STILL UNDECIDED BETWEEN HILLARY AND BERNIE?
Here’s why I believe Bernie Sanders is the right choice.
SUMMARY
There is Only One Major Issue in American politics today and Bernie has got it covered. Hillary does not. It’s the single issue from which all our other issues and problems flow. That issue is the corrupting and ruinous influence of Big Money (PACs funded by the ultra-rich like the Koch brothers and the mega-corporations, Wall Street banks, etc.) on our American political system. It’s the reason that fraudulent wars are started (the Iraq invasion and occupation, which needlessly cost thousands of American lives and over a trillion taxpayer dollars), why we don’t address the crisis of climate change and why a Great Recession occurs, causing job losses, retirement savings losses and foreclosures for millions of us. Senator Bernie Sanders is laser-focused on this issue. Former Secretary Hillary Clinton is not. An added reason to vote for Bernie is that polls show he has a stronger chance than Hillary of beating the eventual Republican nominee.
DISCUSSION
Contrary to attempts to paint Sanders – the Democratic Socialist – as a wild-eyed radical, I see him as is a well-grounded, reasonable, realistic man at the very same time that he is indignant and idealistic about economic injustice. He is no radical. He has served many years as a mayor, congressman and senator and been reelected again and again. It is obvious that he is vigorous, in apparent excellent health, mentally sharp and can shoulder all the responsibilities of President.
For those who criticize Sanders as a “one-note / one-issue” candidate (about Wall Street, the Billionaire Class and Corporations rigging the economy to the detriment of the 99% of us), well that happens to be exactly the issue that is most significant for our country, as stated in the Summary paragraph above. For us to have a candidate who focuses squarely and courageously on THE biggest issue is an amazing opportunity for us. Virtually all our other problems in this country flow out of the enormously corrosive effect of Big Money on Congress. To the extent Bernie Sanders can work on campaign finance reform, stronger regulation and reform of Wall Street, and mobilize popular sentiment and pressure on Congress during his Administration, the country could benefit dramatically.
After the disaster that was George W. Bush, we needed some Teddy Roosevelt-like or Franklin Roosevelt-like actions on the economy. With Barack Obama, we got only tepid reform. He chose to rely on Wall Street insiders throughout his time in office and did not challenge the Powers That Be. Hillary Clinton is tied incredibly tightly with the same Wall Street crowd, no matter what she’s been saying lately (because she can read the tea leaves) about policing
Wall Street (http://www.counterpunch.org/…/the-clintons-and-wall-street-…). It is Bernie Sanders who will really use the powers of the Presidency – including the bully pulpit – to make real change, reduce the plutocrats’ control over our democratic process and improve quality of life for the 99% of us.
Who agrees with me? Harry Belafonte (Civil Rights Hero, Singer and Actor) is not a politician and doesn’t mince words: http://www.nbcnews.com/…/harry-belafonte-endorses-bernie-sa…. Robert Reich, one of our smartest, strongest progressive voices: http://thehill.com/…/robert-reich-bernie-sanders-endorsemen….
CONCLUSION
Hillary might get us a few more crumbs from the table of the wealthy. Is that all you want? Hillary, who takes HUGE amounts of $$$ from corporations, would only tinker around the edges and claim she made big reforms. Nothing major will change if she becomes president and that’s bad because so much economic damage has occurred, it will require strong actions to reverse it. Sanders as president would do that. Bernie will be better for men, women, people of Color, white people and all of us. Please join me in voting for Sanders in your primary to give us a fighting a chance to make America better. Then, vote for the Democrat in November – whoever he or she is – because the Republicans this year are ridiculously bad. Thank you for reading this.
– A Democrat from the Elizabeth Warren Wing of the Party
…but you do seem to be for him for the key thing that I see as the major knock against him, which is that he is a single-issue candidate. I was and am FOR Elizabeth Warren for much the same reasons, but you can get away with that as a Senator in a way that I don’t think is appropriate for the presidency. I very much disagree with your conclusion that Clinton can’t/won’t bring major change in this regard as well.
Solidily argued and it stuck to facts. It’s also apparent that you feel voting for Bernie in the primary is important, but you recognize what’s at stake in the general election. You are making objective criticisms of Clinton’s policy weak spots.
I disagree that this is the only “major issue” in American politics today, but it’s fine to agree to disagree here.
I will say, though, that I think this is why Sanders has struggled among black voters. His laser-like focus on economic inequality is important, but it obfuscates other crucial dividing lines in American politics. For my part, I would rank racial discrimination and inequality as at least as important, and probably more so, than money in politics.
…will the editors themselves be contributing, either individually or collectively?