Super Tuesday Progressive Warren Backers, Please Join US Behind Bernie!
(Or Convince Warren to Drop Out Now!)
(Or Convince Warren to Drop Out Now!)
It’s often said, especially as a charge against left-handed Lefties like me, that we progressives too often follow our hearts and don’t think strategically enough to win in the dog-eat-dog world of electoral politics.
Judging by the way that can get under our skin, there’s probably some truth to that.
That said, you’re reading a writer who spends way too much of his spare time pondering American politics (at least according to my long-time friends here in Japan), and I can assure you, I don’t vote without considering the best strategy even if that means my guy or gal might lose.
In addition, I am a strong believer in integrity so I don’t ever ask others to act in a way that violates theirs.
Now, I’ve been an admirer of Bernie Sanders since the 1990s as I wrote about in this post below, because I generally agree with his politics but more importantly, he has that integrity. I know where he is coming from; he’s not going to sell out his principles.
Enough With the Bernie Bros BS, Already (Because It Hurts)
Are you one of those people who still uses “Bernie Bros” in your political discourse to score points against Bernie…medium.com
Thus, in 2019–20, I’ve not wavered from my belief that Bernie Sanders is the best candidate for the Democrats, because not only do I mostly like his policies I believe his integrity makes him the most electable candidate against a liar like Donald Trump.
I believe you can disagree with all of this yet still see the logic of the argument I’m about to make. And that is:
Warren Backers Should Join US Sanders Backers Now!
Here’s why:
According to the political stats gurus at Five-Thirty-Eight,
Pete Buttigieg’s decision to drop out of the race two days before Super Tuesday has hurt Sen. Bernie Sanders in our primary forecast. Sanders’s chances of winning a majority of pledged delegates fell from 28 percent to 23 percent. And the likelihood that no candidate gets a majority rose slightly from 59 to 64 percent.
This should be very concerning to anyone who wants to see a progressive in the White House.
Because if no one wins the 1,991 delegates needed to become the automatic nominee in July, that allows the Democratic Establishment with their super-delegates and complex maze of rules, all which seem to somehow harm progressives like Sanders or Warren, to enter into the decision-making process.
And after 2016 and the 2020 campaign so far, can any progressive honestly trust the Democratic Establishment to act in good faith?
Oh, sure, they’ll fall back on the “we are following the rules” and that’s true. But the core message of both the Warren and Sanders candidacies is that the System is broken, so why would we believe that the System’s rules are exempt from that?
Heck, the Establishment-chosen Tom Perez has already requested that most of the Democratic Convention standing committees be folks who are not friendly to Warren and Sanders. This article from the New York Times reports the following,
Since Mr. Sanders’s victory in Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, The Times has interviewed 93 party officials — all of them superdelegates, who could have a say on the nominee at the convention — and found overwhelming opposition to handing the Vermont senator the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority.
These elites argue that if Sanders doesn’t get to 1,991, then, as the rules allow, they should step in on the second ballot and determine who is the candidate with the best chance to defeat Trump.
Because they, after all, are so brilliant at understanding how to beat Trump (cough, cough, 2016 … look, the Russians! I hope you can forgive me; even in a more serious-than-usual-for-me piece like this one, you can grant me at least one sarcastic dig at Democratic Establishment thinking, right?)
Now, we can argue until the cows come back from mid-day tea over who we think the best person to beat Trump is, but I don’t think anyone in good faith can argue to us progressives that the Establishment is going to pick Sanders or Warren, can we?
If you do think so, I urge you (again) to click on that link below from the New York Times article.
Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders
Interviews with dozens of Democratic Party officials, including 93 superdelegates, found overwhelming opposition to…www.nytimes.com
Some of you Warren supporters may feel that Warren might serve as the compromise candidate between the progressives and moderates, but think about it: Would the Democratic Establishment have allowed Michael Bloomberg to basically buy himself into the election if they were comfortable with a Warren candidacy?
No, that was the move of a desperate party, a party that may be more comfortable with four more years of Trump than in handing over the reins of the party to us progressives.
But I’m going a bit far afield in my speculation…
Can Warren Think Strategically As Mayor Pete Did?
Now, you’ve probably noticed the sub-head for this piece is calling for Warren to drop out, to be true to her progressive values and then throw her support WITH Bernie. She’d likely earn herself a good position in the Sanders Administration if she did that; but more important than her personal goals (in my estimation), she’d be making a move with integrity that would help all of US.
However, much as I think that’d be awesome and politically astute of Warren, I can’t expect it. Too many times Warren has, in my opinion, not shown the savvy political instincts and guts to make a move that would serve the progressive cause.
You can bet Mayor Pete dropped out because he saw that, like Warren, he had basically no path to the nomination and because he figured doing it before Super Tuesday can help Bloomberg or Biden and he could then parlay his action into a spot in their administration.
Personally, as I stated in my most recent podcast, I think Buttigieg is also showing poor political instincts because Biden’s “vision” is not the future of the Democratic Party. But Pete need not concern us now.
What should concern us is not only beating Trump but doing it with a candidate who is going to help American make some necessary Systemic changes so we aren’t dealing with another Trump in 2024 or beyond.
And right now, the only candidate who has a solid chance to win and fulfill that goal is Bernie Sanders.
But he can’t do it without a strong, unified progressive vote, which would help him earn those 1,991 delegates and deny the Democratic Establishment any opportunity to play kingmaker.
Let’s Heal Our Wounds and Work Together, Progressives
It’s been a hard-fought and occasionally bitter race between Sanders and Warren to be the Progressive Lane Candidate.
We’ve probably said some nasty things against each other along the way, and while I, for one, wish we could evolve to having a less cantankerous political arena, this is the way the game works for now.
I’ve already made a few apologies and likely will make more down the road.
But now, during this three-week period in March when 61 percent of the delegates will be voted for, it’s time to come together. Time to take back America from the paws of the Establishment, creating a society that provides an equal opportunity for all of us to excel, not just those who the System has thus far rewarded.
A bunch of wins for us Progressives in March could provide enough momentum to propel OUR candidate to the nomination with no chance for Democratic Party tomfoolery in July.
So what do ya say, Warren voters? Can you forgive us crazy Bernie Bros and join with US to get us a candidate we can all mostly get behind?
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