All three Democrats mentioned the Rev. Martin Luther King in their opening statements in Sunday's presidential debate, using it to cite their creditials – or their youth.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said her youth minister took her to see King speek as a teenager.
"And his moral clarity, the message that he conveyed that evening really stayed with me and helped to set me on a path to service," she said.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said America must pledge to continue King's vision to transform the country.
As we look out at our country today, what the American people "understand is we have an economy that's rigged," he said. "This campaign is about a political revolution to not only elect the president, but to transform this country."
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley noted that he was born the same year of King's famous "I Have a Dream Speech" in 1968, making him much younger than his rivals.
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