The Washington Post hosted Bernie Sanders for a 2020 candidate forum where he called out Joe Biden for voting in favor of the Iraq War.
Sanders said that primaries by design should scrutinize the voting records of nominees. Yet, during a talk on his candidacy, Sanders could only talk about Joe Biden’s voting record. Sanders was critical of Biden’s vote in favor of the Iraq War. “I tried everything I could to stop it,” Sanders said, referencing the war. “[Biden] was wrong, he was wrong big time.”
Sanders also brought up Biden’s strong support for a NAFTA agreement with China. Sanders responded by saying that middle-class Americans in Michigan and across the Midwest will remember Biden’s support for NAFTA agreements in China which he claims hurt these Americans.
Sanders insinuated that Biden’s voting record—on the Iraq War, bailing out Wall Street, and supporting NAFTA with China—will help Sanders to win back what has been known for the past three years as “Trump territory.” These states include Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Those three states, while traditionally swing states, voted overwhelmingly for Trump.
Talks about NAFTA and China quickly led to a discussion on Sander’s foreign policy plans if elected president.
Sanders believes that in order to avoid war with Iran, America must force Saudi Arabia and Iran to sit down together. Sanders called Saudi Arabia the “bad news guys.”
While Saudi Arabia has long been an oppressive country for women and minorities, President Trump has embraced the regime in order to better American interests in the tense region.
Sanders told the audience that in order to avoid war in Iran he would force Saudi Arabia and Iran to sit together and talk about the tension and issues within the region.”I would directly engage with Iran,” Sanders said. “It is absolutely appropriate to sit down with Iran.”
Sanders also said that we have to stop spending trillions of dollars on the War on Terror.
Why? According to Sanders, there is now pro-American support among young people in the region. This reasoning, and this reasoning alone, should be the reason enough to defund an entire war effort.
While you might agree that America should stop funding the War on Terror, this is an odd reason to push for this policy.
Bernie also believes that creating a “sister city” program would help combat xenophobia.
Many of Bernie’s critics have pointed out that in his 40s, he went to the Soviet Union. The reason for his trip was to establish a sister city program with Burlington, Vermont and a town from the Soviet Union, Yaroslavl, located 160 miles northeast of Moscow. Sanders claims that cultural exchange and sister city programs would combat xenophobia.
You can watch the full 2020 Candidate Forum here.
