--- title: Democratic Debate: O'Malley Compares Clinton to Annie Oakley description: It was during a discussion on gun control canonical: https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-15T03:50:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:46:54.158Z article:section: Politics og:title: Watch Martin O'Malley Compare Hillary Clinton to Annie Oakley og:description: It was during a discussion on gun control og:url: https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ef5059022f4f22a/698871272dce013f239e6808/omalley-debate2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3727 og:image:height: 2096 og:image:alt: US-VOTE-DEMOCRATS-DEBATE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Martin O'Malley Compare Hillary Clinton to Annie Oakley twitter:description: It was during a discussion on gun control twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ef5059022f4f22a/698871272dce013f239e6808/omalley-debate2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Martin O'Malley Compare Hillary Clinton to Annie Oakley > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=cfd6e82b-929d-4f74-8022-3fb79ec75778&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=cfd6e82b-929d-4f74-8022-3fb79ec75778&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=cfd6e82b-929d-4f74-8022-3fb79ec75778&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 15, 2015 3:50 AM UTC  Martin OMalley speaks during the second Democratic presidential primary debate in Des Moines, IO on Nov. 14, 2015. Martin OMalley speaks during the second Democratic presidential primary debate in Des Moines, IO on Nov. 14, 2015.Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 15, 2015 3:50 AM UTC Martin O’Malley compared Hillary Clinton to famous female gunslinger Annie Oakley during a discussion of gun control during Saturday’s Democratic debate. The comparison came as former Maryland Gov. O’Malley accused Clinton of flip-flopping on the issue of gun control, which she now supports. “Secretary Clinton you’ve been on three sides of this,” O’Malley challenged the former Secretary of State. “In 2008 you were portraying yourself as Annie Oakley and saying we don’t need those regulations… There’s a big difference between leading by polls and leading by principle.” Clinton didn’t directly respond to the comparison, although it wasn’t the first time she had heard it. In 2008, Barack Obama said “she’s talking like Annie Oakley” about Clinton on the same issue when they were running against each other for the nomination. But users on Twitter did respond to the comparison, many calling it sexist. > [](https://twitter.com/brooksboron/status/665729538618466304) > [](https://twitter.com/CallMeCaseyG/status/665730813560905730) > [](https://twitter.com/RuralArtsVibe/status/665730076550545409) > [](https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/665729895398580224) > [](https://twitter.com/HayesBrown/status/665729640376479744) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/"},"headline":"Watch Martin O'Malley Compare Hillary Clinton to Annie Oakley","datePublished":"2015-11-15T03:50:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:46:54.158Z","description":"It was during a discussion on gun control","url":"https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/","keywords":["2016 Election","Hillary Clinton","2016 Election","Bernie Sanders","Martin O'malley"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ef5059022f4f22a/698871272dce013f239e6808/omalley-debate2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ef5059022f4f22a/698871272dce013f239e6808/omalley-debate2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-VOTE-DEMOCRATS-DEBATE","caption":"US-VOTE-DEMOCRATS-DEBATE","creditText":"Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4113519/democratic-debate-martin-omalley-compared-hillary-clinton-to-annie-oakley/","name":"Watch Martin O'Malley Compare Hillary Clinton to Annie Oakley"}}]}] ```