Drug prices. I am not a political professional but I would like to put out there second plug for an issue that could help Bernie still win the nomination: drug prices.
An article by Annie Karni “Clintonites: How we beat Bernie on trade”re: www.politico.com/... argues that they won in OH, IL and MO because of a nuanced strategy on support of some but not blandly all trade agreements. The Clintonites argue that voting Democrats “understand” our need to compete on a global stage and therefore some trade agreements are necessary.
In support of this she observes:
"In the six days leading up to the primaries in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri, Sanders ran television ads highlighting the job losses associated with NAFTA, TPP and “special trade status with China.” Without naming Clinton, the ad stated that “only one candidate has opposed every disastrous trade deal: Bernie Sanders.”
"Clinton's ads, in contrast, focused on dealing with the rapidly escalating prices of prescription drugs, and on creating jobs."
I think that maybe the crux here is that people care more about the price of drugs than about trade agreements. It is an issue that echoes loudly down the halls of voting democrats and republicans alike.
Bernie has a much better plan for addressing the price of drugs than Clinton. Whereas they both want Medicare to negotiate drug prices and they both want to allow limited importation of drugs from other countries, only Bernie is willing the address the fundamental problem of a flawed drug and device patent system. Bernie would take away patents from drug companies who have been found the engage in fraud (illegal price fixing, etc). 8 of 9 Big Pharma companies have settled fraud cases, paying fines that don't affect their bottom line. Threatening to shorten or remove patents will lower prices by getting companies to behave and to move away from using fraud as a business model.
Additionally why is no one talking about the giant part of TPP that is the ISDS (Investor State Dispute Resolution) that is going the allow Big Pharma to permanently cement astronomical drug prices worldwide, including the US? It would allow Pharma to sue the US govt if a law was passed that could affect Pharma’s profits! Clinton opposes TPP only on the grounds of Chinese currency manipulation. What about TPP and Big Pharma?
SPEAK UP, BERNIE! You’re so much better on drug prices!!!