Marianne Williamson leaves Democratic debate watchers transfixed and confused

Marianne Williamson closed out her performance on Night 2 of the Democratic debates Thursday with a direct address to the camera, telling President Trump — and the rest of America — that she would harness the power of love for political purposes to defeat him.

The bestselling self-help author had a slow start in the debates, but when it came to creating memorable moments, she eventually held her own against more recognized candidates such as former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Kamala Harris.

However, nobody seems to know what to make of her.

Before the debates, Williamson was mostly known for her skepticism about vaccines. She also joked about learning to speak Spanish after watching the first night of the debates where Julián Castro, Beto O’Rourke and Cory Booker addressed the audience in the language.

COLUMN: Ignore Marianne Williamson at your peril »

But after Thursday night’s performance, social media were abuzz with viewers wondering who Williamson was and marveling at her answers, including the one in which she said the first thing she would do as president would be to call the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and say, “Girl, you are so on,” a reference to Ardern’s emphasis on building a country that treats its children well, one Williamson seemed to indicate she would emulate.

She also referenced John F. Kennedy sending people to the moon during an exchange about climate change and made clear that she has an aversion to plans.

Here are some of the reactions people had to Williamson’s performance.

A few people on twitter pointed to a 2017 tweet of Williamson’s.

Expect the James Cameron film to come in for close reading from debate viewers transfixed by Williamson’s performance and eager to learn more about her platform.

tracy.brown@latimes.com

Twitter: @tracycbrown