths.

Buttigeig Warren, Biden would consider Kamala Harris as vice president

ANALYSIS

SCREEN CAPTURE

Elizabeth Warren is open to an all-woman ticket in considering Kamala Harris as a running mate.

Just days after dropping out of the president’s race, Kamala Harris is being named as a possible Vice Presidential candidate.

The top three candidates on top of the polls, former Vice President Joe Biden, US Senator Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigeig, say they’d consider the California senator as a possible running mate.

When asked if he'd consider Harris as a running mate, Biden said, “Of course I would."

“Look, Sen. Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be. I mean it sincerely. I talked to her yesterday. She’s solid, she can be president someday herself, she can be vice president, she could go on to be a Supreme Court justice, she could be attorney general. I mean she has enormous capability.”

Ironically, Harris’ best moment in her failed presidential run came this summer when she confronted Biden during a debate. The two talked this week. Biden said he’s “not good at keeping hard feelings.”

“My reaction is she’s of first rate intellect, a first rate candidate and a real competitor,” he said to reporters after getting the news that Harris had dropped out of the race. “I have mixed emotions about it because she is really a solid, solid person, and loaded with talent. And I’m sure she’s not dropping out on wanting to make the changes she cares about.”

"I think she deserves to be under anybody's consideration. She's a formidable leader," Pete Buttigieg told NBC News when asked whether he was considering Harris as a potential running mate.

"I have enormous respect for Senator Harris," he said. "I think that she brought a great deal to the race, and she'll continue to bring a great deal and her leadership to the country. I don't think it's appropriate for me to name — it's very premature before the Iowa caucus for me to name-check anybody for the future."

Warren was even more enthusiastic about Harris. When asked if Harris would be on her short list for VP, Warren replied, “Oh yeah. I mean look, Kamala Harris would be on any Democrat’s short list. She’s smart, she’s confident…”
And though Harris is no longer running for president, she’ll still be fulfilling her duties as a Senator, and Warren thinks we’ll be seeing a lot more of Harris in the future.

“Kamala’s terrific,” Warren said. “And I guarantee we’re going to hear a lot more from Kamala in a lot of different ways.”

Harris' value as a running mate for one of the top tier Democratic candidates has grown since her announcement that she's dropping out of the race for POTUS, particularly, the six candidates who will be taking part in the Dec. 19 debate - thus, far - are white.

Democrats fear that a good portion of the Obama coalition - college educated voters and voters of color -- may lose interest in the remaining candidates. Considering how much the Democrats depend on the voters of color to come out for their candidate, this is an embarrassing situation. A drop-off in voters from minority communities could cost them an election.

Except for Biden, who still has the gafterlow of the Obama presidency surrounding his candidacy, the other candidates, including Warren, Buttigeig, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Amy Klobuchar -- have not garnered the enthusiastic support of the black communities. 

Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard, Cory Booker and Julian Castro have not qualified for the debate under the rules imposed by the DNC. Presidential hopefuls have until 11:59 p.m. on December 12 to meet both donor and polling requirements.

The uphill climb for candidates of color might have been on Warren's mind Sunday (Dec. 8). Speaking to more than 800 people at the College of Charleston town hall event, Warren questioned what the seemingly unfair political process that seems to work against the infusion of new candidates with fresh ideas, in particular candidates of color.

Warren said in a press conference prior to her speech that she believes Americans are ready for a presidential ticket with two women at the top, rejecting concerns from some Democrats that a woman can't beat President Donald Trump.

"Sure, why not?" the Democratic presidential candidate told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of a town hall campaign event in Charleston. "I think (voters) would support a lot of different combinations."

Facing the Charleston audience, Warren invoked part of the campaign slogan that Harris had championed since January.

“My campaign is for the people,” Warren said, prompting some of the biggest applause of the night.

AsAm News contributed to this report.

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Andrew Yang plans big surprise during the Democrats' debate

Candidate Andrew Yang plans a surprise during the debate in Houston.

Finally, Andrew Yang has the mainstream media's attention.

Yang's campaign sent a tweet to The Daily Beast's Sam Stein that at Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate in Houston, the candidate is going to do "something no presidential candidate has ever done before in history."

By this mysterious tease, with no other specific details, mainstream media's interest piqued up. Speculation is rampant. 

Will he be the first candidate to drop out during a televised debate? In so doing, will he endorse one of his rivals? Will he crowdsurf onto the room like he did last week at the AAPI Presidential Forum? Will he jump into a mosh pit full of his Yang Gang supporters? Will he announce the score of the football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, which will be airing at the same time as the debate?

Yang has had trouble getting mainstream media to give him the attention given to candidates that he has outperformed in the polls. It seems the only time he gets air time is when he's doing something no other presidential candidate has done: line dancing with senior citizens; crying in response to a mother who had lost her son to gun violence, challenging Trump in basketball, and the aforementioned crowd surfing.

Yang has been unable to move beyond 2% (in some polls, 3%) in most polls so he's been stuck with the "long-shot" monicker.

This debate will feature the top ten hopefuls on the same stage. Previous debates have had to split the candidates into two separate nights.

While most eyes are anxious to see how frontrunner Joe Biden and his closest rival, Elizabeth Warren, interact. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg need to insert themselves among the top four or five to gain momentum towards the next debate in October.

The candidates who poll in the single digits, including Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke and Julian Castro to have a "moment," do or say somethingmake an impression with the audience. And watch out for that Asian guy who loves MATH.

To prepare for the debate, Yang shows his moves on the basketball court in the video below:

What: The third debate between candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination

When: 5-8 p.m. PT Thursday, Sept. 12

Channels: ABC and Univision

Streaming: The debate will stream on the ABC app and the ABC News Live channel, available on Facebook, Twitter, Roku, Hulu, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube, Apple News and the ABC News, “Good Morning America” and FiveThirtyEight websites and phone apps. Univision News will also livestream the debate on its digital platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and Periscope.

Kamala Harris stands out in second night of Democrats' debate

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Sen. Kamala Harris did well in the second night of the Democratic debate.

ANALYSIS

Everybody thought that Sen. Bernie Sanders would attack the frontrunner former Vice President Joe Biden, but Biden was caught flatfooted when the attack came from good friend Sen. Kamala Harris.

Unlike the previous night, in this set of 10 Democratic candidates there was a clear cut winner and that was the Indian American from California.

On the topic of the state of race relations, Harris outshouted her peers  talking over each other and demanded to be heard. She looked directly at her friend Joe Biden and with the slightest of tremors in her voice. 

RELATED: 

• High stakes in debate for AAPI presidential candidates
• Tulsi Gabbard should move up in polls after impressive debate performance

“I do not believe you are a racist,” Harris said as she looked past Sanders directly at Biden. “And I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground. But I also believe, and it is personal, and I was actually very — it was hurtful, to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country. And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing.”

"And you know," she continued, "there was a little girl in California, who was a part of the second class to integrate her public school, and she was bused to school everyday. And that was little girl was me."

Moments later, her engagement team tweeted out a photo of that "little girl in California."

Harris also scored points when the other candidates were trying to speak over each other, and like the only adult in the room, Harris spread her hands out and said,  "Hey guys, you know what, America does not want to witness a food fight. 

"They want to know how we're going to put food on their table."

The remarks were followed by loud applause, including from several of the other  candidates.

On immigration, Harris said with emotion and conviction: “I will release children from cages, I will get rid of the private detention centers and I will ensure that this microphone that the President of the United States holds in her hand is used in a way that is about reflecting the values of our country and not about locking children up.”

Applause broke out when she used the word "her."

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Andrew Yang almostg disappeared in the Democrats debate.

Andrew Yang seemed stiff and a little awed for the moment, being the first Asian American man to be on a presidential debate stage on national TV.

When the subject veered from the economy, he seemed uncertain and out of his element. Of all the candidates who clamored to be heard, Yang held back, (poltely) did not interrupte and as a result, he had the least airtime of the ten candidates on stage. Even feel-good guru Marianne Williamson spoke up more even as the twitterverse couldn't understand what she was talking about.

Yang has already qualifed for the next debate in July. He's got to learn to be more assertive and not speak so fast when explaining how he would fund his Freedom Dividend, giving  $1000 a month to everyone over age 18. He needs to let his words sink in like he's speaking to fifth-grader.

Here's how Google saw the debate:

Biden had the most time speaking because he was always being attacked and under debate rules, he's allowed to respond to the criticism.

Below, because of Harris dominating performance, she was the subjectline being searched across most of the country.

As the debate progressed and Harris scored point after point, interest among the online watchers grew. Willlaimson's also had a good showing but that's deceptive. A little searching will show that most of traffic was due to the online jokes about her responses..

Other observations from the debate:

• The Thursday debate had the oldest candidates of Sanders and Biden, the youngest represented by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigeig and California's Rep. Eric Swalwell. At times, Biden and Sanders looked and sounded like two grouchy old men.

• The generation gap was never so clear marked by Swalwell quoting Biden who said in a California speech that it was "time to pass the torch." Swalwell used the line effective. “If we’re going to solve the issues of automation, pass the torch," the California lawmaker continued. "If we’re going to solve the issues of climate chaos, pass the torch. If we’re going to solve the issue of student loan debt, pass the torch. If we’re going to end the gun violence for families who are fearful of sending their kids to school, pass the torch.”

• Swalwell tried to kneecap Buttigeig when the South Bend mayor said that he failed to resolve the recent racial divide in his town, exacerbated by the shooting of a black man by a white officer who had turned off his camaera. Swallwell shouted from across the room, "You should fire the police chief!"

• The three women apparently learned from the first night's debate and didn't hold back when the men tried to take over the conversation. Harris, Williamson and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand  repeatedly tried to butt in in order to get stage time. 

• Yang chose to not wear a tie which the commentators couldn't help but point out as if he had committed a serious breech of protocol and wasn't serious about running for president. Personally, I think the importance of the tie is overblown.

• Harris deft attacks vs. Biden also sends an image of what she might do when confronting the similarly aged Donald Trump.

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