Democrats Debate in Iowa

The candidates bow their heads in silence to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France. Left to right: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.

On Saturday evening, hundreds of reporters from around the world gathered in the pressroom at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The mood was somber. Huge television sets showed images of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris, France. The attacks killed 129 people and wounded more than 350 others. Now the three Democratic candidates were about to take the stage and talk about national security.

“The debate you’ve tuned in to see tonight is a symbol of the freedom we all cherish,” said moderator John Dickerson of CBS News. “Last night, the world watched in horror as freedom was savagely attacked in the heart of Paris.”

A radical terrorist group called ISIS (EYE-sihs), which stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, took responsibility for the attacks. They also masterminded recent attacks in Lebanon and Egypt.

Dickerson asked the candidates—former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley—how they would combat global terrorism if elected president.

“This election is not only about electing a president,” said Clinton, who is currently the Democratic front-runner. “It's also about choosing our next commander in chief. I will be laying out in detail what I think we need to do with our friends and allies in Europe and elsewhere to do a better job of coordinating efforts against the scourge of terrorism.”

Sanders called for “major reform” in the military. “We’re spending over $600 billion a year on the military, and yet significantly less than 10 percent of that money is used for fighting international terrorism,” he said. “Our focus has got to be on intelligence, increased manpower, and fighting international terrorism.”

O’Malley observed that the unpredictable nature of terrorist attacks makes them difficult to stop. “We must anticipate these threats before they happen,” he said. “This is the new sort of challenge, the new sort of threat that does, in fact, require new thinking, fresh approaches, and new leadership.”

THE NEXT PRESIDENT

In the pressroom, it was clear that the candidates were not the only ones taking the threat of terrorism seriously. “Europeans are very frightened by these bombings,” said Heidi T. Skjeseth, a U.S. correspondent for a Norwegian newspaper. “We’re anxious to see who the new U.S. president will be, and how he or she will stop these kinds of events from occurring.”

According to Amanda Becker, a political correspondent for Reuters, young people also have a stake in the presidential election. “Kids should care about whoever is elected,” she said. “Whoever is elected in 2016 might still be president when you’re old enough to vote. You’ll want to be prepared.”

This was the second official debate for Democrats. They will face off again on December 19 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Republican candidates will debate the issues for the fifth time on December 15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.