July 5, 2015 An Intriguing Peek at Our Candidates’ [Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders ] Swag Shop

Note: Clinton and Sanders are candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 Presidential election.

I found  some notable differences between the two operations–distinctions that seemed to speak about important differences in these candidates’ campaigns and, perhaps, in the candidates themselves.

The contrast with the Hillary store is striking, to say the least. Hillary, of course, offers every kind of thing that Bernie’s operation sells. She even beats his price for bumper stickers, at 2 for $5 half the price of Bernie’s at $5 apiece. But maybe Hillary’s bumper stickers are just a loss leader, because her prices are higher elsewhere..

However, Hillary’s swag store doesn’t just offer more for more; it also offers less for more. I’m a retired lawyer, but I still tend to read the fine print. That rooted out this glaring fact. Hillary’s T-shirts are not union made. Even though she charges her supporters twice Bernie’s price for a superficially similar shirt, she gives them nonunion merchandise. Of course, Hillary’s fine print seeks cover in having used union printers for the actual message on the swag. Well. Good. For. Her. But, let’s get real. It takes a hell of a lot more garment workers to produce 100,000 T-shirts than it takes to print messages on the shirts.

In contrast, Bernie’s website proudly, and justifiably so, proclaims that its shirts are both made and printed by union workers. But there’s more. Bernie’s site specifically says that his shirts are “100% pre-shrunk high quality cotton, heavy weight 6.1 oz. fabric.” If you go looking for representations of quality and value on Hillary’s swag site, here is what you will find: {{crickets}}

The last difference I noticed between Hillary and Bernie, vis-a-vis their online swag shops, really surprised me. I’m not sure how this will swing for other people, but I am personally grateful that Hillary only provides U.S. Postal Service shipping for her campaign merchandise. Bernie provides a United Parcel Service option.

Don’t get me wrong. This is a very close call. At least UPS has a union workforce, with it’s Teamster organized drivers. But so does the U.S. Postal Service, and I have a special affinity for that institution. I worked inside Postal Service Headquarters for many years and now draw a pension for that service. I know a hell of a lot about the flaws of that institution, but nevertheless always find myself appreciative of any business thrown its way. To make the call even closer, Bernie’s website makes it clear that shipping UPS is more expensive than getting quick and reliable service (Priority Mail) from the Postal Service.