Tipsheet

Best Moment Of The Night Goes To John Hickenlooper

The first night of the second Democratic Debates was nothing shy of a train wreck. On one hand, you want to look away. On the other hand, it's such a disaster that you can't help but watch.

While most of the night was spent arguing about who is the most progressive, who has the "electability factor" and whether or not Medicare For All was the way to go, the best moment of the night goes to former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. 

While debating Medicare For All, Hickenlooper brought up a point that progressives, like Sanders, often forget: the politicians responsible for implementing the majority of these radical changes are state legislatures and governors. 

"I think if we're going to force Americans to make these radical changes, they're not going to go along," Hickenlooper told Sanders, the biggest outspoken proponent of Medicare For All. 

Bernie didn't like what Hickenlooper had to say. He started to throw his arms up in protest, something Hickenlooper mocked him for.

"Throw your hands up," Hickenlooper said, throwing his hands in the air in typical Bernie fashion.

"Alright!" Bernie shouted, raising his hands.

"Whoa-hoa! I can do it!" Hickenlooper said, raising his arms again, laughing. "You haven't implemented the plans. Us governors and mayors are the ones. We're the ones who have to pick up all the pieces."

"I was a mayor and I helped transform my city," Bernie replied. "I have some practical experience."

"Second of all, interestingly enough, today is the anniversary of Medicare. 54 years ago, under Lyndon Johnson and a Democratic Congress, they started a new program," Sanders explained. "After one year, 19 million people elderly people implemented it. Please, don't tell me that in a four year period we cannot go from 65 down to 55 to 45 to 35. This is not radical. This is what virtually every other country on earth does."