Democratic Debate – Thursday, April 14, 2016
Clinton and Sanders are once again convening to attack one another on their fitness to lead and judgment, in tonight’s Democratic Presidential Debate.
Questions about Clinton revolve around her trustworthiness and credibility, while questions about Sanders focus on his likely effectiveness in office. Clinton has been plagued by scandals and concerns, particularly from the political right, regarding her actions in office as Secretary of State, including her management of the Benghazi Embassy attack, and her choice to use her own private mail server for official government business. In addition, Sanders is vigorously attacking Clinton on her campaign financing strategy, since she has taken large contributions from Wall Street operators, which is anathema to the Sanders campaign and the left-wing of the democratic party.
Sanders, on the other hand, faces mounting criticism about his platform of social and economic reforms, including a major health care overhaul, and his pledge to offer free tuition to students of state universities and colleges. Clinton and her supporters maintain that Sanders can’t deliver on his promises, especially since he would need to persuade large numbers of congressional leaders to vote for his policies. One of the key problems President Obama has had is his inability to pass significant legislation in the midst of a Republican-controlled congress, which won’t likely change for at least the first two years of a hypothetical Sanders administration.
Will the debates, like tonight’s battle of wills, help the American People decide between these two liberal rivals with different approaches to governance, or are they empty shows, offering little help to viewers trying to sort out the 2016 race? What do you think, dear reader?
