http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Ten Republican Presidential candidates will be participating in a "debate" this evening, each vying to demonstrate their sincere thoughts about policies that they would implement as President if the voting public gave them an opportunity to do so. With that understanding, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has some keen advice on what Americans should watch for:
“Listen closely, and this is what they will tell you,” Sanders advised. “They want to give more tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires at a time when the rich are getting much richer. … Essentially, when you watch that debate, just imagine if you are one of the wealthiest people in this country and extremely greedy and selfish, and you're going to have 10 candidates more or less talking about your needs and not the needs of the working people.”
Bernie's right, but he leaves something out. For the wealthiest people in the country to continue to buy off our government, someone has to keep voting their surrogates into office. The
pandering and fellating of the Billionaires is all done behind closed doors, so the Koch Brothers and the Adelsons know this debate is just a sideshow to give the rabid Tea Party Base that will decide the GOP primaries the motivation to vote. The Billionaires already know their agenda is locked in place by their contributions to each of these candidate's campaigns. They don't need this debate to advertise their real agenda.
The Republican event promises to be an exercise in pandering to two elements--1) the top 1% of all wage earners in the country who will watch this from their summer homes and yachts for pure entertainment value and 2) a much, much larger contingent of voters who need to be persuaded that hyperbolic vitriol on immigration, stoking racial divisions, demonization of labor unions, attacking women's health issues, the constant threat of nasty terrorists under every blanket, and outright de-funding of all environmental and workplace protections will magically transform them, one fine day, into the top 1% of all wage earners. If you're one of these two groups, then the Republican debate is meant for you. But, and in all fairness to Mr. Sanders' criteria, there are also other interest groups who will keenly watch the debate:
If you believe that women ought to have their reproductive choices curtailed or eliminated, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think it's OK for a company to claim it won't serve you because of its "religion," then the Republican debate is for you.
If you believe that more and more tax cuts for multi-millionaires will miraculously turn you into one, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think corporations ought to have the right to pollute as they see fit, without regard to the health consequences of everyone else, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you believe that Labor Unions who fought for decades for good wages, workplace protections and introduced the concept of the "weekend" are the root of all society's ills, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you believe that African Americans whine too much about police brutality and racism, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you believe that Latinos and Hispanics are all murderers and rapists at heart, stealing jobs from good, white Americans, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think that gutting public education and attacking teachers will turn our children into better students, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you're happy with defunding state schools and skyrocketing tuition rates, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think raising the retirement age for Social Security and cutting Medicare to pay for tax cuts to hedge fund owners is the way to go, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think Americans need to work longer hours, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think health care costs are "about right", then the Republican debate is for you.
If you don't think wages have stagnated, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think we don't need a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop abusive banking and lending practices, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think the Finance industry is over-regulated, and the bankers deserve a break, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think people of color should be kept from voting, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think providing millions with affordable health insurance is something that needs to be repealed, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you think war with Iran is a swell idea, and want to get your kids involved with that, then the Republican debate is for you.
If you don't care about the impact of climate change on your children's future, then the Republican debate is for you.
Or maybe you're just like millions of other Americans who will simply look on in horror, wondering how an American political party became so...Un-American.