A powerful Presidential debate just concluded between Biden and Bernie on CNN. The backdrop and of course the greatest sources of questions were about the Coronavirus pandemic. But there were other crucial issues debated as well.
I thought both candidates did well, but Biden did better.
On the Coronavirus, and health care in general: I'm strongly in favor of universal health care provided by our government (see my William H. McNeill and The Logic of Universal Health Care from January 2017). But I think Biden's way of getting there -- building upon Obamacare, with a free, robust public option -- is better than Bernie's (which amounts to just magically declaring that we'll have free universal healthcare). In other words, at all times, but especially in this time of the Coronavirus, practical construction is more reliable than revolution. Biden added to this with his point about look how poorly Italy is doing in combating the Coronavirus. They have free healthcare for all, and their problems with the Coronavirus show that their way is no sure way of limiting the devastation of the virus.
And Biden did very well with his commitment to put a progressive woman as Vice President on the ticket, in contrast to Bernie who, the best he could say was "in all likelihood" he would put a woman on his ticket. I also liked Biden's commitment to put an African-American woman on the Supreme Court.
As for the past, each candidate had some warranted criticism of the other. But for me, the criticism that counted the most was Biden's critique of Bernie for voting no on the Brady Bill to limit guns no less than five times. That's another crucial, literally life-and-death issue.
I'm looking forward to Tuesday's primaries and Bernie's recognition that the best way to get rid of Trump is for Bernie to give his support to Biden,
I thought both candidates did well, but Biden did better.
On the Coronavirus, and health care in general: I'm strongly in favor of universal health care provided by our government (see my William H. McNeill and The Logic of Universal Health Care from January 2017). But I think Biden's way of getting there -- building upon Obamacare, with a free, robust public option -- is better than Bernie's (which amounts to just magically declaring that we'll have free universal healthcare). In other words, at all times, but especially in this time of the Coronavirus, practical construction is more reliable than revolution. Biden added to this with his point about look how poorly Italy is doing in combating the Coronavirus. They have free healthcare for all, and their problems with the Coronavirus show that their way is no sure way of limiting the devastation of the virus.
And Biden did very well with his commitment to put a progressive woman as Vice President on the ticket, in contrast to Bernie who, the best he could say was "in all likelihood" he would put a woman on his ticket. I also liked Biden's commitment to put an African-American woman on the Supreme Court.
As for the past, each candidate had some warranted criticism of the other. But for me, the criticism that counted the most was Biden's critique of Bernie for voting no on the Brady Bill to limit guns no less than five times. That's another crucial, literally life-and-death issue.
I'm looking forward to Tuesday's primaries and Bernie's recognition that the best way to get rid of Trump is for Bernie to give his support to Biden,
No comments:
Post a Comment