The Democratic Party! I’m a Bernie supporter, but I have to hand it to Secretary Clinton last night. She turned in her best appearance since the Benghazi hearings. Did she fudge on things like her Iraq war vote? Yes, I think she did. But she appeared more affable, comfortable and authentic last night than she has for most of the time since she launched her campaign. And I thought Bernie nailed it, both substantively and stylistically. So I give both candidates an A-grade for their performances last night.
But what struck me most is that this campaign is proving the value of a genuinely contested, issues-oriented primary process. Both candidates are turning in stronger performances as the fight drags on. Bernie is having a decidedly welcome effect on Hillary as a candidate. For Pete’s sake, they’re arguing over their relative progressive credentials! Bernie has paved the way for Hillary to claim the progressive mantle more openly and aggressively. That’s a great development for the progressive movement, no matter how you slice it. Language matters. For all of my adult life, liberals have mostly run from the liberal label like a four-letter word. So yes, labels matter, and I am tickled to see this unabashed embrace of the progressive label. Long before anyone really gave Bernie any chance of making a credible run at the nomination, this is EXACTLY what many of us had hoped for: Bernie moving Hillary to the left. Personally, I think that in her heart of hearts, Hillary is a genuine progressive. She and Bill have mostly played their liberal credentials close to the vest in public life, no doubt because playing it safe has, for most of their careers, been key to their success. [DISCLAIMER: I’m not defending their play-it-safe modus operandi. I’m just observing it as a matter of fact, and I believe they are both far more liberal, at least as a matter of their personal philosophies, than they let on in public. I leave to history and others to judge whether their calculation to play it safe was necessary to their political survival and success.] Hillary is moving beyond that strategy, and I welcome it.
In 2008, kos made the compelling argument (although right now I haven’t been able to locate any of his diaries making it) that a robust nomination fight isn’t a bad thing. It gives our candidates and the Party much needed exposure to the general public, and simultaneously makes the eventual nominee a better candidate. Right now things look tough for Bernie after New Hampshire (but I hope this is one of those times when appearances are deceiving). But even if he doesn’t ultimately secure the nomination, he has left an unquestionable and indelible mark on the process. And while Hillary is no doubt sweating it out at the moment, thanks to Bernie, if she does go on to be the ultimate victor, she’ll owe Bernie a debt of gratitude for making this process possible. If she were coasting on her way to an inevitable nomination, she would not get the kinds of opportunities like the one she had last night (while Team Idiot’s slugfest would soak up all the oxygen in the room). But beyond that, Bernie is making Hillary a better candidate. To both of the Democratic nominees, I wish the best. Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.