Clintonism the Future? NYT’s Political Science Fiction

[eridani]

Clintonism the Future? NYT’s Political Science Fiction

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/04/26/clintonism-future-nyts-political-science-fiction

These voting patterns reflect not just a personal attraction to Sanders, but a profound ideological shift among young adults. When Americans aged 18-26 were asked by GOP pollster Frank Luntz (Intercept, 2/24/16), “Which type of political system do you think is the most compassionate?,” 58 percent said socialism. Sixty-six percent said corporate America “embodies everything that is wrong about America.” Accordingly, 31 percent said that Bernie Sanders was the political figure they “like and respect the most”—a figure that rose to 40 percent among the younger half of respondents, aged 18-21. (The corresponding numbers were 11 percent and just 3 percent for Hillary Clinton.)

The pro-Sanders left objects to the solicitude of the Democratic Party for Wall Street and Silicon Valley, the sources of much of its funding. But it is safe to assume that most progressives, when confronted with conservative candidates, will prefer incremental, finance-friendly Clintonism over the right-wing alternative

.

Did you catch that? “Most progressives” will choose “incremental, finance-friendly Clintonism”—because the only other choice will be the right. They’ll choose Clintonism, in other words, because they won’t be given any other choice.

There is no doubt that that’s how the Democratic establishment—and the Gateses and the Googles who stand behind it—will try to move forward, once (they hope) the Bernie Sanders campaign of 2016 is just a bad memory. Sanders, in this view, is a one-of-a-kind candidate, leading youth astray through sheer star power. (“Part of the explanation” for “the appeal of Bernie Sanders,” Lind writes, is that “Mrs. Clinton is less charismatic a candidate than Barack Obama or her husband was.”) Once he exits the stage, Democratic voters will get what they get and they won’t get upset.

[Broward]

1. A right-wing hellscape is in the offing no matter which side wins now.

[PowerToThePeople]

2. RIP USA

All hail the fascist Oligarchs.

I am outa here asafp.

[HereSince1628]

3. They made Socrates drink hemlock for misguiding the young...

they haven't yet done that to Sanders...

But, it really pisses off the members of the establishment, who worked hard to get their piece of the action, and who after all the work they went thru after all the sacrificing of their morals and dignity that brought them to a pragmatic world view that brought them wealth and power must once again face some old fart speaking about philosophical dreams that radicalize the youth and threaten their empire.

[Locrian]

4. optimistic

As we’ve seen, though, this theory is based on ignoring everything we know about the demographics and attitudes of Democratic voters, particularly young Democratic voters. This suggests that corralling them up again for a Clintonist future is going to be more difficult than Lind and his colleagues in corporate media want to believe.

Sanders and the rest of his millions of supporters aren't going anywhere. I see this as the beginning, not the end.

The fact that a candidate with ZERO mainstream recognition, zero mainstream funding, attacks and marginalizing by the media, dirty tricks, etc was able to very nearly pull it off ..... well, that's not bad I'd say. Nobody thought this would be easy - to think that all it took was one person to "fix" it and we'd be back on track is wishful (hopeful) thinking.

But I think it's just beginning, and people are realizing their strength, as well as vulnerabilities - and realizing that this is a war, not just one battle. It took a long time for civil rights, women voting right, etc. And we don't have a lot of time with the way were headed economically, climate, etc. But I think an "event" has occurred, maybe the "spark" has lit the fuse.

[noretreatnosurrender]

5. Great post

I too see this as the beginning not the end.

[longship]

6. A great and thoughtful response.

I will support all such positive posts that I see.

Way to go, my friend.