Gerald F. Seib : Hillary Clinton Shows Relentless Efficiency in First Democratic Debate -Democrat seemed determined to march methodically through her policy positions and to remind voters of her broad experience
http://www.wsj.com/articles/analysis-hillary-clinton-shows-relentless-efficiency-in-first-democratic-debate-1444794235
Within the first hour of the initial Democratic debate Tuesday night, she had labeled herself a progressive, but one who knows how to get results. She staked out her position as tougher than that of President Barack Obama on Syria and tougher than that of her principal Democratic campaign foes on gun control.
And then, when she encountered what may be her greatest current campaign vulnerability, which is the continuing controversy over her use of a private server for government work while secretary of state, she didn’t have to bail herself out. That instead was done for her by her principal foe for the nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who declared, to moderator Anderson Cooper and the audience, “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails…Enough of the emails. Let’s talk about the real issues.”
Tuesday’s first debate was bound to be heavily about Mrs. Clinton, because she is the undisputed leading candidate, but also because she has started to appear vulnerable despite that position. And indeed, she was the subject of far more attention than any of her fellow candidates—Sen. Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Sens. Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee.
But Mrs. Clinton didn’t seem to mind. Instead, like her campaign more broadly, she seemed determined to use the opportunity to march methodically through her policy positions, to remind voters of her broad experience, and to unleash just enough criticism of Republicans to remind Democrats that they are supposed to be the real opponents.
It was a performance that wasn’t long on soaring rhetoric or deep passion, until Mrs. Clinton weighed in emphatically on strengthening family leave policies and funding Planned Parenthood. But it was methodically effective.
Mrs. Clinton’s goal likely was to position herself as more experienced than Mr. O’Malley and Mr. Chafee, more liberal than Mr. Webb but just a bit less liberal than Mr. Sanders. That is where the debate appeared to leave her positioned.
ENLARGE For his part, Mr. Sanders did little to shake the fervor of his loyal band of followers. He appeared uncomfortable when discussing gun control, a subject that got much early attention in the debate and one where he isn’t fully in sync with his party’s base. But that discomfort passed when the conversation moved to ground on which he is more comfortable: income inequality and the tainting influence of big money on politics and Washington.
And Mr. Sanders cemented his position as the candidate who is most passionate about climate change as a problem that can, in his view, wreck the planet for future generations. That alone cements his appeal with much of the party’s base.
All told, it wasn’t a debate that is likely to seriously alter the contours of the race. The force that can do that is named Vice President Joe Biden, and his decision on whether to run or now lies ahead as a potentially bigger force than the initial debate.
Write to Gerald F. Seib at jerry.seib@wsj.c
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