Self-righteous Democrats and the Bernie Sanders candidacy

Senator Bernie Sanders, formerly a self-identified Independent from Vermont, has prosecuted an almost unbelievably-successful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.  Not much more than a blip on the presidential political radar a few months ago, he has achieved a measure of respectability for governing policies that are commonly labeled as "socialist,"  such as guaranteed healthcare and guaranteed public higher education for all Americans.  Though he trails front-runner Hillary Clinton by mighty margins in both popular voting and nominating delegates, his ideas will be a force for change in the Democratic Party -- and the nation as a whole -- for the foreseeable future.  How has this happened?

A guest writer has some answers, which he offers here with gratitude extended to the author of the prior, and similarly-named, post on Donald Trump's Republican candidacy which inspired the following:

Self-righteous Democrats  created Bernie Sanders

Democratic voters who are in the category of the so-called disenfranchised and who favor presidential candidate Bernie Sanders have been the pawns of the Democratic establishment for decades.

These grassroots Democrats, these self-righteous citizens who have been enthusiastically supporting that gerrymandering which supports maintaining their candidates in office for years, are now ecstatic with Sander's demagoguery, but they have been spouting inconsistencies and contradictions and exaggeration and outright lies for years.

(If the original author doesn't need to support the allegations with specific examples, then neither does this author.  Not that this author is concerned with responding to specifics. Both parties, all candidates, have been spouting inconsistencies and contradictions and exaggeration and outright lies for years!  Speaking in unsupported generalities is the hallmark of a skilled politician of any ideology. )

They have traded in fear and hatred and division. They have demonized and slandered and demeaned. They have belittled legitimate government, called the good people who try to run the country incompetent, wasteful, and corrupt. They have refused to govern, refused to compromise, refused to consider the needs of the people of the country above their own self interests or the interests of the East Coast billionaire liberal elites and Hollywood moguls that have funded their campaigns.   

(The next 2 paragraphs, admittedly, are a little harder as Democratic elites are not as vocal in their dismay that the more radicalizing Bern is so effectively interfering with the anointed Hillary's ascendance to the nomination.  But let's give it the Old College Try.)

And now they wring their hands and scurry around looking for someone to blame for The Bern’s ascendance to policy influence within the Democratic Party: the media, the president, the rules, the coal, the oil. Anyone and anything but themselves. But they have created The Bern. Indeed, they are The Bern. They hate him because he has learned their lessons too well and because he can't be controlled.

And mostly they hate him because Bernie may cause them to lose. Just let him get ahead in the polls for a day or so and you'll see them jump on his train like spineless sycophants, elbowing each other for a chance to stand at his side.  

Even now, some are snuggling up to his brand of rage and division and calculating what might be in it for them. 

--Craig Ingalls, Burnsville MN

 

Self-righteous GOP and Donald Trump's candidacy

Donald J. Trump is just a man, but his candidacy for President of the United States might be called a phenomenon.  According to now-humbled conventional wisdom, his non-existent political experience combined with his public antics -- crude, boorish behaviors which are apparently intended to distract his audience from recognizing the shallowness of his knowledge and thoughtfulness on issues of domestic and foreign policies -- should have doomed the Trump candidacy long ago.  Yet with the results of this week's New York primary, Trump has captured about 40% of the Republican popular vote, and 49% of the nominating delegates awarded to date.  So much for conventional wisdom.

Why has this happened?  Here is one reader's answer to this question:

Self-righteous GOP created Donald Trump

Republican voters who are in the category of the so-called disenfranchised and who favor presidential candidate Donald Trump have been the pawns of the Republican establishment for decades.

These establishment Republicans, these self-righteous politicians who have been gerrymandering themselves into office for years, are now complaining of Trump's demagoguery, but they have been spouting inconsistencies and contradictions and exaggeration and outright lies for years.

They have traded in fear and hatred and division. They have demonized and slandered and demeaned. They have belittled legitimate government, called the good people who try to run the country incompetent, wasteful, and corrupt. They have refused to govern, underfunded the government,  refused to compromise, refused to consider the needs of the people of the country above their own self interests or the interests of the billionaires and corporations that have funded their campaigns.   

And now they wring their hands and scurry around looking for someone to blame for Trump's ascendance to leadership of the Republican Party: the media, the president, the rules, the trees, the grass. Anyone and anything but themselves. But they have created Trump. Indeed, they are Trump. They hate him because he has learned their lessons too well and because he can't be controlled.

And mostly they hate him because Trump may cause them to lose. Just let him get ahead in the polls for a day or so and you'll see them jump on his train like spineless sycophants, elbowing each other for a chance to stand at his side.  

Even now, some are snuggling up to his brand of hatred and division and calculating what might be in it for them. 

--Andy Garcia, Long Beach CA