Just when you thought the presidential election of 2016 couldn’t get any more cutthroat, there is always another presidential debate on its way. On April 14th, the Democrats squared off for their ninth debate during this presidential season and it’s I think it’s fair to say that the evolution of these candidates during debates has truly been interesting.
As the candidates took the stage, game faces on, there was no hesitation to get right into the issues of personal records, Wall Street, minimum wage, national security and foreign policy among few other topics. The aggressive debate, filled with personal attacks, shouting, and a lot of sarcasm clearly showed viewers the different plan of attack each candidate took going into this debate. The happy faces of these candidates in debate one are far gone and here in debate nine, there is no mercy held back between Clinton and Sanders. If it wasn’t obvious from the beginning that these two candidates are not the biggest fans of each other, it sure is pretty obvious now.
Below are five of the things I felt were the most important takeaways from the most recent debate.
The Question of Judgment
From Sanders calling Clinton “unqualified to be President” and Clinton firing back at Sanders' “difficulty answering questions on core issues,” the question of judgement on the sides of both candidates was a prominent question that was brought up throughout the whole debate. As each candidate fired personal records and voting marks at each other the attacks and defense tactics of this debate changed the tone from prior debates.
Transparency
With Clinton’s failure to release her transcripts with financial firms and Sander’s failure to produce his tax returns from past years, the demand for transparency between the candidates was an issue that definitely did not get overlooked. As presidential candidates, the expectation for complete disclosure of personal information is required for voters to feel comfortable in trusting a candidate in a time when lack of trust in the government is a pressing issue.
Constant Minimum Wage Debate
Senator Sanders has been very adamant on his stance that the minimum wage should be raised to fifteen dollars an hour, but when the topic was raised during the debate, Sanders took the opportunity to highlight Clinton’s refusal to support such an idea. As Sanders hit Clinton on the issue, Secretary Clinton ended up stating that she would agree to sign legislation supporting the minimum wage raise if it was presented to her.
Firearms Issues
Secretary Clinton took the debate stage as an opportunity to confront the idea that Senator Sanders opposition to past gun control measures. On the matter, Sanders protected his stance and stated that the liability for illegal sales on assault weapons should be a matter that shop owners are held accountable for.
Regulating Wall Street
As the ongoing issue of the power invested in large banks and corporations tied to Wall Street continues through the election, Sanders continues to press Clinton in her ability to regulate banks when they have been such a big part of her success. Though both candidates state that they have ideas to fix the issues that derive from Wall Street, Sanders continues to hit Clinton with her previous record of receiving money for her paid speeches and appearances.
These five issues are some of many that surfaced during the ninth debate between Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders. As each debate emerges, it seems that Clinton and Sanders continue to hit each other hard on the core issues and personal voting records. Both candidates are actively trying to use the debate as an advancement to win New York to help boost their chances in securing the Presidential nomination for the party.
