The biggest enemies in last night’s Democratic debate were Republicans, climate change, the 1% and the people who care about Hillary Clinton’s emails. The candidates kept most of their criticisms of fellow Democrats veiled. Held in Las Vegas, the debate was moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who was joined by three other reporters from CNN.

Cooper pressed hard on the candidates with questions designed to spark heated discussion. After the candidates’ short opening statements, he began the debate by pushing Hillary Clinton on her flip-flopping:

Secretary Clinton, I want to start with you. Plenty of politicians evolve on issues, but even some Democrats believe you change your positions based on political expediency.

You were against same-sex marriage. Now you’re for it. You defended President Obama’s immigration policies. Now you say they’re too harsh. You supported his trade deal dozen of times. You even called it the “gold standard.” Now, suddenly, last week, you’re against it.

Will you say anything to get elected?

CLINTON: Well, actually, I have been very consistent. Over the course of my entire life, I have always fought for the same values and principles, but, like most human beings — including those of us who run for office — I do absorb new information. I do look at what’s happening in the world.

You know, take the trade deal. I did say, when I was secretary of state, three years ago, that I hoped it would be the gold standard. It was just finally negotiated last week, and in looking at it, it didn’t meet my standards. My standards for more new, good jobs for Americans, for raising wages for Americans.

And I want to make sure that I can look into the eyes of any middle-class American and say, “This will help raise your wages.” And I concluded I could not.

Capitalism v. Socialism

Cooper then asked Clinton if she is a moderate or a progressive. Her response seemed aimed at Bernie Sanders. “I’m a progressive. But I’m a progressive who likes to get things done.”

Sanders was next, with a question on how an avowed socialist can win the presidency. His response?

We’re gonna win because first, we’re gonna explain what democratic socialism is. And what democratic socialism is about is saying that it is immoral and wrong that the top one-tenth of 1 percent in this country own almost 90 percent almost — own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. That it is wrong, today, in a rigged economy, that 57 percent of all new income is going to the top 1 percent.

Sanders then said he thought we should look to Denmark, Sweden and Norway for our policies. And that he doesn’t consider himself a “casino capitalist.”

Clinton spoke up in defense of capitalism … or at least highly regulated capitalism:

We are not Denmark. I love Denmark. We are the United States of America. And it’s our job to rein in the excesses of capitalism so that it doesn’t run amok and doesn’t cause the kind of inequities we’re seeing in our economic system.

But we would be making a grave mistake to turn our backs on what built the greatest middle class in the history.

Sanders had plenty of opportunities to go after Clinton, but he demurred. When Cooper pressed Clinton on the email scandal, pointing out that there’s an FBI investigation and President Obama has said it’s a legitimate issue, Clinton shot back that she would answer the investigators’ questions, but that she didn’t want to talk about her emails tonight.

Sanders jumped in to defend her honor:

Let me say — let me say something that may not be great politics. But I think the secretary is right, and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails … . Enough of the e-mails. Let’s talk about the real issues facing America.

You Say You Want a Revolution

Sanders fared better when he was able to differentiate himself from Clinton, and from Obama. When asked what he would do differently than Obama, Sanders said that the only way real change would happen would be through “a political revolution.”

Cooper asked him what he meant. “What I mean is that we need to have one of the larger voter turnouts in the world, not one of the lowest. We need to raise public consciousness,” Sanders said. “We need the American people to know what’s going on in Washington in a way that today they do not know.”

Jim Webb responded to Sanders’ vision by telling him, “Bernie, I don’t think the revolution’s going to come. And I don’t think the Congress is going to pay for a lot of this stuff.”

Sanders also came out in favor of legalizing marijuana, while Clinton refused to take a stand either way on the issue.

National Security Threats

Two of the five Democrats on stage said that climate change was the greatest threat to national security.

“The scientific community is telling us that if we do not address the global crisis of climate change, transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, the planet that we’re going to be leaving our kids and our grandchildren may well not be habitable,” Sanders said. “That is a major crisis.”

Clinton answered the same question by pointing to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley lumped climate change in with ISIL and a nuclear Iran, while Chafee answered with “the chaos in the Middle East,” no specifics.

Meanwhile, Jim Webb had thought about this one. “Our greatest long-term strategic challenge is our relation with China. Our greatest day-to-day threat is cyber warfare against this country. Our greatest military-operational threat is resolving the situations in the Middle East.”

Planned Parenthood

There were no questions on Planned Parenthood’s announcement today that it will no longer make money from the sale of fetal tissue (also known as baby organs). But that didn’t stop Hillary Clinton from trying to connect the fight to defund Planned Parenthood to … paid maternity leave?

Dana Bash asked Hillary Clinton what she would say to a small business owner who can’t afford to provide paid maternity leave. The small business owner quickly disappeared and was replaced by Republicans “and their sympathizers.” “They don’t mind having big government to interfere with a woman’s right to choose and to try to take down Planned Parenthood,” Clinton said. “They’re fine with big government when it comes to that. I’m sick of it.”

The Candidates and Their Enemies

The final question of the night was a softball from Cooper, who asked each of the candidates which enemy they were proudest of. Chafee opted for the coal lobby. O’Malley said it was the NRA. Clinton said it was, “in addition to the NRA, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the Iranians, probably the Republicans.”

Loud applause. Then the question went to Sanders, who said Wall Street and the pharmaceutical industry were on his list.

It was going to stand out anyway, but compared to answers like these, Jim Webb’s response was especially bracing: “I’d have to say the enemy soldier that threw the grenade that wounded me, but he’s not around right now to talk to.” And then he smiled.

 

The quotes are taken from the Washington Post‘s transcript.