Yes, Bernie is not the right messenger for the progressives, and I have said that many times, but Bernie was the only one willing to fight the plutocrats, autocrats and moribund Democratic establishment who has been far too accommodating to Wall streets hegemony.
I have been a card carrying member of the progressive wing of the democratic party for almost 60 years and I know my people well. And I was integrally involved in Democratic politics in Alaska for over 50 years.
So there are three primary reasons why the progressives, who consist of the majority of academics and scientists and about half the Democrats, backed Bernie so strongly and still do to some degree while many realize he is the wrong messenger.
1) First, the academic world can see that the rich and powerful have exerted great influence over the years using the Republican party and laws like "citizens United" for their own benefit and now control far too many members of congress, etc, and so they get laws that help them and hurt Main street.
For example in the last 50 years the rich using the Republican party have decimated the union movement which went from about 36% 50 years ago to about 6% today and there is a perfect correlation between the decline in unions and the decline in the middle class.
The great economists like Stiglitz and Krugman have recently written books about income inequality being a cancer in our society.
2) In 2016 about half the democratic party did not want Hillary, but she had the power in the democratic party so sewn up that everyone was too afraid to run against her.
The progressives wanted Warren, but she could see running was a fools errand and so Bernie was the "Only Port in the storm", the only progressive who was saying the right things.
3) I would argue the progressives in general, have a better understanding of modern social theory than most other groups and they could "see" that Bernie's ideas were classic text book theories.
He was the only one taking positions that are taught in sociology and public administration courses throughout the world.
So the progressives went with Bernie and he raised record amounts of money from small donors.
Among the progressives I know, and I know a lot if them, Bernie was a huge favorite and he is still highly regarded for his fights for humanity.
Like today.
cheers
<,essage #462461 from NAG1 at 12/29/2020 7:12:45 AM
koan,
That is why so many progressives like Bernie, he fights. And he is fearless.
But he doesn't fight intelligently. He picks fights at times when he doesn't have to. Says things at inopportune times that gives talking points to the right to increase their voter turnout. There is a time and a place to fight and Sanders hasn't been very smart about it. He might win the battle but lose the war. |
