You support Bernie Sanders?
Wonderful, so do I.
But it is time to get a grip and, maybe, a reality check.
I often see friends post on social media regarding their overwhelming admiration for Bernie Sanders, and seeing such interest in the seventy-four year old man makes my heart all fuzzy. It is astounding that young people are able to connect with someone born in an entirely different realm in comparison to everything we have today in 2016. It is also wonderful that a politician is striving to improve the lives of all Americans – especially us young folks.
With the wealth disparity in the United States, and the despicable actions committed by corrupt businessmen on Wall Street – I’m looking at you, mainly, Big Banks – it is about time that we see a shift in the political stature. Bernie is one hundred percent correct when he points to the Big Banks as being a major component to the problems at hand.
The crash of 2008 saw the Big Banks making billions off the sale of housing bonds, while knowingly giving out loans to those who could not afford to pay them back. We know way too well that the populace bailed out Wall Street, and in return many CEOs paid themselves bonuses with money from taxpayers. Did they ever face persecution for such actions? Absolutely not, and that is outrageous in itself. Such actions are deplorable and deserve some sort of retribution, and Bernie Sanders may be the man who can bring about such justice.
But what if he’s not?
Hence why many of us need to obtain the aforementioned grip while checking reality.
Political revolutions are exciting. The fight for equality has been seen time and time again throughout history, especially in the United States. They lead to a change that is so desperately needed, they offer the chance to undo political and societal wrongs, while perhaps improving socioeconomics for all. But that does not always mean political revolutions are always feasible. Occupy Wall Street, a good idea with no strategic plan whatsoever, is an example of just that. Bernie taking on the Big Banks may be feasible on paper, but in reality that may not be the case. Bernie has even shown recently that he cannot point directly to what he would do to break up the Big Banks, and unfortunately his supporters still blindly support him.
That is not to say that you are wrong for supporting him. Bernie has managed the wonderful feat of connecting with millions of people, raising money without a Super PAC, and getting the necessary conversations moving. This has caused Hillary Clinton to have to step up her progressive agenda considerably, and that is a win-win.
But at the end of the day, that may be all that it is: An enticing dream without a sound foundation to bring change forward.
I recall a New York Times article written several months ago, arguing that Bernie Sanders would be the ideal figure to bring about legitimate change in this political stature, yet this political stature is one that does not want to change.
If that isn’t a conundrum I don’t know what is.
If change is not feasible, as we have seen a Republican dominated Congress restrict progressive legislation proposed by President Obama and other Democrats, then what would Bernie be able to accomplish in this political stature? I would argue that one major piece of legislation would be proposed by a President Sanders, similar to how Obama’s major accomplishment pertains to Obamacare. And if a President Sanders managed to, say, figure out how to break up the Big Banks, then it would be watered down with exemplary sections no differently than how Obamacare has been watered down by Congress the last few years. Then, and only then, would people stop pointing fingers at President Obama and screaming that he is the worst thing that ever happened to this country, but they would claim Bernie Sanders holds that title instead.
Now, I’m obviously making inferences based on the chokehold that Obama has faced since becoming President due to the bipartisan split in the lawmaking process. But with the political stature already in place, where big businesses lobby with millions of dollars every year to politicians, do we see anything truly changing?
If Bernie is elected president of the United States then this proves that a majority of Americans are ready for change. Whether or not the political stature allows such necessary transformation is up for debate. Yet, at the end of the day, if Bernie Sanders is the nominee for the Democrats, then he will have my vote. And if Hillary Clinton is the nominee, then she will definitely have my vote instead.
No, no, I’m not merely voting for Democrats because of the overwhelming liberal blood that pumps through my veins. Had Marco Rubio avoided shooting himself in the foot by falling to Donald Trump’s levels of deplorable actions and statements, I would have had to debate a little between Hillary and Marco if those were my final choices. The rest of the Republicans, from Trump’s misogynist, racist and xenophobic rhetoric, to Ted Cruz’ insanity that deserves no other depiction other than insane, and even John Kasich – who recently seemed halfway rational until he said all women should avoid parties with alcohol to avoid being raped – there is no reason for any rational person to even contemplate voting for any candidate from the GOP.
And that is not to say Bernie or Hillary is an ideal candidate, either.
Bernie’s foreign policy is almost a laughable blank slate, and though he focuses on a major issue in society it is essentially the only one he speaks about. This makes him a single-issue candidate, even though other aspects of society are affected by the issue of wealth disparity.
On the other hand, Hillary’s past is stained with problems. From Benghazi to her ridiculously overrated e-mails, and even her abandonment of universal healthcare in the 1990s and her subsequent ties with Wall Street, Hillary has been the centerpiece of issues for decades. Yet she also has more experience than any other candidate running for president, and she may have a greater chance of pushing her agenda through Congress than Bernie ever will. Her goals may be a continuation of Barack Obama’s presidency, and at the end of the day we could have another eight years of Obama. This may not be a negative, though if you ask any Republican they would certainly cringe and scream their irrational opinions about Obama instead.
Either way, both Hillary and Bernie have their fair share of problems. If we look at the GOP, however, these two Democrats are practically saviors of humanity comparatively.
And this is where the reality check comes in. If you support Bernie, that is wonderful, and if you support Hillary, then that is perfectly fine, too. But when push comes to shove, those of you Bernie supporters out there who are going on a tirade against Hillary, your actions are for naught. Call her what you wish, but at the end of the day she could very well be the nominee for the Democrats, and Bernie supporters will have a decision to make.
Will you step aside, and allow the GOP to walk away with the presidency, where we will see deregulation of the private industries continue no differently than Reagan’s presidency? Will you allow the overwhelming wealth disparity to continue to grow, as social rights are infringed by the Republicans who incessantly emphasize the necessity for state laws instead of federal legislation supremacy? Will you be prepared to watch the progress in social rights we have seen in society dwindle away, on the basis that your ideal candidate didn’t get chosen?
Get rid of the blinds hanging over your eyes and realize what is at stake here with one of those appalling Republican candidates attempting to take the White House.
As one of my good friends said to me recently, if you are able to vote for a Republican like Trump, or not even vote at all, because Bernie didn’t get the nomination and Hillary did, then you are not a liberal after all.
Whether you are with her, Hillary, or with him, Bernie, get out there and vote when Election Day comes around. Either candidate is going to need your vote, and you need to forgo whatever false sense of pride you have at the sight of one candidate because there is far more at stake here then you are apparently realizing. Liberals need to unite, instead of bridging this unnecessary gap between them just as we have seen in recent months in the GOP.
And by any off chance there is a Republican among my readers who may have made it this far into the article without their brains exploding, remember those days where some of the things Mitt Romney proclaimed appeared absurd? And now your leading candidate claims Mexicans in the United States are rapists, argues that Muslims should not be allowed in this country, pokes fun at people with disabilities, fosters hate among his supporters, and broadcasts his plans for a great wall on the southern border that include $5-10 billion paid by Mexico and the remaining $10-15 billion financed by your tax dollars? But, hey, your vote matters too, and I hope you have a clearheaded mind when you make this colossal decision.
But that's none of my business.
