It is well overdue, but the leadership of the Democratic Party finally gets it. The GOP is the problem. Hillary Clinton called out the GOP and their malfeasance in no uncertain terms, and it was a huge hit. She sounds determined to tell the truth about the GOP on the campaign trail. In so doing she’ll drag the GOP’s cynical policies into the light of day and allow a legion of down ticket Democrats to adopt the message. There are far fewer Republicans in this country than there are Democrats. If, rather than pandering to the wishy/washy “center” she shows the country what the GOP has really been up to, she will win in a landslide and may well sweep away the GOP majorities in Washington and numerous state legislatures.
Here are her finest moments from the debate:
On race:
CLINTON: Well, I think that President Obama has been a great moral leader on these issues, and has laid out an agenda that has been obstructed by the Republicans at every turn, so…(APPLAUSE)..So, what we need to be doing is not only reforming criminal justice
On economic inequality:
CLINTON: I have a five point economic plan, because this inequality challenge we face, we have faced it at other points. It’s absolutely right. It hasn’t been this bad since the 1920s. But if you look at the Republicans versus the Democrats when it comes to economic policy, there is no comparison. The economy does better when you have a Democrat in the White House and that’s why we need to have a Democrat in the White House in January 2017.
CLINTON: …that — I think Dodd-Frank was a very…..good start, and I think that we have to implement it. We have to prevent the Republicans from ripping it apart. We have to save the Consumer Financial Protection board, which is finally beginning to act to protect consumers.
On immigration:
CLINTON: I want to follow up because I think underneath Juan Carlos’ important questions, there is such a difference between everything you’re hearing here on this stage, and what we hear from the Republicans.
On taking the fight to the Republicans:
CLINTON: I certainly am not campaigning to become president because my last name is Clinton. I’m campaigning because I think I have the right combination of what the country needs, at this point, and I think I can take the fight to the Republicans, because we cannot afford a Republican to succeed Barack Obama as president of the United States.
On legislation that would require businesses to be more socially responsible to protect families, workers, consumers, and the environment:
CLINTON: … on a state level, California, a state as big as many countries in the world. And it has not had the ill effects that the Republicans are always saying it will have. And I think this is — this is typical Republican scare tactics. We can design a system and pay for it that does not put the burden on small businesses.
On the GOP’s bogus claims to want a “smaller government” :
CLINTON: Well, look, you know, when people say that — it’s always the Republicans or their sympathizers who say, “You can’t have paid leave, you can’t provide health care.” They don’t mind having big government to interfere with a woman’s right to choose and to try to take down Planned Parenthood. They’re fine with big government when it comes to that. I’m sick of it… …We should not be paralyzed — we should not be paralyzed by the Republicans and their constant refrain, “big government this, big government that,” that except for what they want to impose on the American people. I know we can afford it, because we’re going to make the wealthy pay for it. That is the way to get it done.
On enemies that she’s made:
CLINTON: Well, in addition to the NRA, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the Iranians. (LAUGHTER) Probably the Republicans. (LAUGHTER)
In closing:
CLINTON: Thank you very much, Anderson. And thanks to all the viewers who tuned in tonight. I think what you did see is that, in this debate, we tried to deal with some of the very tough issues facing our country. That’s in stark contrast to the Republicans who are currently running for president.
What you have to ask yourself is: Who amongst us has the vision for actually making the changes that are going to improve the lives of the American people? Who has the tenacity and the ability and the