Did you happen to see The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the other night?
I didn't either. I jumped off the Colbert train a long time ago. He's funny in spurts. Unfortunately, it is an hour show. He has neither Fallon's boyish charm, Letterman's wit, or Carson's presence. He is just, how would the French say, just meh?
Colbert started going up in the ratings when La Resistance discovered he would tell crude jokes about President Orange. Since then, Colbert has been all TRUMP SUCKS ALL THE TIME and it gets old.
Speaking of old, Bernie Sanders showed up and lo and behold Colbert had some "tough" questions for him. Tough being a relative term. Compare it to Letterman's grilling of Trump a few years ago (Trump complains about the lack of manufacture jobs in America and Letterman hands him one of the Trump ties sold at Macy's and asks where it was made) and it is pretty vanilla. But in today's climate you got to take what you can get.
Sanders is "officially" an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats but identifies himself as a "Democratic Socialist", which makes him the perfect candidate for The Woke Generation.
Colbert asked what it means to be a Democratic Socialist. Sanders replied:
" Well, I think it means, among other things, that if you work 40 hours a week in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, you should be earning a living wage, 15 bucks an hour. It means that we end the international disgrace of the United States being the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people as a right while we end up spending twice as much per capita on health care as any other major nation. It means that we understand that the future of this country are our young people, and that it is insane that hundreds of thousands of bright young kids cannot afford to go to college because of the income of their families, and many others are leaving school deeply in debt, and we’re going to make public colleges and universities tuition free. And it means that its global citizens, people understand we have a moral obligation to leave a healthy planet to our children and grandchildren. We’re gonna stand up to Trump, and we’re going to transform our energy system in this country away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency, and sustainable energys*. That’s what it means.”
Of course, Colbert did not ask any follow up questions. For example: Why stop at $15 bucks an hour? You just earn a "living wage" whatever that is. Why not ask for $20 dollars an hour for a "comfortable wage"? Are you afraid of people being comfortable?
What is the international disgrace: being the only major country without guaranteed health care as a right or the spending twice as much per capita on health care as any other nation? Explain how guaranteeing it as a right would control the costs. You can use the term "panels" to decide what controls to use to control the cost.
Median family income has increased by 22% from the years 1970 to 2010. The tuition at public colleges rose by over 200%. Do you find it odd that the cost rose in conjunction with federal government involvement with "student loans"? Or is just more expensive to create the next generation of socialists?
You said "We (is there a mouse in your pocket, Senator?) are gonna stand up to Trump and transform our energy system from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustaniable energies" What does that mean? Solar? Wind? An engine fueled by water? How long will this take and how much will it cost?
Sanders pointed out to Colbert that their ideas "almost without exception" are mainstream ideas supported by a vast majority of the American people. Sanders didn't offer a poll or a study to back up his assertions that a vast majority of American people want what he happens to offer. He just throws it out there like it is as plain as the nose on your face. Who wouldn't want free healthcare, free college, and really cheap energy? Except, when you get down to the nitty-gritty, people may want a little more information. They may like the idea of "free college" for themselves but not for everybody else, especially when they see the price tag.
I would also like Sanders to answer some questions about dissent.
Everybody is in favor of dissent when they are out of power. As President, what would you do to insure Ben Shapiro can give a speech at a college without needing police protection? Do you see any difference between Shapiro and Richard Spencer?
Those are just some questions I think Sanders should answer. After all, he may just luck out and win.
It has happened before.
*This was the spelling of the plural of energy in the transcript. Don't blame me.
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