By far, the most underrated moment of the night for me:@MikeBloomberg: “I think the senator next to me was half right”@ewarren: “Elizabeth Warren.” pic.twitter.com/p3h3jXLv6r
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) February 20, 2020
During the ninth Democratic presidential debate, Bloomberg refers to Warren as “the senator next to me.” Warren quickly quips, “Elizabeth Warren.” References to opponents are often a source for strategy and caution during debates, especially across gender. There is often heightened attention to referring to women by their titles as a sign of respect and recognition of qualifications that are more often doubted for women. In this case, Warren’s correction implies that not naming her altogether is also problematic.