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| Democratic debate: Clinton, Sanders face off ahead of crucial New York primary | Democratic debate: Clinton, Sanders face off ahead of crucial New York primary |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) will meet for their fifth one-on-one presidential debate on Thursday night in Brooklyn, after an unusually bitter period in the Democratic race. | Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) will meet for their fifth one-on-one presidential debate on Thursday night in Brooklyn, after an unusually bitter period in the Democratic race. |
| The debate will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time and will be televised nationally on CNN, just days ahead of the New York primary. | The debate will begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time and will be televised nationally on CNN, just days ahead of the New York primary. |
| On Thursday, new polls highlighted the state of the race — in which Clinton has accumulated a commanding lead in delegates, while still failing to build the kind of enthusiasm that usually swells behind the front-runner. | On Thursday, new polls highlighted the state of the race — in which Clinton has accumulated a commanding lead in delegates, while still failing to build the kind of enthusiasm that usually swells behind the front-runner. |
| In fact, as Sanders has railed against Clinton’s ties to Wall Street, and criticized her cautious, incremental approach to governing, she has become less popular, even while she wins. | In fact, as Sanders has railed against Clinton’s ties to Wall Street, and criticized her cautious, incremental approach to governing, she has become less popular, even while she wins. |
| A Gallup poll released Thursday showed that, while 66 percent of Democrats viewed her favorably, 30 percent did not. The gap between those two numbers, which Gallup calls Clinton’s “net favorability,” was smaller than it had been at any time since last July. When the race began, Clinton’s net favorability was 63 percent. | A Gallup poll released Thursday showed that, while 66 percent of Democrats viewed her favorably, 30 percent did not. The gap between those two numbers, which Gallup calls Clinton’s “net favorability,” was smaller than it had been at any time since last July. When the race began, Clinton’s net favorability was 63 percent. |
| But the only race Clinton needs to win now is the one for Democratic delegates. In that race, she is leading, and poised to increase her lead in the New York primary: a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist College poll showed her with a 17-point advantage over Sanders in the state. | But the only race Clinton needs to win now is the one for Democratic delegates. In that race, she is leading, and poised to increase her lead in the New York primary: a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist College poll showed her with a 17-point advantage over Sanders in the state. |
| In the days leading up to the debate, Sanders has been unusually critical of the front-runner, questioning whether she was truly qualified to be president. Sanders cited Clinton’s acceptance of Wall Street money, her past support of big trade deals, and her vote in favor of the Iraq War as evidence of her poor judgment. Sanders later backed off that comment, saying that “of course” Clinton was qualified. | In the days leading up to the debate, Sanders has been unusually critical of the front-runner, questioning whether she was truly qualified to be president. Sanders cited Clinton’s acceptance of Wall Street money, her past support of big trade deals, and her vote in favor of the Iraq War as evidence of her poor judgment. Sanders later backed off that comment, saying that “of course” Clinton was qualified. |
| On Thursday, the Vermont senator condemned remarks by a warm-up speaker at a huge Sanders rally in Manhattan the day before. Paul Song, the executive chairman of the progressive Courage Campaign, had labeled establishment Democrats in Congress as “corporate Democratic whores,” who ought to be defeated and replaced by “Berniecrats.” | On Thursday, the Vermont senator condemned remarks by a warm-up speaker at a huge Sanders rally in Manhattan the day before. Paul Song, the executive chairman of the progressive Courage Campaign, had labeled establishment Democrats in Congress as “corporate Democratic whores,” who ought to be defeated and replaced by “Berniecrats.” |
| “There’s no room for language like that in our political discourse,” Sanders wrote on Twitter. | “There’s no room for language like that in our political discourse,” Sanders wrote on Twitter. |
| Sanders has won seven of the last eight state contests in this race. But because those states were small — and because Democrats split their delegates proportionally — he remains behind Clinton in the race for “pledged” convention delegates. Clinton now has 220 more of those delegates than Sanders. | Sanders has won seven of the last eight state contests in this race. But because those states were small — and because Democrats split their delegates proportionally — he remains behind Clinton in the race for “pledged” convention delegates. Clinton now has 220 more of those delegates than Sanders. |
| Clinton’s lead is even wider if “superdelegates” are included. They are the Democratic VIPS who come to the convention with the ability to make up their own minds. She is estimated to lead Sanders among that group by more than 400. | |
| New York will be a key test for both: with 291 delegates at stake, it is the biggest prize of the Democratic race so far. | New York will be a key test for both: with 291 delegates at stake, it is the biggest prize of the Democratic race so far. |
| Both candidates can claim the state as home turf. | Both candidates can claim the state as home turf. |
| Sanders was born in Brooklyn, and — even after years in northern New England — has an accent straight from the Ebbets Field bleachers. Clinton, an Illinois native, represented New York for eight years as a senator and put her presidential campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, which, having been reinvented several times since Sanders’s childhood, is now the epicenter of New York (and possibly global) millennial cool. | Sanders was born in Brooklyn, and — even after years in northern New England — has an accent straight from the Ebbets Field bleachers. Clinton, an Illinois native, represented New York for eight years as a senator and put her presidential campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, which, having been reinvented several times since Sanders’s childhood, is now the epicenter of New York (and possibly global) millennial cool. |
| [The latest on the New York primary] | [The latest on the New York primary] |
| Clinton has led consistently in polls of New York Democrats, but in recent weeks Sanders seems to have cut into her lead. In late March, some polls had her 30 points ahead in New York. More recently, her lead has hovered between 10 and 13 points. There are 291 delegates at stake in New York, the largest total of any state in the Democratic race so far. | Clinton has led consistently in polls of New York Democrats, but in recent weeks Sanders seems to have cut into her lead. In late March, some polls had her 30 points ahead in New York. More recently, her lead has hovered between 10 and 13 points. There are 291 delegates at stake in New York, the largest total of any state in the Democratic race so far. |
| In Thursday’s debate, the two candidates are likely to be asked about a spat from earlier this month, when Sanders charged that Clinton — a former first lady, as well as senator and secretary of state — was not qualified to be president. | In Thursday’s debate, the two candidates are likely to be asked about a spat from earlier this month, when Sanders charged that Clinton — a former first lady, as well as senator and secretary of state — was not qualified to be president. |
| “She has been saying lately that she thinks I am quote-unquote not qualified to be president,” Sanders said. “Let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don’t believe that she is qualified if she is through her super PAC taking tens of millions of dollars in special-interest money. I don’t think you are qualified if you get $15 million through Wall Street for your super PAC.” | “She has been saying lately that she thinks I am quote-unquote not qualified to be president,” Sanders said. “Let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don’t believe that she is qualified if she is through her super PAC taking tens of millions of dollars in special-interest money. I don’t think you are qualified if you get $15 million through Wall Street for your super PAC.” |
| Sanders said he was reacting to the Clinton campaign’s own attacks on him. He later seemed to tone down that attack: asked in a TV interview whether Clinton was qualified to serve, Sanders said, “Of course.” But Sanders has continued to make a version of the same argument, saying that — while Clinton does have strong experience — her judgment should be questioned because of her acceptance of Wall Street money, her initial support for the Iraq War and her past backing of international trade agreements. | Sanders said he was reacting to the Clinton campaign’s own attacks on him. He later seemed to tone down that attack: asked in a TV interview whether Clinton was qualified to serve, Sanders said, “Of course.” But Sanders has continued to make a version of the same argument, saying that — while Clinton does have strong experience — her judgment should be questioned because of her acceptance of Wall Street money, her initial support for the Iraq War and her past backing of international trade agreements. |
| “In many respects, she may have the experience to be president of the United States,” Sanders said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “No one can argue that. But in terms of her judgment, something is clearly lacking.” | “In many respects, she may have the experience to be president of the United States,” Sanders said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “No one can argue that. But in terms of her judgment, something is clearly lacking.” |
| [Pope Francis has no plans to meet Sanders at the Vatican] | [Pope Francis has no plans to meet Sanders at the Vatican] |
| Clinton has continued to cast Sanders as an idealist whose signature policies — including government-paid college tuition and government-run universal health insurance — would be legislatively and logistically unworkable. In recent days, she has focused on a difficult interview that Sanders had with the New York Daily News editorial board, in which Sanders struggled with questions about his own plan to “break up” big banks. | Clinton has continued to cast Sanders as an idealist whose signature policies — including government-paid college tuition and government-run universal health insurance — would be legislatively and logistically unworkable. In recent days, she has focused on a difficult interview that Sanders had with the New York Daily News editorial board, in which Sanders struggled with questions about his own plan to “break up” big banks. |
| “Like a lot of people, I am concerned that some of his ideas just won’t work, because the numbers don’t add up,” she told an audience in neighboring Pennsylvania earlier this month. | “Like a lot of people, I am concerned that some of his ideas just won’t work, because the numbers don’t add up,” she told an audience in neighboring Pennsylvania earlier this month. |
| “Others won’t even pass Congress, or they rely on Republican governors suddenly having a conversion experience and becoming progressives,” Clinton said, as the audience laughed. “In a number of important areas, he doesn’t have a plan at all.” | “Others won’t even pass Congress, or they rely on Republican governors suddenly having a conversion experience and becoming progressives,” Clinton said, as the audience laughed. “In a number of important areas, he doesn’t have a plan at all.” |
| Clinton could also return to a familiar line of attack against Sanders: that he has been too supportive of gun rights legislation. That argument has special resonance in New York City. Clinton has argued that Sanders, representing a mostly white, mostly rural state, has been slow to recognize the damage guns do in cities. | Clinton could also return to a familiar line of attack against Sanders: that he has been too supportive of gun rights legislation. That argument has special resonance in New York City. Clinton has argued that Sanders, representing a mostly white, mostly rural state, has been slow to recognize the damage guns do in cities. |
| “Here’s what I want you to know: Most of the guns that are used in crimes and violence and killings in New York come from out of state. The state that has the highest per-capita number of those guns that end up committing crime in New York come from Vermont,” Clinton told an audience in Long Island recently. “So this is not, ‘Oh, no, I live in a rural state. We don’t have any of these problems.’ ” | “Here’s what I want you to know: Most of the guns that are used in crimes and violence and killings in New York come from out of state. The state that has the highest per-capita number of those guns that end up committing crime in New York come from Vermont,” Clinton told an audience in Long Island recently. “So this is not, ‘Oh, no, I live in a rural state. We don’t have any of these problems.’ ” |
| Many more guns recovered in New York originate from other states, according to a 2014 study by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But because of Vermont’s relatively small population, the state ranks highest on a per-capita list. | Many more guns recovered in New York originate from other states, according to a 2014 study by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But because of Vermont’s relatively small population, the state ranks highest on a per-capita list. |
| [Sanders holds massive rally in Manhattan ] | [Sanders holds massive rally in Manhattan ] |
| After the New York primary, the next contests will be held on April 26 in five Eastern states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. | After the New York primary, the next contests will be held on April 26 in five Eastern states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. |