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Joe BidenCongratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
 

TomCADem

(17,760 posts)
Sun Mar 15, 2020, 07:33 PM Mar 2020

Bernie Talks Aspirations. Joe Talks Logistics

For example, in how to respond to the coronavirus crisis, Bernie goes back to Medicare for All, and gives his standard stump speech in support of single payer.

Joe responds by pointing out that Italy is single payer, and that the real issue is how you respond to a crisis, then he points to his experience responding to the Ebola Crisis and notes how the Obama administration and the CDC took a lead role globally.

Interestingly, Bernie then dismissed the ebolas epidemic as not being a full fledged pandemic, and Joe sort of smiled with a look like, "Why do you think it ended up not being a pandemic." Then, Joe went back to what he would do and said he would do what he did back when facing a pandemic.

When asked about use of the military, Bernie sort of gave a broad answer about using all available resources. Biden responded by saying yes, we would use the military if needed to set up hospital beds.

In short, Bernie's default is to fall back to a generalized line about the working class is getting screwed, the rich are getting rich, etc., which is once again aspirational, while Joe seems to be more focused on logistics.

My minor critique of Biden is that he could have hit Bernie more on the fact that a lot of European countries have single payer, yet the virus is getting out of control, though perhaps this was his point of repeatedly emphasizing crisis management over single payer as some sort of magical cure all.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Bernie Talks Aspirations. Joe Talks Logistics (Original Post) TomCADem Mar 2020 OP
Good observation. eom sprinkleeninow Mar 2020 #1
Think Bernie Was Trying Too Hard to Fit In His Single Payer Talking Points... TomCADem Mar 2020 #2
I did soften to him tonite, but you right. He on a one track. sprinkleeninow Mar 2020 #3
The difference between believing something Codeine Mar 2020 #4
The One on One Format Suits Biden... TomCADem Mar 2020 #5
TY Joe Biden! Cha Mar 2020 #6
 

TomCADem

(17,760 posts)
2. Think Bernie Was Trying Too Hard to Fit In His Single Payer Talking Points...
Sun Mar 15, 2020, 07:51 PM
Mar 2020

...and sort of missed the call of the question, which is how would you manage the current crisis. Bernie should have resisted the temptation to go to his stump speech.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

sprinkleeninow

(20,546 posts)
3. I did soften to him tonite, but you right. He on a one track.
Sun Mar 15, 2020, 07:55 PM
Mar 2020

Not that some of his proposals are bad, just not now at this point in time especially.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

Codeine

(25,586 posts)
4. The difference between believing something
Sun Mar 15, 2020, 08:25 PM
Mar 2020

and accomplishing something. The independent senator from Vermont is decidedly weak on the accomplishment front.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
 

TomCADem

(17,760 posts)
5. The One on One Format Suits Biden...
Sun Mar 15, 2020, 09:02 PM
Mar 2020

...it allows Biden to be more specific about his experience. Given the current pandemic, I think people want to see evidence that someone could get things done, and all Bernie can offer are these broad aspirational goals without a clear roadmap.

Biden smartly used his experience to talk logistics, which Bernie just cannot do, since the last time he had any sort of executive responsibilities was in the 1980s.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Joe Biden
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