The Stephanie Miller Show had Karl Frisch on as a guest this morning. I thought he had some interesting things to say. They were interesting because it seemed he didn't want to discuss issues. His main point was that he needed to see a path for Sanders to win before he would take interest in the campaign.
More after the orange thingy...
I can recall a time in the not so distant past that the function of a primary season, especially before any state primaries were actually held, was to give the candidates a chance to discuss their ideas, have some debates, build name recognition, look for support and demonstrate they had a path to win. Sure it's a sloppy chaotic process, but ideas get out and primary voters start to listen.
So why does Karl Frisch think he has to start just after the first week of Sanders' campaign to be using air time to talk about "the path" and not the issues? Is he so vested in HRC already that he's afraid of letting Bernie's voice be heard? OK, he's a "strategist" so maybe he only talks "strategy". So maybe policy ideas are not his specialty.
But we are progressives. There is something anti-progressive and shameful about how some lefties are dismissing a one week old campaign of the most progressive Senator in Congress. Frisch defined the Sanders camp into just two sections: those who think Bernie can win and those who want him to pull Hillary to the left. I think that is simplistic nonsense. I think more than ever, we need Dem leaning voters to hear from a progressive candidate's voice a solid consistent range of policy proposals for the working poor and the middle class. (What is the point of nonsensical inconsistency with raising the minimum wage but waffling on TPP?) I believe that one of the major points of Sanders' participation in this election is to speak to people about the breadth of issues that matter to progressives and educate voters about real options we should be discussing. (When is the last time you heard Dem candidates seriously discussing raising Social Security benefits in a debate?)
Don't get me wrong. I think there is an appropriate and useful season for Frisch's "concerns" about "paths". But with his narrow focus, he is helping in a small corner of progressive media to sabotage the process that leads to the campaign phase when candidates have their best shot to demonstrate what Frisch says he wants. I think he knows that.
Kudos to Stephanie for disclosing her choice for Prez, Hillary Clinton. But I also think the observation I'm raising is something she needs to think about.
Please try not to read things into this diary I didn't say. I do not support Hillary, but I have written one or two diaries defending her. I'm delighted by her speeches on progressive policies and hope to see more media people emphasizing progressive policy, no matter where it comes from.