Back To The Sixties With The Democratic Debate

The Democratic presidential candidates’ debate has reportedly given Republicans some good material to work with. None of the debating Democratic candidates could bring themselves to criticize “radical Islam,” even as Paris still smolders. And Hillary Cinton proudly identified herself with the 1960’s, looking back, in her words, “a long time ago” to those golden years of student protest, rather than looking forward, a contrast Marco Rubio has jumped on.

Indeed, Bernie Sanders is a relic of Sixties radicalism. The same could be said of much of the Democratic agenda (student protests! give peace a chance! bring back the Great Society programs! free birth control pills! legalize marijuana!). Some of us remember those days fondly, but can this mindset help us navigate today’s problems a half century later? Like ISIS?

From Abby Phillip and David Weigel, Clinton’s debate performance leaves trail of fodder for political adversaries – The Washington Post:

It was not a tricky question, but Hillary Rodham Clinton found a way to make it so. Toward the end of the latest Democratic presidential debate over the weekend, she was asked about the rash of campus protests and whether she would encourage more of them. Clinton, who had plenty of stories of her work with activists, decided to go with biography.

“I come from the ’60s, a long time ago,” she told moderator John Dickerson. “There was a lot of activism on campus.”

Republicans spotted an opportunity. A spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) demonstrated just how easily a 44-year-old Cuban American could outflank a 68-year-old baby boomer.

“Debate recap,” tweeted Rubio spokesman Alex Conant. “Clinton: ‘I come from the 60s, a long time ago.’ Marco: ‘This election is about the future.’ ”. . .

She and other Democrats on the stage refused to say the words “radical Islam,” another moment immediately seized upon by Republicans. Then she invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to defend herself against a critique of her alleged cozy relationship with Wall Street from Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) — and was roundly criticized on Twitter.

Finally, as the debate came to a close, Clinton delivered the made-for-TV sound bite about the ’60s, pegging herself as the opposite of the fresh face that many voters are looking for.