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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

Sigh... once again... that was his proposal in 2011. He is now running for president and is creating a childcare program which would benefit the entire country. I posted that piece of legislation only to show that he has, in fact, introduced childcare legislation. [/quote]

The point that other posters are making is that legislation is the "start" of leading an effort, but it's only potentially the start.  Very often, as I know from being a Hill staffer who crafted and introduced "platform legislation", a bill is crafted and introduced for no other reason than for a Congress member to be able to show they've done something on an issue.  The real effort and leadership comes from negotiating with the relevant committee leadership to get the bill taken under consideration and bringing other members on board to vote it out of committee and then onto the floor (these steps are based on House rules, I know the Senate works a little differently, but I think the process is similar).  Anyone can introduce a Bill, but from first-hand experience it's a lot of work to make the other stuff happen.

Again, though, I don't think anyone (well, not most people) would say Sanders is insincere on the issues.  I suspect he very much does care about affordable chilcare and early childhood education...and maybe his ideas are better than HRC's, withholding judgment on that one.  But the reality is that being an effective leader, especially in the Executive Branch and especially as the head of the EB, requires building coalitions and compromising.  Despite how many people hate and slander Clinton, she has been able to do that.  And I think that's important.  And I also did work in the Obama WH, so I know how many missed opportunities there were due to his not being able to do that (and also that his selection of Biden as VP was brilliant in that it gave him someone very close who did have that ability).  If you disagree with the assessment that this is an important quality in a candidate for POTUS, it would be great to explain why...especially since there are some posters who vehemently argue the opposite, compromise is a huge liability.[/quote]

I'm a Sanders supporter and actually think this is a reasonable argument.  I think the divergence happens with what people believe Clinton wants versus what Sanders wants, and what's compromise versus sacrifice.

To me, the ability to get things done is pretty much a toss up between the two. Much of it depends on the make up of the Congress they're working with and the political capital they get with a won election.  These days, that's not much.  [b]I just have more trust in what Sanders wants[/b]. [/quote]

NP. And that's where I get lost. I have stated so many times that Sanders biggest campaign promise "free college" is really not going to do what he wants it to (close the inequality gap). No one will respond to that issue. I don't think Sanders wants to close the gap - because I think he fully understands the implications of making public colleges tuition free. But everyone is OK with that, and that really bothers me. [/quote]

Again, it gets down to what you believe the candidate wants. I've never thought of it merely in terms of "free college" and inequality gap.  To me, a prepared workforce just makes sense as a public good and not something that is reserved only for people who can afford it, and definitely not something that hamstrings that workforce with a lifetime worth of debt.  Quality is definitely an issue, as it is with k-12, (and healthcare, and any public provision) but I really would like to start with the premise that it's possible to take your education past 12th grade.

I'd also like to see a return to vocational training with investment from the private sector and just making sure there are options for everyone to become a working, taxpaying member of society.  The "free college" canard bugs me in the same way that "death tax" and "death panels" did.[/quote]

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