Presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden offered up two new policy planks Thursday, a seeming conciliatory gesture towards supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who suspended his campaign a day previously.
I think an earlier Medicare buy-in is a sensible idea. But Iâd like to see us reach beyond sensible for something sensationalâŚlike basic health care coverage for everybody. This is a huge tragedy and we have managed to make good things happen after past tragedies, like the Depression and WW2. How many people shied away from getting medical attention during this period for lack of resources/job loss? Thatâs unfortunate in normal circumstances, potentially deadly in a pandemic. And in any case, itâs insane that we havenât decoupled health insurance from jobs this far into the 21st century.
Wonder if Sanders would take Labor Secretary if offered? Announce it sooner than later if so, and that could help get some Bernie supporters on the Biden train, I would think.
There is nothing preventing us from indulging in âsensationalâ ideas. Except Republicans.
Biden appears to be using the pandemic to get us closer to that ideal. I donât think the GOP will be able to mount their usual array of histrionics at this point.
Not a bad idea.
At least Biden can admit he needs to EARN votes. Baby steps are good.
Canât say as much for most of the folks here, unfortunately.
Itâs a good move by Joe. Iâm pretty sure there are (or will be) a lot of GOP governors who rue the day they didnât increase Medicaid now. I also like the idea of mitigating education-related debt, but wish I could get some money back for financing my youngunâs edjumakation. 
Weâve been decoupling retirement financing from jobs for quite some time now via IRAs, 401(k)s, etcetera, while some companies still provide pensions reduced from past offerings. Some unions (such as the Teamsters) took on the task of retirement plans, if I understand things correctly. If we decouple healthcare from jobs, then someone has to enforce the transfer of the healthcare cost from corporations into the pockets of the employees, so that the employee can supply the money into a private healthcare account, but donât make that look like additional income unless you reduce the tax rate or get tax reduced based on money going into a healthcare account.
Yeah, youâre a regular love-fest, bubby.
In all fairness, Sanders couldnât earn the vote of Sanders supporters, either.
Iâve been reading a good bit of âstuffâ on Warrenâs influence and the impression sheâs making on Biden. Progressives will get something out of this. And itâs also why Iâm not too bent on Bernie conceding. The message is what matters and if Biden comes around to a more progressive outlook (before corporate America gets a strangle hold of the new administration) it will be a win. And then hopefully the conversation will finally change.
Yeah.
Unbelievable that she has to do all this just to bring science to bear on public health.
Correction: Almost unbelievable Not unbelievable at all.
Ideally, weâll have both houses of Congress in November 2020. Ideally.
Wel, we peeple r dum.
I never in my wildest dreams believed that a deadly virus could be politicized. Iâm pretty sure there werenât any âvirus truthersâ in l9l8-19.
Oh, you just know there were! And we can discuss them.
And do you remember Gerald Fordâs campaign to fight âswine fluâ in the '70s? There were âtruthersâ then as well, plus a few humorous asides â such as when the nationâs pig farmers objected to the nomenclature and demanded that the infection be known as âNew Jersey fluâ instead.
Anyhow, I have to go now. Have a great evening.
Notable in my mind is Bidenâs style and tone. Biden mounts an articulate and genuine appeal to Sanders supporters. While policy differences remain, the poetic policy pronouncements, like all campaigns are made, are not far away from adamant policy goals.
People may be surprised to find out that most of Bernieâs supporters, and Bernie himself, donât really care at the end of the day who gets it done or who gets the credit. They just want results. Thatâs the âUsâ part of âNot Me, Us.â
Oooooh, thatâs gonna leave a mark. If they were self-awareâŚ