Both Republican and Democratic parties will formally name their presidential candidates at conventions in July.
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The first Democratic debate after the Iowa caucuses was much more intense than everybody was expecting, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making serious accusations at her rival’s, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, address.
Bernie Sanders for his “artful smear” on her integrity when he compared her campaign financing to his – that would put last night’s debate on track to be the lowest rated of the political election cycle to date.
The New Hampshire primary, in which Sanders has a sizeable lead, is just five days away and could provide another boost to his campaign.
Another sign of the new dynamic: Clinton reported that her campaign had raised $15 million in January – $5 million less than Sanders and the first time she’s been outraised by her opponent.
Mrs Clinton cast him as an idealist who will not get things done and Mr Sanders accused her of being too tied to the establishment to achieve real change.
“I want to go after the pharmaceutical companies like Valeant and Turing that are increasing prices without any regard to the impact on people’s health”, Clinton said. “I think they are interested in will she take on the powerful interests of Wall Street”, he said.
“If I have the honor of serving as your president”, Clinton told them, “I will spend all my tomorrows doing everything I can to make your tomorrows better”.
Clinton had been asked on Wednesday why she accepted $675,000 for three speeches from the financial firm Goldman Sachs.
So we need to know what she said, and now! “I hope they turn out and they turn out for Hillary”. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) should not boast about his freedom from super-PACs given his ties with organized labor. Clinton’s team was stunned by Sanders’ near-victory in Iowa.
Clinton, for her part, signaled her determination to at least narrow the gap before Tuesday’s vote.
Sanders wasn’t interested: “Wall Street is an entity of unbelievable economic and political power”.
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When the conversation turned to foreign policy and the Mideast, there was only one victor. He was a distant third in the first state to vote, Iowa, where Mrs Clinton narrowly beat Mr Sanders after a prolonged count. But it’s important to keep in mind that the United States does not vote for presidential nominees in a national contest, but rather state-by-state, and Clinton holds significant leads in upcoming primaries in Florida and SC that could reinvigorate her supporters.
