Rivals target Sanders, Buttigieg in eighth debate

Seven Democratic presidential candidates took the stage in New Hampshire on Friday night, but two had targets on their backs. The 2½-hour debate followed on the heels of the contentious and confounding Iowa caucuses, at which former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont ended up virtually tied for the front-runner spot.

What did the candidates say? In addition to tackling a range of policy issues such as healthcare, criminal justice reform, guns, and the makeup of the Supreme Court, they argued that Sanders and Buttigieg have electability problems. Former Vice President Joe Biden pointed out Sanders has not said how he will pay for his welfare plans and that taxes would go up for the middle class. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota pointed out that two-thirds of Senate Democrats have not signed onto Sanders’ “Medicare for All” bill. She criticized 38-year-old Buttigieg, arguing that he doesn’t have the experience to lead the nation, while Biden said Buttigieg lacks the support of African American and Hispanic voters.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift to catch up on what happened in Iowa.