For over a year the electorate has been treated to the parade of lies, smears and tantrums from CNN-MSNBC-NYT-Washington Post who deplore Sanders more than Trump.
But even the character-assassination class knows anything can happen this year, and they know about Joe Biden.
Sanders runs hard, is brilliant, disciplined and is not in this to change the Party platform at the Convention.
Joe Biden is a candidate under attack for his alleged harassment of numerous women.
Joe Biden is under attack for his perceived abdication of the public for special interests that dominate the Democratic Party.
Donald Trump, Trump!, can credibly portray Biden as narcissistic, cognitively challenged and ethically bankrupt in a general election.
Yet, we need not be subject to another term of Trump, a predictable consequence of installing Biden at the likely brokered Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee this Summer.
The overwhelming number of young and casual voters needed to pull off a victory in November support Sen. Bernie Sanders. And they hate Joe Biden and the Democrats. I don't think the national political press gets this.
So, Party elites and the national media outlets are promoting Biden despise the gentle man, Sanders, originally from Brooklyn.
What Sanders understands is some 100-million people who did not vote in 2016 will not support what they view as an establishment favorite in Biden who does not care about their lives, and our future.
Sanders also understands the election is about us, not him, as his campaign slogan sums up.
But consider him — Bernie Sanders.
In 1989, I was invited to, and attended a private fundraising event for Bernie Sanders after his first election to Congress.
By then, Sanders has already worked some 30 years as a civil rights activist.
"Thought you would like to meet him," said the host of the gathering in the village of Shorewood HIlls, next to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
No congressional member ever had a friendlier room.
But Bernie Sanders was not there to meet folks, drink beer, make friends, or to glad-hand.
He was there to say, 'this is where I stand, this is what is achievable, and let's get to work.'
Sanders gave a roughly one-hour talk devoid of humor, just raw, gravelly commitment to the principle that public office should serve the public, not special interests.
A friend asked me later what I thought of Sanders. The G-rated response is, 'Geez, the guy was not there to screw around. But I love him.'
Bernie Sanders loves people. His commitment is to act, and to persuade with reason and caring.
I don't believe establishment politics today is capable of appreciating this type of commitment.
But the American people do understand, and will reward this faith with a resounding Bernie Sanders victory in November, if he is the Party nominee.
The Democratic Party presidential primary campaign to this point has seen most major candidates emulating Sanders on stated policy goals, and in rhetoric.
But this parroting is not the same as the real thing. The Party establishment knows this and so will the American electorate.
But Bernie Sanders did not work 60 years to change the Party platform at the Convention.
Bernie Sanders' candidacy is alive and well and he will appear on the ballots for the remaining 30 primaries and caucuses.
The Democratic Party garbage with eyes on the White House should be warned.
--
Michael Leon is a writer and public relations consultant based in Madison, Wisconsin. His writing has appeared in The Progressive Magazine, In These Times, CounterPunch and other journals. He produces and writes the news website, Mal Contends.
Have you heard that NY board of elections is talking about taking Bernie off ballot and suspending the primary election?
ReplyDelete