Bill Clinton criticized the GOP at a campaign event in the last days of the midterm elections, stating that the GOP hopes to make people’ lives “extremely miserable.”
Clinton spoke on Wednesday at a rally in Hurleyville, New York, where he was campaigning for Democrat Josh Riley in the state’s 19th Congressional District contest against Republican Marcus Molinaro.
Clinton stated to the laughter of the gathering, “The Republicans are truly rather basic and easy.”
They say, “I want you to be really miserable and enraged. And I want you to vote for us, because we’ll make things worse while blaming them,’ the former president continued.
As they attempt to recover majorities in the House and Senate, Republicans have focused primarily on two primary issues: economic hardship, notably high inflation, and rising crime in many U.S. cities.
Clinton acknowledged in his remarks that these were real concerns, stating, ‘Here’s the truth. We do have an excessive amount of inflation and criminality.’
He said, ‘But all this strong language from the Republicans doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.’
Clinton pointed to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, stating that crime in these two states is “50 percent greater than in New York.”
Clinton added, “But you can’t think because you’re supposed to be insane.”
Clinton again emphasized what has become the Democrats’ election-ending argument: that Republicans will cut Medicare and Social Security if they take control of Congress.
Biden and Democrats have criticized the plan, claiming that it would put Social Security and Medicare ‘on the chopping block.’ However, according to Scott, he does not know a single Republican who is in favor of slashing the retiree benefit programs.
Bloomberg reports that top House Republicans have said they may use next year’s debt-limit deadline to press for increased spending and eligibility requirements for popular programs.
Clinton described the Republican program as follows: “I’ll give you higher medication prices, reduce Medicare, and damage Social Security, but we’ll find a way to blame the Democrats.”
Redistricting has complicated the contest for New York’s 19th Congressional District, which has limited polling data, although most commentators view it as a toss-up.
Clinton’s remarks were made on the same day that President Joe Biden warned that the upcoming elections pose a threat to democracy itself.
Biden connected the recent attack on Paul Pelosi to former President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede defeat in the 2020 presidential race, and he warned that “dark forces with a thirst for power” will harm democracy in the midterm elections.
Biden did not mention Trump by name, but it was apparent he was making next week’s election a referendum on Trump’s “Big Lie” — his false assertion that he won the election in 2016 but was prevented from doing so due to voter fraud.
Biden stated in a speech in Washington D.C.’s Union Station, “American democracy is under threat because the defeated former president of the United States refused to accept the results of the 2020 election.”
Biden stated, “And he’s made the great lie an article of religion in the MAGA Republican Party.” “The great irony of the 2020 election is that it will be the most assailed in our nation’s history. And yet, there is no election in our history whose results are more definite. Every possible legal challenge was presented. Every audit that could have been conducted was conducted. Each recount validated the results.
Biden attempted to refocus the discourse on the defense of American democracy at a time when Americans are most concerned about the economy and the rising cost of living. Crime continues to be a major worry.
Republicans accused him of attempting to divert the subject at a time when Americans give Biden low scores for his handling of the economy and the GOP is gaining ground in the polls ahead of the race on Tuesday.