MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – After a 22-points loss in New Hampshire’s primaries, Hillary Clinton will face Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday evening in the decisive Democratic debate. The meeting is set for 9 p.m ET in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the PBS “NewsHour” debate that will be simulcast on CNN.
Both presidential candidates are expected to focus on issues that are important to Latino and African-American voters, groups that will be decisive in the next Democratic primaries taking place in Nevada and South Carolina. Clinton on Thursday had a significant victory as she won the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus while Sanders is still struggling to gain support among minority voters.
The former Secretary of State will likely argue at the debate that the senator is not ready to serve as commander in chief and has not plausible proposals on foreign policy. However, she will have to present her arguments very carefully if she does not want to further alienate Sanders’ supporters, especially younger female voters. This group has recently turned to his campaign and has raised doubts whether Clinton is capable of handling base Democratic constituencies.
As for Sanders, CNN reported he would probably remark that he voted against authorizing the Iraq War in 2002 when he responds Clinton’s arguments on foreign policy. He must also prove he is capable of expanding his political base by addressing strong proposals regarding issues that matter to minority voters.
“Boil it down, be clear, be succinct, and make absolutely sure everybody knows you have a plan,” Reuters quoted Shekar Narasimhan, a Clinton donor and managing partner at Beekman Advisors.
Reuters contacted about half of 17 Clinton donors on Wednesday. They said they felt the former secretary needed to show more of her personality in the debate, projecting the “warm, genuine affable, and funny” person they know.
The majority of donors seem to be confident that her campaign would get stronger by the Super Tuesday voting on March 1 when the candidates will cast ballots in 11 states.
Sanders has called for the creation of universal Medicare and has offered government-paid public college tuition. The senator has also called for breaking up the big banks in order to level the economic playing field.
Clinton beat Sanders last week in Iowa by the narrowest of margins and lost by 22-points in New Hampshire. Both states are known for having nearly all-white populations.
Source: Huffington Post