- Obscured by the recent avalanche of momentous news is this intriguing development from the campaign trail: The Hillary Clinton campaign now considers Bernie Sanders threatening enough to attack. Fresh off news that Sanders is now virtually tied with Hillary in New Hampshire, Claire McCaskill went on Morning Joe on June 25 to declare that “the media is giving Bernie a pass … they’re not giving the same scrutiny to Bernie that they’re certainly giving to Hillary.”
I support Sanders, and also think he has little chance of catching up to Hillary if for no other reason than his fundraising disadvantage, but I think the best thing about his campaign is that it seems to be giving the American Left their spine back. It's been too long since the Left had anyone serious in the national conversation.
She should be. Obama was a dark horse with some fancy graphic design and he tanked what was supposed to be a sure thing. Sanders actually has a message. I have no idea what Hilary's platform is aside from name recognition. I bet she learned from 2008. That combined with his unwillingness to take Super PAC money still makes her the favorite but if he wins the nomination it'll shatter my cynicism and I'm still not sure that's out of the question despite early skepticism.
I feel the same way about Hillary's platform. And it seems that the more I do learn about it (via slow trickle), the more she looks like more of the same. With Obama it wasn't super obvious but with Hillary it is. Sanders gets my vote for the simple fact that he's running on ideas that are, essentially, my own. And I think he's got an OK shot because I'm not the only person who feels this way.
Hillary has pretty much always been a straight Democrat. Whatever general platform the DNC advances, hers always seem in near lockstep. So essentially lip service to the left while instituting slightly right of center policies. That said, I think that is honestly more appealing to more people. There has been a long history, abroad but especially in America, of the radicals forcing an issue into national consciousness and then the more moderate wing advancing a watered down version and breaking the back of the more extreme movement to secure temporary power.
I guess Hillary has a true opponent. I look forward to seeing them argue the issues in the debates.
I feel that more people would agree with what he has to say if he was recognized widely. Which, unfortunately, is a bit of a paradox. The fact that republican voters are coming out in support of Sanders (a socialist) says A TON about the ideas he has. It is almost as if he respects the ideals put forth by democracy and wants to genuinely represent his constituents as the leader of the free world.