Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, running for President as a Democrat, released a few new web ads this afternoon.
In one, titled “Social Security” Sanders channels his inner Charlton Heston in suggesting that efforts by “Republicans, and some Democrats” to “cut cost-of-living-adjustments” for Social Security would happen “over their dead bodies.” An appeal to seniors, but with a clear attempt at separating his plans from that of traditional Democrats. Nonethless, a tact similar to Democratic rote campagining.
COLAs, as they’re known, occur automatically when certain circumstances are met and are tied to an inflation index maintained by the Department of Labor. What Sanders is referring to are efforts to use a different index (the chained consumer price index, or CPI-U) instead of the currently used consumer price index or CPI-W. That change, which even President Obama has backed (but later dropped) could result in a smaller measure of inflation, and a smaller upward adjustment in Social Security payments to account for inflation. Predicting inflation is something even economists have trouble with, but to Sanders, adopting chained CPI is “a cut.” It’s worth noting that when there is deflation, the benefits for Social Security recipients do not drop, but remain at the previous year’s level.
Another ad, titled “Mari” features a Vermont nurse by the name of Mari Cordes, a member of National Nurses United. The Sanders campaign bills this ad as Mari telling us “why Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who understands how much pharmaceutical companies are ripping off the public and that he WILL stand up to Big Pharma.” National Nurses United is an AFL-CIO affiliated union, comprised mainly of social activists who happen to be mostly government nurses. The group is well known to Capitol Hill staff for their sporadic protests. The group has officially endorsed Sanders, but this ad is an attempt to normalize a far-left fringe group that even traditional Democrats have ignored and make Sanders appear reasonable. (Look! They’re nurses, just like us!)
Sanders begs the question in “The Bottom 100 Million” when he opens with “Is the economy rigged?” and tells you, yes, he does think it’s rigged. Why? Because “the 15 richest Americans acquired more wealth in two years than the bottom 100 million people combined.” Rest assured, Bernie’s Plan is to make sure that the “Wall Street Banks and the ultra rich pay their fair share of taxes.” How? Well, 30 seconds isn’t enough, but be sure to tune into the next Democratic debate on January 17 on NBC to find out.
In “Working Families” Sanders again answers the question he poses in “The Bottom 100 Million”: the economy is rigged! Takeaway? “If you work 40 hours a week, you should not live in poverty.” How? Who knows. But that’s what this campaign is about, says Sanders. He also echos a claim made by Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman that the average family is bringing home $4,000 less than they did five years ago. Only Sanders takes the claim back further to 1999, which includes a larger decline in average family size, the dot com bust, and the most recent recession. (In actuality, the figure might actually be greater than $4,000.)
While Sanders has been bringing in lots of small donations from many donors, surpassing Barack Obama’s feat in 2008, it’s not clear whether the campaign will air the ads on television in the near future or only use them online.
Here, Sanders is picking a few select issues (entitlement reform, healthcare-for-all, income inequality, and wage stagnation) and using them to build a counter image to contrast with Hillary Clinton, who has tried, and will continue to try to triangulate herself in a way to mute the rise of Bernie. Clearly, Bernie can’t wage a war on all fronts, but he’s beginning to choose his battles.
You can watch the ads here.
This post has been updated.
