I like Gail Collins’ books and columns, but I was really taken with her column of yesterday in the NY Times in which she suggested that Hillary Clinton, as the likely nominee, but a person lacking in noticeable passion or vision, give Bernie Sanders and his supporters control of writing the platform. In essence, her thinking is that Secretary Clinton’s announced positions aren’t actually very far from Sen. Sanders’ so she should not have much real disagreement with a “Sanders Platform”, and it would help unify the party. It also might help create some discussion of issues instead of mud-slinging.
I think Ms. Collins is right, but as well the adoption of a Sanders Platform would have the positive effect for Democrats of helping the down-ticket candidates. Clinton and Trump are the two most disliked candidates in the country. There is no reason to think that Trump will abandon his diarrhea of the mouth approach to campaigning. The early reports of the thinking in the Third Way, Right of Center, Compassionate Conservative Clinton brain trust is that they will run a campaign based on fearing and hating Trump. All of which may make for good street theater or reality show entertainment, but won’t help the down-ticket candidates at all.
Of course Secretary Clinton will “campaign” for other Democratic candidates while visiting their districts by mentioning their names in her speech and saying she needs Democratic Representatives and Senators to help her in Washington. The problem is that as a person who is disliked by half the people in the country, her endorsement of another candidate is not going to send voters rushing to the polls. And even if voters will voter for her for President as the lesser of two evils that is not much help to a down-ticket candidate.
In a year when the majority of citizens think the country is headed in the wrong direction and seem to want change, down-ticket candidates need a platform that identifies the major problems that are bothering most people and proposes serious change of course solutions, without worrying about whether Congressional Republicans or the 1% will approve. A Sanders Platform can give that to the down-ticket candidates. Plus it offers some hope of providing distraction, at least at the non-national level, from the Presidential mud-slinging match. With the distinct possibility that some of the usual voters will be inclined to sit out the election, the down-ticket candidates need to give voters reasons to get out and vote for them. A call to change the system would help do that.
A further challenge for down-ticket candidates is going to be that Secretary Clinton is very likely to try to make herself attractive to disaffected Republicans, particularly rich ones. That would be one of her comfort zones. It’s what the Clinton Third Way, Compassionate Conservatism is about.
An early indication of how this is going to go is her reaction to the much reported statement by one of the Koch brothers that he could work with Hillary. She had no noticeable public reaction, despite the fact that even a hint of support from the Koch brothers ought to be treated like a hint of support from the KKK. The Koch brothers, and their 5 or 6 co-funders, have created a network of conservative organizations that have worked tirelessly and with considerable success for decades to remake our country in their own warped image. Any person who has any degree of concern for what has happened to our country should have run in the opposite direction from the Koch brothers, screaming all the way.
Unfortunately, for the country and the down-ticket candidates, Secretary Clinton apparently does not understand what the Koch brothers stand for and have done, and are doing, to this country. Presumably, she just seems them a potential contributors and slightly misguided rich people of the type she has no trouble getting along with. What the down-ticket candidates need are reasons why voters should vote for them and not their Republican opponents. This means they need clear policies and positions that will set them apart from their Republican opponents as people who know that the problems of the 99% are and have rational plans to address those problems. A Sanders Platform would give them that.