It increasingly looks like socialist Bernie Sanders will be the last Democrat standing for president. How is it even possible for a major party to offer Sanders as an alternative to Donald Trump? If you thought Hillary Clinton was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Sure, she was crooked. But at least she could paint inside the lines of the liberal coloring book. Sanders is way beyond normal.
Mr. Sanders reminds me of George McGovern; the last gasp of the 60s anti-war movement. This is not a good thing: in 1972, young voters did not turn out on Election Day, while grown-ups knew the Vietnam War was winding down. In 2020, adults know the economy is lifting millions out of poverty – and we’d better hope these wild-eyed college kids sleep in on Election Day.
I blame every Democrat in America for Sanders, beginning with the dumb candidates that painted Joe Biden and Mike Bloomberg as DINOs (Democrats in Name Only). Kamala Harris perceived Biden as the favorite, even after hearing his bumbling orations, and smeared him as a racist. Yet, she never attacked Sanders for defending Fidel Castro or outed him as a communist.
Elizabeth Warren perceived Bloomberg as the favorite and, even after his promise to fund the eventual nominee, smeared him as a billionaire sexist. Yet, she never attacked Sanders for once supporting the gun lobby or outed him for defending socialist Venezuela. Now, she might lose her home state’s (Massachusetts) primary to him.
America’s liberal party is a hot mess and too dysfunctional to mount a coordinated campaign against a vulnerable incumbent – and they have no one to blame but themselves. The dysfunction began with the resistance: turning over cop cars and breaking storefronts in anger over Hillary Clinton’s loss (while claiming Donald Trump would destroy our Democracy). Then, they went on and on that Hillary needed to shut up.
Their deep-state apparatchiks botched the insurance policy and their impeachment team couldn’t shoot straight. They looked mean when they smeared Judge Kavanaugh and denied him the presumption of innocence. They looked petty when they dissed the positive outcomes delivered by the tax cuts. Yet, all of this pales in comparison to how their presidential candidates followed Sanders down the socialist rabbit hole.
If I were a down ballot Democrat in Virginia or Minnesota, I would be very nervous. Democrats gained control of Richmond and declared war on gun ownership. Ilhan Omar has reminded Minnesota moderates that Democrats have a screw loose. And speaking of loose screws, nominating Sanders proves the DNC has lost the party. In times of relative peace and prosperity, putting a revolution-promising socialist at the top of the ticket is not a good look.