Democrats Wrestle Over What Their Party Stands For

MIAMI—On one side of the street stood a group of Republicans waving a Donald Trump flag under a giant banner that declared SOMOS CAPITALISTA. On the other idled an ice-cream truck that had been commandeered by Joe Biden superfans offering free cones of “Biden-berry blue,” noting the flavor is “Obama’s favorite too!” When the moon is full and the tide is high, this street often floods, a sign of what climate change is doing to this city. Down the block sits the opera house, the scene of the Democratic presidential debates, with a set optimistically decorated to show the candidates standing in front of the White House.

Here, Democrats are trying to figure out not just who their 2020 nominee will be, but what their party is going to be. These debates