The Second Democratic Debate In 100 Words (And Two Video Clips)

Tap-danced around the Obama administration’s record on ISIS and the labeling of Islamic radicals. So caught up in projecting strength as Madame Commander-in-Chief that she failed to project much warmth or Reaganesque optimism about defeating America’s enemies overseas.

Clinton chided him for including Jordan in the list, saying it was “very unfair” to include the kingdom – one of only two Arab states with a peace treaty with Israel – because it has suffered for the lead it has taken against extremist Islamist groups. When pressed further by CBS moderator John Dickerson, she again dodged. Seventy-two percent of Americans think the fight against ISIS is going badly. “Won’t the legacy of this administration, which is- which you were a part of, won’t that legacy be that it underestimated the threat from ISIS?”. “It can not be contained, it must be defeated”, she said.

Saturday night, Sanders declined once again to attack: “I am still sick and exhausted of Hillary Clinton’s email”, he said. But in spite of the vaguely more focused performance turned in by the men to her right and her left onstage, it was clear that Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders both lacked the vicious instinct required to kick Mrs. Clinton while she was ever so fleetingly down. This isn’t to say that she didn’t have struggles. Clinton and O’Malley devoted the one minute allotted them to Paris and the threat of terrorism. “It reflects an enormous ignorance for what Mexico represents, and also the irresponsibility of the candidate who’s saying it”. I’ve had a lot of folks give me donations from all kinds of backgrounds say, ‘I don’t agree with you on everything, but I like what you do. But then, he added, “It can not exclusively be America’s fight”.

In terms of the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton is definitely better than her opponents. But we’ve heard all that before.

There is no question in my mind that if we summon our resources, both our leadership resources and all of the tools at our disposal – not just military resources, which should be used as a last resort, but our diplomacy, our law enforcement, the sharing of intelligence in a much more cooperate way.

Sanders also had the most follower growth on Twitter during the debate.

Sanders, a Vermont US senator, ignited his base with several passionate applause lines, but may have also reinforced doubt about him, Iowa Democrats said.

Adding to the discussion, Clinton said that the recent uprisings surrounding racial injustices on college campuses across the nation “reflects the deep sense of concern, even despair” that young people, particularly of color, face in America.

That’s the quickie version of what happened in the second Democratic presidential debate of the 2016 race Saturday night. So play it safe; Don’t have too many debates and where possible schedule them at a time that will minimize viewership.

“Do you still believe that?” About 40 percent said they were uncertain, while the rest were split between yes and no. “Maybe they’re dumb and don’t know what they’re going to get”, Sanders said, bidding voters anew to curb their enthusiasm. He said the US needed better “human intelligence” on the ground.

SANDERS: “People are working longer hours for lower wages, and nearly all of the new income and wealth goes to the top 1 percent”. That presents a potential problem, because after moments of great tragedy, especially when it comes to national security, Americans look to their presidents for reassurance, strength and confidence. Sanders chose to use his time to restate his basic campaign themes, rather than dealing with the aftermath of Paris.

“I would argue that the disastrous invasion of Iraq, something that I strongly opposed, has unraveled the region completely and led to the rise of al-Qaeda and to (the emergence of) ISIS”, said Sanders.

Instead, and breathtakingly, she suggests the person who must take the lead is Syria’s dictator, himself responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of his own people and the progenitor of the refugee crisis that is turning Europe inside out: “I really put that on [President Bashar] Assad and on the Iraqis and on the region itself”. He was more direct when talking about Iraq, calling the conflict there one of the “worst foreign policy blunders in the history of the United States“, implying that Clinton deserved a portion of that blame.

Clinton’s response took the form of a vaporous appeal to identity politics, followed by an invocation of September 11 crass enough to make Rudy Giuliani’s cheeks redden in either shame or envy.

Furthermore, none of the candidates were willing to say that we’re at war with radical Islam. “We are at war with violent extremism, ‘” Clinton said. “I just don’t think it would get the job done, I’m all about making sure it actually gets results for whatever we do”.

Sanders said he didn’t think the term is important.

After the debate, Sanders advisers crowed about the war in Iraq being a key focus of the foreign policy section of the debate.