Find all our Student Opinion questions here.

Updated: Oct. 16

Have you been paying much attention to the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign? If so, which candidates stand out to you? Why?

On Oct. 15, The New York Times co-hosted the biggest presidential primary debate in history that, according to The Times, “revealed new dynamics.” Did you watch?

In “Warren Draws Fire From All Sides, Reflecting a Shift in Fortunes in Race,” Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin analyze what happened:

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts faced a sustained barrage of criticism from her Democratic rivals at a presidential debate in Ohio on Tuesday, tangling with a group of underdog moderates who assailed her liberal economic proposals, while former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. appeared to fade from the fray after parrying President Trump’s attacks on his family. The debate confirmed that the primary race had entered a new phase, defined by Ms. Warren’s apparent strength and the increasing willingness of other Democrats to challenge her. She has risen toward the top of the polls while confronting limited resistance from her opponents, and in past debates she attracted a fraction of the hostility that Democrats trained on Mr. Biden. That changed in a dramatic fashion on Tuesday, when a group of her rivals voiced sharp skepticism of Ms. Warren’s agenda or accused her of taking impractical stances on issues like health care and taxation. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., insistently charged Ms. Warren with evading a “yes-or-no” question on how she would pay for a “Medicare for all” health care system, while Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota cast parts of Ms. Warren’s platform as a “pipe dream.” Former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas branded Ms. Warren’s worldview as overly “punitive.” ...The debate unfolded in a drastically altered political landscape, with Mr. Trump facing impeachment and Mr. Biden in the center of a firestorm over his son’s financial overseas financial dealings. The candidates were prompted to cover a wide range of issues, including a number that had featured little or not at all in past debates — not just the impeachment of Mr. Trump, but the Turkish invasion of Syria, and the details of gun control policy and the taxation of great wealth.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

What do you think of the field of Democratic presidential candidates? Do any of the candidates stand out to you? Why?

Did you watch the debate? Do you agree with the analysis in this Times article? Which of the issues discussed on Oct. 15 — including health care, income inequality, the impeachment inquiry, Middle East foreign policy and the invasion of Syria, gun control, climate change and more — are most important to you?

If you could ask one question to all of the candidates at a future debate, what would it be and why?

How much have you been paying attention to the presidential campaign in general? Will you increase your attention as we get closer to the primaries beginning in February?

Do you think debates are a helpful forum to learn about candidates? What would you recommend to improve the debate process?

If you had to predict, who do you think will be the Democratic nominee in 2020? Why? How do you think that person will fare against President Trump?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.