Riaan 
Ngenkathi umkhankaso wobumongameli wango-1996 usondela, uBill Clinton wabhekana nomshikashika wokunqoba ihlandla lesibili. Isiphakamiso sakhe esikhulu somthetho, umthethosivivinywa wokunakekelwa kwezempilo oshanelayo, sehlulekile. Iqembu lakhe lalilahlekelwe yiNdlu yabaMeli kumaRiphabhulikhi eholwa ngumuntu oshisayo, uNewt Gingrich. Izilinganiso zokuvota zikaClinton bezincipha.
Ngakho wathatha ngasenkabeni. Walwa no-Gingrich ukuze ame kancane mayelana nezinhlelo ze-GOP zokunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwe-Medicare. Wasekela iziphakamiso ezinesizotha kodwa ezithandwayo njenge-V-chip, umshini wokusiza abazali ukulawula lokho izingane zabo ezikubuka kuthelevishini. Futhi ngosuku lokhetho, wehlule ikhandidethi le-Republican u-Bob Dole ngamajini amakhulu angu-8%.
Ngo-2012, umkhankaso ka-Barack Obama wehlandla lesibili waqala enkingeni enkulu, futhi. Abavoti bebengeneme ngendlela umnotho ululama kancane kakhulu eKuwohlokeni Okukhulu Komnotho. Umthetho wokunakekelwa kwezempilo kamongameli, obizwa nge-“Obamacare,” wawungathandwa kakhulu. INdlu ibibuyele ezandleni zeRiphabhulikhi, namalungu eqembu letiye afuna ukwehliswa okukhulu kwesabelomali.
U-Obama uzame isivumelwano se-bipartisan ngezintela nokusebenzisa imali. Kodwa lapho lowo mzamo ubhidlika, waqhubeka nokuhlasela, ehlasela i-GOP ngokufuna ukuncishiswa Ukusetshenziswa kwe-Medicare. Ngosuku lokhetho, wehlule uMitt Romney ngo-4%.
Manje, ekuqaleni komkhankaso wokuba ngumongameli wango-2024, umlando awuziphindaphindi ngokunembile, kodwa unesigqi.
UJoe Biden wengamele ukusimama komnotho, kodwa abavoti bacindezelwe kakhulu yizindleko ezikhuphukayo ukuze bamnikeze isikweletu.
Okwakhe isilinganiso sokugunyazwa, U-43% ku-avareji eyodwa yakamuva yokuvota, iphansi ngisho nakaClinton noma eka-Obama lapho kuqala imikhankaso yabo yokukhethwa kabusha.
UBiden ubhekene neningi elidabukisayo laseRepublican House elifuna ukuhlehlisa izimpumelelo zomthetho zeminyaka yakhe emibili yokuqala ngokuphoqa inkinga mayelana nokufakwa kwezikweletu.
Akumangazi ukuthi uboleka amasu asebenzele uClinton no-Obama, igebe elihlanganisa ukulangazelela kanye nepolitiki esebenzayo.
Uyenzile wahlasela amaRiphabhulikhi ngokuhlongoza “ukushona kwelanga” Social Security and Medicare ngokudinga iCongress ukuthi ivuselele izinhlelo njalo ngemva kweminyaka embalwa.
“Uma noma ngubani ezama ukuqeda i-Social Security noma i-Medicare, ngizoyiphikisa,” esho ehholo lezinyunyana eMaryland ngesonto eledlule.
Lokho kwakuwukusabisa okwakudala lokho. AmaRiphabhulikhi awaphakamisi ukuqedwa kwalezo zinhlelo ezidumile.
Kepha uBiden wayeqinisile esibalweni esisodwa: Izishayamthetho eziningi ze-GOP, okuhlanganisa nosihlalo wekomidi lomkhankaso weSenate Republican, baphikisene ngokuqinile ngomthetho wokushona kwelanga. Ngemuva kokuhlaselwa kukaBiden ekhaya, bawuyekile lo mbono.
Ngaleso sikhathi, uBiden walingisa esinye isinyathelo sikaClinton ngokuphakamisa uhlu lwezinyathelo ezinesizotha, ezilungele abathengi, okuhlanganisa nomthetho wokwephula “izimali eziwudoti” njengezindleko zesevisi yeTicketmaster kanye nezimali zokuvakashela amahhotela.
Abagxeki bahleka usulu imibono efana naleyo njengebhola elincane – izinyathelo ezincane ezingaphansi kwesithunzi sikamongameli. Kodwa ngokuvamile kuvela ukuthi zithandwa kakhulu.
Ngesikhathi uClinton egijima ngo-1996, ezimbili zezenzo zakhe ezazidume kakhulu kwakuwuMthetho Wekhefu Lomndeni kanye Nezokwelapha, owawuqinisekisa abasebenzi izinsuku ezifika kweziyi-12 zekhefu elingakhokhelwa, kanye ne-V-chip.
I-Biden iwine izindlela ezimbili ezinjalo ezilungele abathengi kubasebenzisi be-Medicare esivunguvungwini somthetho iCongress eyaphasiswa ngonyaka odlule: ikhephu elingama- $ 35 enanini le-insulin kanye nekhephu engu-$2,000 ezindlekweni zezidakamizwa. AmaRepublican azodlelana nalabo abasengozini.
Uma umongameli emisa amakhebula nabahlinzeki be-inthanethi ukuthi bakhokhise imali engafuneki ezikweletini zabathengi, angase avele ahambe ngomkhumbi aye ekuqokweni kabusha. Futhi uma amaRiphabhlikhi ewuphikisa lo mbono, lokho kuzovele kunikeze uBiden olunye udaba azokhankasa ngalo.
Njengoba iningi leRiphabhulikhi ye-bellicose liphethe i-House, amathuba okushaya umthetho we-bipartisan ashabalala kakhulu.
“Yize izimali zokungcebeleka zingaba yibhola elincane, lesi yisikhathi esidinga amabhola amancane,” kubhala umlobeli wezomnotho uJosh Barro ekuqaleni kwale nyanga.
Okunye ukugxila ku-nostalgia: I-Biden icela abavoti ukuthi bamvumele “aqedele umsebenzi,” inkulumo u-Obama ayisebenzisa ngo-2012. Kungolunye uphawu lokuthi uhlela ukugijima.
Futhi-ke, i-nostalgia bekungenye yezindikimba eziphambili zikaBiden ngenkathi elwela umongameli eminyakeni emine edlule. Uthembise abavoti ukuthi bazobuyela esimeni esijwayelekile – kwezombusazwe ezithule, ezingaphazamisi kangako zenkathi yangaphambi kukaTrump.
Akumele kumangaze ukuthi umengameli oneminyaka engu-80 ubudala uthatha izifundo zeminyaka yonke kwezombusazwe. Ubenesihlalo esiphambili kuwo womibili umkhankaso wokuqokwa kabusha kukaClinton wango-1996, ngesikhathi engenela ihlandla lakhe lesihlanu eSenate, kanye nomkhankaso ka-Obama wango-2012, lapho uBiden eseyiphini likamongameli.
Lokhu kungaba yicala elilodwa lapho Iminyaka kaBiden akusona ukukhubazeka; ufika nge-nostalgia yakhe ngokwethembeka.
Ngaphandle kwalokho, lawo maqhinga asebenzela uClinton ngo-1996 no-Obama ngo-2012. Ubani ongasho ukuthi ngeke aphinde asebenze?
