The Democratic primary campaign is still being contested between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Even though Hillary has a substantial lead in both pledged and super delegates, Bernie has millions of passionate and enthusiastic supporters, some of whom are unclear what they would do should Sanders not win the nomination.
Emotions are high, but it’s essential that progressive voters think strategically about November.
How do Bernie and Hillary differ?
Both candidates are devoted to progressive ideals, but here is the essential difference: Bernie is the soaring idealist while Hillary is the workmanlike pragmatist. Both candidates share similar values and would pursue similar goals, but they differ in the way they approach those goals.
This difference can be illustrated by their websites. Look at the “issues” pages on both BernieSanders.com and HillaryClinton.com.
BernieSanders.com introduces his take on the issues with a succinct, four sentence preamble. Everything he says is subsumed under one over-arching bullet point,
the 40-year decline of our middle class and the growing gap between the very rich and everyone else.
His speeches have a laser-like focus on the issue of economic and wealth inequality, quite rhetorically effective. Bernie attracts large, enthusiastic crowds who respond passionately to his message.
HillaryClinton.com is quite different. It invites readers to
learn more about Hillary’s vision for America and key policies she will fight for as President
but it lacks a succinct statement of that vision. It’s a laundry list of 31 areas of policy — from Alzheimer’s to Workforce Skills — with the call to “stay tuned” as even more issues are added to the list. While Hillary’s speeches display her commanding understanding of public policy, her campaign’s rhetorical challenge — still unrealized — is to state the compelling “vision for America” that the issues page promises.
The importance of pragmatism
While ideals are important, societal change requires pragmatic tactics. Case in point: President Obama campaigned on the promise of universal health care. What we got was the Affordable Care Act. While not the ultimate solution we dreamed about, the ACA has made life substantially better for millions of Americans who previously could not afford health insurance or were locked out by insurance companies who refused coverage due to pre existing conditions.
The pragmatic Obama got the best deal he could. Congressional votes simply weren't there for a public option or for a single payer "Medicare for All." Had Obama insisted on all-or-nothing, we would have gotten nothing ... and Americans would still be suffering under the same unfair insurance company-run system we had in 2008.
The ACA can and must be improved, but such improvements demand both a cooperative Congress and a President committed to moving forward.
The ACA and different electoral outcomes
Pursuing this case study, it really does matter who is elected. One of only three individuals will win the 2016 Presidential election. What will be the consequence of the November election for the ACA? Two possibilities:
(1) The Republican candidate wins in November… If Donald Trump is elected President, the Republican Congress will vote again to repeal the ACA, and Trump will surely sign that repeal. While Obama vetoed the repeal, Trump would not.
(2) The Democratic candidate wins in November. If either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected President, the ACA is safe — and will become a permanent part of American society moving forward. Either Bernie or Hillary will work to strengthen and improve our health insurance system. The manner in which they do so may differ, but either Democrat would attempt to work with Congress to perfect the ACA.
Do you care about preserving President Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act? For this reason alone, it is essential that the Democratic candidate be elected.
Vote Smart
Progressives must "vote smart." Democrats cannot split their votes. Either Bernie or Hillary will be the nominee. Perhaps both will be on the same ticket! But no matter who becomes the Democratic nominee, it's essential that progressive voters unite behind that candidate.
Bottom line: what would happen were millions of disappointed Democratic or progressive voters to stay home, "write in" a name, or vote for a third party candidate? Answer: Donald Trump would be elected President.
What would this mean for America and for issues progressives care about? Were Donald Trump to win the election…
- Obamacare would be repealed.
- Gun control would be off the table.
- The Department of Labor would become more hostile to Unions.
- Any chance for a higher minimum wage would be lost.
- The effort to address global warming would be abandoned.
- A woman's right to choose would be opposed.
- Humane immigration reform would not happen.
- Voter suppression would continue.
- Campaign finance reform will be dead in the water.
- Retiring Supreme Court Justices would be replaced with very young, very conservative nominees, maintaining an activist conservative majority for another generation.
Vote smart!
