Story highlights
Hillary Clinton says she's more optimistic about America than her GOP rivals
"He is doing a great job," Clinton said of rival Bernie Sanders
Hillary Clinton contrasted herself with Republicans running for president on Monday, telling an audience in Iowa that she will never be a candidate that will focus on “everything that is wrong about America.”
“Now if you want a president who will tell you everything that is wrong about America and who is to blame for it, you have plenty of other choices,” Clinton said. “But if you want a president who will work her heart out to forge a better, stronger and fairer country – an America that works for people – you are looking at her.”
Clinton has pledged to remain focused on Republicans as she campaigns for president, largely ignoring – for the time being – the Democrats who are challenging her. Clinton hit Republicans Marco Rubio, Ben Carson and Donald Trump at the event at the University of Northern Iowa.
During a question and answer portion of the event, a student asked Clinton what she thought of rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ more liberal political positions.
“I think there will be plenty of time for us to debate,” Clinton said. “I think it is great that we are having having a real vigorous discussion of issues in the Democratic primary.”
“He is doing a great job,” Clinton said of Sanders.
During a news conference with reporters after the event, Clinton said she was not worried about Sanders’ surge in early state polling.
“You are supposed to have an election, you are supposed to have a contest. I think it is great … In the Democratic primaries and caucuses, you have to try to earn every single person’s support. That is what I intend to do,” she said.
She also downplayed her own expectations of how the nomination race would go, when asked about her declining poll numbers among women.
“I am not one of those who ever thought this was going to be a straight shot. I have been in and around enough campaigns to know there is an ebb and flow, polls go up and down, peoples’ attention and decision making changes over time. I feel very confident about where we are in the campaign,” she said.
Countless polls have shown the Democratic nomination fight at different stages, but the overarching trend is that Sanders, once a dark horse candidate, has pulled closer to Clinton than he has ever been.
A CNN/ORC national poll released earlier this month found that Clinton with 37% support nationally among Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters, down 10 points since August.
The point of Clinton’s event was to discuss on campus sexual assaults, an issue Clinton said needs to get more attention.
Clinton met with advocates and survivors of campus sexual assault before her speech on Monday, later telling the audience that “it is not enough to condemn campus sexual assault, we need to end campus sexual assault.”
Clinton also promised, as president, to “make sure every campus offers every survivor the support she needs and will make sure those services are comprehensive, confidential and coordinated.”
The 2016 candidate also touched on the charged atmosphere around campus sexual assaults. Clinton said she would instruct colleges to provide the accuser and the accused with notice around campus disciplinary hearings.
“Right now in too many places, survivors don’t know where to go or who to go to try and get help,” Clinton said. Some campuses don’t even offer support and services, including counseling and healthcare, so a lot of young women are truly lost and left out.”
The statistics around campus sexual assaults are stark. A recent study by the Journal of Adolescent Health found that 19% of women – nearly 1-in-5 – said they had been a victim of attempted or complete rape during their freshman year of college.
Clinton directed a portion of her speech directly to survivors of sexual assault.
“Don’t let anyone silence your voice,” she said. “You have the right to be heard, you have the right to be believed and we are with you as you go forward.”
