Has Hillary Clinton Become a Better Candidate Because of Bernie Sanders?

[Frodo]

Compare Hillary Clinton of 2015 with the candidate we see now -do you think Bernie Sanders has made her into a better candidate?  And will it payoff for her in November when she faces off with Donald Trump?  

[SillyAmerican]

No, and no: Hillary is still an awful candidate that is the epitome of what voters feel is wrong with our elected officials (establishment, unlikable, untrustworthy, dishonest, corrupt, etc. etc.) Bernie hasn't done anything to improve that, nor has he done anything to point those things out. Trump is going to have a field day highlighting her many deficiencies. At the end of the day, it may not be enough to prevent her from winning the presidency, but no one will be able to say they didn't know what they were getting...

[RaphaelDLG]

Question:  does Bernie forcing Clinton to come out against the TPP help her against Trump, an anti-trade candidate

[ag]

Yes, of course. This has kept her in shape.

[Dr. Arch]

Yes, of course. This has kept her in shape.

[Holmes]

Yes, especially after losing New Hampshire, forcing her to reshape her message.

[Catholics vs. Convicts]

Yep. I thank Bernie and his supporters for keeping the pressure on. She will be strong in the general for it

[Yan]

Of course. Not only has Clinton had to sharpen her edge as a campaigner and debater, Sanders has also given her an actual platform to run on instead of "invoke Obama and pray to Sweet Jesus it works".

[KingSweden]

Yep. I thank Bernie and his supporters for keeping the pressure on. She will be strong in the general for it

[Nichlemn]

Nah. When was the last time we said the opposite, "oh man, this candidate would have done so much better had he/she faced a tough primary?"

For sure, it's not all bad to have a serious primary challenge, but there are a lot of advantages to not having one. She could have pivoted to the general election long ago, which meant she could have avoided being forced into saying anything that could be perceived as too liberal, and then spent her time attacking the Republicans and fundraising/organising for the general.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

[Admiral Kizaru]

Yep. I thank Bernie and his supporters for keeping the pressure on. She will be strong in the general for it

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Also, thanks to Bernie we won't have another triangulating school uniform supporting centrist Clinton presidency. Clinton has been forced left to put down the Sandernistas and we should thank them for that. The overton window has been shifting to the right dangerously as the 'moderates' in the Republican party  today were the radical nuts of 10 years ago. I am glad that someone is pulling the Democratic party leftwards to match it somewhat.

[Xing]

Absolutely. She's much more aware of her potential vulnerabilities in a GE, and more prepared to deal with them. Also, Sanders has excited a lot of voters, and assuming that he still plays a part at the convention, and campaigns for Clinton, she'll end up with more support than she would have had if the nomination had just been a coronation.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Also, thanks to Bernie we won't have another triangulating school uniform supporting centrist Clinton presidency. Clinton has been forced left to put down the Sandernistas and we should thank them for that. The overton window has been shifting to the right dangerously as the 'moderates' in the Republican party  today were the radical nuts of 10 years ago. I am glad that someone is pulling the Democratic party leftwards to match it somewhat.

LOL, feinting left during the primaries won't determine what sort of Presidency Hillary has.

[Virginiá]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

[Antonio the Sixth]

Maybe. I certainly hope so, for America's sake.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

Can you post anything that isn't a rehashed talking point? It's starting to worry me.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

Can you post anything that isn't a rehashed talking point? It's starting to worry me.

It's not a talking point that I've been rather disappointed with Obama and there's no hope that Hillary would be any better. Or even as good.

[Santander]

Better candidate? Yes
Better person? No

[SillyAmerican]

Also, thanks to Bernie we won't have another triangulating school uniform supporting centrist Clinton presidency. Clinton has been forced left to put down the Sandernistas and we should thank them for that. The overton window has been shifting to the right dangerously as the 'moderates' in the Republican party  today were the radical nuts of 10 years ago. I am glad that someone is pulling the Democratic party leftwards to match it somewhat.

Yeah. I thought the question was whether Clinton was made a better candidate, not whether Bernie has influenced her.

For those who haven't seen it, the SNL sketch says it all:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3iBb1gvehI

[Blair]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

Opposes social security privatization.
Opposes private prisons.
Supports caps on drug prices, and shipping them from Canada
Supports raising the minimum wage.
Supports the Buffet Rule

Please tell me how Hillary is 'neoliberal', like it's not even an accurate description. To claim that her economics are neo-liberal is simply incorrect. Neoliberal is such a stupid word to use

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

Opposes social security privatization.
Opposes private prisons.
Supports caps on drug prices, and shipping them from Canada
Supports raising the minimum wage.
Supports the Buffet Rule

Please tell me how Hillary is 'neoliberal', like it's not even an accurate description. To claim that her economics are neo-liberal is simply incorrect. Neoliberal is such a stupid word to use

Opposes reinstating Glass Steagall. Had the DNC reverse Obama's ban on taking lobbyist money. Her healthcare plan is "No we can't", opposes any real universal healthcare plan. Called TPP the gold standard until she had to feint left for the primary. Privately lobbied for the Columbia trade deal while publicly opposing it. Supported NAFTA until she ran for President the first time. Pushed countries around the world to frack. Supported the right-wing coup in Honduras. Doesn't support any real reining in of Wall Street; her "cut it out" clearly didn't work. Supported welfare reform. Supported telecommuncations deregulation. Should I go on?

[Blair]

No, and she's just feinting left for the primaries.

Heh, tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night I guess

Oh yeah, it totally helps me sleep to know that the Democrats will most likely be nominating a total neoliberal hawk.

Opposes social security privatization.
Opposes private prisons.
Supports caps on drug prices, and shipping them from Canada
Supports raising the minimum wage.
Supports the Buffet Rule

Please tell me how Hillary is 'neoliberal', like it's not even an accurate description. To claim that her economics are neo-liberal is simply incorrect. Neoliberal is such a stupid word to use

Opposes reinstating Glass Steagall. Had the DNC reverse Obama's ban on taking lobbyist money. Her healthcare plan is "No we can't", opposes any real universal healthcare plan. Called TPP the gold standard until she had to feint left for the primary. Privately lobbied for the Columbia trade deal while publicly opposing it. Supported NAFTA until she ran for President the first time. Pushed countries around the world to frack. Supported the right-wing coup in Honduras. Doesn't support any real reining in of Wall Street; her "cut it out" clearly didn't work. Supported welfare reform. Supported telecommuncations deregulation. Should I go on?

How does that make her a neoliberal? I'm not saying that she's perfect on the economy, but purely supporting NAFTA doesn't automatically make you neoliberal, neither does supporting a right coup in Honduras