There’s a lot of those internet/Facebook quizzes going round, as usual. One of them asks several questions to show you which US presidential candidate one comes nearest to, in terms of policy.
Strangely enough, I and most of Lib Dem friends come out nearest Bernie Sanders. “Who he? – Ed” – was the first thought that ran through my mind, when that answer came up for me, although I had vaguely heard of the junior senator from Vermont.
Is the US the only country where a 73 year-old can be described as “junior”? And is it wrong that whenever Vermont is mentioned, I either think of Bill Bryson’s hilarious tales from Vermont or that fantastic old comedy programme with Bob Newhart where he ran a hotel in Vermont and spent much of the show opening the door and letting in gustfuls of snow?
Digression aside, Bernie Sanders is the longest sitting Independent US congressperson in history and a self-described “socialist”. He is also running for president. He is currently getting over 20% in national polls for the first time.
So alarm bells have been ringing chez Clinton. Hillary has done something about it. She has come out with all guns blazing fighting against the gun lobby – embracing gun control. This has to be welcomed, although as a Cornishman, I would not seek to lecture Americans on gun control. But I do like Americans, so it would be wrong to leave them without friendly advice so that they end up shooting themselves to death in a sort of mass circular firing squad.
Meanwhile Jeb Bush has racked up a major success on the financial front, with his Super PAC raising $103 million and his campaign raising $11.4 million in just 16 days. The slight snag might be that this is normally the other way round – most of the campaign money gets raised by the campaign and less by the Super Pac, putting the candidate in the driving seat for spending the lion’s share of the money. But Jeb Bush will effectively have a split campaign headquarters: Jeb Bush and co. in Florida controlling the campaign cash, and Mike Murphy in Los Angeles controlling the Super PAC cash.
It could lead to tensions and confusing leadership.
* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
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9 Comments
Interesting.
I think we will see a Clinton v Bush contest in 2016
It is crucially important that Hillary wins because the President nominates the judges of the Supreme Court , subject to Congressional approval.
She would be historic as the first woman President, but my relatives say they “vote their pocket book”.
She is “ready” to be President.
Sadly a lot of peope do not like her.
She has one piece of patronage, which is nominating her VP candidate.
She is effective at fundraising, but much of it goes on local tv adverts which cancel each other out.
Jeb Bush’s mother does not want him to run.
Go Bernie!
Many people here probably receive Bernie Sanders’ daily email. Yesterday’s email had the subject “This Is Not Democracy”. He commented that Jeb Bush has a Super PAC to which “a relatively small number of wealthy donors” has contributed over $100 million.
As Bernie says “This is not democracy. This is oligarchy”. He asks people to contribute $3 to his campaign – and it’s working. Last week 10,000 people went to a Bernie Sanders rally in Wisconsin http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/01/politics/bernie-sanders-crowds-wisconsin-2016/ : Look at the picture of the arena filled with people enthused about a politician offering a positive vision – far more than are attending the highly managed events being organized for Hillary Clinton.
It’s not likely that Bernie can win the nomination (shame!) but we can hope that he help to shift US politics away from the corporatist agenda that has driven it since 1980.
The concern about Hilary is that her campaign will be funded by Wall Street institutions that want to call the shots on issues around regulation. Yet it was their successful lobbying and financing of politicians – including Bill Clinton – that led to the repeal of Glass Stegall and light touch regulation and the economic recession in the US in 2008.
Bernie on the other hand will regulate the financial institutions if he can get his way in Congress, but will not raise enough money to compete with the Republican party in 2016 and will lose.
The best we can hope for is that Bernie will force Hilary to make commitments that will be hard to row back from if she wins and becomes the next US president.
Shirley Williams’ comments about money in US politics remain correct, except with bigger numbers.
If the USA elects a woman President they will not be in the lead.
Countries which have had a woman president or prime minister include India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand.
Mitterand appointed a female prime minister, although the elected president is powerful in France.
Iceland, Germany, UK, Turkey, the list goes on.
When the USA elected Senator John F Kennedy to the Presidency they sent hope around the world.
When he was killed many people did not believe it had happened, and remembered where they were when they heard.
He had a rich father and a beautiful wife, but, as a Catholic, he was distrusted.
He took the issue on head-on, by going to make a speech in the Bible-belt,
He would not, as President, be taking orders from the Pope.
Can Hillary Rodham Clinton do something comparable?
To get elected she needs to address the US economy, “people vote with their pocket book.”
After election the President becomes “the leader of the free world” for which she is very well equipped having travelled nearly one million miles for the USA during the Obama Presidency.
Hillary was Au H2 O as she wrote herself. This brings out one of the truisms of US presidential politics.
“They told me that if I voted for Goldwater within a year there would be a million American troops in Vietnam.
Well I did vote for Goldwater and, sure enough, within a year there were a million American troops in Vietnam.”
Jimmy Carter has cancer. If ever a US politician deserves a sainthood it would be him. Not vainglorious about being a former President , so when the Financial Times wanted to interview him they had to attend a Bible class in Plains, Georgia.
As a southern Baptist he defeated George Wallace and was elected president 1976-1980.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace
Afterwards he would take on the most difficult and unpopular tasks, such as going to see hard nosed dictators. After an hour of self-justification they would say that he was not listening, so he would repeat back to them what they had said, a sort of reverse filibuster.
He saw a woman in Africa and hought she was carrying a baby, but she had a paprasitical infection called Guinea Worm. One of his objectives was the worldwide elimination of this parasite. He did not have the money that Bill and Melinda Gates have. Done. http://www.cartercenter.org/news/publications/health/guinea_worm_in_the_news.html