Chris Vance, former chair of the Washington State Republican Party, is now a strong part of the anti Trump movement.
Unfortunately, Chris sees our 2020 election as some sort of Manichean conflict between extreme rightism of Trump and extreme leftism of a faction of the Democrats. Chris asked me who I favored .. “Bernie?”
Here is my answer: Only as a last resort
It is inane to compare Sanders and Trump based on traditional R v L models. Show me any conservative party in Europe that opposes universal health care, social security and higher education? I suspect that ALL of Bernie’s policies would fly with today’s GOP as long as they were taught as based in Jesus and wrapped in a flag.
I oppose Sanders because his slogans, like Trump’s, lack policies. I depise Trump for having no morals. I admire Bernie’s idealism but I want the US to be governed by a competent government. Competence is incredibly important if we are to fix the huge damage done to the US by Trump. No idealogue, even one as well intentioned as Bernies Sanders, would have the skills to fix what Trump has done.
Here is one example. Trump has hurt our education system. Sanders says he will offer free college to all. A quick resort to the calculator on your phone and whoopie that is about 1/2 trillion dollars a year! You are an experienced poltician Chris, do you think Bernie could get an appropriation like that through Congress? And if he did, woudln’t Bernie need some Trump like magical tax policy to fund his proposal?
Bernie is not a deep thinker. He looks with admiration on the countries of Northern Europe. So howsit that Germany can provide free college? Well, about 60% of German kids never go to college because German high schools offer great voc ed. The same is true for Bernie’s M4A slogan. His followers think Berniecare would create a US version of the UK National Health Sevice. Just imagine the Federal government nationalizing Swedish and Bastyr!
Bernies’s numbers do not add up … just like Trump’s.
If Bernie is your example of extreme leftism, let me remind you of what the left equivalent of Trump might be .. Seattle’s Kashama Sawant? Or do you remember the wobblies? Henry Wallace ring a bell? Or perhaps Eldridge Cleaver? Do you remember how Cleaver finally joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became a Republican, appearing at Republican?
This election is about corruption and lawlessness vs. … something else. Anything else. And you and Chris wanna be picky?
Chris was hoping you would admit the Democrats are ready for Mitt Romney to come to the rescue on his white horse Madison to Wisconsin.
Even with the impeachment (which only strengthened Trump, when one goes to cut off the kings head one best succeed) Trump is the incumbent with the best economy in decades. All boats are rising. It will remain strong enough to get though the summer at least. The Democrats have given him some legislative wins. And to have a hope to keep the house the Democrats are going to have to be cooperative with President in passing some sort of significant legislation they can take back to their districts.
I think your statements of damage are overblown, just like similar Republican statements about Obama.
Bernie and congress can pass most of the costs of any education bill onto the states.
Considering what employers pay for their employees insurance the trillions of dollars are there. With some control on the supply side of medical care the US can have a National Health systems, and why not they work.
Germany education system is more realistic about education. There is a basic assumption that those 60 percent of ids not going to university lack the ability to succeed and there would be no jobs for them if they did. So from 16 they are shifted out of high school into the technical schools. While the other 40 percent of kids continue on the university track. And when a student graduates high school or vocational school the Germans expect them to be a functioning member of society so German schools are more demanding overall and the German tech schools are more than the equivalent of our community colleges.
It may well take a leftist ideologue to beat Trump. It is a gamble, but maybe the best one left to the Democratic party. Maybe you all need a nudist guy kicked off an island in some reality tv show.
The only option left to Dems is to smuggle in Chinese or others infected with the Carona virus. Maybe with lime. This virus is the only wild card, and thus far the administration is doing a decent job of keeping it over there and not here.
“The only option left to Dems is to smuggle in Chinese or others infected with the Carona virus.” By adopting Donnie Jr.’s and Pence’s sick rhetoric, you’re as twisted as they are.