June 24, 2015 6:52 AM

It's time to decide what kind of America you want: Why I'm endorsing Bernie Sanders for President

Back in the summer of 2007 (when blogging actually mattered), I was one of the first bloggers to endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President. At the time, he was a candidate with promise and an as-yet-to-be-determined degree of hope for success. The Democratic nomination seemed like nothing if not a long shot. I liked his message and the fact that he wasn’t just another pre-packaged, mass-produced, well-fed White guy whose message was geared primarily to massaging the fears of White males.

The intervening years have largely borne out my faith in him, though the road has frequently been bumpy and the ride frustrating. No, he hasn’t been the unabashed Liberal I’d hoped for. We still don’t have universal health care, we’re still acting like the world’s moral policeman, and income equality continues to grow at a distressing pace. Considering the alternatives in 2008 (Vice President Palin??) and 2012 (A President with a car elevator? Really?), the results have far exceeded what we might have otherwise been saddled with.

The questions for 2016, at least in my mind, revolve around who will do the best job of representing the interests of the most Americans. Not who will follow the money, who will do everything short of fellating Charles and David Koch, or who will pander to the American Taliban and their Tea Party co-wackjobs. Who has the best plan to make “The American Dream” more than something taught in History classes? Who will do the most to restore America to a place in which a middle-class kid with a dream can count on being able to go to college to learn the skills necessary to pursue that dream. Who will do the most to help temper racial tensions and reduce the likelihood that being an African-American male is a terminal condition? In short, who will recognize and acknowledge that the American status quo is advantageous to only an exceedingly small number of the super-rich? Who will admit that the American middle class is shrinking and is quickly being replaced by a two-tier society: The super-rich and the 99%, whose existence is important only insofar as they can serve the interests of the 1%?

It’s no stretch, nor much of a surprise, to state that there’s no one currently on board the GOP clown car remotely capable of returning (or willing to return) America back to the middle class. Those whose labors made this country the economic power it is are now viewed by those at the top of the economic food chain as servants of capital, useful only for their productive capacity and of no value once that capacity has been exhausted. We’ve reached a place where people are expendable and valued only as mere units of production to be jettisoned when a more efficient and profitable means of production becomes available.

Republicans long ago abandoned classical Conservatism for the far more lucrative pandering to wealthy, self-interested moguls more interested in purchasing government that suits their purpose than in what’s best for the country. No Republican candidate has demonstrated a shred of independent thought or the willingness to deviate from the accepted groupthink that calls not only for continuing this trend, but expanding it exponentially. To believe that a Republican- ANY Republican- is capable of doing the right thing by the American electorate is delusional. If you’re a middle class voter and you choose a Republican…and it matters not which one…you’re (once again) voting against your best interests…but that’s hardly a new phenomenon, is it? The American Sheeple are an easily manipulable and propagandized lot, capable of believing without question the worst, most vile accusations and insinuations about those left of center without so much as the barest hint of second thoughts. How else do you think “Liberal” became a pejorative for so many? Few can explain why, but they KNOW that Liberals HATE America and all that makes this country great and that good, God-fearing patriots hold dear.

From my perspective, there’s no doubt but that the only hope for moving this country lies in a Democratic President. To those who’d argue that there’s no difference between the parties, I’d suggest that you remove the blinders and start paying attention. Do you want a President who focuses on culture war issues and turning ever greater shares of the economy over to big business? Or do you want a leader committed to making America a better place for ALL Americans, not just the ones wealthy enough to buy an increasingly corrupt government?

Democrats are by no means perfect, but no reasonable observer could look at the parties side by side and come away thinking Republicans have by far the better program. Unless, of course, by “reasonable person,” you mean, “unrepentant slash-and-burn culture warrior.” When compared side by side, it’s difficult not to notice that Democrats talk about actual problems- health care, the economy, education, etc.- as if they plan to address them seriously. Republicans focus on hot button social issues- abortion, immigration, religious freedom, same-sex marriage- and fervently declare that those who don’t believe as good, God-fearing patriots do are responsible for this country’s moral quagmire. Hey, it beats actually coming up with proposals to solve real problems, right??

Republicans want to enforce the American Taliban-endorsed moral agenda. Democrats want to make America a better place for all Americans. There you go; two sentences that sum up the choice we face in November, 2016.

Any of the three declared Democratic candidates would be infinitely preferable to the ideologues, moral midgets, and culture warriors on the Republican side. Of those three- Martin O’Malley, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders, only Sanders seems to be able to articulate a willingness and desire to focus on middle class issues. Only Sanders has the name recognition and Progressive credentials indicative of a serious candidate with serious plans to do serious things. O’Malley doesn’t have the name recognition, the experience, or a coherent message. Clinton, while blessed with an impressive resume and sizable world-wide Rolodex, is too closely tied to wealthy interests to impress me as someone who recognizes the need and possesses the willingness to actively pursue socially Progressive policies. I once heard someone describe Clinton as a Liberal Republican, which, while not strictly accurate, doesn’t exactly ring hollow. I honestly don’t believe she’d stray far from the center her husband occupied during his years in the White House…and that presents a problems for Progressives like myself. I want universal health care, I want women’s rights to be guaranteed, honored, and advanced, and I want people to be able to marry the person they love and live the life they choose in whatever form that may take. I want America to be a place where tolerance, opportunity, and dreams run free. Hillary Clinton, who certainly wouldn’t be a bad President, doesn’t represent that aspiration in my mind.

Bernie Sanders stands out as the person singularly capable of pursuing Progressive values and making this a better country for ALL Americans, not just the moneyed elite. The time is coming when all of us will need to think long and hard about the kind of America we want and will be passing to the next generation. For my money, the candidate that best reflects my values is Bernie Sanders, a Presidential candidate whose campaign is quixotic only if voters allow the media to frame it that way. No one thought a peanut farmer from Plains, GA, had a snowball’s chance in Hell in 1976…yet Jimmy Carter prevailed because he was able to convince Americans that he was the best candidate. The same opportunity exists in 2016.

Sanders CAN win, and if enough Americans listen to his message, I believe he will. Fortunately, November 2016 is still a ways off, so there’s plenty of time for Sanders to state his case. For those who may not know much of Sanders’ experience and background, check out what he accomplished (against very long odds) during his eight years as Mayor of Burlington, VT. The man can lead and he has a vision; it’s time we afforded him the opportunity to lead this country in a better, more positive direction.

THAT’S why I’m endorsing Bernie Sanders for President.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on June 24, 2015 6:52 AM.

Past performance does not guarantee future results was the previous entry in this blog.

Conservative morality: Do as I say...not as I do is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 6.0.8