As an experienced front-runner, Clinton is unlikely to be drawn into a fight, said Kathleen Sullivan, a former chairwoman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and a Clinton supporter.
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The debate, hosted by ABC News and held at St. Anselm College, immediately kicked off with moderator David Muir asking if Clinton deserved an apology. She leads nationally by a wide margin and has restored a consistent lead in most Iowa polls, after a period this fall where Sanders had closed the gap. Clinton, a former secretary of state, said America must remain an engaged global leader, while Sanders said the country should be wary of involvement in complex foreign conflicts.
The DNC had on Thursday temporarily suspended the campaign’s access to the database after at least one of its staffers took advantage of a computer glitch to peek at crucial voter data for rival Hillary Clinton.
“Yes, I apologize”, he said when asked about the controversy during the debate, but he renewed his criticism of the Democratic National Committee for freezing access to his own voter files until the issue was resolved late on Friday. In the past, other standout days included the launch of Sanders’ campaign and the previous two Democratic debates, particularly when the campaign cited Sanders’ “damn emails” line at the first Democratic event in October.
Clinton, at a debate with rivals Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley, repeatedly zeroed in on Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, at one point accusing him of helping Islamic State militants recruit new members with his vow to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
The candidates called on drug companies and doctors to make opioids less accessible to addicts to curb the raging epidemic, and Clinton said she was “proud to get the endorsement” of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who has battled his own addiction to alcohol.
Supporters of U.S. Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Martin O&# … “But before you do that, you’ve got to think about what happens the day after”.
All three candidates stressed working more closely with Muslim-American communities to tackle radicalism at home – a sharp difference from the rhetoric of some Republican candidates. Returning to her focus on Trump, Clinton said, “If you’re going to put together a coalition in the region to take on the threat of ISIS, you don’t want to alienate the very countries you need to be part of the coalition”.
Sanders sought to stand out on foreign policy by noting his anti-Iraq war stance in 2003. The shootings, as well as earlier attacks in Paris, have pushed national security to the forefront of the 2016 White House race.
Sanders likely needs a win in both states to mount a serious challenge to Clinton, who will be heavily favored in the next state contests in Nevada, South Carolina and in a “Super Tuesday” round of voting in 11 states on March 1.
She pledged that as president, she wouldn’t raise taxes on families making $250,000 or less per year.
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Sanders has accused Clinton of being too cozy with Wall Street and running a campaign funded by wealthy executives, charges she has rejected.
