Source:MSNBC-Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary R. Clinton, on Hardball With Chris Matthews in 2016.

“There was a curious moment recently in an interview with Hillary Clinton that might interest our political science and philosophy majors. Chris Matthews asked Clinton on MSNBC what a socialist is and the difference between a socialist and a Democrat. Clinton appeared unable or unwilling to answer that question. Given the fact that the Clinton campaign has referred regularly to Bernie Sanders being a socialist and distinguishing Clinton as a “progressive Democrat,” it would seem a fair question. It is not like asking for the difference between a “raven and a writing desk”, but it received the same unclear response.

Matthews gave Clinton a fairly friendly interview and asked this reasonable question for a distinction between the two main rivals for the Democratic nomination. Clinton responded by saying that he should ask Sanders which is a bit odd since she is obviously half of the comparative question. When Matthews refused to backdown and asked “You see, I’m asking you,” Clinton simply replied, “I’m not one.” That makes the issue more confused. When Matthews pressed again, Clinton responded…

You can read the rest of Jonathan Turley’s piece at Jonathan Turley.Org.

“Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gives her first national television interview of 2016 to Chris Matthews. She discusses President Obama’s executive action on gun control today and why the echo chamber around Donald Trump and the anti-immigrant rhetoric “undermines our values.”

Source:MSNBC– Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, on Hardball With Chris Matthews.

From MSNBC

I’m going to answer the difference between a Progressive like Hillary Clinton, who I do consider to be a Progressive Democrat and even a Progressive Feminist and a Democratic Socialist like Bernie Sanders or Jill Stein or any other far-leftist out there in and out of Congress. And I’ll try to not be insulting here, but no promises.

I think main difference between progressivism and socialism or even democratic socialism as Bernie Sanders prefers to be viewed as, has to do with realism and pragmatism, versus idealism and utopianism.

It also has to do with negotiating with people you don’t agree with perhaps on a lot of issues, versus people who believe that the only way to really get what they want is to always be in the fight fighting. And the only the way to get what they want is to defeat the other side first and never settle, at least on the issues like health care and the broader economy.

Progressives believe in progress and always moving forward and making things better, making people’s lives better, even if that means having to work with others and not getting everything that you want on any particular issue. Socialists are a lot more ideological and partisan and their philosophy is built around the state, especially the national state and the collective and the welfare of everyone. And Socialists believe there’s a big, national government solution to every problem known to man or woman.

There are a lot more differences between Socialists when it comes to economic policy and national security, what type of government America should have and that sort of thing. But if you look at someone like a Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy, and then look at someone like George McGovern or a Henry Wallace from back in the 1940s, none of these men were moderates or Conservatives.

But FDR, LBJ, HST, LBJ, and RFK, always wanted to move the ball forward and make things better. Not always looking to expand government to try to run people’s lives for them. Whereas McGovern and Wallace and go up to Bernie Sanders today, always have a national government solution to every problem and issue that comes up.