米大統領選の民主党候補選出予備選で、政治経済改革に最も先鋭的なサンダース氏が序盤戦3州において地滑り的大勝を挙げたため、第4戦目のサウスカロライナ州予備選を29日に控えた同州チャールストンでの候補者討論会で負け組から嫉妬の集中砲火を浴びた。サンダース氏の社会保険医療改革と教育改革、地球環境問題への取り組みが大胆かつ野心的であるため、財源問題を中心に、それでは現職のトランプ大統領に勝てないと、現実的、常識的アプローチからの批判に終始した。しかし、特権層優遇の現状政治への改革に意欲を示さないなら、何も大統領選に出馬する意味はないわけで、結局負け犬の遠吠えに過ぎなかった。それにしても、凡愚を衆愚が支え、愚民が騒ぎ立てる本邦の政治には飽きた。しばらく海の外に目を向けてみることにした。
少し前に訪れた討論会場の海浜都市チャールストンは優雅で美しく、一度は住んでみたいと思わせる町であった。ここでもサンダース氏が圧勝し、天王山の戦いと言える3月3日のスーパーチューズデーになだれ込んでいけることを期待する。
以下はロイター記事のさわり。
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidates unleashed withering attacks on Bernie Sanders in a boisterous debate in South Carolina on Tuesday, assailing his ambitious economic agenda and warning his nomination would be a “catastrophe” that would cost Democrats the White House and control of Congress.
In a debate that featured candidates repeatedly shouting over one another and ignoring their time limits, Sanders’ opponents united in attacking the self-avowed democratic socialist as a risky choice to face Republican President Donald Trump in November.
“Bernie will lose to Donald Trump, and Donald Trump and the House and the Senate and some of the statehouses will all go red,” billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, adding that would be “a catastrophe.”
Pete Buttigieg, the moderate former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, criticized Sanders for the shifting estimates on the costs of his proposals such as government-run healthcare and warned that the front-runner would bring about chaos.
“I can tell you exactly how it all adds up. It adds up to four more years of Donald Trump,” Buttigieg said.
“If you think the last four years has been chaotic, divisive, toxic, exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump.”
Sanders, a senator from Vermont, has taken command of the Democratic race after his resounding win last week in Nevada, and the debate was the last chance for his opponents to try to stop his momentum before Saturday’s South Carolina primary and next week’s 14 vital Super Tuesday contests.
Under incoming fire, Sanders largely held his ground. He defended healthcare as a human right and said his economic and social justice agenda, including his Medicare for All plan that would replace private health insurance with a government-run program, is supported by the American people.
“If you want to beat Trump, what you’re going to need is an unprecedented grassroots movement of black and white and Latino, Native American and Asian people who are standing up and fighting for justice. That’s what our movement is about,” Sanders said.
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