I saw this on dKos,where this UofD student hosting a program called Broadside Radio posted that he had the chance to interview Chris Coons this week about some of the big issues currently facing us and the government — like education policy, energy policy, foreign policy, filibuster reform, security. This is pretty good — Chris is clearly prepared and focused here. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to hear Chris in person over the past few months , but I imagine that we are listening to pretty standard campaign stuff here. The first part is a little over 9 minutes long and the second part is almost 4 minutes long, so definitely give a listen:
The interviewer here also has a blog — the Starboard Broadside.
For progressives, I’m not so sure that there is much here, except in the portions that deal with alternative energy, but then I’m on record with thinking that a real progressive agenda won’t sell here anyway. Certainly much of Chris’ positions are better than the fake moderation of Mike Castle (and his allegiance to his party rather than to the people who live here), but for the progressives among us, get used to not hearing much of your agenda addressed.
What is good, though is that Chris is not running on the shortsighted anti-government platform that is largely the view of the people who are currently not in power. Because they certainly do believe in government (which is why they are fighting so hard to be a part of it), they do that largely to protect the streams of government funds going to their friends and funders. Like the Homeland Security or the Department of Interior (all of which are being called on by even the anti-government groups to be more visible and take better charge of their missions) or Medicare and Social Security which even the teatards don’t want to give up there is a role for government to play and hat won’t go away. The thing to watch for are the grownups in the room who don’t pander to either the shortsightedness or the bundle of resentments that all too frequently passes for a considered political opinion.