Hillary Clinton emerged unscathed Tuesday from the Democratic Party's first presidential debate, giving her renewed momentum as she gears for a showdown with Republicans over the 2012 Benghazi attack. The frontrunner cut a calm and confident figure as she parried jabs by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and three other hopefuls, who challenged her on everything from political U-turns to gun control and military intervention in the Middle East.
But the former secretary of state - who took part in more than 20 debates in the 2008 White House race - appeared mostly polished and composed during a two-hour clash in Las Vegas that was heavy on substance. An independent senator from Vermont who has drawn huge crowds on the 2016 campaign trail, Sanders also delivered a spirited performance as he appealed to the party's left wing, urging action on climate change and attacking Wall Street.
There were some fiery moments too, with Clinton accusing Sanders - her chief rival - of being soft on gun control. But Clinton received a surprise boost over her use of a private email server as US top diplomat - seen as an Achilles heel - as Sanders and others came to her defense. "Enough of the e-mails! The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails," Sanders fumed. Expert Larry Sabato argued that both Clinton and Sanders emerged as winners.
"Clinton went into the debate the frontrunner and she came out exactly the same - probably strengthened in that role," he said. "Sanders went in as the chief challenger and he came out the same - maybe even strengthened." The debate came just a week before Clinton was due to appear before a panel in the House of Representatives investigating the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya that killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
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