Saturday, June 6, 2015

Bernie Punctures the Myth of Conservatism as Mainstream

The major news-outlets' coverage of the candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for the Democratic presidential nomination, while quite unfair, is vast enough to surprise some of us when we consider that the ex-representative has spent his career fighting abuse by corporations and that corporations own an overwhelming majority of the US media and would be satisfied by the election of frontrunner and ex-sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), whose campaign logo fittingly includes an arrow that points rightward.

Sanders ("Democracy Now!"),
Clinton (Minh Ngo / Dept. of State)

The former secretary of State, not yet validating her campaign staff's remarks that say she understands the need to "work for and earn" votes, has been so elusive as to allow the traction Sanders has attained via an abundance of interviews and of crowded town-hall-style meetings.  Reason would lead us to expect that the appeal of his openness will only grow as Clinton waits another week to hold her kickoff rally, holds it in one of the few least accessible locations in the Big Apple, and waits until weeks from now before she holds events at which she will engage voters who will not be preselected.

With so much of the national spotlight on Sanders, he is skillfully utilizing his opportunity to do something that is of great importance not only for his candidacy but for future left-wing candidacies across this land and that has been done by others but not, in recent years, by anyone with as prominent a platform: boldly advocate liberal stances, concisely explain their wisdom, sharply defend them, and mention that a strong majority of them are popular.

The propaganda according to which liberalism (despite its responsibility for the foundation of this country and for every progression in its history) is generally opposed by the public has persuaded most liberals to drop -- or never develop --  the confidence required to maintain this nation's course toward the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution.  The example the former mayor of Burlington now sets is likely to encourage many liberals to (re)gain such confidence.

The widespread support for leftist ideas is evident in statistics such as the following.

No comments:

Post a Comment