Where they stand on the death penalty

It's no surprise that most of the Republican presidential hopefuls like executions. (Jeb! has some doubts, but nobody much expects him to be around in this race much longer.)

Ted Cruz: “I believe the death penalty is recognition of the preciousness of human life: that for the most egregious crimes, the ultimate punishment should apply.”

Marco Rubio: “Protracted legal battles in death penalty cases hinder justice for the victims and erode public confidence in Florida’s criminal justice system.”

Donald Trump: “I have always been a big believer, and continue to be, of the death penalty for horrendous crime.”

There is, however, a difference between the two Democrats on this matter:

Hillary Clinton: “I do think there are certain egregious cases that still deserve the consideration of the death penalty, but I’d like to see those be very limited and rare, as opposed to what we’ve seen in most states.”

Bernie Sanders: “The state itself, in a democratic, civilized society, should itself not be involved in the murder of other Americans.”

I wonder whether the pressure of running against a progressive challenger might nudge Clinton off her present position; early in her career she opposed the death penalty. Currently, according to Pew, 57 percent of Democrats oppose death sentences while 40 percent approve.

Thanks to the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty for the candidate statements.

Last night the two candidates discussed the issue directly: