Looking Closer

by Deacon Blues

I’m not asking people to support me because I’m a woman. I’m asking people to support me because I think I’m the most qualified, experienced, and ready person to be the president and the commander in chief.
--Hillary last night, undoing some of the damage done by her surrogates

Last night's debate in Wisconsin between Hillary and Bernie did little to change minds or get one side's supporters to switch to the other side. The main purpose for Hillary was to stop Sanders' momentum and any further erosion in her support. For Hillary, she succeeded. Yes, she knocked Sanders around on foreign policy and went a little far on questioning his support of Obama. But last night was a good night for her, especially when she showed how clueless Bernie is on foreign policy. Voting "no" on Iraq doesn't demonstrate you are Commander in Chief material.

Sanders for his part made his economic arguments again with relish, and scored again in his attacks on Wall Street's influence over our government. But if politicians are compromised by getting corporate money, what does it say about Sanders and Google, or Elizabeth Warren's receipt of Wall Street money? And Sanders' feeble responses on foreign policy weren't helped by his fib about Hillary on meeting with our enemies. He scored with his attacks against Henry Kissenger, but then most of his supporters have no idea who the hell he is.

We're at the stage of the campaign where both sides will be treated now to the same level of scrutiny that Hillary has experienced since Day One. It will be asked why no one questions Sanders' elevated voice yet Hillary is "screaming". The price tag for his revolution on health care and college, or his immigration proposals will hopefully get the same attention she has gotten on, well, everything.

Relative equals get the same treatment, or at least they should.