MSNBC Fifth Democratic debate: analysis and commentary
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Sanders Held the High Ground in New Hampshire Debate
February 5, 2016
By Karlyn Bowman
Karlyn Bowman, a widely respected analyst of public opinion, is a senior fellow and research coordinator at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.
Seeing last night’s spirited one-on-one Democratic debate in Durham, New Hampshire, reminds us how difficult it is to have coherent meaningful exchanges with six or seven candidates on the stage, as the Republicans have had to do.
This week Hillary Clinton postponed several high dollar fundraising events, which is one of many indications that Bernie Sanders’ attacks on her connections to Wall Street are having an impact on her campaign. Democrats have railed for years about the influence of money in politics. Clinton’s response that it was time “to end the very artful smear” campaign that she accused Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders of conducting, was the most riveting moment of the evening. But while it was a tough response, it probably doesn’t answer the concerns of many ordinary Democrats about the amounts Clinton has taken for speeches and her ties to big money. Sanders’ impressive fundraising from small donors gives him legitimacy on the issue, and he had the high ground last night.”
Polls show that the Democratic Party has clearly shifted to the left and that it may have shifted more than the GOP has shifted to the right. The January NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that about a third of Democrats want a president who is more liberal than President Obama. Democrats in Iowa also gave that response. Many in the party have abandoned the “L” word for “progressive,” and last night’s effort by both Sanders and Clinton to claim the mantle was fascinating. Sanders had the better claim last night. While Clinton looked confident last night, Sanders seemed much more authentic in this exchange and on others.”
But it isn’t clear that Sanders’ message will work beyond Iowa and New Hampshire. And it wasn’t obvious to me that many minds were changed by last night’s encounter.
See also
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Durham, N.H., MSNBC Democratic debate (February 4, 2016)
- Presidential election, 2016/Polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards
- Presidential election, 2016/Straw polls
