Why I Fear: A Tale of Two Campaigns

A first-time voter and Sanders supporter tells Thom Hartmann what it will take to keep him in the Democratic Party

by Gaius Publius

I know for sure that a Republican in the White House would be a disaster of monumental proportions. Instead of powering our way to the post-climate change future with methane ("America's fracked natural gas") — or if we're lucky, a steady and healing diet of emergency mobilization — we'd be back on coal, because that's what Republicans do, find the worst alternative, then choose it.

Instead of, under the lesser-evil scenario, the Democratic Party's corrupt (gay-friendly, women-friendly) friends soaking the taxpayers for all they can get, we'd have troglodytic, immigrant-hating, women-hating Republicans doing the same, and sneering in your faces as they do it. The most hate-filled people in the country, back in the saddle again.

I get that. Which is why I fear this is what we're going to get, the troglodytes, back in the saddle. Let's look at three stories, under the title "A Tale of Two Campaigns."

Sanders Would Offer Reparations for Slavery by Rebuilding Low-Income Communities First

Sanders gets it about social justice. Here's a report you're unlikely to see much in the U.S. (unless the Clinton campaign wants to embarrass him with it, an unlikely occurrence, but who knows). This comes from the U.K. Daily Mail:

Sanders: 'Yes' I'd apologize for slavery and I'd make reparations by investing in low-income communities

Bernie Sanders committed tonight to formally apologizing for slavery on behalf of the United States if he becomes president.

Sanders told heavily black audience that Tindley Temple United Methodist Church, 'There's nothing that anybody can do to undo the deaths and misery, how many people we don't even know who died on the way over here in the ships.'

But the United States has to make an attempt to 'wipe the slate clean' by acknowledging the truth, he said after an audience member asked him point blank if he'd offer a presidential-level apology and he said, 'Yes.'

And while the U.S. Senator does not support reparations in the form of a check for the inhumane treatment of Africans before the end of the Civil War, he does believe the government should invest in low-income communities, many of which are black, and he reiterated that point tonight. ...

'I think what we have got to do as a nation is invest in those communities who need that...investment the most.'

Communities with 'long-term structural' issues should 'become the communities that receive the highest priority for federal' assistance, he argued.

'Let us make sure that in every way, federal funding goes to those communities who need it the most,' Sanders, said, adding that 'in most cases, though' those areas are inhabited by blacks.

So, money to rebuild America, starting with the most needy and those with the longest-standing grievances. Where would that money come from? Where it always comes from in a Sanders plan, from the pockets of the wealthy. There's certainly plenty of that. (Or, in a bold stroke, he could take from where our trillions for war always come from. Think about that. Notice any inflation? Me too.)

Speaking of the wealthy...

Clinton Fundraiser — Hosted by Wall Street Cast of Ex-Financial Regulators

From Zaid Jilani at The Intercept (my emphasis):

Hillary Clinton Fundraiser Hosted by All-Star Cast of Financial Regulators Who Joined Wall Street 

AS HILLARY CLINTON questions rival Bernie Sanders over the depth of his financial reform ideas this week, a group of former government officials — once tasked with regulating Wall Street and now working in the financial industry or as Wall Street lobbyists — are participating in a fundraiser for her in the nation’s capital.

The invitation for the April 6 fundraiser, obtained by Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time, describes a “conversation” with Hillary finance chair Gary Gensler and Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Carl Levin, D-Mich.

The host: Julie Chon, a former Senate Banking Committee staffer who today is a managing director at the New York hedge fund Perry Capital.

Finance chair Gensler is a former Goldman Sachs staffer who later joined the Obama administration as a financial regulator.

Several members of the organizing committee are now either advocating for corporate clients or advising them how to evade the regulations they once enforced....

Here's the invitation:

For the price of this month's mortgage you can watch "progressive" Sen. Sherrod Brown do his other job — shepherd the wealthy to Hillary (click to enlarge)

It will cost you and your friends just $2,700 each to share in this conversation. On the plus side, you can see that for which Sherrod Brown sold his "progressive" credibility. A tale of two campaigns.

But we're not done. This isn't about optics, but about outcomes, in particular, electoral outcomes.

Clinton Would Lose a Sizable Percentage of Sanders Supporters; He Would Keep Most of Hers

From McClatchy, one of a great many stories like this one emerging lately:

Poll: 25 percent of Sanders voters would shun Clinton

Highlights:
Only 14 percent of Clinton supporters would not back Sanders
Clinton remains vulnerable with younger voters, independents, liberals
Sanders holds a slight advantage over Clinton among Democrats nationally

WASHINGTON — Even if she eventually vanquishes Bernie Sanders in the primaries, Hillary Clinton might have serious trouble winning over his voters.

One out of four Sanders supporters– 25 percent – say they would not back Clinton in a general election if she became the Democratic nominee for president, while just 69 percent say they would support her, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

By comparison, Clinton supporters are considerably more open to supporting Sanders should he overtake her large lead in delegates and win the nomination. Just 14 percent of Clinton supporters would shun him in the general election, while 79 percent would support him, the poll found.

The poll also found Sanders edging ahead of Clinton nationally, by 49-47 percent. Overall, the results underscore Clinton’s vulnerability in a surprisingly competitive contest where she has often failed to capture the same enthusiasm as her rival and risks losing votes against a possible Republican challenger in November.

“Right now, the Sanders voters are more reluctant to support a Clinton candidacy,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in New York, which conducted the national poll.

In other words, those people are gone if Sanders loses. Gone from the voting booth in November, and gone from ever becoming Democrats and engaging in down-ballot races as well. It's not Sanders who's costing the Party down-ballot voters. As a recruiter for the Democratic Party, ex-Independent Sanders is bringing them in by the truckload.

And when they get to the Party entrance, Clinton and the Democratic Establishment say, "Sorry, we're just fine without you." How's that going to work out?

Why I Fear...

Do you understand why I fear? It's not whether Sanders supporters should or should not support Clinton. It's not about "should." It's that many of them just won't, and that's simply a fact. Listen again at the top to a first-time voter and Sanders supporter tell Thom Hartmann what it will take to keep him voting Democratic after November.

The caller's bottom line: If Dems want to keep me, adopt Bernie's platform. Think that's likely? Me too, but you never know.

(Blue America has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president. If you'd like to help out, go here. If you'd like to "phone-bank for Bernie," go here. You can volunteer in other ways by going here. And thanks!)

GP