Democratic White House hopefuls to face questions from Iowa voters

Bernie Sanders’ support comes from Democrats who are frustrated with how former President Ronald Reagan set the terms of political debate and are seeking a “shiny object” in comparison to Hillary Clinton, who he said is ready to take the job from day one.

Though the candidates will take the stage one at time rather than facing off against one another directly during tonight’s CNN Iowa town hall, experts still expect some fireworks as front-runners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders try to break out of their virtual dead heat in that state.

“You know, John McCain was a conservative, but he was well within, you know, the mainstream of not just the Republican Party but within our political dialogue”, Obama said.

According to Clinton, her mom responded by saying: “I’ve got to know what they’re saying, so I’m ready!”

“My reaction is, if Donald Trump wins (the GOP nomination) and Mr. Bloomberg gets in, you’re going to have two multibillionaires running for president of the United States against me”, Sanders said on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. “Her strengths, which are the fact that she’s extraordinarily experienced – and, you know, wicked smart and knows every policy inside and out – sometimes could make her more cautious, and her campaign more prose than poetry”, he told Politico.

Speaking of his 2008 Democratic opponent, Obama also said that the way the campaign “has been stacked” against Clinton is unfair.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, look, you’re always rusty when you start going back in.

Mr. Obama asked. “That has an appeal and I understand that”.

The polls show Clinton losing to Texas Sen. He acknowledged that some of Clinton’s chief assets are also her weaknesses, noting that she began the race with the “privilege and burden” of being perceived as the front-runner, and thus was under more scrutiny.

“She had to wake up earlier than I did because she had to get her hair done”, Obama said in an interview with Politico. I would love that competition.

The Vermont senator is often described as an underdog candidate who excites young voters and draws larger crowds – as Obama did in his come-from-behind primary win in 2008.

“The longer you go in the process, the more you’re going to have to pass a series of hurdles that the voters are going to put in front of you”, he said. “She holds on to that power as long as the candidates continue to vie for her endorsement”.

The Des Moines Register also praised Hillary during her time as the first lady and cited that she “worked tirelessly on health care reform and, with bipartisan support, created the Children’s Health Insurance Program that provides coverage for 8 million children”. “As you’ll recall, I was sitting at my desk there just a little over a week ago … writing my State of the Union speech, and somebody walks in and says, “A couple of our sailors wandered into Iranian waters” …”