Former US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday emerged unscathed from the Democratic Party’s first debate for next year’s presidential campaign, cutting a calm and confident figure as she sparred with her rivals for the White House.
The frontrunner parried jabs by US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and three other hopefuls, who challenged her on everything from political U-turns to gun control and military intervention in the Middle East.
However, Clinton — who took part in more than 20 debates in the 2008 White House race — appeared mostly polished and composed during a two-hour clash in Las Vegas that was heavy on substance.
Photo: AFP
An independent senator from Vermont who has drawn huge crowds on the campaign trail, Sanders also delivered a spirited performance as he appealed to the party’s left wing, urging action on climate change and attacking Wall Street.
There were some fiery moments too, with Clinton accusing Sanders — her chief rival — of being soft on gun control.
However, Clinton received a surprise boost over her use of a private e-mail server as US top diplomat — seen as an Achilles heel — as Sanders and others came to her defense.
“Enough of the e-mails. The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails,” Sanders said.
Political analyst Larry Sabato said both Clinton and Sanders emerged as winners.
“Clinton went into the debate the frontrunner and she came out exactly the same — probably strengthened in that role,” he said. “Sanders went in as the chief challenger and he came out the same — maybe even strengthened.”
Overall, the debate was spared the dramatic clashes of personalities seen in the first two Republican debates, dominated by reality TV star and real-estate mogul Donald Trump, who needled the candidates via Twitter even before they took to the lecterns.
The 67-year-old Clinton was keen to inject excitement into her campaign and show she can rally the Democratic base, while Sanders was testing whether his “political revolution” can translate to the national stage.
Sanders put forward passionate arguments for reducing income inequality, saying he is not a part of the “casino capitalist” system.
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