A Republican in the Democratic Realm
Published in El País
(Spain) on 28 November 2019
by Ramón Lobo (link to original)
It will only take someone, man or woman, with credibility and courage to retake the banner of truth over proclamations and lies.
Elizabeth Warren argues that Michael Bloomberg is running for president of the United States under the wrong party, that his is the Republican party. This is not a rival’s wisecrack to further her campaign for the nomination, which has lost some momentum since October. Bloomberg belonged to the Republican Party from 2001 to 2007 and supported George W. Bush's election. He is a fiscal conservative (the markets are in charge) and a conservative on foreign policy. He is pro-Israel and pro-Saudi Arabia, and he supported the invasion of Iraq. What seems like a weakness could be an advantage against Donald Trump, a candidate capable of attracting moderate votes from both sides. Bloomberg’s campaign logo includes the colors of both parties, red and blue. First, he will have to win in the Democratic nomination. He has an enormous amount of money, something that is essential in such a long campaign, but he also needs votes.
Joe Biden, the Democratic machine's man, who supported Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders, is politically dead. Iowa and New Hampshire can testify to it. He is not the man one calls on to excite the masses. He is the typical product of Washington, easy prey for someone like Trump. The most left-wing Democratic candidates (similar to the present Spanish Socialist Workers' Party under Pedro Sánchez) are leading the polls. Within this group, Bernie Sanders is starting to overtake Warren, the result of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's support.
Barack Obama, another centrist, says the country is not prepared for such a democratic socialist agenda and that the key is to be cautious — not to scare the average voter. Among moderate candidates, Beto O'Rourke, the hope of many, has failed, and Kamala Harris is not taking off.* However, the astonishing Pete Buttigieg, a veteran of Afghanistan, gay and young, remains in the running and is becoming increasingly better positioned. He is 37 years old, 40 years younger than Bloomberg, and he is less conservative. He could be a big surprise at the start of the primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, and he has the prestige of having served his country in a war.
What profile and what agenda can defeat Trump? Analysts are with Obama: Democrats need a centrist with social sensitivity. There is still a lot of time left, but the key roles are beginning to be defined. The battle will be fought in 12 states. Buttigieg is from Indiana (Bloomberg is from New York), so he has more opportunity to connect with real America. His only problem in the conservative Midwest is his homosexuality, a minor matter compared to Trump. The impeachment process may be used to bring an X-ray view of the White House to the average voter. The slogan is no longer "Yes We Can" but more like “Saving Private Ryan,” and we are that private. It will only take someone, man or woman, with credibility and courage to retake the banner of truth over proclamations and lies. Democracy itself is at stake.
*Editor’s note: Kamala Harris suspended her campaign for president on Dec. 3, 2019.
Elizabeth Warren argues that Michael Bloomberg is running for president of the United States under the wrong party, that his is the Republican party. This is not a rival’s wisecrack to further her campaign for the nomination, which has lost some momentum since October. Bloomberg belonged to the Republican Party from 2001 to 2007 and supported George W. Bush's election. He is a fiscal conservative (the markets are in charge) and a conservative on foreign policy. He is pro-Israel and pro-Saudi Arabia, and he supported the invasion of Iraq. What seems like a weakness could be an advantage against Donald Trump, a candidate capable of attracting moderate votes from both sides. Bloomberg’s campaign logo includes the colors of both parties, red and blue. First, he will have to win in the Democratic nomination. He has an enormous amount of money, something that is essential in such a long campaign, but he also needs votes.
Joe Biden, the Democratic machine's man, who supported Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders, is politically dead. Iowa and New Hampshire can testify to it. He is not the man one calls on to excite the masses. He is the typical product of Washington, easy prey for someone like Trump. The most left-wing Democratic candidates (similar to the present Spanish Socialist Workers' Party under Pedro Sánchez) are leading the polls. Within this group, Bernie Sanders is starting to overtake Warren, the result of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's support.
Barack Obama, another centrist, says the country is not prepared for such a democratic socialist agenda and that the key is to be cautious — not to scare the average voter. Among moderate candidates, Beto O'Rourke, the hope of many, has failed, and Kamala Harris is not taking off.* However, the astonishing Pete Buttigieg, a veteran of Afghanistan, gay and young, remains in the running and is becoming increasingly better positioned. He is 37 years old, 40 years younger than Bloomberg, and he is less conservative. He could be a big surprise at the start of the primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, and he has the prestige of having served his country in a war.
What profile and what agenda can defeat Trump? Analysts are with Obama: Democrats need a centrist with social sensitivity. There is still a lot of time left, but the key roles are beginning to be defined. The battle will be fought in 12 states. Buttigieg is from Indiana (Bloomberg is from New York), so he has more opportunity to connect with real America. His only problem in the conservative Midwest is his homosexuality, a minor matter compared to Trump. The impeachment process may be used to bring an X-ray view of the White House to the average voter. The slogan is no longer "Yes We Can" but more like “Saving Private Ryan,” and we are that private. It will only take someone, man or woman, with credibility and courage to retake the banner of truth over proclamations and lies. Democracy itself is at stake.
*Editor’s note: Kamala Harris suspended her campaign for president on Dec. 3, 2019.
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