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Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Vice President Joe Biden speak during the third Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas on September 12, 2019. (Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
If You Understand How Trump Defeated Clinton Four Years Ago, Do You Really Vote for Joe Biden?
As Democratic establishment coalesces around Biden, 2020 primary starting to look a lot Like 2016.
Mar 03, 2020
As the Democratic Party's "moderate" (or shall we say "establishment") wing coalesces around Joe Biden to stop Bernie, the primary contest is starting to look a lot like 2016, when the same wing rallied around Hillary Clinton.
Today, Mike Bloomberg quit the race and endorsed Biden--as has Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg. As the New York Times' David Leonhardt put it, "if you're a Democrat who doesn't want Bernie Sanders to be the party's nominee, your choice is now clear: you should vote for Joe Biden."
But suppose you're a Democrat who doesn't want Donald Trump to have a second term? Suppose you're a Democrat who suspects that Trump got elected in the first place because he exploited a deep sense of betrayal felt by tens of millions of Americans whose wages haven't budged in 40 years and who know the system is rigged for the benefit of those at the top? Do you really vote for Joe Biden?
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Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Robert Reich
Robert Reich is professor emeritus of public policy at Berkeley and former US secretary of labor. His latest book is the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Coming Up Short."
As the Democratic Party's "moderate" (or shall we say "establishment") wing coalesces around Joe Biden to stop Bernie, the primary contest is starting to look a lot like 2016, when the same wing rallied around Hillary Clinton.
Today, Mike Bloomberg quit the race and endorsed Biden--as has Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg. As the New York Times' David Leonhardt put it, "if you're a Democrat who doesn't want Bernie Sanders to be the party's nominee, your choice is now clear: you should vote for Joe Biden."
But suppose you're a Democrat who doesn't want Donald Trump to have a second term? Suppose you're a Democrat who suspects that Trump got elected in the first place because he exploited a deep sense of betrayal felt by tens of millions of Americans whose wages haven't budged in 40 years and who know the system is rigged for the benefit of those at the top? Do you really vote for Joe Biden?
Robert Reich
Robert Reich is professor emeritus of public policy at Berkeley and former US secretary of labor. His latest book is the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, "Coming Up Short."
As the Democratic Party's "moderate" (or shall we say "establishment") wing coalesces around Joe Biden to stop Bernie, the primary contest is starting to look a lot like 2016, when the same wing rallied around Hillary Clinton.
Today, Mike Bloomberg quit the race and endorsed Biden--as has Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg. As the New York Times' David Leonhardt put it, "if you're a Democrat who doesn't want Bernie Sanders to be the party's nominee, your choice is now clear: you should vote for Joe Biden."
But suppose you're a Democrat who doesn't want Donald Trump to have a second term? Suppose you're a Democrat who suspects that Trump got elected in the first place because he exploited a deep sense of betrayal felt by tens of millions of Americans whose wages haven't budged in 40 years and who know the system is rigged for the benefit of those at the top? Do you really vote for Joe Biden?
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