It was not a tricky question, but Hillary Rodham Clinton found a way to make it so. Toward the end of the latest Democratic presidential debate over the weekend, she was asked about the rash of campus protests and whether she would encourage more of them. Clinton, who had plenty of stories of her work with activists, decided to go with biography.

“I come from the ’60s, a long time ago,” she told moderator John Dickerson. “There was a lot of activism on campus.”

Republicans spotted an opportunity. A spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) demonstrated just how easily a 44-year-old ­Cuban American could outflank a 68-year-old baby boomer.

“Debate recap,” tweeted Rubio spokesman Alex Conant. “Clinton: ‘I come from the 60s, a long time ago.’ Marco: ‘This election is about the future.’ ”

It was one of a series of potential missteps by Clinton that could become fodder for damaging attacks against her, both in the primary season and the general election.

Read the article “Clinton’s Debate Performance Leaves Trail of Fodder for Political Adversaries” on washingtonpost.com.