Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders battled each other for two hours Thursday night in a prime-time debate broadcast live by MSNBC from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.
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It signaled how the race for the nomination has tightened five days ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire next Tuesday.
Sanders had criticized Clinton for having a super PAC that raised $15 million thanks to Wall Street donations. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, makes his opening statement as Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton listens during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by MSNBC at the U…
Hillary Clinton: Again and again, Clinton reminded the audience that she has a track record of getting things done.
Sanders said that he’s running for president because “it is just too late for establishment politics and establishment economics”.
Regarding the Affordable Care Act, Sanders said that the notion that he would “dismantle” President Barack Obama’s health care law is inaccurate.
Clinton, meanwhile, was asked to reassure Democratic voters that the Federal Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the private email server that she used as secretary of state would not lead to damaging revelations on her conduct and handling of classified information that could blow up her campaign if she is the party’s presidential nominee.
Clinton’s fiery performance was a manifestation of the frustration growing inside her campaign for weeks.
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Even as the Democratic contest takes a more acrimonious turn, Clinton is mindful of the fine line she must walk between drawing sharp distinctions with Sanders and not turning off his supporters.
The exchanges had intensified ahead of the debate, the first since former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley dropped out on Monday night.
Clinton directly told Sanders that it was time to end his “smear” by insinuation.
In making that linkage, Sanders underscored the central tension in his desire to run a campaign that is both policy-focused and positive: It’s often hard to clearly define policy differences on issues like wealth and industry power without making critiques that call into question your opponent’s motives.
Sanders presented himself throughout as a fresh voice championing a political revolution to raise the voice of working Americans and young voters, offering universal health care and free public colleges.
And she went after her rival aggressively over his attempts to portray her as being in the pocket of Wall Street because of the campaign donations and the fees she had received for after-dinner speeches.
Clinton trails Sanders by 16 percentage points in the polls after barely beating him in the Iowa caucuses.
Sander said he will pay for it with a tax.
Sanders said the “middle class bailed out Wall Street in their time of need, now it is time for Wall Street to help the middle class”.
He cited her shifts on trade and energy policies and her 2003 Senate vote to back the Iraq war, which she has called a mistake.
It was the first time Clinton and Vermont Sen.
“We both want to reign in the excesses of Wall Street”, said Clinton.
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“We have to look at the threats that we face right now and we have to be prepared to take them on and defeat them”.
