Bernie Sanders goes bust
There are two kinds of Bernie supporters. Those who advocated for Bernie but concede he’s lost and are ready to transfer their allegiance to Joe Biden, and the Bernie-or-nobody crowd, or even more exasperating, the Bernie-or-Trump crowd. Remarkably, neither kind acknowledges the existence of the other, despite a proliferation of both in social media.
I can’t tell from the fluttering innocent eyes of the former if they are being disingenuous or just plain stupid. I’m reminded of the two forgettable idiots (whose names I have appropriately forgotten) who, with straight faces, averred on CNN (or somewhere equivalent) that Donald Trump has never told a lie. The idea that someone really believes (or says they do) that Bernie supporters will dutifully vote for the Democratic candidate, whoever he or she may be, and would never vote for Trump, is immediately contradicted by the thousands on social media who in fact say the very opposite.
I don’t know what kind of stupid and selfish Bernie supporter you have to be to vote for Trump if Sanders doesn’t get the nomination, but I always find myself wondering why such people didn’t just eliminate the middle man, buy a MAGA hat and get in line with the other drooling cretins from the first. It would have been much simpler and far less exasperating.
As I have said before many times, I preferred Elizabeth Warren. Like Bernie, Warren was a progressive who wanted to enact progressive policies if elected. Unlike Bernie she had the experience, the political bona fides and the brains to pull it off. When she dropped out I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I dusted myself off and immediately attached myself to the winner, Joe Biden. In case you haven’t noticed, and whether you like it or not, Joe Biden is going to be the next Democratic candidate — and quite probably the next President of the United States.
Now, I freely acknowledge there exists a tiny minority of people who planned to stay out of the election had Bernie Sanders won. I always spoke out against them. I would have backed Bernie all the way and I would have voted for him had he become the nominee. This morning, for example, I bought two bags of apples. I would happily vote for one of those bags (I care not which) if either had become the Democratic nominee. Trump really is that bad and he really is that dangerous.
Bernie is out. Bernie has lost. His chances are as close to zero as you can get. Bernie will almost certainly not be the Democratic nominee. Now, if I know that, why doesn’t Bernie know that? And, more to the point, if you’re a Bernie supporter, why don’t you know that? The earlier we all get behind Joe Biden the greater the enthusiasm we can generate for him by November 3rd. Bernie Sanders understands the psychology involved in that calculation. Yet he will not follow the lead of everyone else of consequence who has dropped out. He refuses to quit.
I submit that those of you who insist Bernie Sanders has America’s best interest at heart may want to think very carefully about the remarkable lack of evidence in support of that proposition. Sanders is putting America’s future — and the future of the world — at risk by continuing to fight a lost battle. If I didn’t know better I might suspect he’s in it more for the sake of his ego than any supposed patriotism.
We are in our fourth year of the nightmare presidency of this child rapist president, thanks in part to Bernie Sanders. We are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and we are in desperate need of sane leadership. The polls indicate that Biden can beat Trump and beat him decisively. Let’s forget our differences and help to make it so. And as ever ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.