304 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 106 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 7/14/16

My Reply to BS

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   7 comments

Rob Hager
Message Rob Hager

Dear Bernie,

Your message below shows you are either:

1) naively incompetent to think that changing the corrupt DNC platform you present as your excuse here matters, or

2) a fraudulent, fawning, sellout, "sheepdog" as forecast by many from the start, who was more interested in effective fundraising strategies than fighting strategically for the progressive political change necessary to overcome the ruling plutocracy.

Yes, that stark choice may be criticized as a false dichotomy which omits a less harsh middle theory, that you were never really that serious and you were just kidding when you raised a quarter billion dollars from $27 donors to oppose a Clinton restoration and win the election.

Your campaign did provide a valuable catalyst for the first stage of your aborted progressive revolt. But your flimsy explanation for quitting and capitulating provides no basis to choose a more nuanced understanding than those two choices offered for your flip-flop from opposing plutocracy to now embracing it.

That you ran a very effective speaking and fundraising operation in a unique year of political ferment driven by the Millennial generation is not evidence for any particular view of your true motivation for ultimate betrayal.

Your statement trying to justify endorsing Clinton does not even begin to explain why you failed to make real demands of the plutocratic Democrats instead of capitulating without getting anything of real political value in exchange.

Your appeal to partisan polarization promotes a plutocratic Kabuki narrative that provides no legitimate explanation either for your capitulation to a corrupt election process prior to the Convention, which also betrays a promise to your supporters, or your failure to now oppose both Clinton and Trump by offering the American public the progressive ballot choice that a majority has shown that they want.

Your strategy for holding public officials accountable in this corrupt plutocracy is defective. It cannot be accomplished by supporting them but by challenging and defeating them, unless the deliver something of proven value now - before you endorse them.

Your strategy for electing down-ballot progressives by supporting the most unpopular Democrat in recent history at the top of the ticket makes no sense. instead of offering the usual lesser of evils voting, a progressive campaign opposing Clinton and Trump is far more likely to increase the turnout of progressive voters. With no credible progressive chance of victory turnout will be depressed as usual .

The bone you throw to authentic reform by suggesting you will be fighting for changes in the Democratic Rules Committee is both far too late to make a difference, and also not credible in view of the strategic incompetence displayed in the rest of your message, and campaign. As one commenter writes "the Democratic primary was rigged to enable a Clinton win. Your campaign have been ineffective in opposing this theft. By endorsing Clinton before the rigging has been corrected you have sacrificed the considerable leverage that would have been needed to make the necessary rules changes to democratize the party. This is not how to prevent the 2020 election from being predictably stolen from any progressive challenger by the corrupt Democratic Party establishment, just as it was stolen in 2016.

You have proven to be a strategically incompetent leader of the movement. For just one example, as the always incisive BAR described just one of the failures, "the Sanders campaign never even knocked on the door of black support."

Please do not try to continue misleading this movement by using the mailing list you have acquired under what has turned out to be false pretenses to propagandize for Clinton, or for more ineffective and diversionary strategies like changing the DNC Platform.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Well Said 2   Supported 2   Must Read 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Rob Hager Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Rob Hager is a public-interest litigator who filed a Supreme Court amicus brief n the 2012 Montana sequel to the Citizens United case, American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock, and has worked as an international consultant on legal (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

State Convention: Another Lesson in Strategic Failure by the Sanders Revolution, and How to Recover

Unraveling Comey's Political Fix

The Plutocratic Jurisprudence of the Roberts 5: Episode VII

Sanders Wins another Purple State, But Is Still Lost in a Haze of Bad Strategy and Rigged Delegate Math

McCutcheon: Plutocracy is Corruption

Who's Spoiling Now? Polling Indicates That Democrats Underrate Sanders' Superior Electability at Their Peril: PART 1

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend