LZ Granderson and Matthew Dowd Break Down 3rd Democratic Debate
Assessing apologies, Trump mentions, and whether debate changes anything.
— -- With the wrap-up of the ABC News Democratic presidential debate Saturday night, we now head full throttle into 2016.
Although not as contentious as the Republican debate, the showdown between Sen. Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and former Gov. Martin O’Malley definitely had its moments. But was it enough to change the course of a race where Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner?
ABC News contributors Matthew Dowd and LZ Granderson assessed the night.
The Apology
It was the elephant in the room, and it was immediately addressed.
“Does Secretary Clinton deserve an apology tonight?” David Muir asked Sanders immediately after the opening statements, referring to his campaign accessing data that resulted in a temporary suspension from a Democratic National Committee voter database.
“Yes, I apologize,” Sanders responded unequivocally.
Sanders and Clinton quickly agreed that they needed to work together to help solve the greater problems the American people were facing and proceeded with the debate. Dowd, who described the apology as like letting a kidney stone pass through your system, said he was surprised Sanders apologized so quickly.
The GOP Candidate(s)
The candidates definitely vocalized their differences throughout the debate, but they were in agreement on one thing: Donald Trump.
O’Malley opened the debate by urging Americans to never surrender ideals to “fascist pleas of billionaires with big mouths,” and Clinton said Trump would be used as fodder for ISIS recruitment. O’Malley also made a post-debate appearance on “Strait Talk,” where he emphasized how he tried to fight for equal time.
“Every other Republican seems to be engaged on Twitter except for the one Republican everyone was talking about, which was Donald Trump,” said Granderson.
Dowd noted Trump could benefit from being attacked at Saturday night’s debate, making him the likely GOP nominee. He also added the Democratic candidates seemed a bit out of touch with Americans’ high fear level during the debate, which could hinder them in the general election.
Hillary’s Strengths
From quoting “Star Wars” to asserting her knowledge on foreign policy, both Dowd and Granderson believed Hillary Clinton had a “phenomenal” night.
“She was likable,” said Granderson, noting she came across as strong and competent without appearing condescending.
Dowd highlighted the fact that she had more of a “general election debate than she did a primary debate”
Overall Impact
While all three candidates might feel happy about how they did during this debate, it will likely not change the standings in the polls or what many are predicting as the ultimate outcome of the race: Hillary Clinton as the nominee. Dowd said Clinton enters 2016 as the dominant candidate and will likely win a series of primaries.
LZ Granderson and Matthew Dowd serve as contributors for ABC News. Their opinions don't reflect those of ABC News.
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