On Sunday, March 6th, the last two Democratic hopefuls standing, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders met for a presidential debate in Flint, Michigan – the home to one of our nation’s most recent tragedies affecting the community. Sanders has fallen behind in the delegate count, with less than half of the amount as Clinton, and things seem to be getting desperate.
Senator Bernie Sanders needed a decisive victory in Flint if he wanted any chance of tipping the scales back in his favor, to make a dent in the outcome of the Michigan primary, or alter the course of the challenges even further ahead — but according to most critics, Clinton didn’t give him the chance.
Among the topics the two presidential candidates went back and forth on here are some of the highlights:
The Flint Water Crisis
Clinton calls for the resignation of Governor Rick Snyder, and for good measure, she makes reference to the fact that the only reason this debate is happening in Flint is because she made the request.
Sanders, who’s also said that Snyder should be removed, goes a step further, saying that he would also call for the firing of certain officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency if he were president. He makes the case for CDC testing of the community for lead poisoning, as well as reimbursement for individual water bills.
Guns & crime
Clinton goes on the attack, quoted saying that, “Gunmakers epitomize corporate greed.” Sanders has been a staunch defender of the manufacturing of firearms in the United States. However, when questioned about the 1994 crime bill, signed into law by her husband, and the affect that it’s had on racial discrimination and mass incarceration, she’s not as confident.
Berine Sanders, when asked about his ability to understand the racial divide in our country and how it relates to the way that minorities are systemically affected said, “When you’re white, you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto.”
The next primaries will be held on Tuesday March 8th in Michigan and Mississippi.
What did you think about this debate? Who was the victor, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton? Let us know in the comments.
