The Clinton Response
Clinton clearly came armed with prepared responses. She claimed that Sanders "is the only person who I think would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president, as exemplifying the establishment." But as The Washington Post noted, it is hard to think of a former first lady, senator and secretary of state, center of the Clinton political powerhouse as anything but establishment. The so-called "woman card" felt lame here.
Clinton treated the questions about her big-money donors as a personal insult: "a very artful smear," suggesting that she had been bought. She claimed that she never had a vote or position influenced by money. She upbraided Sanders for voting for the bill to deregulate swaps and derivatives (her husband's bill wrapped in a must-pass appropriations measure), allowing that she wasn't "impugning his motives."
Sanders chose not to go after Clinton directly, but made the common-sense point: these banks are investing millions in candidates not for fun; they expect and get a return on their money. Clinton argues that hedge funds are spending millions against her. But Wall Street is buying into her campaign also, hedging their bets as they always do.
The Wall Street Connection
Clinton looked defensive as the moderators quizzed her on her Wall Street donors and speaking fees, picking up on her uncomfortable response Wednesday night on why she pocketed so much for speeches to Goldman Sachs ("That's what they offered"). She said she hadn't explained her record and then proceeded to vastly exaggerate how she called out Wall Street before the crash.
She claimed once more that she had the most comprehensive plan to curb Wall Street, better than that supported by Sanders (and Sen. Elizabeth Warren). When the moderators pressed her to release transcripts of her speeches to the banks, she said only that she'd "look into it."
Foreign Policy
When the moderators turned to foreign policy, the debate also turned. Sanders appeared less confident and passionate in his material. Clinton presented herself as on top of the game. Sanders chose to minimize differences; Clinton attacked his lack of experience, advisors and his policy suggestions.
Sanders returned continually to the Iraq War vote where he voted against, and Clinton for. Judgment, he argued, can trump experience. But on other questions, he looked less certain and sought generally to minimize differences with Clinton. He passed on the opportunity to issue a serious critique of Clinton's predilection for intervention and regime change.
Moderator Drivel
The end of the debate descended into inane moderator drivel, most of it looking for a fight -- on Clinton's email, on Sander's campaign incidents, on Iowa's caucus results, what priorities you'd have in office (both ducked). These just wasted time, with neither candidate taking the bait.
Bizarrely, there were no questions on the economy: how to generate growth, whether to worry about a global recession. There were no questions on taxes. No questions on climate change. Trade and the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) were finally touched on towards the end, with the difference in passion and logic apparent.
The moderators and format allowed the candidates to have extended exchanges. People saw a still courtly Bernie Sanders and a more combative Hillary Clinton.
Sanders' argument about the corrupting effects of money in politics and the need to break up the big banks was compelling. Clinton's profession of independence was less plausible.
Clinton's foreign policy experience certainly showed. But Democrats have to be haunted by her taste for intervention and regime change (Iraq, Libya, Syria). And sadly, the push for a new cold war with Russia went unchallenged.
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