Bring It On

(Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr/cc)

Bring It On

No wonder Trump is afraid — a debate with Bernie Sanders would show who’s really on the side of working people.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/05/trump-sanders-debate-populism-kimmel/

Last week, Donald Trump told late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel that he would debate Bernie Sanders, so long as ABC agreed to make a hefty donation to charity. It was a joke, but the Sanders campaign responded seriously -- bring it on.

Less than a full day after Sanders accepted his challenge, Trump announced he wouldn't take part. I don't debate losers, Trump explained.

The prospect of a Trump-Sanders debate slipped away, at least for the time being. But in the twenty-four hours when it seemed a possibility, people of all political stripes understood that pitting the two anti-establishment candidates against one another would be a significant political event.

Granted, some liberal commentators were quick to dismiss the proposed debate as nothing more than a distraction. Of course, this objection fits their pattern of painting Sanders's continued participation in the Democratic race as a irresponsible breach of party etiquette, potentially destructive to Hillary Clinton's chances in the general election.

But the country needs a Trump-Sanders debate, if only to show the increasingly out-of-touch punditry what most ordinary voters already know -- the two candidates may rail against the same broken system, but they're not "making the same pitch," as the Washington Postclaims. A huge chasm separates Trump's politics from Sanders's.

Read the full article at Jacobin.

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

© 2023 Jacobin