Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton remain overwhelming front-runners in races for 2016 nomination

Clinton said that she had stood up to the health care industry when it spent millions of dollars attacking her, and she argued for building on Obamacare rather than risk it being repealed. Ms Clinton defended her outreach to Russia early in her term as secretary of state, but hesitated when asked to describe her relationship with Vladimir Putin, whose return to the Russian presidency heralded the worsening of US-Russian relations.

Sanders dismissed the idea that he’d endanger Obama’s hard-won victories, insisting: “No one is tearing this up”.

The debate was the last showdown before primary voting begins next month and both sides were eager to get stuck in as polls showed the race tightening in the states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

But she could be setting herself up for difficulties with a general electorate tired of the status quo.

Hillary Clinton came out aggressively against Bernie Sanders in last night’s debate, taking the gloves off and ramping up the heat in an effort to staunch the Vermont senator’s recent momentum in the polls two weeks out from the Iowa caucus.

Gone were her mentions of differences with the president over Syria, trade, and immigration. She highlighted her connection to the administration’s Iran nuclear deal and lauded the White House for sending staff to Silicon Valley to discuss cybersecurity.

“The Democratic party in the USA worked since Harry Truman to get the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed”, said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“It looks like the demographic that hurt Clinton in 2008 may be what helps her in 2016”, he said.

“I’m going to have the very best advisers that I can possibly have”, she said.

Since then the Democrats have held weekend affairs only, leading to accusations by Republicans that the DNC was seeking to protect Clinton from excessive on-stage criticism that would be seen by millions.

“We can’t have another four years of Barack Obama”, he said.

He squeezed his way into the conversation with a clear indictment of the Clinton political juggernaut, stressing that it was time to “let go of the past and move forward”.

Obama has no plans to endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary.

This was the final Democratic debate before caucuses in Iowa on February 1 show who the state’s voters prefer as their candidate. He called the former president’s behaviour “deplorable” but said he wants to focus on issues “not Bill Clinton’s personal life”. By successfully limiting the debates to weekends and times when few are watching, Clinton has limited her opponents’ exposure and chances to land a big blow.

Clinton said, “There are things we can do to improve (the Affordable Care Act), but to tear it up and start over again, pushing our country back into that kind of a contentious debate, I think is the wrong direction”.

Sanders has a great passion for his issues and we will see how he can do in Iowa and New Hampshire as this entire Democratic nominating process. And she is right to point out that Bernie has not always been there.