In 2008, Barack Obama campaigned on the theme of “Yes, We Can!” And while Barack Obama did not accomplish everything we and he wanted to, on many things he tried. When Rahm told him not to even try to reform healthcare because it was not practical, he tried anyway. The ACA is far from perfect. It left almost 30 million Americans behind. But it has helped millions and that’s good.

I’m not going to talk about Hillary’s misleading claims about Bernie, the ACA, and single payer. I want to talk about “No we can’t!”

Hillary talking about Barack Obama in February 2008:

“Maybe I’ve just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be. You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear!”

www.nytimes.com/…

“No, We Can’t!”

Hillary in 2016 taking about Bernie Sanders:

I wish that we could elect a Democratic president who could wave a magic wand and say, ‘We shall do this, and we shall do that.’ That ain’t the real world we’re living in!

www.nytimes.com/...

“No, We Can’t!”

Hillary learned from the debacle in 1994 when her health care plan lost.

“No, We Can’t!”

When it comes to breaking up big banks:

“No, We Can’t!”

When it comes to a $15 an hour minimum wage:

“No, We Can’t!”

When it comes to free college:

“No, We Can’t!”

When it comes to changing the deep economic inequality:

“No, We Can’t!”

What can we do?

Tinker around the edges of the status quo.

Hillary won’t even try. Yes, many battles are difficult and we must be realistic. And some goals are longer term than others.

BUT THE ONLY WAY TO ALWAYS LOSE IS TO NEVER TRY AT ALL.

Notwithstanding her recent attempts to be as close to Barack Obama as she can, Hillary is no Barack Obama.

I’ll take “Yes, We can! Si, Se puede!”

Update I:

I received a complaint that the quote marks in the title meant I was quoting her and she never actually chanted “No We can’t.”

I have respect for the intelligence of Kossaks and know that no one really thought I was quoting her because there is no link. I guess this is what discourse is now. Games. In any event, I removed the quote marks.

Hillary Clinton said No We Can’t over and over but never said those exact words. But you all knew that.