'Joe floundered': Voters at 2020 debates in Miami say Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren shined as Biden stumbled

'I was happy with the way they treated Joe, because I disagree with him most of the time'

The night was Joe Biden’s to lose, and the former vice president stumbled.

That’s at least according to voters in Miami after the first Democratic debates concluded on Thursday night, wrapping up two nights in which many Americans were introduced to a crowded field of presidential contenders for the very first time.

But for Mr Biden, the front-runner already known by virtually every Democratic primary voter, there appeared to be only one direction to go: down.

He was consistently attacked throughout the night by those who shared the stage, and some of those blows definitely appeared to land, like Kamala Harris’s impassioned denunciation of some of Mr Biden’s previous positions that effectively allowed segregated busing. Some voters ate it up.

“I think Joe floundered, and a lot of heat, but didn’t come back,” Ryan Methat, a 19-year-old student on summer vacation from Philadelphia, said. But, he likes Pete Buttigieg and says he’s still undecided: “After tonight, I’m just more confused.”

Nearby, 17-year-old Thomas Porter cheered the attacks on Mr Biden.

“I was happy with the way they treated Joe, because I disagree with him most of the time,” Mr Porter, who can vote in a presidential election for the first time in his life next November, said.

Mr Porter said he’s a Bernie supporter, but that he liked Ms Harris and Elizabeth Warren, who was on the first night’s debate stage: “They weren’t talking bullsh**. They were very clear.”

The praise for Ms Harris didn’t stop there.

“Kamala Harris — I don’t know that I support her, but she had a really strong night,” said Jeff Gordon, a 46-year-old attorney from Atlanta, who had come to the debates with his 10-year-old daughter, Evelyn.

Evelyn didn’t dispute that: “I think Kamala was very strong. She really just stands about and gets the point across, and that’s what we need right now.”

But Ms Harris wasn’t the only candidate receiving praise, even if she did have the evening’s breakout moment. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the two progressive candidates who have recently been polling in second or third behind Mr Biden, also received plenty of praise.

Judy Blanchard, a 75-year-old former teacher, said that she was heartened to see the candidates on the stage in comparison to Donald Trump — they all seem to have a good heart, she said — but that she thinks Mr Sanders is being treated like an also-ran, even though many of his ideas have been pushed into the mainstream in part by his surprising strength in 2016.

“They sucked his ideas out of him, but he’s still bringing these ideas. He’s the most authentic person out there,” she said, speaking specifically about the second night of debates.

What about the first night? “Last night I liked Elizabeth Warren.”

Kira Willig, a 44-year-old attorney in Miami, said that she liked seeing Mr Sanders and Ms Warren discuss policy, and that the Vermont senator really impressed her.

“I thought Bernie was incredible, but I think the audience is probably paid by the industry he’s going after,” Ms Willig said, referring to any number of industries from Wall Street to private prisons.

On Ms Warren: “I think she stays above the fray, and I think Bernie stays above the fray.”

Other candidates managed to gain some followings, like Eric Swalwell, who focused his energies on gun control.

Heather Chapman, a 43-year-old business center worker from Parkland, was among those who thought he shined, and said that Mr Swalwell's focus on guns was prescient, 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.”

Meanwhile, Sandi Huffman-Hansen, a 49-year-old student affairs worker from Coral Gables, said that she plans on voting for Marianne Williamson and that her comments that America focuses on “sick care” instead of “healthcare” resonated with her — but that she sees the appeal of other candidates, too.

“I like how Gillibrand is pushing for women's rights, and how Swalwell is so focused on gun legislation,” she said.