Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead in every NH demographic group

Some 44 percent of people polled think Clinton will have the best chance at beating Trump, whereas only 16 percent favor Sanders. Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said that while those numbers may point to a more hard-fought race, Clinton’s strong showing with black and latino voters in states like SC and Nevada may counteract Sanders’ gains among independents in New Hampshire and Iowa.

The poll was conducted by phone, with the figures drawn from a 352-person sample of registered Democratic or left-leaning voters.

Clinton, who ran against Obama for the 2008 Democratic nomination and then joined his administration, said she could accept Sanders’ criticism of her campaign donations – one of the Vermont senator’s favorite critiques – but wouldn’t tolerate similar criticism targeted at her former boss.

The poll showed Sanders’s lead over Clinton holds in every demographic group, in particular voters under 35, first-time primary voters and those living in the northernmost parts of the state. Clinton’s net-favorability rating is a positive 39%.

When Sanders noted bluntly that he hadn’t taken campaign contributions from Wall Street banks or lucrative speaking fees from Goldman Sachs – unlike Clinton – the former secretary of state tried to turn it into an attack on Obama.

Democratic strategist Richard Socarides, a Clinton supporter, said Republicans were bound to portray her potential presidency as a third Obama term anyway. That’s a responsible vote. In that poll, 37% said they preferred Clinton on the economy, 28% Sanders, and 22% were unsure which candidate would best handle that issue. “I don’t want to see the Republicans repeal it”, she said. It was their last face-to-face encounter before Iowa’s caucuses on February 1.

Although Clinton did not explicitly say that Democrats will likely remain the minority party in Congress for years to come, she did remind viewers that Republicans are likely to remain a major obstacle that a Democratic president will have to reckon with.

Holder specifically praises Clinton’s “bold plans” to address police brutality-an issue of particular concern to the Black community; make college affordable and to “fight for commonsense reforms to USA gun laws”.

Even if Sanders can turn his momentum into victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, there are daunting challenges ahead.

Mr Sanders did not back down: “You do not go as far as reining in Wall Street as I would”.