January 2018. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders address reporters on Capitol Hill to discuss the government shutdown. (photo: Drew Angerer/Getty)
02 February 20
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abundant animosity directed at Bernie Sanders by the Democratic Party
establishment seems conveniently out of touch with his track record.
Sure, Bernie Sanders is an Independent who defines
himself as a Socialist. But his interaction with the Democrats has been
almost categorically cooperative and supportive. Sanders gets behind
nearly every important Democratic initiative. A noteworthy point of
departure was Sanders’s opposition to both the joint resolution to
authorize the use of force against Iraq in 2002 and the invasion of Iraq
in 2003. Other than that, the Democrats have been able to consistently
count on Sanders to be onboard.
That was key to Sanders’s success as a Democratic
presidential candidate. People love Progressive policies, but they hate
and fear spoilers. Although Sanders is often blamed for derailing
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid, the record does not bear that
out. True to his word, Sanders publicly endorsed Clinton immediately
after the DNC convention and encouraged his supporters to do the same.
That built a significant degree of credibility among Progressive
Democrats – they could support Sanders secure in the understanding that
doing so would not implicitly pave the way for the right-wing candidate.
Sanders has proven it.
Sanders is a reformer. Not everyone wants to be
reformed. Those with an aversion to being reformed include Republicans
and Democrats. For that he is hated … and he welcomes their hatred. The
voters, however, love it. One thing large majorities of voters across
the political spectrum want is change, and specifically, a curtailing of
policies that are viewed as corrupt.
Cable news is making a very big deal of any sign of
conflict between Sanders and any other candidate, but Bernie is not
biting and not going negative. He’s not attacking any of his rivals.
Bernie is running as a Democrat. Bernie is onboard as a
Democrat now as he was in 2016. It is about reform and change but in a
consistently constructive way. It’s building confidence in him.
Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
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