Why Bernie Sanders Is the Democratic Party’s Best Hope to Win the White House in November

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/03/07/why-bernie-sanders-democratic-partys-best-hope-win-white-house-november

In “Unless the Democrats Run Sanders, a Trump Nomination Means a Trump Presidency,” Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson spells out why Sanders is the Democratic Party’s best hope against Donald Trump: “A Clinton match-up is highly likely to be an unmitigated electoral disaster, whereas a Sanders candidacy stands a far better chance. Every one of Clinton’s (considerable) weaknesses plays to every one of Trump’s strengths… From a purely pragmatic standpoint, running Clinton against Trump is a disastrous, suicidal proposition.” I agree. It would be foolhardy for Democrats to take a chance on Hillary in 2016.

Clinton represents timid incrementalism at a time when the American people are in desperate need of bold transformational change. It is dispiriting to watch the Clintons serially slam the dreams that millions of Americans share with Sanders, dreams that most of the rest of the industrialized world have already achieved. Lest we forget, America was constituted on a daring dream our Founders risked their lives to realize.

Yet the Clinton campaign mantra seems to be “No we can’t” guarantee health care to everyone as a right. “No we can’t” make public colleges and universities tuition free. “No we can’t” have guaranteed paid family and medical leave. “No we can’t” have a minimum wage of $15 an hour. “No we can’t” ban fracking. Had that kind of defeatist thinking prevailed during the American Revolution, there would be no America today. With that kind of uninspired thinking, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would never have walked on the Moon.

Expressed another way by former President Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, who has endorsed Sanders: “Progressive change has never happened without bold ideas championed by bold idealists. Some thought it was quixotic to try for civil rights and voting rights. Some viewed it as naïve to think we could end the Vietnam War. Some said it was unrealistic to push for the Environmental Protection Act. But time and again we’ve learned that important public goals can be achieved – if the public is mobilized behind them.”

[Mbrow]

1. K&R

[tomm2thumbs]

2. That one line says it all... and why the article is correct

Clinton represents timid incrementalism at a time when the American people are in desperate need of bold transformational change.

[Bohunk68]

4. Exactly what caught my eye as well.

+1,000

[AllyCat]

5. Yup. We don't want more of the same.

[Divernan]

6. She's never timid; she cleverly delivers for her donors.

"Timid" implies someone knows what is the ethical, necessary, right thing to do for the American people but lacks the balls to do so, let alone lead the charge.

The Clintons slickly throw out a few well publicized crumbs to the public, but deliver the goods to their corporate/One Percent investors.

If there is one thing the Clintons have mastered, it's claiming to be humanitarian while delivering the votes (while in office) and the "facilitation-for-a-hefty-fee", via the Clinton Family Foundation, for disaster capitalism.

Bill has fine tuned the Clinton Foundation Formula.

Look for any disaster in a third world country. Hold a 5 star gala gathering to solicit corporate "donations"; facilitate investing those "donations" into building an infrastructure in said desolate country (roads, electric utilities, water pipes, harbors, industrial parks and throw in a luxury hotel for your One Percent/corporate investors to stay in while they're setting up their exploitative operations) and then the corporations (having been able to write off their "donations" as tax deductions) swoop in to move their manufacturing facilities in and take advantage of the dirt cheap labor supply.

A textbook example: Haiti + earthquakes + Clinton Foundation + Walmart!. And being a full-service provider, the Clinton Foundation will facilitate basic schools and health clinics, because his corporate funders need a minimally educated and healthy work force. Have to be able to read directions/write reports/put in long hours without sick pay provisions. Plus a cluster of little girls in their cute uniforms make for such a heart rending photo op with visiting Chelsea and Bill.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. great article by the way, thanks for the post

K&R

[HeartoftheMidwest]

7. This:

For a campaign as clearly vulnerable as the Clinton campaign to be assuming victory so early in the nomination process is rather breathtaking in its hubris. Fortunately, we live in a democracy, not a monarchy, and voters in 31 more states will decide who carries the Democratic banner into the general election.

( From the article. )

[dchill]

8. K&R!

[Dustlawyer]

9. She is tailor made for Trump!

She is Establishment in an anti-establishment time. Bernie does anti-establishment in a positive way, Trump uses it like the Devil, all negative, build walls, exclude minorities...

[Geronimoe]

10. Clinton represents timid incrementalism?

It seems to me that we should not repeat frames that are likely not true or questionable.

Why would anyone expect under Hillary we would get another Obama with slight improvements?

Obama did not pass the terrible NAFTA, deregulate the banks, or vote for Iraq War. The neocons support Hillary, they never supported Obama. Hillary's regime change in Libya is a failure and humanitarian crisis. Europeans want the US to accept responsibility and step up to address the refugees crisis. In the Fox Town Hall last night, Hillary presented Libya, as no mistakes made. She never learns.

The proposed Hillary Care of the 90s was not Obama Care. Hillary Care was $15,000 penalty if you didn't get insurance and $5,000 penalty if you didn't pay insurance premium on time.