Why Bernie Sanders’ Candidacy Helps Hillary Clinton

A little over a year ago, I wrote that a Joe Biden presidential run would help Hillary Clinton.  Now that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has jumped into the race, it’s time to write something similar about him.

1. Having a primary challenger takes some of the spotlight (and pressure) off of Hillary.  On the GOP side, the media have tons of people to cover.  There are at least ten people running on that side.  On the Democratic side, we only have had Hillary Clinton.  She is already a magnet for muck rackers and the vacuum means all media eyes have been on her.  Now, they have something else to talk about and she do what she needs to do to connect with voters.
2. Hillary can better position herself for the general election. Sanders is the most liberal senator.  That will make him popular among the more progressive parts of the Democratic party and his views will move the debate in his direction but he will also serve as a foil for Hillary.  The GOP will want to paint her as being very liberal — Rand Paul has already sent fundraising emails claiming she will raise all her money “In San Francisco, DC and New York.”  When she debates Sanders, she can define herself and not allow the GOP to do it.
3. It will give Hillary great debate practice. Debating is hard.  As smart as she is, it has been pretty clear from her book tour and press conference at the United Nations, she is a bit out of political practice.  Debating Sanders will help her hone her arguments for when she faces the GOP nominee.  They will have lots of practice, she needs that.
4. It ends the “coronation” talk.  Hillary Clinton needs to win a primary, not be “crowned.”  The more inevitable her nomination looks, the more resistance she faces.
5. A Sanders campaign will be positive.  He has never run a negative ad in his career.  This primary won’t be about slinging dirt or trivial issues.  Hillary can rise about the Republican pettiness by participating in a primary about the real issues facing our country.

Senator Sanders is not going to win the nomination, but his entry into the race will result in a stronger Hillary campaign and should be welcomed by everyone who supports her.

My piece on Vice President Biden can be found here.

By: Alyson Chadwick

Alyson Chadwick is a political/news junkie and New Yorker transplanted to Washington, DC and currently working in Florida. Her career has included work on five presidential cycles, both sides of Capitol Hill, the 2012 Democratic Convention, Clinton White House, United Nations and multiple local and statewide campaigns. She is also a sad Met fan, which could be the most redundant sentence ever.