The March 6 Disappointment

Last night’s Democratic Party debate reinforced my apprehensions about both candidates. Sanders still said nothing concrete about how he envisions his revolution being organized, and he stuck with his narrow focus on economics. And Hillary strengthened my mistrust and dampened the optimism concerning her that I expressed in  “Bernie’s Revolution.” 

On occasion, Hillary has challenged Bernie’s “single issue” focus and said that her campaign is about nurturing “love and kindness” throughout society. She recently told Buzzfeed:

I’ve been working for several months now on how to really inject this [“love and kindness”] more into my speeches at every turn, and to try to link it with my vision of where we can go in our country. And I’m hoping that I am getting closer to that. I’ve made some progress — not enough.

Reportedly, “Every so often, at a town hall or rally, there was Clinton, asking for more love and kindness.” Quoting a mentor, Marian Wright Edelman, the founder of the Children’s Defense Fund where Clinton began working in 1970, Hillary has often told audiences, “Service is the rent we pay for living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.”

Melanne Verveer, one of Clinton’s closest advisers, said, “This has been a continuum with her. Nobody said to her, well, you should talk about community, and you should talk about service, and you should talk about how we should treat each other. I mean, that was fundamentally who she was. This is a woman who taught Sunday school. This is deeply who she is.” 

But last night, though she had ample opportunity to do so, she never used the words “love” or “kindness” and I heard nothing about the “intersectional” approach she has at times suggested. Even in her closing statement, she only said:

America didn't stop being great, we have to make it whole again. We have to knock down the barriers, we have to end the divisiveness, we have to unify the country,...knock down every barrier that stands in the way of America realizing its potential and every American having a chance to live up to his or her God-given potential. 

We have economic barriers…. We have barriers that stand in the way of quality health care…. We have barriers to education…. And I do want to take on the barriers of systemic racism. 

Then she merely presented policies that the government can adopt to eliminate those barriers. If she’s really committed to nurturing compassion throughout society, it seems she would have talked about it last night. The fact that she did not solidified my suspicion that she will say one thing to one audience and another to the next audience, and often not do the right thing after saying it.

The debate mostly consisted of wonkish policy disputes. There were some heartfelt moments. But by and large the event avoided personal issues, including the importance of underlying values and compassionate action in daily lives.  

The only time either of them came close to encouraging grassroots organizing was when Bernie thanked a Flint resident “for not being resigned to that horrendous situation, but being prepared to stand up and fight back.” Organizing a revolution requires more than individual, spontaneous action.

Unfortunately, Bernie embraced Hillary’s description of him as a “single-issue” candidate. He said, “My one issue is trying to rebuild a disappearing middle class.” If he’s going to focus primarily on economics, he needs a stronger mission statement than that.

I would prefer to hear something like the following from our Presidential candidates:

I am concerned about everyone who is held back or beat down, however and wherever it happens. I want to encourage and support the growth of a more compassionate society that empowers everyone, and enables everyone to live the good life. I ask not only what our governments can do for us; I also ask what can we do for each other. Increasing economic opportunity is one way to help achieve that goal. But it’s not the only method. We must more fully care for each other throughout society and organize new social structures that help us do that.

Until I hear those themes, my enthusiasm for any candidate will be limited.

I still don’t know who would be the strongest candidate in November. If Clinton develops her “love and kindness” theme convincingly and consistently, I might vote for her in the June California primary. But if the election were held tomorrow, I would vote for Bernie, if only to help him push his issues at the convention. 

In the meantime, I’ll continue to do what I can to foster “transformative politics” rooted in compassion and a commitment to serve the common good of the entire Earth Community.