Bernie Sanders should sit this one out
I don’t like that the election cycle is now about two years long.
For the incumbents, it means that if they are on a four-year term, only about half of that is dedicated to doing something substantial while the other half is geared toward not offending the unwashed masses in hopes of winning their votes. For incumbents in the House, it means you are constantly on the stump.
Somewhere along the line, we need to get to the business of governance.
That’s why it is distressing to be in the jumble of announced, unannounced, and about-to-be-announced candidates.
But perhaps we can use this time to weed out some who seriously should just back away from the campaign, particularly in the race for the White House.
And with apologies to my progressive friends, we must begin with Sen. Bernie Sanders, the strident voice from Vermont.
Look, I know Sanders has all the credentials of a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, from his social activism in the ‘60s to his modern-day stance on universal health care, tuition-free education, and other liberal policies.
And I know that he got a raw deal from the Democrats last time around. But superdelegates and Clinton machinations notwithstanding, he really had no business being the Democratic Party’s standard bearer last time around.
He had signed on as an Independent.
There is nothing wrong with that. We need a couple of new viable parties to level things, because this two-party thing distances too many people from the system. There are too many voices that go unheard.
In the case of Sanders, however, all his inclusion in the process did was divide a party that had somehow splintered.
The liberal and conservative wings of the Democratic Party took their pistols and stepped off the 20 paces.
However, after the shots were fired and the smoke cleared, we were left with two seriously wounded combatants. Even when Sanders grudgingly gave Hillary Clinton a limp endorsement, his followers did not. Many of his followers opted out of the election, refusing to go to the polls. Of those who did, 12 percent flipped their vote to Donald Trump, enough to swing the election in his favor.
Thank you, Bernie Sanders.
Thank you, Bernie Sanders followers.
Yes, that is still a bitter pill, not that Hillary Clinton was such an exceptional candidate — she wasn’t — but that Donald Trump was such an inferior candidate.
Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist, which is very different from a Marxist-Leninist socialist, a fact lost among the new right that has smeared all Democrats as radical socialists. It is, in fact, much more complicated than those simple minds can comprehend, but the propaganda plays well to that mentality.
Sanders is probably more closely aligned with social democracy, yet another political niche that is also incorrectly lumped in with the Russian brand.
Besides, the incompatibility of capitalism with democracy today is growing more and more evident as class separation continues to broaden — the rich get richer syndrome, if you will.
But political nuance aside, there are other reasons to ask Sanders to take a seat on the bench.
Sanders has been lauded by his followers as being something of a visionary. In some respects, that is true. Instead of being a positive, however, it’s a very strong negative.
Visionaries are good at coming up with ideas. Visionaries are not, however, good at following through. They get these grand ideas but are not adept at bringing them to fruition. They are great voices, they create great discussion, but they are short on leadership skills.
Sanders embodies a sort of elitism that is off-putting even to those who share his political stance. His voice and demeanor are chiding. To listen to him speak, you expect to hear “Tsk, tsk” after every point he tries to make. He’s like the cynical college professor who dismisses any perspective that does not parallel his. That’s not how we are supposed to operate.
Also, despite his renegade image, Sanders is still a part of the old guard. He carries the taint of a Congress that has become ineffective and petty, a political albatross we cannot remove yet cannot afford to perpetuate.
Finally, he’s just too old.
Now, as somebody who needs a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze on his birthday cake, I understand that nobody likes the idea of being put out to pasture.
In most cases it’s unfair, because there is reasonable evidence that those with some rust on them have also gathered a bit of wisdom, have accumulated enough knowledge and experience, and developed enough perspective to help guide the younger set.
Most people remain useful, productive, and vital long past the time when they collect their first Social Security check. We may not be able to rock ‘n’ roll all night and party every day, but we can sure help guide the youngsters who have the energy to do so.
There is a huge difference between advice and consent and actually holding the reins of a nation.
By the time we go to the polls in 2020, Sanders will be 79 years old. That’s two years older than Ronald Reagan was when he left office.
There is no doubt that Sanders has a sharp and agile mind, that he is in full command of his faculties, that he is in full possession of his intellect. Assuming the presidency, however, is something that requires vigor, stamina, and energy beyond that of an octogenarian.
Sorry if that sounds ageist to your ears, but there is a certain practicality to be applied here.
Sanders and his Berniecrats showed last time around that they are a force to be reckoned with, an important part of the Democratic Party, that liberalism must retake its rightful place in the party.
We appreciate that.
But it is time to entrust the future to those who will live it, who will govern our children and grandchildren, who will make crucial decisions for our planet.
That’s why Sanders should remain in the Senate, don the mantle of statesmanship, and teach our children well.
Peace.
The viewpoints expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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“Bernie Sanders should sit this one out” Yea good luck with that! #Bernie2020 get used to it.
#StillSanders
Need to go back and do your homework, Ed. Bernie signed his pledge to the DNC and is NOT running as an Independent.
He has done more for and on behalf of the Democratic Party than anyone currently in the race including paving the way for fresh new Progressives. Plus the wave of young voters who couldn’t vote 3 years ago and now can don’t have a problem with his age.
The $6mil he raised in 24 hours, more than 35% of that came from NEW supporters.
His wave is stronger than ever. So maybe you should sit this one out, before the wave knocks you down.