A Fired Up Hillary Clinton Takes The High Road And Stresses A Debate Of Ideas With Sanders

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Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:53 pm

Image: MSNBC

Image: MSNBC

Fresh off of her narrow win in the Iowa caucus, 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in an interview that she respects this primary process and looks forward to the “contest of ideas.” Clinton contrasted the Democratic issue-oriented primary with the Republicans having a contest to see who can insult the most people, “We’re going to be talking about and arguing about issues on our side, they’re going to keep insulting each other on the Republican side.”

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Transcript courtesy of MSNBC (in part and with edits):

Clinton expressed her excitement about the CNN forum Wednesday evening and the upcoming MSNBC Democratic candidate debate in New Hampshire:

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I’m really happy we’ve got a forum on CNN tomorrow night. We’ve got your MSNBC debate on Thursday night, which will give us a chance to reach a larger audience. But I’m going to be there day after day between now and Tuesday. I respect this primary process. I know how seriously people take it. And I just want them to understand what I’m offering, what I believe we can do.

Matthews expressed alarm over Senator Sanders being a “socialist” and calling for a political revolution:

MATTHEWS: I know you’ve been saying nice things about your only opponent now. It’s really a battle since Martin O’Malley, Governor O’Malley has withdrawn. It’s a two-person race. The only person, and I’m going to say this bluntly — the only person between a confirmed socialist who’s calling for political revolution in this country, winning the nomination of the Democratic party, which has always been more moderate than that, is you.

Matthews pulled out the Republican argument of how do you compete with someone who is offering free toys to voters:

MATTHEWS: How do you beat a person who’s coming along in the primaries, however, who’s saying, I’m going to give you all the things you want, free tuition, more social security benefits without an increase in your taxes, healthcare from birth to death, all government paid. How do you compete with a revolution of promises, really?

Clinton expressed excitement over the young people involved on the Democratic side and then pivoted to what is at stake: Now allowing Republicans to “rip away the progress we’ve made,” noting the Supreme Court is at issue as well.

CLINTON: We can’t let the Republicans rip away the progress we’ve made. We can’t let them go back to trickle-down economics, repeal the affordable care act, we can’t let them stack the supreme court for another generation against common sense kind of changes that we need. We’ve got to get back to the middle, we’ve got to get back to the big center, we’ve got to get back to solving problems.

While embracing the “contest of ideas” between Democratic candidates, she touted herself as the person who has gotten things done and has a track record of results:

CLINTON: I know how hard this is and I totally appreciate how exciting it can be to be involved in a campaign that really just puts out these great big ideas. But I want folks to stop and think, no matter what age you are, OK, we agree on getting the economy going. We agree on raising incomes, we agree on combating climate change, we agree on universal coverage.

Who has the track record? Who’s gotten the results? Who can actually produce the kind of change you want for yourself and your family and for our country? So I’m very energized about this because I like a contest of ideas. That’s what politics should be about. We’re going to be talking about and arguing about issues on our side, they’re going to keep insulting each other on the Republican side, but the goal for any sensible American has to be, do not turn the white house over to the Republicans in November. Do not turn the supreme court further over to their nominees. We can’t let that happen.

Matthews pointed out that Clinton was offering a lesson in civics and then went on a bit of a rant about Sen. Bernie Sanders not being taught about how the system works and how there isn’t going to be a revolution (probably not the best thing to say if indeed he doesn’t want one):

MATTHEWS: But in every case, you had to battle Republicans who voted against it to the last person. And it’s always been a tough fight. You need 60 votes in the senate, you need, what is it, 218 in the house, and if you don’t have it, nothing gets done. The Bernie people need to be taught, not him, he won’t be taught — the kids behind him need to be told, this is how it works in our system. You can call for revolution, but it ain’t going to happen. There isn’t going to be a revolution. There’s going to be an election, an inauguration, and then there’s going to be a congress sitting with you you’ve got to do business with, no matter who gets elected. You don’t have to worry about logic anymore, just, I’m going to have a revolution and pay for everything.

But interestingly, Clinton didn’t bite at this easy attack on Sanders. Instead, she said that she didn’t think the American people could wait, essentially tying herself to the liberal and progressive causes:

CLINTON: Well, where I come out on this is, I don’t think our country or the American people can wait. I don’t think they can wait for better jobs with rising incomes, getting prescription drug costs down. I think people want to vote for somebody who is going to get in there on the first day, knows how to do the job, is prepared to do the job, and gets to work. And I will give everything I’ve got to make sure that we preserve the progress we’ve made, because you’re right, it is hard fought.

Clinton said what Republicans have made obvious any time they have been in the minority in recent years — our system is designed for incremental change:

CLINTON: Our system is set up to make it difficult. Checks and balances, separation of powers — our founders knew that if we were going to survive as a great democracy that they were creating, we had to have a system that kept the passions at bay. We had to have people who were willing to roll up their sleeves and compromise. We couldn’t have idealogues who were just hurling their rhetoric back and forth. We had to actually produce results. That hasn’t changed since George Washington. We’ve got to produce results now because a democracy is a fragile organism, Chris. People have to believe they have a stake in it, that their voices count, that their votes count.

But then they’ve got to see results from their investment in our democracy. Our democracy has to work better, our economy has to work better, our politics has to work better. That’s what I know how to do and that’s what we have to get done in this election.

This was a great interview for Hillary Clinton. She managed to embrace progress and liberal ideas (nothing new for her) while at the same time selling herself as the pragmatist and realist who can get things done. Clinton did not take easy digs at Sanders, in spite of their close battle last night and upcoming battle in his neighboring state, where he is favored.

Democrats can be proud of having two candidates who are both committed to progressive and liberal ideals. It is just a matter of approach and minor policy disagreements at this point And after that, who can get it done and who can win the general election.

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