2. Economic Justice (Maybe a maximum wage of $15 an hour. Although those teachers with $50k salaries would have to put in 65- hour workweeks to earn it.) 3. Racial Justice (As in the 2020 presidential race? I doubt Bernie will be pleased if he gets his just deserts there.) 4. Environmental Justice (Penguins in the jury box.) Then, Bernie seemed to leave the known universe. Getting carried away with his endorsement of the Green New Deal, he voiced a hope that his administration could “reach out to China, Russia, India, Pakistan, the Middle East” and a bunch of other countries that hate our and each other’s guts, so that the $1.8 trillion that is spent annually on weapons could be applied to fighting global climate change. This gave pause to even Bernie’s biggest fans, who looked toward the podium as if to say, “What planet are you from, Senator?” Unfortunately, it’s the same planet all the other New Hampshire Democratic primary candidates are from, even if they were less obvious about playing the lead character in “My Favorite Martian.” Elizabeth Warren’s platform is cobbled together out of the same splintery soapbox of wood and nails-through-the-heart-of-the-American- economy as Bernie’s. And she delivered her message in such a scolding tone that Bernie looked cuddly by comparison – like Statler or Waldorf in the Muppets theatre balcony.
Pete Buttigieg’s programs and policies are slightly more modestly scaled than Bernie’s and Elizabeth’s... but not really different. Pete claims there’s a difference – he’s figured out how to pay for his programs and policies. (By raising taxes, which, oddly enough, is the same way the other candidates will pay for theirs.) Amy Klobuchar is, likewise, offering a sort of “Progressive Portion Control” – everything that the left says it will heap your plate with, but no second helpings. Her claim is that she’ll be able to accomplish this through bipartisanship, working with the people on the other side of the aisle. Senator Klobuchar’s rating numbers from advocacy groups on both sides of that aisle cast some doubt on the matter: American Conservative Union – 5% Americans for Prosperity – 5% Club for Growth – 5% Americans for Tax Reform – 0% Americans for Democratic Action – 90% N.O.W. – 100% NARL – 100% National Right to Life Committee – 0% NRA – “F”
This gave pause to even Bernie’s biggest fans, who looked toward the podium as if to say, “What planet are YOU from, Senator?”
American Consequences
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