Hey all,
Here’s our next edition of the Caucus Power Rankings. As a reminder, here’s where we are right now:
- 8: Michael Bennet
- 9: Deval Patrick
- T-10: Tulsi Gabbard
- T-10: Mike Bloomberg
- 12: John Delaney
Arguments For:
Josh — #8 — I’m pretty sure Michael Bennet wins the award for highest profile presidential candidate to have the lowest profile. For a Senator from a swing state like Colorado, you would think he’d be getting a harder look from the electorate, but he has struggled immensely to gain traction. Yet again, we’re in the neutral tier of candidates. The former chief of staff for (then Denver Mayor) John Hickenlooper, Bennet has served in the Senate since 2009. He outperformed Hillary in Colorado in 2016, and he serves on committees related to Agriculture, Finance, and Intelligence. He’s been a leader on gun control efforts in the Senate, and he cosponsored the DREAM Act back in 2009. And, my personal favorite, he introduced a bill in December 2019 with Mitt Romney that would essentially be a basic income plan for kids. He seems like a pretty middle of the road Senator, but the swing state Democrat from Colorado just hasn’t gotten traction.
Sam — #8 — Michael Bennet might be my favorite candidate that I have a neutral opinion about. What a title to hold. I understand that doesn’t make sense. I spose a better way to put it is he’s won of my favorite public officials in terms of what he’s done for progressive causes in the US Senate. As Josh noted, Senator Bennet has represented the Centennial State since 2009, appointed to the Senate at the high-water mark of the Obama era. Bennett has been considered a workhorse of the Senate, completing much of the legwork for bills in the upper chamber of Capitol Hill. In November 2009 during senate debate regarding healthcare legislation that would eventually result in the Affordable Care Act, Bennett publicly noted that he would support healthcare reform even if it resulted in losing his seat. Understanding where to make a stand on generational legislation is an excellent skill to have. Along with the policy proposals Josh noted above, Bennett has proposed “Medicare X” as his proposed healthcare reformed. Is short, his plan would keep the Obamacare exchange, keep Medicare as itself, and Medicare X, a public option modeled after Medicare. While its not the greatest campaign proposal that will get folks knocking doors, it would honestly be a step forward if it were signed into law. Also dear to me, Bennett is a cosponsor of bills increasing investment in carbon capture research and design, and is a cosponsor to increase and instating lasting funding for the Land and Water Conservation Act, aiding national parks and public lands and supporting $887 billion American outdoor recreation economy.
Arguments Against:
Josh — In the Democratic debates, he frequently cites Medicare-for-All as a pipe dream and dismisses any attempt at real structural changes to our healthcare system, instead advocating for more incremental steps to broaden health coverage. Further, he supported the Keystone XL pipeline, and he cosponsored a bill in July 2017 that would make it a federal crime for Americans to participate in boycotts against the Israeli government, furthering the bipartisan consensus on pro-Israel rhetoric without adequate support for Palestinians. He’s a fairly middle of the road Democrat, and he has not garnered nearly enough attention to still be in this race.
Sam — Political pragmatism is Bennet’s strength on Capital Hill, but it also is his weakness on the campaign trail in Iowa and New Hampshire. Why? Because he simply can’t break through torrent of news stories and media narratives by saying Medicare-for-All. Additionally, Bennet’s support for the Keystone XL pipeline and general support for the fossil fuel industry, Additionally, In 2016 Bennett also came out in opposition to local bans against fracking. These fossil fuel policies are probably as necessary in Colorado as supporting corn and beans in Iowa, but they don’t fly as well in the democratic primary. At least not until Colorado is first in the nation. Overall, Bennet seems to have picked the wrong time with the wrong political weather bearing to run for president. Colorado is become more blue than purple, his candidacy is somewhat progressive to fairly moderate in a field that has more moderates than the media covers, and he was one of 5 major candidates from the West. He wasn’t even the only vanilla, white, middle-aged man with solid political credentials from Colorado. At least former Governor John Hickenlooper had the foresight to drop out months ago to run for a winner Senate seat. Maybe Bennet should consider positioning himself to take back the senate and reclaim the gavels of his committees.
Purple State Progressive 