Who is the perfect and who is the good in this aphorism? Clinton supporters will tell you that Bernie Sanders is promising pie in the sky, while Hillary Clinton is the most pragmatic of politicians.
During Sunday’s debate Hillary defended Obamacare; she said, “We’ve accomplished so much already, I do not want to see the Republicans repeal it, and I don’t want to see us start over again with a contentious debate. I want us to defend and build on the Affordable Care Act and improve it.”
In other words, be fearful, Democrats, don’t set your hopes up too high. Obamacare is good enough.
But Bernie does not let the practical get in the way of the good. “What a Medicare-for-all program does is finally provide in this country health care for every man woman and child as a right,” he said.
Does Bernie have a detailed plan for how he will push Medicare-for-all through congress? I’m guessing not. But should that stop him—and us—from trying? Should we be paralyzed with fear at that seemingly overwhelming task? Bernie says, No! Bernie Sanders may not have a perfect strategy for accomplishing Medicare-for-all, or many of his other idealistic goals for our country, but attempting only the perfect strategies will ultimately get in the way of achieving universal healthcare, a fifteen dollar minimum wage, progressive tax reform and all the other good he dreams for us.
Yes, Hillary Clinton is a practical politician who knows how to play the game of politics, accepting money from Wall Street to finance her campaign, wrapping herself in Barack Obama to secure the Black vote, tacking left on the TPP trade agreement, but that strength is also her weakness. She is a practical politician who will not reach too high or attempt too much.
Martin Luther King did not say, I have a practical, detailed plan to achieve social justice and peace; he said, “I have a dream.” It is the dreamers, the Bernie Sanders, among us, who are not paralyzed by theperfect, who help us achieve the good.