Divide on display at Southern Democratic forum
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley didn't hesitate to take on Hillary Clinton on Friday night when the three Democratic candidates appeared at a forum hosted by South Carolina Democrats at Winthrop University.
"I have many disagreements with Hillary Clinton," Sanders said, speaking in front of more than 3,400 guests gathered for the First in the South forum. "And one of them is that I don't think it's good enough just to talk the talk on campaign finance reform. You've got to walk the walk."
One of the first questions that the forum's host, Rachel Maddow, asked O'Malley was about his opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. He was quick to bring up Clinton, who has also said she was against the proposal.
"Secretary Clinton got there just last week," he said. "And I was against it a year ago."
Sanders took the same shot. He didn't use her name, but his reference to Clinton was clear.
"The issue of Keystone was kind of a no-brainer," he said. "It never made sense to me from day one."
Clinton, on the other hand, didn't mention either of her rivals, even though Maddow gave her the opportunity to defend her relationship with Wall Street.
Clinton stuck to many of the same policy points she uses on the campaign trail, as her aides had planned, and her standout moment came when she recounted a meeting she held Monday with family members of young, African-American men killed by gun violence, often at the hands of the police.
"I just think we all need to take a very big collective breath and ask ourselves what is happening?" she said. "And what is motivating the kind of violence we're seeing?"
She spoke at length about the death penalty, which both O'Malley and Sanders are against. She reaffirmed that she believes it could be used under certain circumstances, such as for the gunman who went on a rampage at a church in Charleston in June.
"That's the kind of case that would cause people to have a legitimate discussion about whether or not it's appropriate," Clinton said.
The forum provided an important platform for the candidates to court African-American voters, who make up more than half of Democratic primary voters in South Carolina. Earlier Friday, all three candidates voiced their support for policies likely to resonate with African-Americans.
Clinton, who has pledged to rebuild trust between communities and law enforcement agencies, announced a new plan to boost investment in training programs for police while also expanding funding for Justice Department programs that both investigate and work to reform police departments.
O'Malley wrote an op-ed published on CNN.com calling for an end to the death penalty, and Sanders, who perhaps faces the biggest challenge when it comes to African-American voters, said in a statement released by his campaign that he would consider "every option, including a constitutional amendment" to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to vote.
Clinton is the overwhelming favorite among likely Democratic voters in South Carolina. In a poll out this week conducted by the forum's host, Winthrop University, 71 percent of those surveyed said Clinton was their first choice. Fifteen percent chose Sanders while 2 percent chose O'Malley.
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-South Carolina, who does not plan to offer an endorsement to any presidential candidate before the primary, said ahead of the forum that Clinton's popularity is the result of her experience.
"She cut her political teeth in Southern politics," he said, adding that the historic nature of her candidacy as a woman also presents a challenge for O'Malley and Sanders.
But speaking to reporters after the 90-minute event, which ended with the candidates on stage together, O'Malley was optimistic about his prospects.
"I believe that tonight that the American people saw a pretty clear choice between the three alternatives they have," he said, "two of them from our party's rather divided past and one of us, namely me, who can actually bring people together to get things done and give our kids a better future."
Sanders' campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, was bullish, too.
"We've only recently set up full shop here in South Carolina, but we are here, and we're committed to this state," he said.
Sanders and Clinton planned to continue campaigning across South Carolina on Saturday. O'Malley is set to make three campaign stops in Iowa.