Bernie and Hillary Debate: Nice Guy Finishes Last, Unless…
by Richard Brodsky
There is something remarkable and uplifting about Bernie Sanders. He is who he is, he’s principled and decent. And he’s not willing to change as a matter of campaign strategy. This is no small achievement, as American politics continues to get shrill and dishonest.
He made that clear in the first debate with Hillary and the other guy. “The American people are sick of hearing about your damn emails.” While technically not true, he was reaching for a politics of ideas, not personality, which is what a leader does. It helped the Dems politically, as the distinction in tone between their debate and the Republican circular firing squad was made clear. And Hillary was gracious and grateful.
US Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders (L) and Hillary Clinton participate in the Democratic Presidential Debate hosted by ABC News at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, on December 19, 2015. Photo credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
It was not, apparently, an accident. He did it again, repeatedly, at Saturday’s debate. He praised her work as First Lady, saying she “redefined what that role could be.” He apologized for VoterListgate. Most importantly, he attacked Hillary as too willing to use military force in the cause of regime change. This was, in Bernie-Speak, a mitzvah.
Paris, Colorado and San Bernadino have the nation on edge, which is neither surprising nor inappropriate. In political terms there’s been an obvious swing away from domestic issues, where Bernie shines, and terrorism/national security which is Hillary’s wheelhouse. Her record and her philosophy are more interventionist and muscular than most Dems, a liability eight years ago and an asset in 2016. Having to defend herself as too militaristic at a Democratic debate was very helpful to her.
Republicans and pundits seem to think that the change in national mood will work for them. Certainly possible. But they have decided (with the notable exception of Rand Paul) to move further and further into the boots-on-the-ground, carpet-bombing, regime-change, faux-fierce world that got us Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Hillary will make the case that the next President needs to be tough, but smart and careful as well. And that’s what she did at the debate.
There’s a mini-groundswell saying Bernie’s done because the campaign has moved away from domestic economic issues to national security. Don’t worry. It’s a long campaign and history teaches that “it’s the economy, stupid”. Bernie is by no means done. And his decency may appear as a political liability from time to time, but will work for him well with voters in the long run.
What Bernie can’t control is the growing sense among Democratic voters that the core decision is which candidate can most likely win a general election. Republicans are so extreme and so scary that Dem voters want the candidate who will run the strongest in 2016. It’s a profound and sensible place to be. Pick an issue: Reproductive rights, gun violence, supply-side economics, use of the military, rights of sexual minorities, civil rights, Supreme Court appointments, minimum wage, you name it, the differences between any Dem and any Republican are so deep and so important that a little defensive politics may be smart. The lesson of Nader as spoiler in 2000 has not been forgotten.
Bernie needs to make a case that he can do better than Hillary in a general election. It’s not impossible. Her personal liabilities, fair or unfair, are politically real. He can explore that vulnerability without dropping his principled objection to personal attacks.
So judging the debate is one thing. Hilary was helped, by events, by a strong performance, and by Bernie. But judging the election is another matter. It’s still an open race.
Richard Brodsky is a former 14-term New York State Assemblyman from Westchester and Senior Fellow at Demos. Originally published online at the Huffington Post. Reprinted with permission of the author.
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