Deal With It

While I see increased pressure on Bernie to get out of the race so that the Secretary - whose turn has come and time it is - can focus on beating Trump, it is interesting to note that Clinton herself did not leave the 2008 nomination race until June of that year.  This pressure from party apparatchiks and mouthpieces is hardly new; since Independents, who support Senator Sanders in huge number across the country, have found themselves consistently pushed out of the process from the beginning.  Debbie Wassermann-Schultz, head cheerleader for the DNC, has indicated that if it were up to her no one but the party faithful would be allowed to participate in the nomination process.  Apparently, through the choosing of a candidate for November the election of a president is a practice she feels should be for Democrats and Republicans only.  Independents need not apply unless of course they are doing the “right” thing for the party.  Bloody interesting as more and more voters, sickened by party politics that seem to mandate the acquisition of money above all things, have given up affiliation with either party to become Independents.

To paraphrase Raymond Chandler, everybody is pushing the Independents out and everybody is pulling us back in, telling us who to vote for and when.  This is not the way to deal with us.  Most of us don’t give a damn if the Democratic Party disintegrates next Tuesday.  It is part of the problem as near as we can tell – cozying up to Citizen United and corporate money; promoting Liberalism to get elected then turning Right as soon as possible to sleep with the other side. We support Bernie because he isn’t endorsed by every establishment politician in the Democratic Party.  Spare us the bullshit that a woman or a person of color can’t be establishment.  If you have been in Washington long enough to be bought and paid for, you’re establishment.  We support Bernie because he isn’t on the take, not today, not last year and not ever.  We support Bernie and that’s an end to it.  Trying to force him out will only piss us off. 

Bernie has committed to keeping Trump out of the White House.  Speaking only for myself, I stand with him in that as in all things.  However, I won’t be bullied, shamed, intimidated or blackmailed by a political party that I have little more use for then I do for Trump.  It won’t be over until Bernie says it’s over.  At that time I will vote my conscience, as I always have, and keep my own counsel.