MILWAUKEE- It was a heavyweight fight that would make Don King giddy.
The mainstream favorite, Hillary Clinton, leading nationally, took on upstart challenger Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who beat Clinton single-handedly in the New Hampshire primary two days ago.
Sanders and Clinton went all twelve rounds Thursday night at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, going toe-to-toe on issues ranging from closing racial disparities and keeping college affordable to fighting terrorism at home and abroad.
Coming off his 20-plus-point victory in New Hampshire, Sanders continued to promote his message of fighting income inequality, a “corrupt” campaign finance system and a “broken” criminal justice system.
“What our campaign is indicating is that people are tired of establishment politics ... they want a political revolution,” Sanders said in his opening statement.
Clinton tried to remain more pragmatic, probing Sanders on how he would pay for some of his proposals, such as a single-payer health-care plan and free college tuition at public universities.
“We have a special obligation to make clear what we stand for, which is why I think we should not make promises we can't keep,” Clinton said. “And what I have said is I will not throw us further into debt.”
The debate was characterized early by protesters who swarmed the UW-Milwaukee campus, calling for a $15 minimum wage and demanding the candidates pay greater attention to minorities and their marginalization in the city, state and country.
The candidates spent a significant amount of time talking about an issue raised by the demonstrators and one that has been important in Madison, Milwaukee and throughout the state: racial disparities in policing and the criminal justice system.
Clinton cited Wisconsin’s high incarceration of African-Americans, as well as the 2015 killing of Dontre Hamilton by Milwaukee police.
“The statistics from Wisconsin are particularly troubling, because it is the highest rate of incarceration for African-Americans in our nation, twice the national average,” Clinton said. “And we know of the tragic, terrible event that led to the death of Dontre Hamilton right here in Milwaukee, a young man unarmed, who should still be with us.”
Sanders agreed, calling for the end of racist policies he says target African-Americans.
“What we have to do is end over-policing in African- American neighborhoods,” he said. “We need fundamental police reform, clearly, clearly, when we talk about a criminal justice system … What we have got to do is make it clear that any police officer who breaks the law will, in fact, be held accountable.”
While the candidates traded relatively few barbs, contrasting their own records instead of hitting the opposition, some of the sharpest remarks came during the foreign policy portion of the debate.
Clinton contrasted her own expertise as secretary of state with Sanders’ relative inexperience, saying that Obama “turned to me, trusting my judgement” after the 2008 campaign.
Sanders hit back that he voted against the Iraq War and criticized Clinton’s support of the war.
“I voted against the war in Iraq because I listened very carefully to what President [George] Bush and Vice President [Dick] Cheney had to say and I didn't believe them.”
The distinctions between candidates could not have been more clear: Sanders painted himself as the tireless idealist who would inspire a crusade that would rouse working-class Americans and sweep him to the White House.
"We're a nation which if we come together there is nothing we can't accomplish,” he said. “Our campaign is about that right now.”
Clinton used the debate as an opportunity to portray herself as a history-making candidate who would bring the country together, tearing down barriers and building up lives of Americans regardless of demographic.
“I'm going to keep talking about tearing down all the barriers that stand in the way of Americans fulfilling their potential, because I don't think our country can live up to its potential unless we give a chance to every single American to live up to theirs,” Clinton said in her closing remarks.
The candidates will take their message on to the Nevada primary, where Democrats in the Silver State will vote Feb. 20.
Lucas Sczygelski contributed to this story.
