John Delaney is running in a race stacked against him.
During the second Democratic primary debate, Delaney slammed “Medicare for all” as “political suicide.” Given Delaney’s centrist record, this wasn’t surprising. But surely he understands how unfavorable opposition to socialized healthcare is among the Democratic base. “Medicare for all,” legislation first introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, has been endorsed by nearly all of the Democratic candidates.
But Delaney didn’t back down: “We can give everyone healthcare and still leave room for choice,” he said when pressed by Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Delaney has proven he’s willing to take the liberals head-on. His campaign is focused on economic problems caused by globalization and automation, and he’s made it clear that he’s not interested in partisan squabbles.
“You need a villain in politics,” Delaney told Politico last year. “My villain is partisan politics. It’s destroying our ability to govern.”
Delaney is right, but the Democrats don’t care. He’s too much like the Democratic establishment that ran to the center following George McGovern’s defeat to Richard Nixon in 1972. McGovern was too liberal, Democrats concluded, and they’ve attempted to steer clear of McGovernism ever since. But not anymore. Now, they’re running straight toward the anti-establishment, leftist policies that make McGovern’s platform seem tame.
Delaney rejects the idea that he’s a centrist, telling Politico his “instincts are clearly progressive.” But when it comes to the issues that matter, such as healthcare, Delaney is indeed a centrist, and he spent much of the debate pressing the point home. And the other candidates have made it clear they’re not interested in moderation, let alone reason.
