Economy
Flint's Democratic Debate Felt More Like a Town Hall
Questions posed by locals about the city’s water crisis lent an unusual urgency to Sunday night’s debate.
It’s pretty common for voters to appear on American presidential debates, querying candidates about jobs and healthcare to lend the televised production a down-to-earth sensibility. But during Sunday night’s Democratic Presidential Debate in Flint, Michigan—where a lead-in-water crisis brewing for nearly two years is far from resolution—questions from Flint locals gave the night an unusual sense of urgency.
The best example came from a public housing manager, Mikki Wade, who spoke to the candidates in detail about the immense challenges of using bottled water for cooking, cleaning, brushing her teeth—every essential task.