“Well, if you add up what Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar, and Joe Biden got in New Hampshire, you can see the moderates still haven’t coalesced around Bernie quite yet. There’s still time. It’s going to be a long primary fight.”
How many times have you heard that conventional wisdom since the senator from Vermont effectively won the first two elections of the cycle? By the way, it also completely ignores his outsized role in their race four years ago. Bernie’s not going away. He never left. He’s the shingles of campaigns.
It’s purely wishful thinking by those who understand naked socialism won’t sell in the general election and are praying a more palatable, secret socialist comes to the fore to save the Democrats in November. But it’s too late. Bernie and his “bros” are locked and loaded and any attempt to separate them from one another will not work.
Why is this so hard for them to grasp? The enthusiasm in the Democrats’ primary is with Bernie. Period. Why? He’s socialist Trump in a nutshell. Republicans have been through this already. In a crowded field of traditional milquetoast, blow-dried, manicured, focus-grouped opponents the original anti-politician without scripts and notes and messaging steps up to the microphone and says exactly what he thinks.
American voters largely do not trust institutions and the phonies who lead them any longer. You may dislike that. You may tut-tut that. But that’s where we are. While Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are promoting wildly different solutions for America’s future, they both fit the bill of outsider and authenticity the country is craving.
Meanwhile, their manicured, focus-grouped opponents squabble amongst one another trying to prove they’re the best one to take on the anti-politician in their midst. How’d that work out in the long, protracted battle of Rubio, Cruz, Fiorina, Kasich, etc?
C’mon, Democrats. Let’s stop pretending there’s such a thing as “moderate” in your party anyway. You all want what Bernie wants. Obama did a good job trying to back-door socialism through speechifying and race-baiting. But Bernie just wants to cut to the chase this time and tell the truth. “I want the government to run everything. I want you to pay much higher taxes. I want to be in control of both the government and your money. Vote for me!”
I know, Democrats. You’re worried Bernie’s too blunt and jarring and aggressive for a center-right majority to swallow. Still, you’re better off going to war with Bernie than you are trying a Trojan candidate with one of the mini-mayors like Mike or Pete. They’re just pocket-size Jebs! (please clap)
Committed communists and socialists are aggressive and many times violent and disruptive, it’s true. I understand why that makes Democrats nervous as well. But they’re also passionate and mobilized and they want to win. Let them go to work!
If you cheat Bernie out of this with a mini-mayor, you’re going to set your convention ablaze (maybe more than just rhetorically). Then, when the fire is out, you’ll be stuck with a party hollowed of passion, and full of disdain and mistrust for your Trojan socialist mini-mayor of choice.
Democrats, you can’t afford to shut out the passion and roll the dice on unimpressive mini-mayors whom blacks don’t trust, progressives don’t trust, and independents can’t support because they’re just socialists without the personality or authenticity.
Meanwhile, did you see what President Trump pulled for turnout in a mostly uncontested primary in New Hampshire this week? A stunning 119,000 votes! Why is that significant? Because every previous president who went on to win a second term and ran uncontested in New Hampshire in their first term didn’t come close to Trump’s turn-out.
The next closest was Clinton with 76,000 votes, followed by Reagan with 65,000, Bush with 54,000, and the most historic, magical, important, transformative president of all – Barack Obama - pulled a measly 49,000 votes in New Hampshire during his first term.
Go ahead. Lie to yourselves with thoughts of, “It’s early.” Or maybe, “Trump wasn’t running against anyone in New Hampshire. Just wait until Democrats rally around one candidate!” You ignore electoral enthusiasm and passion at your political peril.
I remember the Republican convention in Cleveland of 2016 when the runner up to President Trump decided not to endorse him and instead give a speech about conservatism and walked off the stage to “boos.”
I remember the Democrat convention in Philadelphia in 2016 when party leadership had to resign in disgrace after leaked emails exposed their attempts to fix the fight for Hillary and shut Bernie out. I remember the protests and angry Bernie backers in the convention hall who felt cheated.
Republicans learned their lesson. Submit to the will of your voters or they will abandon you. Yes, it's true there are still many Never-Trump Republicans who can’t and won’t see fit to vote for President Trump this fall. But they’ll never lead again. Meanwhile, those Republicans who’ve come around and embraced Trump have been forgiven and welcomed home by voters.
The lesson learned? Don’t bet against authenticity and passion no matter your distaste for it.
Similarly, Democrats, it’s time you stop betting against the passion and authenticity of Bernie and his “bros.” It’s easier to simply embrace them and walk the plank with them on full-tilt, high tax, total government-controlling socialism. Why wait?
I know it’s scary, Democrats, but it’s where you all want to go anyway. Just hop in the back seat and let Bernie drive you all there. Then we’ll have an honest, fair, transparent fight to see where the soul of the nation truly rests.
Don’t hide your social engineering, high taxing, gun-grabbing, climate change-scheming, limitless abortion government takeovers with flowery speeches from Midwestern mini-mayors and slick-talking junior senators anymore. Own who you are! Say what you mean!
Just back Bernie already and let’s head to November!