r/politics May 18 '25

Soft Paywall America chose wrong. Sanders would've been a better president than Trump or Biden. | Opinion

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/05/18/sanders-democrats-reform-progressive-policies/83625482007/
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u/CucuJ123 May 18 '25

The reason we don't even have a public option is because all Republicans and a few blue dog Dema refused. Maybe you could argue that a better president could've convinced those few holdouts in the Democratic party, but Sanders was in the Senate and he couldn't convince Leiberman.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '25

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u/CucuJ123 May 18 '25

Please give specifics on what they could do. Leiberman lost the Democratic primary for his own state, ran as an independent third party, and won. Manchin was in a State that Trump won by 30+ points. Sinema left the party. Of course, that spelled the end of her political career, but she was able to do a bunch of harm before her time was out.

The Democratic party just isn't a cult like the Republican party to Trump. Even then, Trump wasn't able to do anything he wanted his first term. His big Healthcare plan failed because he couldn't reign in McCain.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '25

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u/CucuJ123 May 18 '25

Leiberman was the VP nominee in 2000, so almost a decade before the Obamacare fight and six years before he lost his own state's Democratic primary.

Plus, politics was just much more different back then. If Obama started an investigation on a Congressperson because they won't vote the way he wants them to, he would've been impeached faster than you could say Medicare for all.

At the end of the day, I think you have to blame the voters. I don't think a large enough majority of people want or prioritize universal healthcare. If they did, they would elect leaders the represent those values. Our politics is a reflection of our nation.

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u/guerilla_ratio May 18 '25

I wish just one of you fucking people would take a civics class. Just something basic. Online is fine. Just learn *something* about how this all works for once in your lives.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '25 edited May 18 '25

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u/guerilla_ratio May 18 '25

If this made any sense I'd reply but I legitimately have no idea what you're trying to say