Idealism and Altruism are certainly good righteous virtues, but sometimes...sooner or later, if only for self-survival...you become pragmatic and understand that you can't always get what you want. Don Henley once said; "Let Hope inspire you, but let not Idealism blind you".
Every generation has their own idealistic fervor...some louder, more emotionally tense than others...and all have their heroes. My hero? Was, and will always be forever Robert Kennedy...but, my Hopes were swept away on that fateful kitchen floor of the Ambassador Hotel that night, just hours after winning the California Primary.
Many of Bobby's followers aligned themselves with Eugene McCarthy, who would end up carrying the Hopes for so many of that generation...and again, just to see that Hope fade away when McCarthy, at the request of many inside the hall, to please go outside and speak to his followers and calm things down...did not and would not! The rest of that night is history, and he didn't campaign for Humphrey, either. Humphrey lost by only 512,000 votes nationwide, that's 0.7% of the total national vote...with just a little support from the already angry Liberal Left, we might not have had to go through the Nixon Experience.
Another Candidate who contributed to a groundswell of young liberal idealists lining up behind his Independent run was Ralph Nader...his vote count in the 2000 Florida "JebCanFixIt" Election was a little over 99,000 votes...Al Gore lost by only 537 votes. It's not hard to figure the math...because of the Sunshine State Fix...for 8 years, America became permanently acquainted with the less than brilliant George W. Bush and all his exploits.
The 2016 Democrats are quickly heading in that same direction...the rabid enthusiasm of Bernie Sanders' "Brigade", just as the ones for McCarthy and Nader...are determined to Write-In Bernie's name as � a moral conscience vote, or protest by staying home. But voting your moral conscience rarely if ever wins an election...and this year is not your 'normal' everyday Presidential Election...this year, coming out of the Red corner, the Dumbo's Candidate appears to be an egomaniacal degenerate rich hypocrite, who holds absolutely no values for anyone except Me, Myself, and I.
If a movement with revolutionary ideas is ever going to succeed, it will certainly not be overnight...you have to nourish it slowly as you promote the value of your ideas. This is when you realize that your Anti-Establishment ideals have become the Establishment's norm. 'You' have become the establishment.
Senator Bernie Sanders has moved into a position of power to move his platform throughout Congress...by registering as a Democrat, he'll be in some powerful positions in the Senate to move his agenda forward.
As for staying in the game till it's over? by all means! Bernie should stay till the very end, and pick up as many delegates as possible!...the more delegates you get, the more power you'll obtain within the DNC to pass your platform! Though his odds on attaining the nomination continues to grow, there's always that faint sign of hope! But, if he doesn't get the big prize? there's no doubt that Bernie Sanders will endorse, support, and actively campaign for Hillary Clinton if she's the nominee. He's smarter and wiser than Gene McCarthy and has more common sense than Ralph Nader. Besides, Clinton and Sanders have more in common than they disagree with...just different ways of obtaining the same results.
As the author of this Article, Darby Saxbe said: "Hillary Clinton may not be a Revolutionary, but she’ll defend Roe v. Wade, preserve Obamacare, push for reasonable Gun Laws, protect LGBTQ rights, support Parental Leave, and heed Climate Science. Trump will do None of the Above". In fact, Trump seriously believes in the "censoring" of the Free Press and shutting it down!...remember, without a Free Press...there's no Freedom of Speech!
After 50 years a Democrat, I really feel comfortable with either Hillary or Bernie...I admire and respect the political experience and strength of Hillary Clinton, and those wonderful words of wisdom from Bernie Sanders. I voted for Bernie for my personal reasons, and will vote and wholeheartedly support Hillary in November if she's the nominee!
My question is: Will the Democrats unite into that powerful synergy of forces they are so capable of being this November, and elect whatever Democrat is the Nominee? or will Trump's lack of moral conscience make him the next Dubya...with far less class?
A letter to a Bernie-or-bust voter.
