HILLARY SINGED IN INDIANA; THE OUTSIDER'S IN TOWN

The writing is on the wall. Even though both the Mainstream media and Establishment politicians won't admit it it's becoming crystal clear that voters; both on the left and right, want to clean house in Washington. Politics as usual has been replaced with politics ala voters choice.

The GOP has finally got the message as TRUS-TED and company packed up and left the stage for the last time. Even with GOD on his side Ted was booted out by none other than the voters; to Hell with the Establishment.

Now, let's see if the Democrats are hearing the message that in order to win the White House they will need the "outsider" at the helm; the voters choice; to Hell with the Establishment. .  


                  

Can Bernie Save America? 

Until Bernie Sanders appeared on the scene, we have had nobody with an effective voice to speak for the public interest – the common good – for so many years that most voters had all given up on the possibility, all but forgotten what a real-deal representative of the people looks or sounds like. Of course, that’s every plutocrat’s idea of the perfect political order.

As Noam Chomsky recently observed: “We have this phenomenon where someone is taking positions that would have been considered pretty mainstream during the Eisenhower years that are supported by a large part, or considerable majority of the population, but he’s dismissed as radical and extremist. That’s an indication of how the spectrum has shifted to the right.”

Calling Sanders radical or an extremist would be laughable in the UK or Germany. But in the US it can be an effective fear-mongering tactic; the people who use it are often the same people who control the mainstream media and stuff money into the pockets of unprincipled politicians.

To say that, “Bernie has substantively — even profoundly — changed American politics for the better,” as Jim Hightower has written, is perhaps wishful thinking. But his comment that “it’s a chance for voters who have been disregarded and discarded to forge a new political revolution that will continue to grow beyond this election…” is indisputably true.

It’s the first real chance we’ve had in decades. We have to hope it won’t be the last.

At one point not long ago even an undaunted optimist like Chomsky expressed the opinion that “in our system of mainly bought elections, [Sanders] doesn’t have much of a chance.” Indeed, the belief that Bernie didn’t have a chance was pervasive from the start year and it’s been a huge hurdle ever since.

But the scoffing and ridicule suddenly stopped, the cognoscenti fell silent, and the Democratic party establishment teamed up with the big news organizations to boost Hillary’s position as the heir apparent and to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, a sense of inevitably. Surely, we were told, Hillary will win the nomination and go on to win in November.

But Hillary has not been the story so far in this election year. The voters have rallied around two candidates. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. Whatever else might be said of Trump, he has clearly tapped into a deep reservoir of anger and discontent. But Trump is the anti-Sanders; he is all ego and bluster and bull.

Sanders and Trump have certain obvious things in common. Both are outspoken. Both speak the peoples’ language. Both take risks and “let it all hang out”.

But Sanders is different in every way that counts. He speaks truth to power, he doesn’t pretend he has the power to create his own truth. He isn’t a billionaire and doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but he’s not afraid to talk about real problems. Problems the others chose to ignore.

We can’t fix what we won’t admit.

Sanders has raised roughly $186 million to Clinton’s $262.7 million. Virtually all of the Sanders campaign financing has come from small donations. That’s democracy in action, folks.

Hillary has gotten $76 million from super pacs and other pacs. That doesn’t mean she isn’t infinitely preferable to Trump or Ted Cruz (she is), but it does speak volumes about the mood of the electorate.

Sanders has proven that he has more than a chance. Whether or not he has a chance to win the nomination in a sclerotic political party system in dire need of campaign finance reform is still an open question. But what’s even more important for the nation’s future is this: Sanders has seized the chance to change the way we think about what is possible in this country. To show that votes and voters can make a difference. That we can change this corrupt and corrupting system. And in the process save it from the fate of the other one-time superpower.

Save it, that is, from self-destructing.