Hillary made a great point early in tonight's debate on the whole progressive label thing.
What has bothered me about Sanders is that for him being a progressive seems to mean passing a series of litmus test: if you supported a trade deal, you're not a progressive. If you support the death penalty you're not or if you voted for the Iraq War.
If you take Wall St. donations you're not. But Hillary made an excellent point. If you go by Bernie's litmus test, there is basically no one left in the Democratic party.
Not Ted Kennedy, not even Paul Wellstone who once voted for DOMA. Obama believes in TPP and the death penalty. Even Elizabeth Warren is not a progressive on everything.
The point is not that the vote for Iraq or DOMA were good policies but that even so, this litmus test of Bernie's doesn't ring true. To tell you the truth, I too am not a true progressive by his test.
I was never for say welfare reform-I supported Bill Clinton but disagree with him there. But you have to remember that prior to Clinton we Dems were losing elections 49 to 1.
The 90s were a more conservative era so Bernie's criticism is also rather anachronistic. This piece puts it well. We have all evolved since the 90s. In the Bush years I wasn't for gay marriage either-just civil unions.
We have all evolved over the years-and that's a good thing. To my mind that's what it means to be a liberal Democrat. Litmus tests are for the GOP.
Hillary Clinton has evolved since the '90s. You probably have too.
http://theweek.com/articles/603127/hillary-clinton-evolved-since-90s-probably-have
To tell you the truth, it's those who don't evolve who worry me much more than those who do.
What has bothered me about Sanders is that for him being a progressive seems to mean passing a series of litmus test: if you supported a trade deal, you're not a progressive. If you support the death penalty you're not or if you voted for the Iraq War.
If you take Wall St. donations you're not. But Hillary made an excellent point. If you go by Bernie's litmus test, there is basically no one left in the Democratic party.
Not Ted Kennedy, not even Paul Wellstone who once voted for DOMA. Obama believes in TPP and the death penalty. Even Elizabeth Warren is not a progressive on everything.
The point is not that the vote for Iraq or DOMA were good policies but that even so, this litmus test of Bernie's doesn't ring true. To tell you the truth, I too am not a true progressive by his test.
I was never for say welfare reform-I supported Bill Clinton but disagree with him there. But you have to remember that prior to Clinton we Dems were losing elections 49 to 1.
The 90s were a more conservative era so Bernie's criticism is also rather anachronistic. This piece puts it well. We have all evolved since the 90s. In the Bush years I wasn't for gay marriage either-just civil unions.
We have all evolved over the years-and that's a good thing. To my mind that's what it means to be a liberal Democrat. Litmus tests are for the GOP.
Hillary Clinton has evolved since the '90s. You probably have too.
http://theweek.com/articles/603127/hillary-clinton-evolved-since-90s-probably-have
To tell you the truth, it's those who don't evolve who worry me much more than those who do.
P.S. Speaking of gay marriage, Barney Frank is someone I respect a lot. He's a true pragmatist. He didn't hold it even against John Kerry for being against gay marriage in 2004. In fact he says that he agreed with him at the time as the time wasn't ripe for it yet.
Morning Joe-you know how I'm no fan of his-was right this morning. It's amazing to hear the Dems sounding like Republicans arguing about who's the true progressive-they are always arguing over who's the true conservative.
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