Editor’s note: On Saturday, January 23, 2016, Democratic Party Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders met the public in Clinton, IA, at separate town hall meetings.
Hillary Clinton’s Clinton, IA, rally was at 1:30 p.m. The Secret Service screened everyone. She started on time. The [Eagle Heights Elementary School] gym was packed; many that came to see her ended up having to stand. It was an impressive crowd of middle agers-to-Seniors, all rather fashionably dressed and quite attentive.
Bernie Sanders’s rally was at 3:30 at Clinton Masonic Center. There was no Secret Service screening. He was about five minutes late. This crowd consisted mostly of younger people, factory workers, and Seniors. Judging by appearances, they mostly shopped at thrift stores, and they were more enthusiastic.
Obviously, the two candidates were addressing two very different audiences with very different outlooks. Hillary’s audience might be described as “establishment” Democrats, who are pushing to “make things better” within the framework of the existing political system. Whereas, the Bernie crowd had a distinct anti-establishment flavor to it: “out with the old, and in with the new.”
Hillary Clinton had stage presence and is a polished speaker. She emphasized her experience and moxie: First Lady, Senator from New York; Secretary of State; consultant to the movers and shakers. She recalled her attempt to reform health care; she emphasized that she, not Bernie, would be tougher on Wall Street. She is a person who can get things done and solve problems.
Her biggest zinger for Bernie is on his proposal for a single-payer, Government sponsored health care program known as “Medicare for ALL.” [She stressed,] “It’s easier to build on Obama Care and go from 90% of the people [now being] covered to 100%, than to start all over again and go from 0% to 100% covered.”
That line brought applause. It is a great sound bite! The only problem with it is, that it is not accurate. It is equating a
“for profit” system of health care with various deductibles, co-pays, and different levels of coverage, with a Government sponsored, not-for-profit plan with no deductibles and no co-pays.
In contrast to Hillary, Bernie sounded like a union organizer. He emphasized that real change comes from the bottom up, and not from the top down. He gave many examples of that from our Nation’s past. In contrast to Hillary, he emphasized what “we, the people, can do together if we are united.” Bernie deflected Hillary’s foreign policy experience, by reminding people she voted for the Iraq War. He deflected her health care and Wall Street attack, by reminding people that she has received huge sums of money from both. Finally, he hit hard on the billionaire class that buys elections, in order to get laws making them even more wealthy. He calls it, “a rigged economy.”
The news media at both rallies were very young, mostly in their 20’s or early 30’s. T hey would not have experienced the Civil Rights Movements. But they have experienced the LGBT Rights Movement mentioned by Bernie as an example of change coming from the bottom up. Although he could have been more specific, this is Bernie’s answer to the question, “How do you get us to where we want to go, with a Republican Congress in control?”
When you examine their approach to improving health care the difference is even greater. Hillary’s approach is still a market approach, leaving for-profit insurance companies still determining the health care you get. That does the least
amount of damage to their profit margin. Whereas, Bernie’s plan is health care for all, as a Government-provided service, leaving you and your doctor to make the decisions.
One must ask, “Which approach will benefit the most and be the most cost-effective?”
Yes, Bernie and Hillary are two peas in the Democratic Partypod. But they are really very different peas–in spite of what the pundits might say.