By Edwin Cooney
Due to the political and social equity that I see in Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy, in last week's column I minimized the effect of his publicly admitted association with late Southern segregationist senators.
Suddenly, along comes California Senator Kamala Harris who got to the political heart of the race issue where I had only addressed the intellectual aspect of that issue. It's very, very tempting to me to engage, to an even greater degree than I did last week, in a defense of situational political practicalities which, to me, adequately explains Joe Biden's well-meaning Senate civil rights record. After all, Senator Harris openly grants that Joe Biden is not a racist, which speaks well for her sense of political and social equity.
Nevertheless, since neither truth nor accuracy equals popular advantage during a political campaign and since public impression of a candidate's potential political usefulness to the voters is what draws votes, an early perspective might be helpful.
First, remember it's very early in the campaign. You may even recall that, back in 2007, John McCain, who had been regarded as the front runner for the GOP nomination, began stumbling to the extent that most political prognosticators were practically handing the nomination to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Ultimately, despite his unsteady start, John McCain won the GOP nomination, introduced you and me to Sarah Palin, and proceeded to lose to Barack Obama.
Second, remember that during primary season, both Republicans and Democrats necessarily address their natural constituencies rather than the public at large. Thus, every Democratic candidate who can will say something in Spanish, advocate on behalf of DACA children, support medical benefits for illegal aliens, and appear to favor removing the option of purchasing private medical insurance in favor of universal health care - all red flag issues to a lot of voters.
Third, as I see it, future debates ought to be limited to the top ten of the remaining candidates. Hence, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Jay Inslee, Julian Castro and Tim Ryan should slug it out during the second round of debates. Out of these ten candidates, Democrats are likely to select both their presidential and vice presidential nominees. (More about that likelihood in a future musing!)
For the present, it's time that the above mentioned candidates force one another to clarify what their individual messages mean to potential voters. For example: should the issue of climate change be regarded as our top national priority? Ought there be launched a "Green New Deal?”
Should Americans really be compelled to surrender their right to purchase private medical insurance as a quid pro quo to governmental managed health care?
Are 21st Century liberals really and truly “socialists” as they are being labeled by many American voters?
How is it to our advantage to have a more enlightened attitude toward illegal aliens?
How serious a threat to our well-being, our national security in particular, is President Trump?
Finally, are the above questions related to one another?
As for Joe Biden, regardless of how fair or unfair Senator Harris's challenge was last Thursday night, as former President Jimmy Carter observed about his own struggles back in 1980, "it goes with the territory."
Keep cool, Mr. Vice President! Earlier, I suggested that the entire national Democratic ticket is likely to come from the men and women I listed above. However, just a short time ago I suggested that a Biden/Klobuchar ticket might be in the offing. Now make that a Biden/Harris ticket.
It's not that I'm fickle, you understand. It's just that I'm an American voter!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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