Debate Takeaways: Gloves come off between Clinton, Sanders

Mrs Hillary Clinton may have been flanked by Mr Martin O’Malley and senator Bernie Sanders at the presidential primary debate yesterday (Jan 17) night in SC, but she wanted voters to see her as shoulder-to-shoulder with another Democrat: The one living in the White House.

In their last televised debate before Iowa’s caucuses launch the nominating race on February 1, Clinton raised questions about Sanders’ positions on Wall Street reform, health care and gun control.

Shouting over each other at times, the two leading Democratic presidential candidates engaged in some of their toughest exchanges of the campaign on Sunday night, underscoring the narrowing race between them in the first-to-vote states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

All three are aware that their performance – the final Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses in two weeks – could have a crucial impact on who wins the state. Recalling the racially-motivated massacre of Charleston church-goers by a gun-toting white supremacist a year ago, she recited a litany of past Sanders votes against gun control measures and extended a left-handed compliment to the Vermont senator for his announcement the day before that he would back a bill to lift legal immunity on gun manufacturers and sellers whose wares are used in crimes.

“Sanders’ own record that he has voted with the NRA, with the gun lobby numerous times”, Clinton replied, engaging one of the few issues on which she can attack Sanders from a more liberal position.

Clinton is the presumptive favorite again for what she described in her opening debate statement as “the hardest job in the world”.

Mrs Clinton highlighted how Mr Sanders had criticised Mr Obama for taking donations from Wall Street and had sought a primary challenger in 2011 to contest the president’s re-election four years ago.

Clinton, Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who lags badly in polls, will participate in the 9 p.m. EST debate, the fourth between the Democratic contenders. Have I ever once said a word about that issue?


Hillary Clinton’s goal was clear – to make the point that she’s the serious and sober candidate and Bernie Sanders is a pie-in-the-sky fantasist.

Sanders was asked about his previous criticism of Bill Clinton’s past sexual behavior.

“We’re at least having a vigorous debate about reining in Wall Street”, she said. She argued that the Democratic Party had been working to pass a health overhaul since President Harry Truman and said Sanders’ tear-it-up approach to Obama’s plan would pull the U.S.in “the wrong direction”.

O’Malley chimed in and said he had actually pushed through gun control measures in Maryland.

“The flag is down but we are still here because that flag was just one piece of something bigger”, Clinton said.

“We have seen the end of pre-existing conditions keeping people from getting insurance”, Clinton said and then defended Obama for taking on Wall Street. But last year’s scandal about her use of private email while secretary of state has lingered, and her favourability ratings are lower than those of Sanders.

“He said he regrets signing it”, Fallon tweeted of Clinton.

Sanders supporters watching in Manchester, New Hampshire, said he seemed more engaged than in past debates.

“This is a spirited debate because although we share some very similar goals for our country, we have differences”, Clinton told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday.