The Next Best Thing To King Donald

By
Chris Trotter
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91
11

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“POLITICS IS THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE, the attainable, the next best.” It’s hard to imagine a more dispiriting definition of a more vital activity. The author of the phrase, Germany’s “Iron Chancellor”, Otto von Bismarck, might just as well have said “Sex is the art of reproduction.” It is, of course, but that’s by no means all it is!

Certainly, the 1,800-plus delegates pledged to Bernie Sanders who travelled to Philadelphia last week arrived with a much broader definition of politics than Bismarck’s. In the hearts and minds of the hundreds of young Americans who turned up for the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Centre, the mission they had come to fulfil in July 2016 was the same mission America’s Founding Fathers came to fulfil in Philadelphia in July 1776: to make a revolution.

What greeted them was something a great deal less than revolutionary – the Democratic Party.

One of the two great electoral engines History has vouchsafed to the American Republic, the Democratic Party has no real parallel among New Zealand’s political parties. In its essence the Democratic Party has made itself the voice of American diversity.

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Originally the party of the slave-owning American South, the Democratic Party extended its reach to embrace the burgeoning urban immigrant communities of nineteenth and twentieth century America. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt forged an electoral coalition incorporating the racially segregated South and the unionised communities of the industrial North-East.

Roosevelt’s mildly social-democratic “New Deal” lent the Democratic Party a progressive cast which, by the 1960s, had become utterly incompatible with the segregationist policies of the racist South. The joining together of progressive Southern Blacks and liberal Northern Whites in the Civil Rights Movement forced the issue within the Democratic Party.

By shepherding the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act through Congress in the mid-1960s, President Lyndon Johnson knowingly (and heroically) precipitated an historic electoral schism. In the presidential elections of 1968 and 1972, millions of Southern Whites deserted the Democratic Party’s candidates for Richard Nixon. The Republican Party: the party which had arisen out of the great fight against slavery; the party of Abraham Lincoln; had effectively swapped places with the party of the slave-owners.

It was into this highly-charged political environment that Sanders’ revolutionaries came a-marching with what the old Marxist-Leninists would have called their “maximum” programme.

An older generation of Democratic Party activists had seen such a programme before. In 1972, Senator George McGovern (in whose cause a young woman named Hillary Clinton had campaigned tirelessly) secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. His unabashedly progressive policy platform proved to be radically out-of-sync with the American electorate and he was decisively defeated by Richard Nixon.

McGovern’s fate made the Democratic Party leadership extremely wary of impossibilities. That it was gathering in Philadelphia to endorse what was, by US standards, a radically progressive platform represented a hugely important victory for Bernie Sanders and his followers. Their success in the primaries had convinced the Democratic National Committee that the time was ripe for policies which, in less turbulent times, they would have rejected out-of-hand. They were persuaded that a genuinely progressive Hillary Clinton presidency was possible.

Hundreds of delegates wanted more. The “Bernie-or-Bust” faction was not content with the “next best” choice imposed upon them by the primary voting system. That the organisers of the Convention might take this refusal to accept the democratic verdict of their party amiss does not seem to have occurred to the die-hard Sanders delegates. They were also unaware of just how hard a game of hardball the Convention organisers would be willing to play to ensure that the nomination of Hillary Clinton went off smoothly.

Bernie Sanders was not unaware: he understood both how much his campaign for the Democratic nomination had won, and how much could be lost if the Convention descended into factional chaos. Like so many other delegates, he was also all-too-aware of the dark shadow Trumpism was casting over America. Having achieved all that was possible in the prevailing political climate; all that was attainable; he was ready to endorse Hillary as the “next best” presidential candidate to himself.

Hillary, too, knew what was at stake. She also understood that enduring revolutions are built out of compromises – not barricades. As she reflected in her acceptance speech:

“When representatives from 13 unruly colonies met just down the road from here, some wanted to stick with the King. Some wanted to stick it to the king, and go their own way. The revolution hung in the balance. Then somehow they began listening to each other … compromising … finding common purpose. And by the time they left Philadelphia, they had begun to see themselves as one nation. That’s what made it possible to stand up to a King.”

What we will discover over the next 100 days is whether sufficient Americans have mastered enough of the art of the possible to resist the blandishments of a man who would happily crown himself America’s first king in 240 years.

91 COMMENTS

  1. Then in the end it’s about how much Clinton and her cronies can be trusted once (if) they get their hands on power.

  2. Super delegates voting is as corrupt as the US political system No democracy there. Bernie beats trump in every poll, Killary looses.

    MSM will work hard to get that woman in no matter how much blood is on her hands. She is their person, Wall Street’s person, the Bankers person and deeply entrenched in the war against the people who pay the taxes to be stripped out by the Military industrial complex which is heavily supported by her also.

    Promises and lies spoken by Killary to get votes from the gullible have little chance of ever being made a reality.

    So the cheer leaders continue as millions suffer and a few profit heavily. That few fund Killary.

    • Super Delegates. Super PACS. Electoral State Colleges. First Past the Post.

      Everything but one-person-one vote directly for the Presidential candidate of your choice.

  3. Sanders Never Had a Chance: WikiLeaks Exposes Democratic National Committee’s Rigged Process in Favor of Clinton

    A race to be Democrat nominee never existed, things rigged from the start last year to select Clinton party standard bearer.

    The process was like holding a world series or super bowl with only one team represented.

    Sanders never had a chance and knew it, enjoying his extended 15 minutes of fame while it lasted – caving in the end as expected, endorsing what he campaigned against, betraying supporters, proving he’s just another dirty self-serving politician.

    Last week’s WikiLeaks revelations of thousands of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails showed party support for Clinton, plotting against Sanders, rigging things to make her party nominee.

    Assorted dirty tricks were used, including DNC/media collusion (notoriously from the NYT, operating as a virtual Clinton press agent), as well as fundraising on her behalf.

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/sanders-never-had-a-chance-wikileaks-exposes-democratic-national-committees-rigged-process-in-favor-of-clinton/5537659

  4. as a bit of a reality-check on all this..

    at this time in the clinton/obama race more clinton supporters said they would not vote for obama..

    ..than are now saying will not vote for clinton..

    ..so..y’know..!..much ado about very little..

  5. Sorry!

    But my hunch is that Hillary Clinton is so aggressive, I can see it in her eyes.

    That angry want to prove she can be as nasty as any man when war comes to call.

    There is some unease about all this now, I keep asking myself, are we marching to war?

  6. The whole sordid performance has been pretty sickening. This is why young voters throw their hands up and say, “Why should we even bother participating?!” When the game is rigged, and factions within your own party who desire to retain the status quo will lie, cheat, fudge the numbers, purposefully miscount or destroy votes, run smear campaigns and basically play an utterly filthy hand in order to ensure their favoured candidate comes out on top… what was the fucking point in showing up, let alone wasting your time and your breath articulating your hopes and dreams for the future? It’s like agreeing to fight a duel, and having your opponent show up in a tank.

    Bernie Sanders has betrayed everyone who put their faith in him, but particularly the young and the working class. He was royally shafted, and instead of saying “Hang on just one god-damned minute!”, he rolled over, like a good dog, and waited to be thrown a bone. He’s a Judas, and I hope the memory of this plagues him for the rest of his days.

  7. ” They were also unaware of just how hard a game of hardball the Convention organisers would be willing to play to ensure that the nomination of Hillary Clinton went off smoothly…”

    Chris is hard at it yet again, trying to make killer Hillary look good…Of course Sanders was robbed and his supporters were rightly upset…

    Chris can sit and read his history books and repeat the lies of the past from the comfort of his lounge while pretending to understand the politics of greed.

    Greed drives Hillary just as it drives Trump. Trump wants to kill thousands…Clinton has killed thousands. People in the US have been sent off to 40 wars by Republican and Democrat Presidents in the last 35 years, they’ve bombed, attacked, slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent people in the name of greed. They are by any rational standards corrupt to the core.

    Many people world wide think Trump is an idiot a racist and greedy, many people world wide think Clinton has proven to be racist, greedy and a murderer.

    Trump dodged the draft and avoided putting on the uniform, Bill Clinton did the same as did Bush so much for their love of the flag and all that crap.

    Take off your dark shades Chris, grow a back bone and stop this stupid defence of the indefensible.

  8. The Mad Austrian had “form” well before 1939.
    The rhetoric of Trump is “potentially dangerous” but to date is no more than rhetoric – he doesnt have “form”.
    Hillary Clinton is most definitely not “guilty of nothing”
    She has has “form” and her record as Secretary of State resulting in the death and destruction of thousands of innocents and numerous failed nation states are on record.
    Chris Trotter fails to recognize that Sanders capitulated to the “rules” of a non-democratic private organisation known as the DNC proven by “Russian Government Hackers” (Albeit NSA, 5 “Blind” Eyes, LOL!) to be corrupt.
    The revolution started by the Sanders campaign targeted this “compromise” which Chris believes is required for any revolution to “endure”.
    Compromise which gave the people of Western Democracies 20 years of “trickle down economics” resulting in massive inequality.
    Revolution with compromise is an oxymoron. William Wilberforce fought this “compromise” over the abolition of slavery for over 20 years.
    Hillary Clinton is being presented as the “lesser of two evils” – that is not a democratic process but evidence of a failed system.
    The “revolution” Sanders started will continue outside the DNC unless it changes – and Hillary has demonstrated no desire for this change.

    • ” Hillary Clinton is being presented as the “lesser of two evils” – that is not a democratic process but evidence of a failed system.”

      You may be right Bob of Northland. But in a two horse race which is the (perverse) American democratic system, the voters have little other choice except stay home and watch crappy TV.

      Neither Clinton or Trump are technically guilty of anything. They may stand before History and be judged, but that’s as far as it goes.

      Call me silly, but I don’t want Trump to become President and face future generations as the man who sparked WW3 because Putin or the Chinese told him to fuck off, and he was too thin-skinned to suck it up and move on.

      There are two people in the world that frighten the bejezus out of me. One is Trump. The other is Kim Jong Il. They are both unpredictable, prone to bizarre actions, and could plunge us into a nuclear annihilation.

      That’s more than enough for me.

  9. The Mad Austrian had “form” well before 1939.
    The rhetoric of Trump is “potentially dangerous” but to date is no more than rhetoric – he doesnt have “form”.
    Hillary Clinton is most definitely not “guilty of nothing”
    She has has “form” and her record as Secretary of State resulting in the death and destruction of thousands of innocents and numerous failed nation states are on record.
    Chris Trotter fails to recognize that Sanders capitulated to the “rules” of a non-democratic private organisation known as the DNC proven by “Russian Government Hackers” (Albeit NSA, 5 “Blind” Eyes, LOL!) to be corrupt.
    The revolution started by the Sanders campaign targeted this “compromise” which Chris believes is required for any revolution to “endure”.
    Compromise which gave the people of Western Democracies 20 years of “trickle down economics” resulting in massive inequality.
    Revolution with compromise is an oxymoron. William Wilberforce fought this “compromise” over the abolition of slavery for over 20 years.
    Hillary Clinton is being presented as the “lesser of two evils” – that is not a democratic process but evidence of a failed system.
    The “revolution” Sanders started will continue outside the DNC unless it changes – and Hillary has demonstrated no desire for this change.

  10. The Mad Austrian had “form” well before 1939.
    The rhetoric of Trump is “potentially dangerous” but to date is no more than rhetoric – he doesnt have “form”.
    Hillary Clinton is most definitely not “guilty of nothing”
    She has has “form” and her record as Secretary of State resulting in the death and destruction of thousands of innocents and numerous failed nation states are on record.
    Chris Trotter fails to recognize that Sanders capitulated to the “rules” of a non-democratic private organisation known as the DNC proven by “Russian Government Hackers” (Albeit NSA, 5 “Blind” Eyes, LOL!) to be corrupt.
    The revolution started by the Sanders campaign targeted this “compromise” which Chris believes is required for any revolution to “endure”.
    Compromise which gave the people of Western Democracies 20 years of “trickle down economics” resulting in massive inequality.
    Revolution with compromise is an oxymoron. William Wilberforce fought this “compromise” over the abolition of slavery for over 20 years.
    Hillary Clinton is being presented as the “lesser of two evils” – that is not a democratic process but evidence of a failed system.
    The “revolution” Sanders started will continue outside the DNC unless it changes – and Hillary has demonstrated no desire for this change.

  11. How many times do we have to suffer through your take on the lesser evil argument, Chris. It’s quite a shallow argument not matter how you frame it.

    And the worst part, that argument led us to trump.

    If the left actually had a spine, and actually stood up for what was morally right, we would not have a disgusting candidate like trump in the race.

    The real problem, and why h.r.c may lose, is that they make enemies out of the people who question, they have made everyone who is uncomfortable about h.r.c, the corruption, lies and manipulation into the enemy camp.The demand unity, rather than work for it.

    Mind you why as an anarchist should I be surprised, and I know I should not be, because that seems to be business as usual from the authoritarian left.

    Mind you at least there is a sane voice in the presidential race, Her name is Jill Stein, and she wants to remind us what it means to be progressive, humane and what a GREEN New Deal would look like.

  12. Hillary is not the ” next best thing ” and she does not deserve to be president.
    There is a lack of awareness of Hillary Clinton and her criminal past and who she is beholding to and her plans for the U.S.
    She talks a load of cr___ that stupid / gullible americans believe and she lies now and then in the futurre, she will change like the chameleon that she is. If most really knew the facts, they would want to charge her and bring her to justice instead of crowning her.
    Look at the list of banks and Wall St. and actors and musicians and major organizations etc. that support Hillary and then find out that the majority of them are connected with the Illuminati in one form or another.

    The real and honest revolution was and still is about getting rid of this power elite / corporate and banker criminals who own most worldwide governments and most of the worldwide MSM and foundations and on and on — Rothschilds / Illuminati. They are in control, not Hillary and not the people. The elections are mostly rigged and fraudulent ( Check out the most current Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp). We need more real; unbiased and honest research and journos who are not bought and controlled.

    The Democratic party is not what you think either. They are mostly controlled and dictated to by special interests; Unions; Bankers ; foundations ; corporate lobbyists writing laws; attorneys and massive amounts of money to keep them in line and doing what they want. How many crooked politicians have been hugely paid off and rewarded by them ? How many good people – wholistic doctors etc. are murdered by them to keep the truth from getting to the people ? How many deaths and likely murders in the wake of Hillary and Bills entire political past ? Check it out.
    The Democrats do not work for the people anymore than the Republicans do, it is a huge con job and the facts are there for those wanting to do more in depth research. Democracy and the two party system are dinosaurs and dying out rather quickly.

    You sugar coat Hillary and U.S. history and though your history lesson sounds good on the surface, it lacks in depth and a deeper honesty and understanding.
    Most all wars are orchestrated and not really about what we have been told in outdated and misleading history books and references and biased research. The majority of people are ill informed and believe the MSM tripe and a corrupt education system promoting mis-info and lies.

    We need more ( dig deep and honest ) journalists like Glenn Greenwald ; Abby Martyn ; Ken O”Keefe ; Nicky Hager ; John Minto ; Christine Rose ; and those on the show – ” Watching the Hawks ” etc. who tell it like it is and not sugar coat to build up egos and continue the mis-info brigade.

  13. I would not vote for Hillary Clinton if I were American – under the current circumstances I would probably vote for Jill Stein. But I don’t think Sanders did the wrong thing. To start with, supporting the chosen nominee is part of the agreement of running for the role, and his failing to do so would have simply added to overall chaos, without giving rise anything beneficial. Secondly and more importantly, just a glance at what has been happening in the world shows that the job of successfully opposing neoliberalism is HUGE, and extends way beyond the presidency – Syriza’s capitulation, the continuous hounding of Corbyn, etc. Sanders’ job now, if he is still up to it, is to convince others that the revolution has only just started, and that there are effective bases, apart from the presidency, to be taken. According to Tony Benn, “Winning an election without winning the argument may well frustrate at least a part of your purpose; and conversely winning an argument may be sufficient to solve certain problems by creating an atmosphere favourable to the achievement of your objectives…” Sanders did not win the election, but needs to press on with the argument.

  14. There may yet be an alternative. From kunstler.com
    And so the great disaster movie of 2016 commences: Godzilla Versus Rodan the Flying Reptile. Which one will survive to completely destroy the sclerotic remains of our nation? The good news is that voters are moving to the Third and Fourth party nominees, Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Jill Stein (Green) in droves, herds, flocks, porpoise pods, and stampedes. Perhaps both of these relatively sane candidates will show enough polling strength to make it into the Great Debates. Won’t that be fun?

  15. Why did the Khan’s son go to Iraq to fight for the interests of the U.S.A., Israel, the U.K., France, Germany etc. Was he conscripted? Did his family object to his involvement? Was he a Sunni who wanted to fight Shi’ites? Did he consider, who exactly, funds the Islamic State army? This entire story begs too many questions for me.
    Everything coming out of the U.S.A. now is no more than the theatre of the absurd.

  18. *Someone* needs to catch up on what’s really going on in the Democratic party – and it certainly isn’t me!
    The ‘Bernie or Bust’ movement is now moving on to the ‘or Bust’ part of their revolution. They’re working at turning their grassroots campaigning skills elsewhere, and the general consensus seems to be either towards;

    A) Helping ‘Berniecrats’ (New Democrats who share Sanders’ political values,) who are still running in local, congressional, or senate elections.

    Or B), Leaving the Democratic party in order to campaign and/or vote for 3rd party candidates, like Jill Stein of the Greens. There has been a mass exit of Sanders supporters from the Democratic party. #Demexit has been trending all over social media platforms for close to two weeks now. (Where the hell have you been, Chris?)

    As for Clinton and her VP pick, they’ve already bombed at one public speaking event, – drawing a small crowd of about 200 supporters. They also had to withdraw from another event in Ohio, but managed to stop briefly there to talk to just a few dozen supporters.

    So far, her voter support base for the General is not looking that great in comparison to her opponents. And let’s not forget, she’s never managed to draw the large crowds that Sanders or Trump have. Refusing to give concessions to Sanders supporters in order to earn their votes isn’t going to help her in the long run either.

    Add in the recent scandals surrounding her campaign, the wikileaks releases and Election Justice USA’s primary election fraud report – well, it’s hard to believe anyone would voluntarily pick her as POTUS. About the only thing that she’s got going for her right now, is that she can fear-monger about Trump winning instead. But even that won’t work for much longer.

  19. If the USA was Democratic, neither Clinton nor Trump would be in the running for President.

    Highest unfavourable ratings of any presidential nominees ever!

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