HILLARY Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley met for their fourth debate, which aired live on Sunday, Jan. 17 on NBC. It was the Democratic contenders’ final face-off before the crucial Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
In a strong performance, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley came across as experienced and empathetic, but did not get the chance to talk as much, while former Secretary of State and frontrunner Hillary Clinton argued she was pragmatic, skilled and a “battle-tested politician” who can work effectively on both foreign policy and domestic fronts, reported CBS News. 74-year-old Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, drove home the message about the influence of funding in politics.
The candidates talked about a variety of issues, from health care to foreign policy, to the criminal justice system, to President Barack Obama.
When asked what their top three priorities as president would be, Sanders cited universal health care, minimum wage increases (to $15 an hour), and rebuilding infrastructure. Clinton said she would focus on equal pay for women, building on Pres. Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and working diligently to bring the nation together, reported USA Today. O’Malley spoke about wage increases, empowering labor unions, and reforming the immigration system.
“I understand that this is the hardest job in the world,” Clinton said in her opening remarks, but assuring that she was capable of doing “all aspects of the job.” She also clung tightly to her loyalty with President Obama, arguing she would build on his legacy and promising continuity, according to CNN.
Clinton and Sanders took most of the time on the debate stage, coming face to face over issues with health care, gun control, and financial politics.
Clinton called Sanders out on his support of the National Rifle Association (NRA), for voting “with the gun lobby, numerous times,” and also named several occasions when she said the Vermont senator sided with guns rights supporters to gain votes in Congress. She said she was glad that Sanders had “reversed his position on immunity” after his recent support of a bill to amend gun manufacturers immunity from prosecution, but also accused him of flip-flopping and getting “cozy” with the NRA.
However, Sanders retorted that he had a D-minus voting rating from the NRA, and rejected her list of charges. “I think that Secretary Clinton knows that what she says is very disingenuous,” he said.
“Let me talk about polling…In terms of polling, guess what, we are running ahead of Secretary Clinton in terms of taking on my good friend Donald Trump,” he added. “We have the momentum. We’re on a path to a victory.”
The biggest argument of the night was on health care. Just two hours before the debate, Sanders rolled out a tax plan that would fund his Medicare-for-all proposal to scrap private health insurance entirely, replacing with a federally-run health program.
“Right now what we have to deal with is the fact that 29 million people still have no health insurance. Tell me why we are spending almost three times more than the British, who guarantee health care for all of their people,” he said.
“What a Medicare-for-all program does is finally provide in this country health care for every man, woman and child as a right,” he added, saying his plan would lead to tax increases for the middle class, and would take aim at insurance companies. “The truth is that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman…believed that health care should be available to all of our people. It is time for our country to join every other major industrialized nation on earth and guarantee health care to all citizens as a right, not a privilege.”
Although Clinton leads Sanders 59 percent to 34 percent, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll, many viewers of the debate believe Sanders, who is very popular with young people, emerged the true winner. Sanders’ poll stats numbers have been rising over the last month.
“I certainly respect Sen. Sanders’ intentions,” Clinton replied, but stayed defending the Affordable Care Act. “When you’re talking about health care, the details really matter. We finally have a path to universal health care, we have accomplished so much already. I do not want to see the Republicans repeal it, and I do not want us to start all over again with a contentious debate.”
“No one is tearing this up–I helped write [the Affordable Care Act]. We are going to go forward,” Sanders retorted angrily, saying he wanted to focus on the issues, not on her husband.
Accomplishing goals (such as an inclusive health care system, free public colleges, and a higher minimum wage) is dependent on the influence of big corporations and their funding. “Nothing real will get done unless we have a political revolution where millions of people finally stand up,” he stressed, citing problems on Wall Street.
Clinton rebutted that there’s “no bank too big to fail, no individual too powerful to jail.”
When asked about how she wins the votes of younger generations, Clinton cited her goal of debt-free tuition, and is concerned about the “Republican assault” on voting, and on women’s, LGBT, and workers’ rights. “This is an election where we have to pull young people and older people together. Turning over our White House would be bad for everybody, including our young people.”
O’Malley managed to squeeze in a word regarding guns and criminal justice reform, personalizing the issue with a story about meeting a three-year-old shooting victim in the hospital.
He also showed an endearing side when talking about putting ground troops in the Middle East to fight the terror group ISIS, telling a more personal appeal on the matter. All of the candidates agreed there should be no US troops on the ground to fight the war on terror.
The debate viewed by over 12.5 million viewers, including 10.2 million who watched it live, reported The Associated Press.
The debate was also the third-most watched Democratic debate in history, according to NBC, drawing in more young viewers than the two previous broadcasted debates.
