The second Democratic debate is through. Here’s a summary of what we learned:
- The debate began with a half-hour discussion of the Paris attacks and national security. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said the US has to “bring the world together to root out [this] kind of radical jihadist ideology”.
- Clinton did not strike a particularly hawkish tone. “It cannot be an American fight ... We will support those who will take the fight to Isis,” she said. “I don’t think that the United States has the bulk of the responsibility.”
- Both Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley quickly disagreed with Clinton, suggesting she had downplayed the threat and the challenge. “This actually is America’s fight,” O’Malley said. “We must rise to this occasion.”
- Sanders objected to Clinton’s line about who bore responsibility for Isis. “I don’t think any sensible person would disagree that the invasion of Iraq led to the massive instability that we are seeing right now,” he said.
- In a possible preview of a major general election debate to come, Clinton rejected a “clash of civilizations” framework Republicans have used after the Paris attacks. “We are not at war with Islam or Muslims,” Clinton says. “We are at war with violent extremism.”
- Clinton said that no new congressional authorization would be required to open a new military front against Isis, but “I would like to see [the authorization to use military force] updated”.
- On the domestic front, Sanders hit Clinton hard for taking campaign donations from Wall Street. Clinton replied that she had been a senator during the September 11 attacks and was working to “rebuild” the city.
- When the debate turned to immigration, O’Malley pointed out that “net immigration from Mexico last year was zero” and called Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, an “immigrant-bashing carnival barker”.
- Asked what his top tax rate would be, Sanders quipped: “It will not be as high as the number of Dwight D Eisenhower, which was 90%. I’m not that much of a socialist as Eisenhower.”
- On healthcare, Sanders said the pharmaceutical industry was criminal and Clinton said: “I want to build on and improve the Affordable Care Act.”
- Bernie Sanders: “I was sick and tired of Hillary Clinton’s emails. I’m still sick and tired of Hillary Clinton’s emails.”
- Clinton went after Republicans. “They are putting forth alarming plans,” she said, listing Planned Parenthood, climate change and equal pay for equal work. “They don’t support any of that. Let us focus on what this election is really going to be about.”
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