Politics Unusual :: Hillary vs. Bernie

Despite the fact that I would much rather talk about the Trumpster calling Ted Cruz a p-ssy or our very own favorite son Marco Roboto telling a gay couple in New Hampshire they should get the legislature of their state to change the marriage laws (New Hampshire was one of the early states to pass marriage equality into law), we need to have a frank discussion about the two Democrats in the race.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have had relatively few chances to square off in debates, but neither has let that stop them from going on the offensive to try to win over voters. (I have to say that both candidates have mostly kept it clean and have avoided personal attacks or bashing.) Clinton has attempted to paint her opponent as a one-trick pony and only worried about Wall Street and the 1%, pointing out time and again that Sanders doesn't have the bona fides she does when it comes to foreign policy or the success she has seen as a lawmaker. On the other hand, Sanders has repeatedly brought up Clinton's speaking fees that she collected from big banks and Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs.

Both candidates make great points in their attacks, but those attacks don't really help either of them; in fact, I think it only does them both more harm than good. Hear me out. Despite not really going too negative, both have honed in on the other's weaknesses which really doesn't sway voters; it just gives the GOP candidates more ammo once the eventual nominee is picked. The more Clinton complains about Sanders being na�ve and too idealistic, the more ammo she gives to independents whose vote will be crucial in the general election. The more Sanders piles onto the anti-Clinton bandwagon that's been around since the early 1990s, the more divisive the election becomes.

Unfortunately for Sanders, I think his lack of experience at the national level, despite his years as a congressman, will serve to Clinton's advantage. Over the years, she has had every trick in the book used against her and she's like the Energizer Bunny: she just keeps on going. From Gennifer Flowers and Whitewater to Benghazi and "Servergate," Clinton really does seem to be the Teflon Don(na). Remember that marathon testimony she gave last year about the Benghazi attacks? She ate that committee for lunch and spit out the seeds. She's got chops. So the ultimate question for voters who make this an issue is: Can Sanders stand up to the scrutiny that is sure to come if he does end up winning the nomination? Surely the GOP Super PACs are ready to shell out hundreds of millions in attack ads; will Sanders hold up? Who knows?

What Sanders does seem to have to going for him is the fact that he's seen as new blood, which is a joke considering that, if elected; he would be the oldest president in U.S. history. He is exactly what the voters on both sides of the aisle really seem to be looking for in this election cycle -- he's an outsider. He was one of only two U.S. senators to vote against the Iraq war (Obama was the other) and he hasn't taken a dime in campaign contributions from super PACs. He has told voters time and time again that his average campaign donation is $27. (This strategy worked great for the Obama team when he was running in 2008.) He's not rich, hasn't taken tons of money from special interest groups, and he wants to shake up the fat cats inside the Beltway.

The other thing he has going for him, in the words of Bush 41, is the "big mo." No, I'm not talking about the big homo, I'm referring to MOmentum. When he got into the race in 2015, he was not just a long shot, he was written off by nearly everyone as someone who didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell at winning the election. However, now he has certainly closed the gap and done what everyone said was impossible. He is virtually tied with Clinton in national polls, he did tie her in Iowa (despite her snagging more delegates) and he squashed her in New Hampshire (despite her getting more delegates in the end), and his numbers have been getting better and better.

He has the young people and the women, but she has the establishment and much of the minority vote. As we move toward Super Tuesday next week, who will win? We will just have to wait and see.