Six Issues Candidates Should Discuss at Tonight’s Debate (But Probably Won’t)

It’s time to look beyond questions designed to create bickering among candidates

The spin room after the Democratic Presidential Debate at the Fox Theatre July 31, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

There are certain things we can expect to happen at tonight’s Democratic debate. Elizabeth Warren will reference one of her plans. Bernie Sanders will wag his finger. Joe Biden will make a Biden-y gaffe. Probably.

What we’re less likely to see is much conversation around the campaigns’ less sexy issues.

While health care and immigration dominate the airwaves, there’s been relatively scant attention paid to labor rights or criminal justice reform in past debates. If the last two go-rounds have shown us anything, it’s that moderators will often stick to the most hot-button topics of the day, at the expense of the less pressing — though equally important — issues.

Here are six issues we wish moderators would bring up, but probably won’t.

Labor rights

CNN moderators missed their opportunity to discuss labor rights at the second debate in Detroit. A record number of U.S. workers went on strike last year — the highest number since 1986 — and the trend is not slowing down. The Trump administration has also attempted to implement a notoriously anti-labor…