analysis

How astroturfing creates the illusion of authenticity and faux consensus.

latest interviews

CAN YOU IDENTIFY PROPAGANDA?

Find out
Want to help us continue our work? All donations are tax deductible.
support this project

Full coverage of the 6th Democratic debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season from Los Angeles.

By Tara Jons
01/09/2020 • 09:57 AM EST

Don't know how to use this page?

: Click or tap on any techniquesee definition - the definition will be displayed here.
 that appears in bold to show its definition.
: Start of debate.
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Not "most," but about 39% of Americans, if they get a bill for $400, would have to sell something or borrow to cover the expense.[1]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: About 60% of 550K homeless Americans and 38K homeless vets, are sleeping in shelters, not out on the streets.[4]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Chile, Spain, Israel, Turkey and Brazil, have higher rates of child poverty, with the U.S. ranking 6th.[4]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Although Trump has not been outspoken in support of the Hong Kong protesters, he signed two bills in support of them, over objections of the Chinese government.[1]
: saber-rattlingsee definition - making nonspecific threats of consequences to intimidate an adversary and/or impress an audience.
: Buttigieg threatens isolating from China the rest of the free world, if they crack down too hard on protesters in Hong Kong.
: Steyer calls out Buttigieg's saber rattling on China.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Buttigieg did allow the press to cover the event, and a reporter did, so it was not "closed-door."[1]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: While Warren hasn't held private fundraisers in her presidential campaign, she did funnel $10.4 million in from her Senate campaign (where she did hold private fundraisers).[1]
: whataboutismsee definition - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others.
: Buttigieg shifts the focus from his big-ticket private fundraisers to Warren's big-ticket private fundraisers.[4]
: baseless claimsee definition - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
: Biden declares that all billionaires oppose everything he's ever done and continues to do.
: baseless claimsee definition - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
: Giving all Americans $100 would result in huge increases in political contributions, particularly those for female candidates.
: whataboutismsee definition - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy, in order to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others.
: Klobuchar shifts the focus from her supporting a certain judicial nominee to others who supported the same judicial nominee.
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: The U.S. spends more, but not twice as much [9], the 87 million is more like 68 million [10], 30,000 exceeds the number of people dying each year because they don't see a doctor [11], and a half million are not going bankrupt solely due to health care costs.[12]
: common folksee definition - establishing a connection with an audience based on being just like one of them and being able to empathize with their concerns.

Total number of techniques detected over the 3:26:48 runtime of this video clip:

PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

3 OCCURRENCES

common folk:  
whataboutism:    

FALSEHOODS & DISTORTIONS

9 OCCURRENCES

baseless claim:    
exaggeration:          
false claim:  
misleading claim:  

SUMMARY

12 OCCURRENCES

Sanders: 25%
Klobuchar: 17%
Warren: 17%
Buttigieg: 17%
Biden: 17%
Yang: 8%

References
1. "FactChecking the December Democratic Debate". FactCheck.org. Published: December 20, 2019.

3. "Bernie Sanders says real wages rose 1.1%. He's right". Politifact. Published: December 19, 2019.

4. "Fact-checking the sixth Democratic debate". The Washington Post. Published: December 20, 2019.

5. "Yang cites maternal mortality stats to talk about race". Politifact. Published: December 20, 2019.

7. "Corporations paid 11.3% tax rate last year after steep drop under Trump's law". The Seattle Times. Published: December 16, 2019.

8. "Klobuchar taps Lubinski for U.S. marshal's post". StarTribune. Published: June 15, 2009.

10. "FactChecking the November Democratic Debate". FactCheck.org. Published: November 21, 2019.

12. "Sanders's flawed statistic: 500,000 medical bankruptcies a year". The Washington Post. Published: August 28, 2019.

13. "For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades". Pew Research Center. Published: August 07, 2018.