Bernie Sanders supporters rally alongside Hillary Clinton supporters outside the debate hall before the Democratic presidential primary debate.
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Andrew Burton/Getty Images It’s unclear what kept Hillary Clinton backstage for so long, but she was pictured drinking a glass of water during the Saturday debate.
Clinton, Sanders and a third candidate, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, also debated the best way to defeat Islamic State militants and prevent “lone wolf” attacks like the one carried out by a radicalized Muslim couple who killed 14 people in a December 2 shooting spree in California. Even the debates hosts, Muir and Martha Raddatz wondered about the hold up after returning from the break.
Running again in 2016, Clinton faces an upstart in Sanders who staked out less-interventionist ground in repeated clashes Saturday, while Clinton played the experience card from her time as secretary of state.
“ISIL training videos are telling lone wolfs the easiest way to buy a combat assault weapon in America is at a gun show, and it’s because of the flip-flopping political approach of Washington that both of my two colleagues on the stage have represented for the last 40 years”, O’Malley said.
Social media users watching the debate mused that a line at the women’s restroom took up most of Clinton’s break.
On Friday, Sanders filed a lawsuit to force the Democratic National Committee to restore access to his voter files, which the DNC had blocked after the Sanders campaign improperly accessed files generated by the Clinton campaign.
“Let’s tell the truth, Martin”, Clinton chimed in.
Bernie Sanders’ position on gun control during Saturday night’s debate.
Sanders added that the incident is not reflective of a campaign he wants to run.
The debate got a little heated when O’Malley claimed that both Clinton and Sanders are not doing enough to curb gun violence.
When asked about her husband’s role in her theoretical White House, Clinton said, “I am probably still going to pick the flowers and the China for state dinners and stuff like that”.
Mr Sanders apologised to Mrs Clinton for the breach.
“I very much appreciate that comment, Bernie”, the former secretary of state said. “Now that I think we’ve resolved your data, we’ve agreed on an independent inquiry, we should move on”. He is far behind in the polls and needs to shake up a race increasingly tilting against him with six weeks to go until Iowa holds the first nominating contest on February 1.
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“It’s a process story and I don’t think voters care about it”, said unaligned Democratic strategist Craig Varoga.
