Best Democratic debate memes, night 2: Biden beatdown and the 'Asian man who likes math'
Cloroxing the Oval Office and dipping into the Kool-Aid. Plus, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris go at it. And at it. That's no malarkey.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden listens while Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night.
The second group of Democratic presidential candidates took the stage Wednesday night after 10 of their competitors did the same on Tuesday. And who knew Kool-Aid and Clorox should have bought ad time?
Night two featured former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Jay Inslee, businessman Andrew Yang, Sen. Cory Booker, former HUD secretary Julián Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Sen. Michael Bennet.
Tuesday night's event featured Sen. Bernie Sanders telling Sen. Tim Ryan that "I wrote the damn bill!" and author Marianne Williamson earning social buzz for citing the "dark psychic force of collectivized hatred."
What grabbed people's attention Wednesday? Here we go.
Chanting call-out
During Sen. Cory Booker's introductory statement, a chant could be heard from audience members at Detroit's Fox Theatre. It was hard to make out what the chanters were saying. Journalist Josh Dawsey tweeted that the chant didn't seem to be aimed at Booker.
"Whole debate interrupted with "FIRE PANTALEO" chants aimed at de Blasio," he wrote in a tweet. "Pantaleo is the Staten Island cop involved in Eric Garner death."
Whole debate interrupted with “FIRE PANTALEO” chants aimed at de Blasio. Pantaleo is the Staten Island cop involved in Eric Garner death.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) August 1, 2019
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has come under fire for "declining to support demands by Mr. Garner's family for the Police Department to dismiss the officer," the New York Times reported recently. Garner was allegedly choked by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo five years ago on New York's Staten Island.
Many debate viewers simply couldn't understand what was being said. "I heard 'fire canned tomatoes,'" one tweeted. Wrote another, "They were demanding Pluto be reinstated as a planet."
Obsessively refreshing my feed to see someone explain what the protesters are chanting but everyone is just asking what the protesters are chanting. #DemDebate2
— Diana (@DianaDaum) August 1, 2019
I heard “fire canned tomatoes”
— Syd (@sydtacular) August 1, 2019
5 cent tomato
— judee (@judee_) August 1, 2019
Free Dan Quayle?
— Chris Findlater (@FindSun7) August 1, 2019
They were demanding pluto be reinstated as a planet
— edo. (@stupit_question) August 1, 2019
And others were confused as to why the chanters chose to make their point during Booker's time to speak, not de Blasio's.
Why not do the chant during de Blasio's intro? Why Booker?
— Kristen Says 2 U (@kristensays2u) August 1, 2019
They could have done that when DeBlasio was talking.
— D. (@Musing_Stranger) August 1, 2019
Were they late? Booker was talking—Deblasio spoke like 10 damn minutes ago.
— Matthew James Kiernan (@kujonicus) August 1, 2019
Someone shouted during his opening statement too
— David Turnbull (@david_turnbull) August 1, 2019
Mathletes forever
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang earned applause and laughter when he referred to himself as the "opposite of Donald Trump, an Asian man who likes math." The description went over well on Twitter. Wrote Richard Cho, "I just learned that I am the opposite of Donald Trump."
I just learned that I am the opposite of Donald Trump. #DemDebate #AsianManWhoLikesMath
— Richard Cho, PhD (@Richard_S_Cho) August 1, 2019
"The opposite of Trump is an Asian that likes math"#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/OkmTp2Wgqm
— Mantis Toboggan M.D. (@KelleyCarter369) August 1, 2019
YAS that is the opposite of 45! #DemDebate #MePolitcs enjoying this. pic.twitter.com/mWvoCRbV3S
— Gorsayz (@sayzgor) August 1, 2019
Your turn. The opposite of Donald Trump is _______ .#DemDebate
— Ezra Temko (@ezratemko) August 1, 2019
"The opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math." - Andrew Yang #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/4FBLwPzeKJ
— Chiffon Dior (@ChiffonDior) August 1, 2019
The Harris/Biden show
Former Vice President Biden and Sen. Harris clashed back at the first debate series in June, and to no one's surprise, they were back at it Wednesday night. That left some wondering who else was on stage.
Literally every other candidate waiting for this Harris-Biden conversation to finish. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/Q2IQo15JnN
— Mark Taylor (@MarkTaylorNBC4) August 1, 2019
Googling the non-Kamala Harris and Joe Bidens like... . #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/rI2Wq1bB51
— Cassidy Nolander (@cuteeptuti) August 1, 2019
Moderator: Biden
— Strength in Vibrators (@Feelmore510) August 1, 2019
Biden: (addresses Harris)
Moderator: Harris
Harris: Biden got it wrong
Moderator: Biden
Biden: my plan...
Everyone else: #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/S4coVKvIeg
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden right now. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/6NyUm4vpGe
— RoChester (@rocsterr) August 1, 2019
Harris: Plan
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) August 1, 2019
Others: rabble rabble
Harris: More plan
Biden: Other guy’s plan.
Harris: Plan plan. Math. Plan.
Biden: Malarkey
Gabbard: can I say my one line now? https://t.co/G6pRsu6xaw
Biden, watch your back
The former vice president might be the best-known candidate, but that only made him the biggest target. He was hearing criticism from all sides, and Twitter users noticed.
Everyone on the stage teaming up to sink Biden pic.twitter.com/16HlcK5sCU
— Ira thee Third (@ira) August 1, 2019
Joe Biden to everyone during the commercial break #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/IKjGAoImT0
— dan 🍿 (@manieldad) August 1, 2019
Live look in at Joe Biden trying to hold off the other candidates #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/rAUGeGcawX
— Weston (@Weston25518862) August 1, 2019
#DemDebate
— Kathiana (@iconkathiana) August 1, 2019
Biden when Castro wasn’t letting him breathe pic.twitter.com/RrITRnLPdr
Malarkey has its moment
Biden used one of his favorite phrases Wednesday night, declaring that it was "a bunch of malarkey" to say opposition to Medicare for All was a Republican concept. Social media immediately loved the slightly vintage word "malarkey," and ran with it. "We have our first 'malarkey' of the night, finish your drink," one person tweeted. Joked another, "Peak shenanigans."
We have our first “malarkey" of the night, finish your drink
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) August 1, 2019
Like an Irish bat signal, @donie perked up when Joe Biden said "bunch of malarkey."
— andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) August 1, 2019
Peak shenanigans #DemDebate https://t.co/9M3cv2v3kW
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) August 1, 2019
Biden brings out the malarkey card. Paul Ryan just fainted and doesn't know why.#CNNDebate
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) August 1, 2019
live look at the intern who told biden not to say “malarkey” for any reason during the debate: pic.twitter.com/a9JFl3S9pt
— lizzie (@elizabethque) August 1, 2019
Clorox cleans up
Clorox bleach earned a surprising bit of product placement during the debate when Sen. Kristen Gillibrand snarked that the first thing she'd do as president would be to "Clorox the Oval Office." Social media quickly started scrubbing.
Waiting for the @Clorox endorsement for @SenGillibrand. #DemDebate2
— Breeanne Walters (@breeannewalters) August 1, 2019
kirsten going to clorox the oval office pic.twitter.com/IiAbongOyy
— olivia (@meryssong) August 1, 2019
Gilibrand: "I will clorox the oval office"
— Munir Kreidie (@KreidieMunir) August 1, 2019
Lysol:#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/9w5hkEUbDx
I will never see Clorox the same ever again. #DemDebate #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/aZ7eHG4n2b
— Loveandtreasure 🍋 (@LovenTreasure) August 1, 2019
Note to Gillibrand: All good greenies, and progressives, know that Clorox (bleach) is bad for the environment. Please scour the Oval Office with something natural. #DemDebate
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) August 1, 2019
Clorox social media manager wondering how to play this.
— Buzz Andersen (@buzz) August 1, 2019
“Clorox the Oval Office” has officially won the debate. #demdebate #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/8rjTXVVYEd
— Jennifer (@JennJennRVA) August 1, 2019
Drink the Kool-Aid
Sen. Cory Booker and Biden were arguing about criminal-justice problems when Booker invoked an iconic American drink.
"Mr. Vice President, there's a saying in my community: 'You're dipping into the Kool-Aid and you don't even know the flavor,'" Booker said.
Someone from Kool-Aid corporate's social-media department was watching and responded with its pitcher mascot and his favorite saying: "OH YEAH!"
#Ahem @SenBooker OH YEAH #WeKnowTheFlavor #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/Xaq1bbFifB
— Kool-Aid (@koolaid) August 1, 2019
OH YEAH!!! pic.twitter.com/lfxgxX30c1
— Kool-Aid (@koolaid) August 1, 2019
Twitter quickly filled up with Kool-Aid pitchers smashing through walls and other related jokes.
so, shorter #DemDebate then would be pic.twitter.com/cOfp4ONfYl
— Celeste Katz (@CelesteKatzNYC) August 1, 2019
Biden is getting his false teeth kicked in. And what sis booker say about Kool-Aid? #DemocraticDebate #CNNDebate pic.twitter.com/0oLxGn9lfR
— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) August 1, 2019
Biden didn’t get the Cory Booker Kool-Aid slam because he only drinks Krystal Light pic.twitter.com/iZjdZOH1mH
— Gordon Klein (@_gdch_) August 1, 2019
Some liked Booker's use of the phrase, while others questioned it.
Great Tweet. Cory, I’m born and raised on North 11th Street..... NO ONE, I say NO ONE every used that silly Kool-Aid line. Maybe they used in it in Haworth NJ
— Robert Leslie (@RightSideRobert) August 1, 2019
watching the Biden/Booker exchange again, it will never not be endearingly corny the way Booker always smiles/laughs at his own jokes before he gets to the punch line. He was cheesing before he'd gotten the word Kool-Aid out
— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) August 1, 2019
“You want to compare records and frankly I’m shocked that you do.”
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) August 1, 2019
And then he out-Bidened Biden with a folksy phrase about Kool-Aid.
Cory Booker just bodied Joe Biden. Absolutely expertly done. Best moment of the night thus far, for anyone on that stage. #DemDebate
Who DIPS in to kool-aid? 🧐
— Thomas Holycross (@Tomtigger61) August 1, 2019
Biden's confusing website
Being beat down and ganged up on by the rest of the panel was bad enough for Biden, but there was one last faux pax. He garbled his attempt to plug his campaign website. Or was it a phone number? It was tough to tell.
The internet was not gonna let that one slide.
#DemocraticDebate2020
— Zach Brenner (@RealLifeZach) August 1, 2019
Tapper: “Vice President Biden, your closing remarks?”
Biden: pic.twitter.com/0kd1HRYwwb
Me trying to figure out Joe Biden’s website pic.twitter.com/580k0rIhFA
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) August 1, 2019
“If you agree with me, go to joe biden dot angelfire dot net slash my folder slash about dot html”
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) August 1, 2019
Biden was trying to direct people to a phone number, where they could subscribe and receive regular updates through text presumably, but it ended up being extremely confusing to all listening.
It wasn't even supposed to be his name, it was supposed to be "join". pic.twitter.com/PkKJRg0kqj
— Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) August 1, 2019
Someone, presumably not a Biden fan, quickly bought the borked web address and directed it elsewhere...
I don't know about you, but I feel bad for ol' Biden. It reminds me of trying to set up a Facebook account for my dad.
Originally published July 31.