To be clear — and a bit more direct than usual); I am NOT advocating “Bernie or Bust!”— at this point at least, I think that is irresponsible as it is looking increasingly likely that this nomination fight is going to be decided at a contested party convention. I feel that both sides should be focusing on FIRST winning the (still undecided) nomination contest first; while also gaining traction for the general (((while NOT alienating too many moderate/liberal/independent voters for the general election ideally)))."The" counter point to this article I’m posting below is that this isn't nearly as simple as the article make it sound. First of all, we have not yet decided the Democratic PARTY nominee for President yet. YES; the DNC machine sold themselves to HRC before she officially declared and before the average voter knew enough to hope for a candidate Sanders. They understandably didn't know at that point that Sanders could become the lightning rod of a resurgent political idealism that this country hasn't seen since the new deal.
This isn't the self-absorbed idealism of clueless kids that think they want to be hippies so they can get "free stuff" (THAT piece of artless smear is the sound of progressivism being thrown under the bus as a pre-emptive sacrifice to the poorly chosen strategy of triangulation / "third way politics" that the Clintons made famous).
Triangulation is a great isolated tactic to break up a static negotiation with two entrenched sides (think Carter at Camp David); it is a lousy and not so effective political lifestyle - especially when a politician becomes famous for it ( think Obama going up against Tea Party ConservaTroll led Republicans that made BOEHNER the face of rational compromise by comparison).
I'm not saying Obama was a failure; he did wonders considering what he was up against. What I'm saying is that Obama proved that the tactic of offering compromise to today's Republicans before even meeting them on the rhetorical field of battle is a mistake. Obama has three times the charisma of HRC and it was a mistake.
What this Sanders grassroots political movement (let's drop the convenient Revolution shorthand that doubles as denigrating dog whistle for the HRC / DNC chimera) ACTUALLY is IS ( wink emoticon ) the awakened and aware activist youth joining some of the less jaded wise elders to draw a line in the sand in the battle to recapture the heart & soul of the Democratic Party so that there can once AGAIN be a true alternative to the corporatist and oligarch friendly policies of the GOP.
And this IS the time to be having this discussion; this bitter sibling feud within the Democratic Party made public. Trying to sell HRC out of some combination of fear & guilt based manipulation is shortsighted, self- absorbed, DNC/HRC entitlement delusion. Sanders supporters are for the most part likely to be those that are uncomfortable with how far the DNC has allowed this party to be dragged to the right; argument based in any amount on party loyalty & triangulation (let alone the misused Feminist cudgel) are doing more to solidify impressions of HRC as someone that fundamentally doesn't get it than changing ANY minds towards her.
If HRC & the DNC are unable to convince Sanders supporters to vote For HRC in the event that she is the nominee IN JUNE, then she really has little chance of being the candidate that can unite the nation against a possible President Trump, Cruz, or Ryan.
If HRC wants to actually WIN the nomination with any legitimacy that would give her the momentum shift to carry her to the White House, she will need to stop playing dirty politics of idealism and character assassination and get back to talking substance and policy (that IS supposedly her wonky superstrength anyway, right?)…
The DNC needs to start to at least try harder to appear impartial rather than ruining this election by confusing it with a $ponsored coronation.
STOP preaching to the choir and losing this election that should be a cakewalk - for anyone going up against the proven field of clowns the GOP has to offer.
I see this article (The #BernieOrBust Movement Throws Marginalized People Under The Bus )as part of the orchestrated fear-based manipulation (aka cynical gutting of sincere and principled politics for ineffective compromise and false security) that has been a frustrating part of at least the online component of the HRC campaign.
To revive Ben Franklin - "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety"
It is my right, if not my responsibility, to vote my conscience in AT LEAST my party primary.