THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE PROUD

Last night’s Democratic party debate on CNN looked and sounded like a civics class project at a liberal arts college. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders addressed differences without accusations. Gone was any subtext of scandal or treachery. Just differences of opinion, and reasons why.

To the extent anyone got called out, it was the Republicans whose frat party food fights had set up the opportunity to simply play it straight and let viewers draw their own conclusions.

Hillary did a great job when asked about her most admired President. It was Lincoln, who fought the bloodiest war in U.S. history, freed a vast population of slave labor, all the while investing in the country’s future — land grant colleges and a national railroad system.

Her explanation demonstrated a deep understanding of the job she wants. With the possible exceptions of Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz, no other candidate in either party has the chops to do that. And neither Sanders nor Cruz could pull off the central presidential task she credited to Lincoln — cobbling together legislative majorities to accomplish his big four.

I admire both candidates, but since I can only choose one, I’m voting for Hillary.