Never Trump... but Bernie?

     Let me start with a given:  Donald Trump must be defeated.  His presidency is an embarrassment to the American people; a betrayal of our values and beliefs.  The Donald has ushered in a culture of corruption unparalleled in our history.  Furthermore, where the United States was once admired—if not revered—by many around the globe, we have now become a laughing stock. And, quite frankly, though Trump claims to be a “stable genius”, all available evidence points to him being a vain and stupid little man…

     My question now is whether or not the best hope of defeating Trump lies in nominating a 78 year old self-described Socialist who is apparently unable to control the outrageous behavior of his own so-called “Bernie Bros”?  Thus far, these Sanders flying monkey types have been using social media to attack rival candidates, their families, surrogates, journalists, and even celebrities who may have strayed from the Bernie message.  In Nevada, they bullied members of the Culinary Union and harassed the State Democratic Chair late at night outside his home (bullhorns).  One aide in particular, Ben Mora, has demonstrated an appalling lack of character and judgment—making disparaging (to put it mildly) comments concerning the physical appearance, gender, and sexuality of rival candidates.  In light of this—and other—instances of bad behavior, Bernie has postulated that perhaps these aren’t his supporters acting out, but rather Russian operatives looking to embarrass him.  Seriously?

     Look, if Sanders 2016 campaign operatives and associates hadn’t actively encouraged people to vote for third parties, or not at all, and if the 12% of Sanders supporters who actually cast their votes for Trump could have behaved responsibly (i.e. in the best interest of the country), then it’s likely Donald Trump would have never desecrated the White House. So, although Bernie himself did campaign for Hillary (39 rallies over the course of 3 months), far too many in his “movement” were intent on keeping their noses out of joint and refused to play nice.  Look at where it got us!  If Bernie can’t hold sway over his own supporters, it’s hard to see him as an effective nominee-- unifying the many factions of the Democratic Party, while simultaneously advocating for an agenda that promises (or threatens) revolution.

Pete Buttigieg & Our First Priority

Priority one, for every decent, intelligent, and patriotic American is to rid the White House of Donald Trump. To that end, the Democratic Party kicked off the current election cycle with enough presidential candidates to choke a horse.  Mercifully, the winnowing process took effect, and no horses have been harmed.

In the interest of transparency, I’ll admit upfront that I’m 63 years old.  In most people’s minds, that has somehow come to mean that I must be supporting former Vice President Joe Biden.  Even though he’s fourteen years older than I am, they assume I must be generationally linked to him. Of course Bernie is even older at 78, Bloomberg is 77, and Warren the “spring chicken” of this particular group is 70.

Initially, I found myself pining for a Sherrod Brown-Kamala Harris ticket, but my personal “dream team” was not to be.

And, although I find myself supporting much of the Sanders agenda, I find it impossible to ignore the fact that his intransigence in 2016 proved to be a significant factor in ensuring Donald Trump’s Electoral College (not popular vote) victory.  When he talks about the need to support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination, I find myself cringing.

Furthermore, although I recognize the need to overturn every piece of legislation that Trump has signed into law, I don’t believe that the surest path to victory lies in promising to make a series of sweeping changes from day one.  That would have the effect of further traumatizing voters.  Extremism will not result in regaining control of the Senate, let alone bringing the curtain down on the Trump national nightmare.

As a result, I find myself supporting Pete Buttigieg.  There is no candidate (or human being, for that matter) who isn’t flawed to some extent, and I have my concerns about Pete.  I’m not comfortable with some of the donors he’s courted, or with the lavish fundraisers in wine caves.  On the other hand, I believe he handled the McKinsey consulting firm questions forthrightly.  Contrary to what the conspiracy theorists may have led us to suspect, there was nothing sinister in his list of clients.

I trust Pete...  He strikes me as a thoughtful, intelligent guy.  He won’t make rash decisions based on political calculations, and he won’t engage in deceitful and petty efforts to bring down his political opponents.  Pete is, genuinely, a very stable Rhodes Scholar.  The days of dealing with a paranoid narcissist (and his other personality disorders) will fade from sight in our rear view mirrors.

Does Pete’s “lack of experience” worry me?  Not really, because while he may not have a “traditional” background in foreign policy, for example, he’s gained at least comparable experience through serving our country abroad.  I am convinced that Pete will take his time, surround himself with the best people, and govern in a calm, deliberate fashion.

We don’t need another President who’s in his or her 70s.  It’s time to turn the page and hand over the keys to those who have a lifetime ahead of them.  At 38, Pete Buttigieg fits that bill perfectly, and I  plan to do whatever I can to insure that he becomes our next President.

Enough with the Shtick, Bernie

It appears increasingly likely that a fanatical minority or Republicans will succeed in nominating Donald Trump as the party’s presidential candidate. In the world of politics it’s not unusual to hear dire warnings about the importance of “this” election versus “that” election; or the need to defeat candidate X because he or she represent(s) a threat to the very survival of our democracy. We’ve heard these claims so often now that it’s admittedly tempting to ignore the boy who cried “wolf!” entirely. However, given the number or racist, sexist, and just plain bat-s**t crazy rants emanating from the Donald, it’s plain to see that if he succeeds in getting anywhere near the White House, our homes may indeed collapse in the rush of hot air, and the republic may well be screwed.
It would seem that the sooner the Democratic Party is able to unite, the better off we’ll be. Given the lure of Justin Trudeau’s bold new visions and proposals, it’s certainly tempting to consider a mass emigration to Canada (if they haven’t built a wall), but we can’t afford to leave our country in the clutches of an intolerant, hateful minority.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has surprised almost everyone by running an inspirational and powerful campaign. His focus on issues such as income inequality, the influence of big money in politics, universal healthcare, free tuition at public colleges and universities, and offering a legal pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants have resonated with millions across the country.
Unfortunately, he has recently veered off course and misses no opportunity to try and inflict damage on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Setting aside the simple arithmetic, it’s simply disappointing to hear Senator Sanders resort to such tactics.

For example, it’s silly for Senator Sanders to try and claim the mantle of the “anti-establishment” candidate when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988, where he served until being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. These are among the most exclusive and powerful legislative bodies in the world. (It’s also worth noting that in every election campaign Sanders has benefitted greatly from the support of a Democratic party that he then attempts to keep at arm’s length.)
It’s absurd for Senator Sanders to attack Secretary Clinton (at the contentious Brooklyn debate) on the issue of global warming and then turn around and charter a private plane for a 8500 mile round-trip flight to Rome—for a conference on wealth inequality? The Mail Online calculated 33,193 gallons of fossil fuel were used for this jaunt. Now that’s some carbon footprint! Another moment at that debate was particularly striking. While Secretary Clinton clarified a comment she’d made regarding the proportion of guns from Vermont used to commit crimes in NYC, Senator Sanders almost chuckled. He seemed to find the topic amusing, until Secretary Clinton reminded him that “gun violence is not a laughing matter”. Unfortunately, Senator Sanders also passed up on an opportunity to apologize to the parents/families of the Sandy Hook massacre for his comments in an interview with the “N.Y. Daily News” maintaining those parents didn’t have the right to sue the gun manufacturers.

A few days ago, Jane Sanders sounded uncannily like Donald Trump in a recent interview with Fox Business Network’s “Cavuto Coast to Coast” as she complained that the delegate selection process “isn’t fair”. To make matters worse, in today’s headlines I’m seeing that Senator Sanders himself is promising a contested Democratic convention. I have no doubt this provided tremendous glee at Trump headquarters.
I can only hope that, in time, Senator Sanders and those supporters who’ve promised not to vote for Secretary Clinton, will look again at the danger posed by Donald Trump and think long and hard about what they’re doing.
I plan to vote for Hillary Clinton not as the “lesser of two evils”, but as a capable, experienced candidate whose time has come. I believe that the basis for much of the antipathy toward Hillary Clinton stems from one of the most brutal and disingenuous hatchet jobs ever to emerge from the world of public relations. In 1994, in response to President Clinton’s proposed health care plan (with Hillary taking point), insurance companies launched a year-long, multi-million dollar smear campaign (“Harry and Louise”) that seems to have shaped perceptions of Hillary Clinton ever since. I admire Secretary Clinton for her resilience and determination in facing down decades of uninformed vitriol, and look forward to her election as President of the United States.