PBS Democratic debate winners and losers

5 Reasons To Be Glad That You Watched The PBS Democratic Debate

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:54 pm

Sanders says he and Clinton are friends, and Republican hypocrites taking a beating are among the five reasons to be glad that you watched the PBS NewsHour Democratic debate.

1).Sanders and Clinton Immediately Battle On Healthcare

The debate opened with a question about how large the federal government would grow under Sen. Sanders. After talking about the redistribution of wealth, Sanders said there would be limits on the growth of the federal government in his administration. Clinton said that it was time for both candidates to level with the American people and the Sanders healthcare numbers don’t add up. Sanders said that was absolutely inaccurate, but he didn’t say how her point was inaccurate or explain how his plan balances. Instead, Sen. Sanders shifted the discussion to health care being a right. Clinton and Sanders both agree on the goal of universal care. The debate between the two Democratic candidates is centered on how the country gets there.

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2). Bernie Sanders Blasts Republican Small Government Hypocrites

Bernie Sanders slammed Republicans for hating big government when it comes to Social Security, but Republicans love the government when it makes decisions on women’s healthcare. Sen. Sanders said, “I’ll tell you something that really galls me…All of this country we have Republican candidates for president saying we hate the government. Government is the enemy. We’re going to cut Social Security to help you. We’re going to cut Medicare/Medicaid and federal aid to education because the government is terrible. But by the way, when it comes to a woman having to make a very personal choice, ah, in that case my Republican colleagues love the government and want to make that choice for every woman in America. If that’s not hypocrisy, I don’t know what hypocrisy is.”

3). Sanders and Clinton Mix It Up On Super PACs

A dividing issue in the Democratic campaign has been super PACs. Sen. Sanders has used the fact that he doesn’t have a super PAC to contrast himself with former Sec. Clinton. When the topic came up again, Clinton correctly stated that she doesn’t control whether or not super PACs decide to support her, but she also played the Obama card and said that Obama took super PAC money, and he was tough on Wall Street.

The Clinton campaign put on a press release to reporters that highlighted the million dollars that super PACs have spent to support Bernie Sanders
Clinton struggled with the super PAC answer in earlier debates. Her answer has gotten better, but it still might not be good enough. Clinton and Sanders later clashed on regulating Wall Street. The Sanders campaign responded with a release to reporters that highlighted Clinton’s heavy support from the financial industry.
4). Sanders Says He And Clinton Are Friends

Here is something that you will never hear in a Republican debate. While discussing foreign policy, Bernie Sanders said that there was no doubt that he and Hillary Clinton are friends, but he questioned former Sec. Clinton’s judgement based on her vote for the Iraq war. Clinton responded by pointing out her advice to President Obama on the raid to get Bin Laden. Sanders used a piece from Clinton’s own book where she praised the advice and friendship of Henry Kissinger. Sanders said that he would not count Kissinger as a friend. Clinton said journalists have asked who Sanders listens to on foreign policy. Sander said, “It won’t be Kissinger.”

The tone of this debate was summed up by the friendship between Sanders and Clinton. Unlike the bloody fights to death on the Republican side, this Democratic debate was a discussion between two friends who have some policy disagreements.

5). Sanders Calls Out Clinton For A Low Blow On Obama

Hillary Clinton tried to link herself to President Obama, and she claimed that Bernie Sanders has been personally critical of Obama. Sanders responded by calling Clinton’s attacks a low blow. He called President Obama a good friend, hailed the job that Obama has done as president, and said that a senator has the right to disagree with the president. Clinton claimed that Sanders wanted Obama primaried in 2012, and Sanders responded by pointing out that it was Clinton who ran against President Obama in 2008.

The dispute between Clinton and Sanders wasn’t really about President Obama. It was about the question of who is the rightful heir to the Obama legacy. With Nevada and South Carolina coming up this final moment in the debate was one of the few contentious segments of the debate.



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