Weakened at Bernie’s
The amazing thing about the Bernie Sanders candidacy is the sheer impossibility of it all. He’s 74 — Ronald Reagan was only 69 in 1980, when his age was an issue. He’s a declared Socialist — sure, a Democratic Socialist, but good luck explaining the nuances of European political traditions to an American electorate. And heck, Bernie is Jewish, really Jewish, New York Jewish, in a country where during our lifetime, serious doubts were raised about the electability of a Catholic President.
Did we say impossible? We meant inconceivable.
Which may still be the case. Because if Bernie has to prove anything, it’s that he can win elections, starting with the elections leading to a nomination.
That was, of course, the main hurdle faced by another inconceivable candidate eight years ago, proof that someone like him could win in a country like ours. And that was, at heart, the argument promulgated by his opponent and her supporters: Get real. You’re throwing away your vote. Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
Establishment Democrats — or, to be more gentle about it, “practical” Democrats — are throwing up the same dust now. In the face of yet another demonstrably inspiring candidate, they — and she — are fighting Hope with Management, starting with management of the election itself. She can win. He can’t. Stop being childish. Grow up.
What we’re not hearing, from anybody: Vote for Hillary because she’s a leader you want to follow. Even two of her most ardent supporters insisted that young women vote on the basis of plumbing, not policies.
The argument against Bernie — the only argument we’re hearing — is an argument from fear: Fear he might lose, and even if he wins, fear he’ll never get something like Single Payer past a Republican Congress. He’s an FDR Democrat in a DLC world, a world of professional, accommodating — Establishment — Democrats who made their peace with Reaganism a generation ago, choosing Triangulation as a winning electoral and governing strategy, supporting DOMA and “Welfare Reform” and Three Strikes and (yes) the Iraq War, not out of principle, but fear of what might happen if they didn’t.
Hey, we understand. We lived through the Eighties, too.
But, like old Generals, they’re still fighting the Last War, trapped in their own Vietnam Syndrome of The One We Lost, not realizing that new generations have come of age with no memories of those years, and that old generations have died off.
The proof? Look who’s sitting in the Oval Office right now, and has for the past seven years. Talk about inconceivable.
But the point remains: Bernie does have something to prove, that Barack Obama also had to prove eight years ago — that he can win elections, that he’s more than just an inspiring stump speaker.
Just as Hillary still has to prove that she’s more than just a familiar name with a ton of money and resources behind her. If she can’t even run the table against a Socialist, we’re not convinced of her chances facing a populist demagogue.
Because hey, we also remember how Reagan won the first time — against a practical, managerial, grownup Democrat. We know from inconceivable.
Margin of Hilsbot’s victory in the Nevada Caucuses smaller than her win over Obama in 08.
@ManchuCandidate: And she was ahead ~30% in Nevada six weeks ago. That said, I’m pretty sure that Super Tuesday will give her a lead such that by the time the California primary occurs (early June) my vote will be meaningless because she’ll have it sewn up.
That said, I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop on the FBI investigation into the emails, apparently it has expanded into the Clinton Foundation donations.
Uncle Joe and Elizabeth Warren better be warming up on stage left.
@SanFranLefty: Yeah, Super Tuesday is the Great Firewall. I’m not particularly hopeful.
For that matter, I’m not particularly confident at this moment about November. Hillary is an awful campaigner, and Trump is, in this context, unpredictable. I know the polls remain favorable, but woe is us if she takes him for granted.
@nojo: There really is an investigation? Into what? I figured it was just more Republican bullshit. Nothing she has done could begin to approach the criminality of George Bush, or his father, or Reagan, or Nixon.
I feel terrible for Flying Chainsaw having to endure another Clinton campaign; he must be having conniptions. That said, sweet FSM do I miss his commentary.
It’s taken 20 years to overcome the legacy of the hateful anti-gay legislation signed by Bill Clinton under the guise of practicality, and the middle class was decimated by NAFTA and outsourcing. We may never in our lifetimes recover from the serial financial crime wave he unleashed by signing the repeal of the Glass–Steagall Act. Hillary will say anything to get elected and hand the whole enchilada over to the oligarchs, then once again LGBT people, black people, and poor people will be the first under the bus. NO MORE CLINTONS.
Jeb! -> Jeb :(
This election could wind up being a major league shitshow. If Hilary doesn’t win commandingly on Super Tuesday, and the DNC pushes her through with super-delegate shenanigans, I fear the Millenials supporting Bernie will just stay home in November, SCOTUS be damned. The Republicans could end up with a contested convention, forcing me to buy a TV to watch the train wreck. If the Repub establishment finds a way to push Rubio past Trump, I think the Creamsicle (Thanks, Sam Bee!) will go nuclear and run as a 3rd party. And if Bloomberg hops in…so apparently Cape Breton will take refugees.
@Mistress Cynica: My fave Trump description is “semi-sentient troll doll” from Gaukeur (I think).
@Mistress Cynica: You wanna shitshow, watch what happens if Electable Hillary loses to Trump, and the professional credibility of the Democratic Establishment vanishes overnight.
Warren 2020, anyone?
@nojo: I watched Cory Booker on NotColbert, and he’s Plenty for ’20, as well. But can we survive four years of whoever takes over from Barry?
@Beggars Biscuit: Holy fuck, I think you just named Hillary’s veep.
From a friend trapped in Mississippi, I give you a glimpse of Trump’s Amurrica:
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/feb/24/mississippi-governor-declares-april-confederate-hi/
@Mistress Cynica:
So, Traitor Month?
@ManchuCandidate: The South has a thing about Losers. See also the Alamo.
Even Miss Lindsie Gray-um agrees that the GOP has ah dun gone batshit KKKrayzee! She’ll still be sippin’ mint juleps ‘n votin’ in favor of every one of their psychotic beels, ah course. Lawd, it’s too hawt out heer.
I keep receiving posts comparing Bernie’s proposed policies to Stalin’s and Hilter’s. So stooooopid! The first were sort of funny but these are diatribes that are posted in earnest. It is disheartening that people close to me may really think this way. Look at “We the Individuals” to see what I mean.
@DElurker: Just tell them that they already love his fried chicken, and the OMG Soshalizm! will work out fine.
We’re now seeing what happens when yuge numbers of people are too mean and dumb to achieve class consciousness.
The literal biggest blowtard just endorsed the figurative biggest blowtard.
@DElurker: To paraphrase Matt Taibbi, either of them would eat a child in a lifeboat.
Christie’s outta luck if heez expecting an appointment ’cause the Don Don already has Alex Jones lined up for AG, Nancy Grace for SCOTUS, and Kim Kardashian for Secretary of State if she can re-inflate her boobs back up to pregnancy size.
@¡Andrew!: As someone pointed out on Twitter, Christie will be happy with a Trump pardon.
@nojo: I can’t decide who’s crazier: Trump followers who actually seem to think that he can deliver on any of his deranged promises, or Clinton supporters who think that Sanders’ candidacy–or any opposition to her neocon/neoliberal policies–is all part of the vast right-wing conspiracy.
@¡Andrew!: Easy call: Clinton supporters.
The Republican base already lives in fantasyland; supporting Trump is the next natural step in their devolution.
But if Clintonistas think as you say, they’re just starting their journey down the rabbit hole, and there’s no telling where they’ll come out.
FLYINGCHAINSAW • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! Sen. sENEMA has a career ahead of her in giving designer psychedelic enemas to trust-fund…
MANCHUCANDIDATE • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! @¡Andrew!: She thought three's company. Nope.
¡ANDREW! • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! Gawd hates SIN, specifically Kyrsten SINema.
¡ANDREW! • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! So long, Senatard Glitter-trash. I hope she knows how much everyone H8s her :0)
¡ANDREW! • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! The racist kleptocratic MSM is really gonna have to crank up the bread and circuses now that their…
FLYINGCHAINSAW • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! @¡Andrew!: Ted Kazinski Sec of Interior Only the DEAD are extreme enough to serve in DONNIE…
¡ANDREW! • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! @FlyingChainSaw: Department of Health & Human Services: Charles Manson Defense Secretary:…
FLYINGCHAINSAW • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! @¡Andrew!: Right, the administration's all star line up: Pres: Trump VP: Ted Kaczynski…
FLYINGCHAINSAW • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! @FlyingChainSaw: Actually, FDLE would be the first to admit it. The state banks on it with 'sue me…
¡ANDREW! • TRUMP: MACHINE GUNNING ORPHANAGES AND CONVENTS BY ME IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME ERECT WITHOUT PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE! I cannot wait for the Republinazi MAGAt trash to DEMAND that $hitler be allowed to be president…