Monday, July 25, 2016

Resignation Not Enough

Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz was forced to resign the convention chair because her email leaks, courtesy Wikkileaks, proved what we already know, that the Democratic establishment was operating to deny Bernie Sanders the nomination.  What is happening now is what US Person predicted: the credible candidate to defeat the 'Prince of Darkness' was rejected by the establishment in favor of the symbolic nomination of a conservative woman.  That woman is proving problematic for her party because her reputation and scandal ("Crooked Hillary") is uniting a side previously in disarray.  Trump now leads her in some polls.  But the disruption caused by the Wasserman leaks is symptomatic of a deeper problem in the Democratic Party.

The established Democratic Party has literally sold its political soul to the Money Power.  It can no longer credibly claim to be the party of the workers when its standard bearer is so beholding to Wall Street financiers. Instead of trying to unite a divided party by nominating Bernie Sanders for the vice-president, a legitimate representative of the middle and working classes whose campaign refused corporate funding, Ms. Clinton continues to pander to the plutocracy by selecting a relatively unknown conservative from Virginia.  US Person does not know if Sanders would have accepted the job if offered, but he is fairly sure it was never seriously discussed by Clinton.  However, there is still time at the convention to correct her mistake.

Wasserman-Schultz's willingness to play dirty politics against an unexpectedly successful challenge from Sanders is revealed in her digital correspondence. She was willing to use the issue of religion, or the lack of any, against Bernie.  Although Jewish by heritage, Sanders has said he is not religious. Note here he did not say he was atheistic. Although Sanders has consistently voted with the Democratic Party in Congress, Wasserman accused him of not having an understanding of it.  Many of the leaked emails do not seem to be offering very effective advice on how to combat Sanders and his loyal supporters, but rather express a childish, fervent wish that he would simply give up and go away. They also reveal a cynical and disparaging attitude towards Clinton's donors and supporters of Bernie, respectively termed "clowns" and "BernieBros". Clearly it is a cynicism born of privileged insider status and long experience in a corrupted political system.  Blame the Russians for Democratic disunity if you must, Madam Secretary, but you have only yourself to blame for "helping Moscow".

US Person is not sure what Sanders hoped to accomplish with his somewhat quixotic presidential campaign. If he expected to force real change upon the Democratic Party, so long corrupted by the Money Power, he was mistaken. Capturing the nomination was always a long shot. Perhaps what he can do best now is to lead a third force to establish a new political base independent from the two plutocratic fronts that control American politics. Uniting behind Hillary Clinton is simply endorsing more of the same musical chairs that now passes as televised democracy in 'Merica.