Democratic candidates decline to use term ‘radical Islam’

When asked during the Democratic presidential debate whether she believes that the U.S.is at war with “radical Islam,” Hillary Clinton emphasized that America is not fighting all Muslims, citing former president George W. Bush. I think we’re at war with jihadists.

“I don’t understand it”, Rubio said when played a clip of Clinton’s statement Sunday on ABC’s “That would be like saying we weren’t at war with Nazis because we were afraid to offend a few Germans who may have been members of the Nazi party but weren’t violent themselves”.

Bernie Sanders says, “I don’t think the term is important”.

“It can not be contained, it must be defeated”, Clinton added of the terror group.

CBS moderator John Dickerson jumped in to note that he used the term “radical Islam”, and was not referring to all Muslims. But she stressed it was important to not paint all Muslims as the enemy. Marco Rubio, also running for president, said that this attack showed and the attack in Paris showed that we are at war with radical Islam.

While Democrats displayed equal determination to eradicate jihadism, fissures appeared between the candidates on whether the United States should lead the struggle.

Republicans are calling it “radical Islam” and have been criticizing Democrats for not doing the same – an attack they ramped up in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Relatively hawkish Clinton, self-described democratic socialist Sanders and low-polling O’Malley took the stage in Des Moines, Iowa for their second Democratic showdown in the 2016 primary cycle.

“There is a outcome to having an administration, to President Obama, to Hillary Clinton, being unwilling to call radical Islamic terrorism by its name”, Sen.

Her poll numbers have risen steadily since mid September, to more than 54 percent today according to a RealClearPolitics average.