At debate, Democratic candidates target Trump, not each other

Democratic candidates for President took part in their party’s last debate of the year Saturday night in New Hampshire. Here’s a range of views from CNN commentators and other observers. The opinions expressed in these commentaries are those of the authors.

Errol Louis: Sanders and O’Malley lend Clinton a hand

Errol Louis

The final Democratic debate of the year was one of the few remaining chances for Sen. Bernie Sanders and ex-Gov. Martin O’Malley to make a strong case against Hillary Clinton – and both men passed on the opportunity. With less than 45 days until the Iowa Caucuses, Sanders and O’Malley must decide which they prefer – winning applause or winning elections.

To win applause, you do what both men did at the debate: put forward proposals on domestic and foreign policy and politely point out disagreements with Clinton, the front-runner. But with polls showing Clinton enjoying a commanding lead in all the early states except New Hampshire (where she is a few points behind Sanders), the path to the Democratic nomination requires making an argument to voters that Clinton won’t, can’t or shouldn’t win the general election next fall.

Neither Sanders nor O’Malley was willing to go that far.

Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party.

Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School.

Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974.

In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea.

Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985.

The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President.

Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992.

In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union.

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus.

Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993.

The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993.

Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995.

Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President.

The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997.

The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998.

President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999.

Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year.

Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001.

Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003.

Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007.

Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama.

Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state.

Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010.

The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.

In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011.

Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.

Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.

Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014.

Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015.

Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."

Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015.

Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April.

After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you."

Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state.

Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van.

Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president.

Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight

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“The greed of the billionaire class, the greed of Wall street is destroying this economy,” Sanders said, pointing out that Clinton has a cozy relationship with Wall Street. But Clinton was ready. “I have more donations from students and teachers than I do from people associated with Wall Street,” she responded, pointing out that only 3% of her donors work in banking and finance.

And for good measure, Clinton made sure to mention that two hedge fund billionaires are running ads in New Hampshire that attack her.

Sanders more or less let the matter drop there, but that won’t convince millions of Democratic voters that Clinton might someday sell them out. That is the kind of accusation Sanders and O’Malley must make clearly and frequently if they want to displace her at the top of the polls. But neither man has done so, and should expect to remain 20-plus percentage points behind her.

There’s no shortage of differences between the candidates. Sanders and O’Malley say the minimum wage should be raised to $15 per hour; Clinton wants to keep it lower. Sanders wants to make college tuition free on every campus; “I don’t believe in free tuition for everybody,” said Clinton.

On national security, Sanders and O’Malley both made a case – rather timidly, considering what was at stake for them – that Clinton is too willing to push for regime change in turbulent nations around the world.

But all three candidates pointedly bashed Donald Trump and the Republican party, and here they were singing from the same songbook. “On our worst day, we have a lot more to offer the American people” than Republicans, said Sanders. “You’re not going to hear anything like this from any of the Republicans running for president,” said Clinton.

It was a reminder that Clinton wants the primary season to end as quickly and painlessly as possible so she can start preparing for the general election. The fact that Sanders and O’Malley seem willing to play out her ideal strategy makes it seem less likely than ever that Democrats will see Clinton toppled from the lead.

Errol Louis is the host of “Inside City Hall,” a nightly political show on NY1, a New York all-news channel.

S.E. Cupp: Where were the answers on national security?

Well, it’s obvious why the Democratic contenders would rather discuss the economy than national security, which is the top concern among voters: they don’t have any answers.

Hillary Clinton offered “coalitions” as a solution to any number of foreign and domestic dangers. The answer to guns? Coalitions. ISIS? Coalitions. She touted her own record of coalition-building in Libya and Iran, which Republicans will have fun with in a general election. She said simply that she’d “do more to keep us safe at home.” She suggested Russians would respect a no-fly zone in Syria. Does anyone trust Hillary Clinton’s instincts on Russia?

Bernie Sanders seems to think he will be able to magically make Muslims in the Middle East fight ISIS so that we don’t have to. When pushed, he offered no explanation as to how he’d accomplish what this administration has not.

Former Democratic Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley addresses the 2015 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference and Presidential Forum in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2015.

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Related gallery Moments from Martin O'Malley's career

O’Malley tried to “generationally” distinguish himself from Clinton and Bernie but talked primarily about boosting intelligence efforts, which is hard to do without added boots on the ground.

While criticizing government spying, they each heaped praise on spying on each other. “See something, Say something” is a PR campaign, not a national security policy. These aren’t serious strategies, but merely continuations of our current strategy at home and abroad to lead from behind.

S.E. Cupp is the author of “Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media’s Attack on Christianity,” co-author of “Why You’re Wrong About the Right” and a columnist at the New York Daily News.

Donna Brazile: What Sanders and Clinton could teach Trump

The Democrats had their third debate in New Hampshire Saturday and there was literally no mocking, no belittling–and the fact checkers kept coming up with “mostly true” (for Clinton, at least). The contrast with the Republicans, was stark.

Less than 24 hours before the debate, red-hot press releases and charges flew between the Sanders and Clinton camps over a donor list data breach. On stage, Sanders and Clinton showed how adults handle disputes. They each made their point, then made up. Sanders showed Trump how a man takes responsibility, and apologizes. The contretemps was dispensed with in the first few minutes.

There followed spirited debates over regime change, gun control, and middle class taxes. For the most part, the candidates at Saturday’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire were on the same page. In fact, the most common phrase of the night may have been “Let me agree….”

The candidates even found room for agreement with all of the Republican candidates on one important strategic issue—you can never go wrong by attacking the frontrunner of the other party. Just as the GOP candidates spent much of their debate attacking Hillary Clinton, all three of the Democrats went after Donald Trump.

US Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Chicago in March 2019. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress.

Sanders, right, leads a sit-in organized by the Congress of Racial Equality in 1962. The demonstration was staged to oppose housing segregation at the University of Chicago. It was Chicago's first civil rights sit-in.

Sanders takes the oath of office to become the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1981. He ran as an independent and won the race by 10 votes.

Sanders, right, tosses a baseball before a minor-league game in Vermont in 1984. US Sen. Patrick Leahy, center, was also on hand.

In 1987, Sanders and a group of Vermont musicians recorded a spoken-word folk album. "We Shall Overcome" was first released as a cassette that sold about 600 copies. When Sanders entered the US presidential race in 2015, the album surged in online sales. But at a CNN town hall, Sanders said, "It's the worst album ever recorded."

Sanders reads mail at his campaign office in Burlington in 1990. He was running for the US House of Representatives after an unsuccessful bid in 1988.

In 1990, Sanders defeated US Rep. Peter Smith in the race for Vermont's lone House seat. He won by 16 percentage points.

Sanders sits next to President Bill Clinton in 1993 before the Congressional Progressive Caucus held a meeting at the White House. Sanders co-founded the caucus in 1991 and served as its first chairman.

Barack Obama, then a US senator, endorses Sanders' Senate bid at a rally in Burlington in 2006.

Sanders takes part in a swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol in January 2007. He won his Senate seat with 65% of the vote.

Sanders chats with Dr. John Matthew, director of The Health Center in Plainfield, Vermont, in May 2007. Sanders was in Plainfield to celebrate a new source of federal funding for The Health Center.

Sanders speaks to reporters in 2010 about the Obama administration's push to extend Bush-era tax cuts. Three days later, Sanders held a filibuster against the reinstatement of the tax cuts. His speech, which lasted more than eight hours, was published in book form in 2011. It is called "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class."

Sanders and US Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, walk to a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2014. Sanders was chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

In March 2015, Sanders speaks in front of letters and petitions asking Congress to reject proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

In July 2015, two months after announcing he would be seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President, Sanders spoke to nearly 10,000 supporters in Madison, Wisconsin. "Tonight we have made a little bit of history," he said. "You may know that some 25 candidates are running for President of the United States, but tonight we have more people at a meeting for a candidate for President of the United States than any other candidate has."

Seconds after Sanders took the stage for a campaign rally in August 2015, a dozen protesters from Seattle's Black Lives Matter chapter jumped barricades and grabbed the microphone from the senator. Holding a banner that said "Smash Racism," two of the protesters -- Marissa Johnson, left, and Mara Jacqueline Willaford -- began to address the crowd.

Sanders shakes hands with Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate in Las Vegas in October 2015. The hand shake came after Sanders' take on the Clinton email scandal. "Let me say something that may not be great politics, but the secretary is right -- and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails, let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."

Sanders embraces Remaz Abdelgader, a Muslim student, during an October 2015 event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Asked what he would do about Islamophobia in the United States, Sanders said he was determined to fight racism and "build a nation in which we all stand together as one people."

Sanders waves while walking in a Veterans Day parade in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in November 2015.

Sanders sits with rapper and activist Killer Mike at the Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta in November 2015. That evening, Killer Mike introduced Sanders at a campaign event in the city. "I'm talking about a revolutionary," the rapper told supporters. "In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that Sen. Bernie Sanders is the right man to lead this country."

Comedian Larry David and Sanders appear together on "Saturday Night Live" in February 2016. David had played Sanders in a series of sketches throughout the campaign season.

Sanders and his wife, Jane, wave to the crowd during a primary night rally in Concord, New Hampshire, in February 2016. Sanders defeated Clinton in the New Hampshire primary with 60% of the vote, becoming the first Jewish candidate to win a presidential primary.

Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in March 2016. He won the state's primary the next day, an upset that delivered a sharp blow to Clinton's hopes of quickly securing the nomination.

Sanders speaks at a campaign event in New York's Washington Square Park in April 2016.

Sanders speaks at a rally in Santa Monica, California, in June 2016. He pledged to stay in the Democratic race even though Clinton secured the delegates she needed to become the presumptive nominee.

Sanders endorses Clinton at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in July 2016.

Sanders addresses delegates on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in July 2016.

Sanders brings a giant printout of one of Donald Trump's tweets to a Senate debate in January 2017. In the tweet, Trump had promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Sanders thanks supporters after winning re-election to the Senate in November 2018.

Sanders looks at his notes as he watches President Trump deliver the State of the Union address in February 2019. That month, Sanders announced that he would be running for president again.

Sanders hugs a young supporter during a campaign rally in Los Angeles in March 2019.

Sanders addresses the audience at a CNN town hall in Washington in April 2019.

Sanders speaks next to former Vice President Joe Biden at the first Democratic debates in June 2019.

Sanders raises his fist as he holds a rally in Santa Monica, California, in July 2019.

Sanders grabs the hand of US Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic debates in Detroit in July 2019.

Sanders campaigns at the University of New Hampshire in September 2019. A few days later, he took himself off the campaign trail after doctors treated a blockage in one of his arteries. Sanders suffered a heart attack, his campaign confirmed.

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces Sanders at a New York rally after endorsing him for president in October 2019.

In a tense and dramatic exchange moments after a Democratic debate, Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Sanders responded that it was Warren who called him a liar. Earlier in the debate, the two disagreed on whether Sanders told Warren, during a private dinner in 2018, that he didn't believe a woman could win the presidency.

Sanders laughs during a primary-night rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, in February 2020. Sanders won the primary, just as he did in 2016.

A triumphant Sanders raises his fist in San Antonio after he was projected to win the Nevada caucuses.

Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden talk before a Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 2020.

Sanders addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March 2020.

Sanders speaks to reporters in Burlington, Vermont, a day after Super Tuesday II. Sanders said it "was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view" but that he looked forward to staying in the race and taking on Joe Biden in an upcoming debate.

Biden greets Sanders with an elbow bump before the start of a debate in Washington in March 2020. They went with an elbow bump instead of a handshake because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

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Senator Bernie Sanders said that Trump “thinks low wages are a good idea.” Governor Martin O’Malley warned that we “must never surrender our American values to racists, must never surrender them to the fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths.” And Secretary Hillary Clinton pointedly said of Trump that “He is becoming ISIS’ best recruiter.”

Whether or not Trump is the eventual Republican nominee, all of the Democratic candidates clearly understand that they can benefit by being forthright in condemning the direction that the Trump candidacy is taking the Republican Party… because the Republicans clearly don’t seem to have the courage to do that.

Donna Brazile, a CNN contributor and a Democratic strategist, is vice chairwoman for civic engagement and voter participation at the Democratic National Committee. A nationally syndicated columnist, she is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of “Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in America.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Robby Soave: This issue Hillary Clinton can’t run from

Robby Soave

Does anyone have an actual ISIS plan? Hillary Clinton remained steadfastly convinced in the debate last night that Americans should buy into her strategy—that they should trust the person who almost singlehandedly turned Libya into an ISIS breeding ground to somehow remake Syria into the kind of progressive democracy that would justify U.S. assistance.

Never mind that Clinton’s strategy is virtually indistinguishable from most of her Republican rivals—build an international coalition, vaguely contain the terrorists, and leave the door open for eventual ground troops.

Bernie Sanders had the best moment of the night when he impugned the Clinton/GOP consensus on deposing Middle Easter dictators. “Regime change is easy … but you have to think about what happens the day after,” he said. Sanders demonstrated that he is one of just a few candidates—on the other side of the aisle, libertarian-leaning Republican Sen. Rand Paul is another—who understands the chaos that follows ill-considered U.S. intervention in Syria.

Former Democratic Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley addresses the 2015 International Association of Fire Fighters on March 10.

O'Malley has not been shy about potentially running in 2016, saying about potential competitors Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton that the presidency is not a "crown" to be passed through families.

In some early 2016 polling, O'Malley is pulling single-digit numbers.

O'Malley speaks during the 2015 Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference and Presidential Forum on March 10.

O'Malley speaks at a Democratic fundraiser at Gibson's Bookstore and True Brew Cafe on March 6 in Concord, New Hampshire.

O'Malley speaks during a ceremony commemorating the bicentennial of the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry National Historic Park on September 13, 2014.

O'Malley delivers remarks before Barack Obama takes the stage at a Costco store January 29, 2014 in Lanham, Maryland.

O'Malley addresses a conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Center for American Progress on October 24, 2013.

O'Malley speaks during the National Clean Energy Summit 6.0 on August 13, 2013 in Las Vegas.

O'Malley and his wife Katie O'Malley arrive for a State Dinner in honor of British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House on March 14, 2012.

O'Malley campaigns for reelection on October 27, 2010, in Frederick, Maryland.

Moments from Martin O'Malley's career

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It’s one of the main reasons war-skeptical millennials continue to prefer him to Clinton. Her rebuttal that Sanders also supported the failed intervention in Libya was hardly convincing—it was her war.

Meanwhile, Martin O’Malley’s ludicrously off-putting demeanor–he took a dig at his rivals for being older, for goodness sake–made it hard to pay attention to him, even when he was echoing Sanders’ concerns about ill-considered Middle Eastern interventions.

Robby Soave writes for the libertarian magazine Reason. Follow him on Twitter @robbysoave.

Haroon Moghul: O’Malley’s tough words for Trump

Haroon Moghul

Last Tuesday’s GOP debate was nearly entirely devoted to ISIS. Jeb Bush called the group an “existential threat,” and none disagreed. Candidates proposed a surveillance state so large, or a military footprint so huge, or an aggressiveness so audacious, that it was hard to know just how high taxes would have to go to pay for it. If I had to guess, to rates even Bernie Sanders wouldn’t tolerate.

Tonight was the first Democratic debate since San Bernardino, and what a contrast with the themes and tone of the GOP’s version. There was much to like. Not only did Martin O’Malley denounce Trump, as he consistently has (tonight he called him a fascist), but he stood up for the Muslim community from the get-go.

He showed up with more energy than he had for last debate, though it never seems to translate into any momentum.

The race is still between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and it is still Clinton’s to lose. She was calm and confident tonight. She often had the audience laughing (she showed up late after a break in the second half and managed to turn that into a light moment). And she even wrapped it all up with a Jedi invocation. That said, I saw new reason to wonder about her candidacy tonight.

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Hyping the threat posed by Islamic extremism allows Republicans to overlook more pressing problems: income inequality, racial injustice, the shrinking middle class, climate change. Very often, when they make the issue of national security a dominant concern, Democrats turn hawkish. Clinton did that in her support for the Iraq war. What is to say that she will not do so again?

Sanders laid out, very clearly, why he believes intervention is problematic, and why our foreign policy adventures backfire. (O’Malley seconded him.) Hillary seems more cautious about joining in. Maybe that’s because she doesn’t want to be hit on her Iraq war record, or maybe that’s because she hasn’t really changed her positions.

Haroon Moghul is a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. He is an author, essayist and public speaker. Follow him @hsmoghul.

Frida Ghitis: Clinton the hawk

The Republicans Party should be worried. The New Hampshire debate proved once again that Hillary Clinton has not been spending her time playing grandmother. She has prepared thoroughly to take on whoever becomes the GOP nominee. Whether or not you agree with her views, there is no denying that she is as well versed on a wide range of issues as anyone in the race.

The debate offered a stark contrast with the Republicans’ invective-plagued season. The Democrats were civil and the debate sharply focused on policy differences.

donald trump cnn gop debate commits to republican party 22_00001503.jpg

Related article GOP debate: A night of high stakes in Vegas

In contrast to Bernie Sanders, Clinton showed more hawkish foreign policy views than President Barack Obama. She is carefully staying fairly close to the president during this primary phase, but expect changes once she is nominated. She offered a preview of what’s to come. In the fall, she will highlight the differences, explaining how Syria and ISIS went out of control partly because Obama rejected her advice to arm moderate Syrian rebels years ago.

Syria served as a canvas to draw the candidates’ overarching views of America’s place in the world. Sanders used the old line about the U.S. not being the world’s policeman. Hillary said, “If the United States doesn’t lead, there’s not another leader. We have to lead.” Where does Trump stand on that?

Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review, and a former CNN producer and correspondent. Follow her @FridaGhitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Bakari Sellers: What the candidates left out

Bakari Sellers

With an electorate distracted by the six shopping days left until Christmas, I didn’t expect much out of the Democratic candidate’s debate tonight.

Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders continued to pull away from Governor O’Malley, who lacks Sanders’ authenticity or Clinton’s experience. Sanders dealt with a dustup with Clinton over a data breach quickly and effectively. Clinton made gun control a national security issue. And everyone piled on Trump.

But I noticed something, or rather the absence of something, that I hadn’t before: fear.

You see, the defining characteristic of American politics for the better part of 20 years has been fear. Fear of terrorism, fear of the deficit, fear of change, fear of immigration. We have become so used to the fear in politics that it’s absence can be frightening in itself.

But tonight I was reminded that we weren’t always so scared and we can’t afford to be now. Tonight we saw a politics that wasn’t running scared. We’ll find out next year whether it’s a winning strategy, but tonight it certainly felt good.

Bakari Sellers, a CNN contributor, served in South Carolina’s House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014. He is an attorney at the Strom Law Firm in South Carolina. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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