Robert Reich: Its Not Bernie But The So-Called Moderates That Democrats Should Be Freaking Out About – PolitiZoom

The polls close in South Carolina at 7:00 p.m. local time, approximately a half hour from the time of this writing. If Bernie Sanders does as well as he is projected to do by some people, then it may be time to readjust the lenses that we view politics through. A disclaimer and an announcement: the disclaimer is that I am not a Bernie Bro advocating for Sanders. As stated many times, I will vote for whomever gets the Democratic nomination and do anything that I can do to get the person elected. Announcement: back in 2016, I wasnt a Bernie Bro either. But I sensed the populist temper of the times which did not take any psychic gift with Sanders pulling 47% support away from the front runner, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump on the GOP ticket. At that time, I said that it might be a better way to go to nominate Bernie as opposed to Hillary, because he represented the zeitgeist of the era and she represented the establishment. No argument about Hillarys credentials being superior, none whatsoever. But it wasnt about credentials then and it may not be about credentials now in 2020. Listen to what Robert Reich has to say about where we are.Common Dreams:

Something very big happened, [in 2016] and it wasnt because of Sanderss magnetism or Trumps likeability. It was a rebellion against the establishment. Clinton and Bush had all the advantages funders, political advisors, name recognition but neither could credibly convince voters they werent part of the system.

A direct line connected four decades of stagnant wages, the financial crisis of 2008, the bailout of Wall Street, the rise of the Tea Party and the Occupy movement, and the emergence of Sanders and Trump in 2016. The people I spoke with no longer felt they had a fair chance to make it. National polls told much the same story. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans who felt most people could get ahead through hard work dropped by 13 points between 2000 and 2015. In 2006, 59 percent of Americans thought government corruption was widespread; by 2013, 79 percent did.

There is much truth here. Hillary Clinton was hated. It blew my mind how much. Now in all fairness, she was the victim of a 25 year right-wing propaganda machine that was flooding the airwaves with documentaries on everything from the landing strip she and Bill had in Arkansas, which brought in the drugs they were dealing, to wild-eyed stories of colleagues and staffers she allegedly had murdered (Vince Foster, Seth Rich) to my favorite, which was that she was a shape shifting reptilian alien. This was seriously how nuts it got back in 2016 and this is what the denizens of YouTube were watching.

On the other side of the coin, we had Donald Trump, himself all pomp and circumstance, all form, no substance, and while it is sickening to say, it is true: he was the perfect counterpart to Clinton, with her baggage and her famed non-connectability in addition to her propaganda. That is why the 2016 election descended into a level of fantasy and farce never before seen and hopefully, never to be duplicated again. Trumps bombast and lies worked because they were bouncing off of the crazy facade of who Hillary was depicted as being and next to him, she played out as establishment and weak, while his sheer idiocy was seen as a breath of fresh air. Theirs was a symbiotic relationship, no question. But for Clintons shortcomings, Trump would never have been able to pull off what he did, and what he pulled off is the most colossal con in American politics to date.

Trumps pose as an anti-establishment populist was one of the biggest cons in American political history. Since elected hes given the denizens of C-suites and the Street everything theyve wanted and hasnt markedly improved the lives of his working-class supporters, even if his politically-incorrect, damn-the-torpedos politics continues to make them feelas ifhes taking on the system.

The frustrations today are larger than they were four years ago. Even though corporate profits and executive pay have soared, the typical workers pay has barely risen, jobs are less secure, and health care less affordable.

The best way for Democrats to defeat Trumps fake anti-establishment populism is with the real thing, coupled with an agenda of systemic reform. This is what Bernie Sanders offers. For the same reason, he has the best chance of generating energy and enthusiasm to flip at least three senate seats to the Democratic Party (the minimum needed to recapture the Senate, using the vice president as tie-breaker).

Hell need a coalition of young voters, people of color, and the working class. He seems on his way. So far in the primaries he leads among white voters, has a massive edge among Latinos, dominates with both women and men, and has done best among both college and non-college graduates. And hes narrowing Bidens edge with older voters and African Americans.

The socialism moniker doesnt seem to have bruised him,although it hasnt been tested outside a Democratic primary or caucus. Perhaps voters wont care, just as they many dont care about Trumps chronic lies.

Maybe thats the case. Something allows Trump to get away with these whopping lies. My speculation during the 2016 election was that it was made possible by the fact that Hillary Clinton was the most lied-about politician in history and they were both perceived as con artists tragic but true. Bernie will be indeed be touted as a socialist if he ends up staying the front runner. I guess well see how the socialism moniker ends up defining the race.

One thing is certain: Biden is finished if he doesnt do well in South Carolina and both Buttigieg and Warren are going to have to do well to stay in the game. South Carolina is pivotal. If Sanders takes South Carolina it may all be over except for the shouting. It may do us well as Democrats to reappraise our position regarding Sanders as a candidate, because whatever his shortcomings, he is a vastly superior alternative to Donald Trump. We cannot take another four years.

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Robert Reich: Its Not Bernie But The So-Called Moderates That Democrats Should Be Freaking Out About - PolitiZoom