Five Clinton vs. Sanders Policy Battles That Could Blow Up the Convention

[Hiraeth]

Fiscal Times
Eric Pianin

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont won’t be getting one last debate with Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton before the critical June 7th Democratic primary in California, as he had hoped. But he has extracted concessions from Clinton and party officials that will assure a contentious and “messy” national convention in Philadelphia this summer.

Clinton, who is just 90 delegates shy of locking up what Sanders calls “the rigged” Democratic presidential nomination, rejected an invitation from Fox News on Monday to debate her nemesis Sanders, who is desperately trying to change the narrative of the campaign. Clinton’s campaign spokesperson, Jennifer Palmieri, said in a statement that the former secretary of state’s time would be better spent waging war with presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

(snip ... )

Israel and the Palestinians -- Clinton, the former secretary of state, understandably has a stake in preserving the status quo in U.S. relations with Israel and the Palestinian authority since she helped to negotiate them, including the November 2012 cease fire between Israel and Hamas. The Democratic Party’s current policy calls for a “just and lasting” Israeli-Palestinian accord that would eventually produce a two-state solution.

(snip ... )

National Health Care -- Sanders and Clintons have repeatedly dueled over the future of the Affordable Care Act and other federal health programs, with Sanders pressing for a “single-payer” national health care program to supersede existing programs while Clinton has argued for incremental improvements to gradually extend coverage to all Americans.

(snip ... )

Breaking up the big banks – There is probably no more politically sensitive issue in the Democratic race than what to do to avert another banking industry crisis and meltdown, if for no other reason than Sanders has relentlessly hammered Clinton for being too cozy with Wall Street and accepting $2.9 million in speaking fees from a dozen banks including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

(snip ... )

Raising the minimum wage – One of the touchstones for Sanders in addressing income inequality in the U.S. is raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. “Millions of Americans are working for totally inadequate wages,” according to Sanders. “We must ensure that no full-time worker lives in poverty. The current federal minimum wage is starvation pay and must become a living wage.”

(snip ... )

Carbon Tax -- While Sanders and Clinton basically agree that traditional energy sources such as coal are dirty and that the future is in renewable energy, they are split on how best to get there.

more at link:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/five-clinton-vs-sanders-policy-battles-that-could-blow-up-the-convention/ar-BBtqRu5?ocid=spartandhp

[Trust Buster]

1. Sanders is the losing candidate. Traditionally, the losing candidate has little leverage.

[JDPriestly]

2. That was not true of Hillary. I have heard that she bargained hard and not just

for influence over the platform.

Bernie has done well enough to have a lot of leverage.

And, Hillary needs us Bernie voters. The Bernie or Bust movement is stronger than Hillary supporters want to admit.

One week of reading DU should make that clear to any Hillary supporter who derides Bernie.

[NanceGreggs]

4. "I have heard ..."

That's right up there with "some people are saying".

Bernie HAD done well enough to have some leverage. He squandered away that leverage by accusing the Party he was allegedly running for of being unfair, undemocratic, corrupt corporate whores who are involved in a conspiracy to ensure he never got the nomination. His constant whinging about how primary rules - long-standing, well-known rules that he agreed to - should have all been changed to accommodate HIM turned a once-credible candidate into a lawsuit-launching, tantrum-throwing crybaby.

"One week of reading DU" makes nothing clear to anyone. It's a website, and it consists of 85% BS supporters. What gets posted here is of no interest to anyone outside of the DU/BS bubble. It has ZERO influence on the voting population, and it not even remotely reflective of what goes on in the real world.

[zalinda]

9. It was totally unfair from the beginning

Apparently only Hillary supporters can't or won't see it. Bernie supporters have seen it from the beginning as 400 superdelegates made their position known before the primary even started. That is enough to know that the whole process was rigged. Add in all the other crap including paid posters and you have a democracy for sale. While Hillary thinks it's okay to buy votes, Bernie thinks you should earn them, like who it's supposed to be.

Z

[Nitram]

12. Zalinda, if Berrnie had won a majority of delegates, many super-delegates would have

gone over to him. He didn't so they didn't.

[zalinda]

16. You do know of the band wagon effect?

From the beginning, we were told that Hillary was the nominee, before ANYONE else was running, and the superdelegates came out an declared for her. It doesn't matter if they can change their mind, they set the stage, and the DNC and Hillary was well aware of it.

If the superdelegates had remained quiet, I would have had more respect for the system, but at every turn, where the DNC could stack the deck for Hillary, they did.

I am disgusted by the whole Democratic Party, I had expected better of them, but they have proven they are only a step above the Republican Party. What they used to represent and what they represent now are two different parties.

Right now, with this Democratic Party, none of the economic issues that we take for granted would even exist, because they would not fight for them. This Democratic Party fights for NOTHING, and that is what we can expect from it.

Since Obama has become President, I have actually LOST $20 a month in benefits. Both he and Hillary are perfectly okay with cutting more benefits and giving more tax breaks to the rich, tell me which party they belong to again.

Fracking on the California coast? TPP? ACA (Republican health from Romney)? H1B visas? Offshoring and Outsourcing? More war?

Where the fuck is the Democratic Party of old?

Z

[Nitram]

22. Obama overcame the bandwagon effect. Why couldn't Bernie?

Actually Bernie just didn't understand the primary process very well. And Clinton gained a significant number of delegates in southern states because of an African-American population that appreciates how the Clintons have stood by them over the years. Your bandwagon theory just doesn't hold up.

[zalinda]

24. Obama wasn't treated like an after thought

When Obama had a rally with thousands of supporters, the MSM reported on it. When Bernie had a rally with thousands of supporters, no one knew about it. Hell, even now, find a MSM resource that reported that Bernie had 60,000 people show up in Oakland for him.

The debates were scheduled when very few people could or would watch them, this was done on purpose, as well as the small amount of debates.

The MSM reported on Hillary and Obama because it was the first of the firsts, a black man vs a woman. They were in the news all the time. Bernie didn't have that advantage, as he was barely mentioned.

Here's one such example:

"California is clearly “Feeling The Bern”. A recent rally in Sacramento, over 20,000 people attended to support Bernie Sanders, as we expected not one major media channel was there to report on this event.

On the other hand, Hillary also had a recent rally in Oakland. This rally had only 800 people in attendance, which did receive major media coverage.

Why should a rally with such a low turn out receive coverage while a rally with thousands in attendance is ignored by the media?

Watch this video where more people wait in line to get into the Bernie rally than even showed up to Hillary’s."

http://sourceplanet.net/politics/hillarys-oakland-rally-vs-bernies-sacramento-rally/

Bernie has had almost a complete media black out. How about http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/12/11/abc-world-news-tonight-has-devoted-less-than-on/207428 Trump 81 min to Bernie's 1 min and that was back in December of 2015, before Trump really got going. Even reporting of the dem debates, Bernie's name was said only in passing.

No, there is no comparison between Obama's run with Hillary, and Bernie's run with Hillary, they were not treated the same, and any one can see that.

Z

[Nitram]

25. "Anyone can see that?" Sorry, I'm not wearing Bernie glasses, so I just don't see it that way.

If Bernie had a legitimate "Movement" or "revolution" he would get the votes he needed. He didn't and he didn't. You are in a state of denial. Time to face reality.

[zalinda]

28. For some one who started with so little

he has gained so much, and without all the corporate money Hillary has accepted.

Hardly anyone knew him when he started out, with very little money, and now 60,000 people showed up for him in Oakland. Hillary was so afraid of him, she left New Jersey to campaign in California.

You should face reality. Bernie is staying in it.

Z

[BlueMTexpat]

6. Especially when the

losing candidate is doing everything he can to cause dissension among Dem.

[Herman4747]

11. Nope. The "winning" candidate causes dissension, all by herself:

[Tal Vez]

5. Thank you for posting this.

I've been asking about the biggest differences between these candidates.

I think that I'm closer to Sanders than to Clinton when it comes to Israel/Palestine, but I prefer that religion and state be kept separate everywhere. I know that I'm being unrealistic here, but I don't like religious states of any religion.

I also agree with Sanders on the Medicare for All proposal, but I recognize that until there are a lot more Democrats in both houses of Congress, the best we can do is to improve the Affordable Care Act and even that may be impossible.

I don't agree with Sanders about breaking up the largest banks. These large international banks can perform tasks that smaller banks just can't perform. If the United States does not have banks that can perform these very large, international transactions, then banks chartered by other countries will get that business.

I agree with raising the minimum wage, but I don't have the expertise to determine the optimum rate.

And, I like the idea of a carbon tax.

In terms of what can be done with the kind of Congress that we are going to have, I think both candidates are very similar in terms of what they will actually be trying to do.

[metroins]

8. Very reasonable post

I feel similarly.

I personally voted for Hillary because I felt she was more intelligent and realistic, but I agree with a lot of Sanders proposals. Just not how he explains to get them passed.

The big banks issue is a little different. I was better off with more options rather than less. When they keep buying each other, that hurts the consumer.

[newthinking]

18. A Sanders Presidency would be a bully pulpit. Neither candidate will get much done the first two

years, but Sanders is transformative. He and his VP and the new head of the DNC will use the "bully pulpit" to describe a better America and bring in Democratic majorities in both houses two years after the Presidency.

We have not had someone with the capabilities to do this in ages.

It is a shame that so many here are not seeing the bigger picture and realizing that this is the kind of movement most of us want. But many are blinded by low expectations drilled into our brains for years!

[Tal Vez]

20. All presidents want to increase the number of Congressmen from their party, but few do.

Of course, it is possible that Sanders might create Democratic majorities in 2018. But, that hasn't been what usually happens two years after a president takes office. Here are the results for the last 11 presidents two years after each of them became president. As you can see, the president's party nearly always wound up with fewer members of the House and Senate.

Eisenhower (R) (1954) Republicans lost 18 House Seats and lost 2 Senate Seats

Kennedy (D) (1962) Democrats lost 4 House Seats and gained 2 Senate Seats

Johnson (D) (1966) Democrats lost 48 House Seats and lost 3 Senate Seats

Nixon (R) (1970) Republicans lost 12 House Seats and gained 1 Senate Seat

Ford (R) (1974) Republicans lost 48 House Seats and lost 4 Senate Seats

Carter (D) (1978) Democrats lost 15 House Seats and lost 3 Senate Seats

Reagan (R) (1982) Republicans lost 26 House Seats and lost 0 Senate Seats

Bush, Sr. (R) (1990) Republicans lost 8 House Seats and lost 1 Senate Seats

Clinton (D) (1994) Democrats lost 54 House Seats and lost 8 Senate Seats

Bush, Jr. (R) (1990) Republicans gained 8 House Seats and gained 2 Senate Seats

Obama (D) (1994) Democrats lost 63 House Seats and lost 6 Senate Seats

[newthinking]

21. Because voter participation is always low (midterms). The situation now is unprecedented though and

unpredictable.

Certainly even if this pattern continues (low turnout) imagine how many seats we will lose with an un-trusted and unpopular President (Clinton).

[hopemountain]

7. fracking, war, the tpp & tpip,

the privatization of public lands for resources, gmo's, and the privatization of social security are also key issues where they differ.

[Herman4747]

10. "Clinton has argued for incremental improvements"....

...such is the story of her life.

[Nitram]

13. You say that like it's a bad thing.

Better some significant progress than none because of over-reach.

[Herman4747]

15. I hope for greatness in a president...

...I suspect you hope for something else.

[newthinking]

19. Yes. Read my post above. The Presidency is not the end all be all for Sanders. He will bring energy

into the party and engage the disinfranchised. Once he replaces the head of the party they will work together with his VP and administration to define a new era and fill both houses with Democrats in 2018.

Sanders is uniquely qualified to make that push and so far has proven he can do it. Just look at the DRAMATIC change in political discussion in the country he has brought forward.

[Nitram]

14. Actually, the two do not differ enough for a blow out.

Although I guess the Bernsters would love a blow out. Revolution!

[zalinda]

17. No, the Bernsters would like something to actually help people, not business

Hillary will face Impeachment at the very first opportunity, and I'm guessing that lying about the classified emails will be a good start. If you think White Water was something, just wait until she gets in there. It will be The National Enquirer all the time in every newspaper and on every TV. Right Wing radio will have an enormous comeback.

If she is elected expect to lose the White House for the next decade or more. She is that hated in this country, and the more people know about her, the less they like her.

You have no idea, what crap will be thrown and how much this country will suffer, all so she can be the first female President and have her place in history.

Z

[Nitram]

23. Zalinda, you are not living in the real world.

That's when people start believing their own propaganda. If Bernie was elected and tried to enact his agenda, the conservative House would definitely vote to impeach him. Wouldn't get through the Senate, though. But Trump might get himself impeached because both parties are against him.

[zalinda]

26. You're the one not living in the real world

Do you have to worry where every dollar comes from and goes to as your life depended on it, because it does.

Right now I have a tarp on my roof, that I will change again this year hoping that the weather does not do any more damage so my ceiling doesn't cave in. I cannot afford to fix it, nor the other 'inconvenient' things around the house that needs fixing, like the plumbing.

Bernie will have coattails and people who are willing and able to throw themselves at politicians to make them change their minds, Hillary has nothing like that. Republicans don't hate Bernie, they do hate Hillary and have for over 25 years.

Hillary will never get anything passed and no one is excited enough about her to help her unless they are paid to do it.

I have no idea how any one cannot see all the baggage this woman carries with her, as well as all the hate she inspires.

Z

[Democrats Ascendant]

27. It's not gonna happen.

It'll be a love fest.