What Rustypickup Said

rustypickup said...

I took the totally extremist step of reading through Joe Biden's policy positions on his campaign site. He is to the left of Hillary who was to the left of pretty much all the candidates going back to LBJ. Biden wants universal healthcare, to make it affordable. He wants to strengthen and increase Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. He has a fascinating set of plans for schools, he specifically has programs for low income communities of color (he recognizes the needs of communities of color, I wonder why he did so well in South Carolina?). There is so much more. His platform addresses problems I hadn't even considered or recognized. As an example, he wants to place child development experts in pediatric offices with high numbers of Medicaid and CHIP patients. What a good idea! This isn't the platform of Bill Clinton, or Al Gore or even Barack Obama. It goes beyond that of Hillary Clinton. My point is that Biden is presenting a full throat liberal agenda. The difference is that he doesn't think you need to burn it all down to accomplish these goals.

What is now considered "progressive" looks more and more like totems or virtue signalling. "Medicare for All" is much more narrow and restrictive than affordable universal healthcare. (You will take your M4A and like it!!). The same with any other number of slogans that are ultimately reductionist and simplistic. Eliminating "Big Banks" won't stop predatory lending, excess fees, higher rates for people of color. Those changes come through boring but important regulation and enforcement within the banking system.

Biden wasn't my first choice, but as the mainstream Democrat he represents a solidly liberal agenda. I am not remotely surprised he is popular, if this is moderate we are going in the right direction.

On a side note, I want to thank you for the support comments as I have been looking for a new job. I signed an offer letter yesterday, which is a small relief but also now makes real all that needs to follow. I will be starting the end of the month a new job in New Hampshire (those Live Free or Die crazies, do I need to switch to defending NH as the first in the nation primary?), and we will be moving the rest of the family at the end of the school year. We need to frantically pull our well worn house in upstate NY together so we can sell it, find a new place (damn, East Coast housing is really expensive, especially if you want decent schools) and move this summer. Finding a job in your 50's is not fun. Less money, more work, but I am still grateful to have found a decent place to work. It's going to be rough on child number 3, moving at the end of your sophomore year of high school is rough, the youngest is actually excited to start middle school somewhere else. Wish us luck.