Correct The Record released the following statement on tonight’s debate:
“Hillary Clinton was the standout winner of tonight’s Democratic debate—and she is the clear choice to be the next President of the United States,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Correct The Record. “Time and time again, Clinton drew a clear contrast between her passionate, progressive agenda and the out of touch, out of date Republican platform of the past.”
“Tonight, the American people saw the real Hillary Clinton—a woman who pulls no punches, has the determined motivation to get big things done, and who is utterly unafraid to stand up on behalf of the American people. Through the comprehensive proposals she has put forward on the issues that matter most to the American people, Hillary Clinton is the leader America needs to keep moving forward.”
Second Half Roundup
[Click here for CTR’s report on the first half of the debate.]
Hillary Clinton on making history and making progress:
“I can’t think of anything more of an outsider than electing the first woman president, but I’m not just running because I would be the first woman president, I’m running because I have a lifetime of experience of getting results and fighting for people, fighting for kids, for women, for families, fighting to even the odds and I know what it takes to get things done. I know how to find common ground, and I know how to stand my ground, and I think we’ll need both of those in Washington to get anything that we’re talking about up here accomplished.”
On fighting for all children, regardless of race or class:
“We’ve got to do more about the lives of these children, that’s why I started off by saying we need to be committed to making it possible for every child to live up to his or her god given potential. That is really hard to do if you don’t have early child education, if you don’t have schools that are able meet the needs of the people or good housing – there is a long list. We need a new new deal for communities of color and the poor.”
On tackling inequality:
“Both Bill and I have been very blessed. Neither of us came from wealthy families and we’ve worked really hard our entire lives, and I want to make sure every single person in this country has the same opportunities that he and i have had—to make the most of their god-given potential and to have the chances that they should have in America for a good education, good job training and then good jobs. I have a five-point economic plan because this inequality challenge we face […] 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.”
On the Republican’s partisan Benghazi committee smear campaign:
Let’s just take a minute here and point out that this committee is basically an arm of the Republican National Committee. It is a partisan vehicle as admitted by the House Republican Majority Leader, Mr. McCarthy to drive down my poll numbers—big surprise—and that’s what they have attempted it to do. I am still standing. I am happy to be part of this debate, and I intend to keep talking about the issues that matter to the American people.”
On tackling climate change on the international stage:
“I have been on the forefront of dealing with climate change starting in 2009 when President Obama and I crashed a meeting with the Chinese and got them to sign up to the first international agreement to combat climate change that they’d ever joined. So i’m not taking a backseat to anybody on my values, my principles and the results that i get.”
On true Wall Street reform:
“Of course we have to deal with the problem that the banks are too big to fail. We can never let the American taxpayer—middle-class families—bail out the speculative behavior that we saw. But we have to worry about some of the other players: AIG, a big insurance company, Lehman Brothers, an investment bank. There’s this whole area called shadow banking. That’s where the experts tell me the next potential problem could come from. I’m with Senator Sanders and Governor O’Malley in putting a lot of attention on the banks. The plan that I put forward would empower regulators to break up big banks if we thought they posed a risk. But I want to make sure we’re going to cover everybody, not what caused a problem last time but what could cause it next time.”
On ensuring college affordability:
“Let me address college affordability because I have a plan that will zero in on what the problems are. First, all the 40 million Americans who currently have student debt will be able to refinance their debt to a low interest rate. That will save thousands of dollars for people who are now struggling under this cumbersome, burdensome college debt. As a young student in Nevada said to me, the hardest thing about going to college should not be paying for it. […] My plan would enable anyone to go to a public college or university tuition-free.”
On protecting Social Security:
“I want to enhance the benefits for the poorest recipients of Social Security. We have a lot of women on Social Security particularly widowed and single women who didn’t make a lot of money during their careers and they are impoverished, and they need more help from the Social Security system and I will focus, I will focus on helping those people who need it the most, and of course I’m going to defend Social Security.”
On immigration reform:
“There is such a difference between everything you’re hearing here on this stage and what we hear from the Republicans who have demonized hard-working immigrants, who have insulted them….I came to Las Vegas in May…met with a group of DREAMers. I wish everybody in America could meet with these young people, to hear their stories, to know their incredible talent, their determination, and that’s why I would go further than even the executive orders that President Obama has signed when I’m president.”
On fighting for women:
“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 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 by the Republicans and their constant refrain—big government this and big government that—except for what they want to impose on the American people. I know we can afford it because we’ll make the wealthy pay for it. That is the way to get it done.”