In carrying out his obligation as a Democratic candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed former vice-president Joe Biden on April 14th. How did it happen that, with little effort on his part, Biden now has a clear shot at being the Democratic Party's nominee for the presidency?
Before the 2020 campaign even got underway, voices were heard in the nation's capital bemoaning the likelihood that Sanders would walk away with the Party's nomination and then win the election against Trump. These fears were not unfounded. For it was Sanders, not Biden, who showed in poll after poll 60 of them since 2016 that he would beat Trump by a larger percentage than any other Democrat.
However, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Party's leadership in Congress knew that with a Sanders's presidency their chances of holding on to the reins of power would be slim. If push came to shove, even a Trump re-election would be better than having Bernie in the White House.
Our nation's oligarchs who basically own the upper echelons of the party always try to make certain that each major party nominates a candidate who can be relied upon to look after their interests. Trump vs. Biden satisfies that requirement.
These wealthy elites have not gotten behind the "beat Trump" mantra of the Democrats because they are not unhappy with Trump. He has gotten them what they wanted: a handsome tax cut and now another bailout. He has taken the US out of the nuclear agreement with Iran, opening up the possibility of a war over oil with that country, and has withdrawn the US from the INF treaty with Russia.
In addition, he has nominated conservative judges for Senate confirmation and his cabinet secretaries have deregulated everything in sight, including handing over federal lands to private interests. Trump's campaign coffers reflect their appreciation.
Early in 2019, the Democratic establishment along with the corporate media latched on to Joe Biden whose name recognition made him the Democrat who could beat Trump. For months, the media gave him polling numbers that showed he could climb Mt. Everest. But support quickly dried up when Biden didn't come through in the early contests. After Sanders racked up victories in the first three contests, Democratic Party leaders began leap-frogging from one presidential candidate to another in their desperation to find one that could stop Sanders with his money-raising machine and his ground game. Perhaps their method of beating Sanders in 2016 through massive voter suppression wouldn't be enough this time around.
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