Bernie Talks Aspirations. Joe Talks Logistics

[TomCADem]

For example, in how to respond to the coronavirus crisis, Bernie goes back to Medicare for All, and gives his standard stump speech in support of single payer.

Joe responds by pointing out that Italy is single payer, and that the real issue is how you respond to a crisis, then he points to his experience responding to the Ebola Crisis and notes how the Obama administration and the CDC took a lead role globally.

Interestingly, Bernie then dismissed the ebolas epidemic as not being a full fledged pandemic, and Joe sort of smiled with a look like, "Why do you think it ended up not being a pandemic." Then, Joe went back to what he would do and said he would do what he did back when facing a pandemic.

When asked about use of the military, Bernie sort of gave a broad answer about using all available resources. Biden responded by saying yes, we would use the military if needed to set up hospital beds.

In short, Bernie's default is to fall back to a generalized line about the working class is getting screwed, the rich are getting rich, etc., which is once again aspirational, while Joe seems to be more focused on logistics.

My minor critique of Biden is that he could have hit Bernie more on the fact that a lot of European countries have single payer, yet the virus is getting out of control, though perhaps this was his point of repeatedly emphasizing crisis management over single payer as some sort of magical cure all.

[sprinkleeninow]

1. Good observation. eom

[TomCADem]

2. Think Bernie Was Trying Too Hard to Fit In His Single Payer Talking Points...

...and sort of missed the call of the question, which is how would you manage the current crisis. Bernie should have resisted the temptation to go to his stump speech.

[sprinkleeninow]

3. I did soften to him tonite, but you right. He on a one track.

Not that some of his proposals are bad, just not now at this point in time especially.

[Codeine]

4. The difference between believing something

and accomplishing something. The independent senator from Vermont is decidedly weak on the accomplishment front.

[TomCADem]

5. The One on One Format Suits Biden...

...it allows Biden to be more specific about his experience. Given the current pandemic, I think people want to see evidence that someone could get things done, and all Bernie can offer are these broad aspirational goals without a clear roadmap.

Biden smartly used his experience to talk logistics, which Bernie just cannot do, since the last time he had any sort of executive responsibilities was in the 1980s.

[Cha]

6. TY Joe Biden!