Last night’s Democratic presidential debate at Texas Southern University provides an opportunity to examine the candidates in light of this wonderful recent question presented in the New York Times by Stan Greenberg– “The Republican Party Is Doomed: This is a transformational moment. Do the Democrats understand how to take advantage of it?”
Candidates who do NOT understand this transformational moment:
Joe Biden–While most pundits observed that Biden “did well” last night, which means he didn’t meander, dodder or make any giant gaffes, he also continues to demonstrate quite clearly that he does not understand that a sea change in the country is underway. Hillary Clinton was the last major candidate to make that mistake. IT is possible that he can win the nomination with this strategy (because it is possible that a majority of those who are likely to vote in a primary are all about the past not the future) but it is NOT possible that he can a) win a general election with this strategy or b) govern for a world that works for everyone.
He is clinging to a patchwork healthcare system whose only benefits are catering to corporate clients.
He still can’t talk about race for s**t.
He still demonstrates no urgency on dealing with the effects of climate change.
The only urgency he demonstrates is defeating Donald Trump.
Uh, yeah, we all get that, thanks, Joe.
Candidates who definitely DO understand this transformational moment:
Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Beto O’Rourke and Marianne Williamson
Bernie of course has played a YUGE role in creating and guiding us to this moment. So to say he understands it is a massive understatement. Every major initiative being talked about on stage last night, with the possible exception of gun buy backs and reparations for slavery was brought to you by Bernie.
Elizabeth, who has largely embraced Bernie’s policies with her emphasis on regulating capitalism, and her focus on some key consumer protections, also is part of the movement for change.
Cory shows that he understands the moment. He is a great talker and could win it all. So far, I don’t hear the cynical manipulation that I detect in Kamala and Pete but it’s possible that it’s lurking.
Julian did not create any of this and, like Biden, is associated (former cabinet secretary) with the Obama administration but unlike Biden does show that he knows there is a sea change and he wants to be part of it.
Beto has no chance whatsoever at this point, but he still has shown he knows what is going on.
Marianne was NOT in this debate but I watched part of her livestream. It was good. I missed her in the debate. Obviously she gets that this is a transformational moment. More than anyone other than Bernie.
Candidates who have demonstrated they are willing to hijack this transformational moment and bring corporate america along:
Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg are both very clearly cynically using the language of this transformational moment and paying lip service to the issues that bring it forth while assuring the corporate oligarchy with code words that they will do nothing to change the status quo that Sanders and Warren are working to change. If corporate America were smart, they would hitch their wagon to Harris, who has the best chance to go all the way with this strategy.
Last night they both blew the corporate dogwhistle on healthcare by talking about “choice.” Trust me, from years in the trenches working for universal health coverage. “Choice” is the word that the health insurance industry has market-tested as the way to stop government financed insurance. As Elizabeth Warren so eloquently articulated last night, consumers do not care about choice of health plan, they care about choice of physician. Government financed insurance once universal, should provide considerably more choice of physician than any closed panel HMO most of us are currently on, but managed care plans have continually used “choice” as their buzz word to avoid losing their add-nothing profits.
Amy Klobuchar
Amy may or may not understand this moment. She explicitly and clearly positioned herself last night as the centrist midwesterner who finds others positions extreme. Yet I find her to be WAY better at talking about this moment than Joe Biden plus she is female and better at talking. That is smart. If she can stick around long enough for Biden to implode (which I still think is inevitable), she could split his support with Kamala Harris.
I find Amy’s approach a lot more honest and appealing than Kamala’s and Pete’s–ironically, Kamala and Pete like to talk like transformational progressives and raise-money from huge corporate donors, Amy Klobuchar is probably more of a real progressive than either one of them but is posturing as a midwestern centrist. I’d rather a transformational sheep in status quo clothing than a status quo sheep in transformational clothing.
And, yes, I’m still married to Bernie and dating Warren, Booker and Williamson (goodbye to Tulsi Gabbard).