South Carolina Debate: Frontrunner Sanders feels the heat as rival Dems target him over socialism, gun control
After Michael Bloomberg in Nevada, it was Bernie Sanders in South Carolina. The Democratic presidential candidate, who is leading the nomination race after a strong finish in Iowa and two wins in New Hampshire and Nevada, found himself as the common foe on stage in the 10th Democratic presidential debate in Charleston in SC on Tuesday, February 25. All his six rivals on the occasion targeted him ahead of the primary in the Palmetto State in a bid to derail his momentum.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, for instance, mocked Sanders’ promises in this election season saying: “The math does not add up”.
Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who started off well in the primary season in Iowa but fell behind in the subsequent battles, took a dig at Sanders by asking how the latter could hope to bring in a revolution of he was not in favor of a simple change of rule. He ridiculed the veteran on the issue of supporting the Senate filibuster in which bills require 60 votes instead of a simple majority to get passed.
Buttigieg was also critical of the scenario of the US seeing its next presidential election turning into a contest between President Donald Trump and Sanders, because he thinks such a prospect will frighten the Democratic voters.
Biden accused Sanders of having blood on hands
Former vice president Joe Biden, who will face a stiff challenge from Sanders in the upcoming primary, accused the latter of having blood on his hands for he had voted in the past to set himself in alignment with the National Rifle Association.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren also had her share of attack on Sanders. She said she agreed on a lot of things with the Vermont senator but backed herself as a better candidate, saying she dug into the details better than her opponent.
Bloomberg slammed Sanders' support for socialism, alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to get him nominated so he would lose to Trump.
Tom Steyer, another billionaire candidate who is hoping to do well in SC, after having made heavy investments in the state, said he differed with the solutions that Sanders presented to resolve America’s problems.
Sanders, who took the central position on the stage in Charleston, said at one point of time that he was hearing his name being taken up a lot of times, leaving those present amused. He, in fact, even had a moment of confrontation with the crowd after it jeered his praise for former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s welfare programs.