Subject: If Bernie wins Iowa
From: Brent Budowsky <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2016 12:16:19 +0000

John, I regard Iowa as a 50-50 proposition, but if Bernie wins Iowa it is crucial that HRC respond in the smartest way, which is NOT to attack Bernie on issues many or most Democrats believe in.

There are ways she can move in a progressive direction.  For example, on health care, instead of ridiculing single payer, she can support a public option.  Obama at least said he supported that, so she can praise him when she supports a public option if she insists on hyping praise for him.  While I support bringing back a version of Glass-Steagall, she can at least support the Wall Street speculation transaction tax that Bernie would use for his free public college, and use that revenue for another liberal purpose such as raising social security benefits or dramatically expanding Pell grants or a similar education program.  This serves two purposes, less Wall Street image and more progressive.

She could have a high profile meeting with Joe Stiglitz on economic policy, emerge with a new economic initiative or high visibility for an existing policy that she is not being given credit for, and in a perfect world state that he would have an important place in a Clinton administration.  Implying or directly stating CEA.

I have been trying to warn for a year about the problems that have caused much of her current dilemma.  Tactical arguments such as electability are neither inspiring or justified by data right now and attacking Bernie over issues liberals support alienates many liberals far more than the campaign realizes.

There are smart ways to proceed, meeting Bernie in the middle without compromising any core principles.....a candidate with her comparatively high negative and trust ratings is not well advised to overplay the negative politics.  

I have spent a lot of time praising Bernie so ultimately I would have some credibility with his supporters when I urge them to support Hillary in the general election....the growing ill-will that comes from them with these negative attacks on his progressivism will lead many of them, especially young voters and first time participants in politics, to stay home in November.

The ideas I suggest above offer a better way.  Brent

Sent from my iPad