Clinton, Sanders poised to clash at debate

Compared to their GOP counterparts, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley have been making their way through a rather drama-free primary.

As expected, the candidates clashed on gun control.

Clinton wrapped herself in President Obama, saying she would continue his legacy and suggesting Sanders hadn’t been fully supportive of the country’s first black president.

All three are aware that their performance – the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses on February 1 – could have a crucial impact on who wins the state. “Universal health care” saw a 400 percent leap. Clinton continued her campaign’s attacks of Sanders that began over the weekend as he announced his support of legislation that would undo a law that grants gun manufacturers legal immunity – a 2005 law that he once supported.

Hours before the debate in South Carolina, Sanders – a Vermont senator – had unveiled a healthcare plan for all American citizens.

It would have been natural for Sanders to start presenting himself as a more traditional candidate, downplaying how liberal he is and taking steps toward the political center.

Their heated rhetoric highlighted the central question fueling the increasingly competitive primary race: Will the Sanders passion beat out the Clinton practicality?

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will also be on the stage, which offers perhaps his last chance to improve his standing in the race.

But Sanders’ ability to sustain his recent drive remains a serious question. “I’ve been pleased to march and struggle with all workers of this country who are fighting for 15 dollars an hour and a union”, said Sanders to the crowd. Sanders, in turn, said Clintons assertion that he kowtowed to the gun lobby was “very disingenuous” and pointed to his lifetime rating of a D- from the NRA.

Hillary Clinton still has a double-digit lead nationally and, by most accounts in the U.S. media, won the debate. On Sunday, Clinton argued that Sanders’ proposal amounted to ripping up the Affordable Care Act and starting from scratch.

Clinton, meanwhile, spoke in the language of feasibility, suggesting Sanders’ plan would never work.

But Clinton has said she would break up big banks if need be and that her plan expands on Dodd-Frank regulations. Clinton is expected to step up her attacks on Sanders as too soft on gun restrictions, particularly given the site of the debate in Charleston, South Carolina.

Sanders was on the defense during most of this discussion, as he was several other times during the debate. “I can not walk down the street – Secretary Clinton knows this – without being told how much I have to attack Secretary Clinton, want to get me on the front pages of the paper, I’d make some vicious attack”.

On a night when women’s issues were brought up only once (by Hillary Clinton, who called for equal pay in her opening statement); climate change was given only a few moments of coverage; and the current catastrophe playing out in Flint, Michigan, over lead-contaminated drinking water wasn’t introduced at all; the idea of spending valuable debate time on a almost 20-year-old affair that has already been hashed out in the press seems off-kilter.

“Your profusion of comments about your feelings towards President Obama are a little odd given what you said about him in 2011”, Mrs Clinton said in response.

Mr Sanders responded saying that the Clinton camp’s claims that he wanted to end existing healthcare programmes was “nonsense”.

“If Donald Trump wants to start a registry, he can start with me”, O’Malley proclaimed.