Facing primary fight from Sanders, Clinton embraces Obama

When she makes these attacks, they are a calculated blow at those who are in the “Bernie or bust” camp, vowing to vote for Bernie only, not just any Democrat for Democrat’s sake.

Sanders, who has drawn almost even with Clinton in Iowa according to polls, sent shockwaves just two hours before the debate when he unveiled his “Medicare for All” proposal, which he said would save average American families thousands of dollars per year.

The top 10 trending queries turned to “martin o’malley”, “democratic debate 2016”, “debate”, “democratic debate tonight”, “iowa caucus”, “democratic debate January 17”, “democratic candidates”, “debate schedule 2016”, “omalley”, and “nbc democratic debate”.

Instead, Clinton praised the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature healthcare law. “We’ve accomplished so much already…”

This was not the Clinton who has dominated the debates by showing the depth and breadth of her knowledge and the smiling face of a Dem who’s been there, done that, fought the Republicans and lived to tell the story. Maybe that’s because for the first time, Hillary Clinton acted as if she also thought Sanders suddenly had a real chance. He called the former president’s behaviour “deplorable” but said he wants to focus on issues “not Bill Clinton’s personal life”.

In this case, “Goldman Sachs” isn’t just shorthand for “rich assholes”-the firm paid the most to Clinton ($675,000) out of the ten banks that gave her six digit speaking fees after she left her position as Secretary of State”. On March 1, or “Super Tuesday”, voters in 11 states, many of them in the South where Clinton has big poll leads, will cast primary ballots.

Although nationally she polls strongly against Mr Sanders, he is neck and neck with her in Iowa, which kicks off the nominating scramble in two weeks’ time.

Bernie Sanders had his best debate, his loudest debate, and, yes, his I’m-in-it-to-win-it debate. “Nobody ever said that before but me”. After he saw that she was treated he started up his speech again saying, “Which brings me to the issue of health care…”

Clinton then pivoted to a critique of one of Sanders’ votes on a 2000 bill that loosened regulations on commodities trading (shepherded in by, yes, the Clinton administration) and ended with a reminder that the Republicans are far worse.

However, Sanders on Sunday night doubled-down on previous comments he made during a town hall in Iowa that that the comments of the former president were disgusting. He alleges that the system, including the US Congress – and including Ms Clinton – has been corrupted by big money, the banks and the lobbyists. Sanders is beating Clinton two-to-one among young voters drawn to his purist liberal manifesto of economic equality and change against the establishment and a corrupt campaign finance system. “Senator Sanders called him weak, disappointing, he even in 2011 publicly sought someone to run in a primary against President Obama”.

“Set the record right”, he said. O’Malley has made little headway with voters despite considerable debate stage time.

But last year’s scandal about her use of a private email account and private server while secretary of state has lingered, and her favorability ratings are lower than those of Sanders.

“I am very proud, I do not have a super PAC”, said Sanders. That statement led to one of the standout moments of the debate: a single look that has been dubbed the Sanders side-eye, and which quickly spread virally on social media as a meme.

He said he is ready to go up against Wall Street, but finds it hard to believe that others will do the same if they are getting money from them, a likely attack to Clinton.