Joe Biden says he’s the McConnell whisperer; he can get his agenda through the Senate by playing an inside game. Bernie Sanders is Mr. Outside; he claims “the revolution” will force McConnell to give in. Elizabeth Warren thinks both approaches are necessary. Who’s right?
Let’s put it this way–McConnell didn’t give in even in the face of an economic crisis and 60 Democrats in the Senate in 2009, and it ultimately paid off for him and his party. Does anyone seriously believe he can be persuaded to behave differently with a majority in the Senate and 3.5 percent unemployment?
None of the candidates is persuasive on this issue, barring a national calamity and a highly unlikely Democratic sweep in November. That operates in favor of Biden, whose political identity, unlike the others, is not tied to dramatic changes in the system.