Lots of Democrats want to hear Bernie Sanders’s message. Just not enough to win the primary
BY FAR the biggest question going into the second, more high-powered, instalment of this week’s Democratic primary debate on June 27th concerned Joe Biden. The 76-old former vice-president took a big lead in the race the moment he entered it—despite two lamentable previous presidential runs and rumours that he might lack the requisite energy for a third. His campaign’s subsequent efforts to shield him from reporters increased that suspicion.
These difficulties made Mr Biden’s frequent recourse to trumpeting his connection to Mr Obama sound evasive at best. The debate also showed how vulnerable he is, as a result of his decades-long career and frequent gaffes, to attacks on his record.
She has been less impressive on the trail; she seems overly cautious and unable to give a clear sense of her politics. That is a failing she appeared to repeat, rather ludicrously, during the debate. When the candidates were asked who among them would abolish private health-care insurance, she joined Mr Sanders in raising her hand. This was a hard-left position she had previously claimed to support in a television interview, but then rowed back from.
Mr Sanders put in a quieter performance. Apparently far more vigorous than Mr Biden—whom he is older than by a year—the democratic socialist remains an effective debater of his own left-wing economic policy ideas. And he has a clear message—on the inequities of the system and the need for massive spending schemes to fix them— that a sizeable minority of Democrats want to hear. But there are not enough of them to win the primary.
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