Joked moderator Rachel Maddow after that sharp exchange, “Obviously we touched a nerve”.
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Clinton accused Sanders of engaging in a “very artful smear” against her by suggesting, but never directly saying, that she was influenced by millions of dollars in campaign contributions and speaking fees she took from Wall Street and other industries.
Taking a veiled jab at fellow Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Sanders pointed to his oppositon to the war in Iraq as an example of an unpopular choice he has made. Sanders had to admit “that Secretary Clinton, who was Secretary of State for four years, has more experience – that is not arguable – in foreign affairs”. “I represent, I hope, ordinary Americans”, he said.
Clinton says that she shares the liberal ideals espoused by Sanders, but argued she has more practical plans to get things done.
Clinton has been grappling with how to deal with the repeated questions from Sanders and others about her ties to Wall Street, and she tried yet another approach in the debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. It was also widely assumed that Clinton would fare better against potential GOP rivals, a fact that would help her greatly has Democrats looked for the strongest candidate in November. Clinton received $675,000 for three speeches from Goldman Sachs, and she was asked at Thursday’s debate if she was willing to release transcripts. She insisted she has taken on pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies in the past – such as her efforts to pass health care reform in the 1990s – and said she would continue to fight drug companies over rising prices. “I don’t think these attacks are worthy of you”.
The survey, carried out after this week’s Iowa caucuses which Clinton won by a hair, reveals Sanders closing in on the former secretary of state and longtime frontrunner.
Rachel Maddow embraces both Clinton and Sanders at end of debate. In the most recent five polls, Clinton was ahead of Sanders by double digits – the lowest lead she had was by 12 points and the highest was 21 points.
Clinton, by contrast, would defeat Trump by 5 points, according to the poll, but ties with Cruz and loses to Rubio by 7 points.
Sure, the campaign run by Bernie Sanders has been passive-aggressive to say the least, but that’s politics. But I think he’s right about the hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign when it comes to Wall Street. Clinton beats Trump, 46 to 41 percent, but in a Sanders-Trump matchup, Sanders tops Trump, 49 to 39 percent.
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Sanders allowed that while Clinton had been secretary of state, “experience is not the only point”.
