Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. While Occupy Wall Street changed the conversation in 2011 and Bernie Sanders turned the conversation in 2016, neither “movement” made it to the pinnacle.
Bernie Sanders won the souls of most of the younger people, and the hearts (if not votes) of many Hillary Clinton supporters. But the fact is that Hillary Clinton won more votes, pledged delegates, and states than Bernie.
All Americans—not Republicans, not Democrats, not independents, not other, but all Americans—will be picking the next president. The country is in a justifiably erratic mood. Many citizens believe that both Democrats and Republicans have failed them.
Most know America is still a duopoly and therefore, an independent stands almost no chance of winning. As such, many will choose the next best thing to an independent even if they know he is a charlatan. It’s not rational—but many will do just that.
Progressive radio host Thom Hartmann pointed out some stark realities during a recent show, alluding to the angst of white working class America. Yes, these are concerns that all Americans have. But from perspective of members of the white working class, they are moving in the opposite direction from the others.
Who are those others? Those would be the groups that were previously aggrieved: Latinos, blacks, women, LGBT, Native American, etc. But the truth is all of these groups are settling for a place of lower mediocrity. The once-privileged class believe the one thing they could count on is going, and fast. The ones who were never privileged feel their slow ascent is better than none at all.
The Thom Hartmann clip below is prescient. He personalizes the reason why some believe Trump’s message will resonate with many. This perspective is missing from most of the punditry’s understanding of today's politics, and it’s the reason why they have been consistently wrong this election cycle.
(Clip from The Thom Hartman show titled, “What Happens If We Don't Take Trump Seriously?”)
Those in the pundit class need to leave their offices and studios, abandon their comfort zones and visit actual Americans. Only then will they understand the dynamic that is occurring in the country.
Donald Trump is clearer than Hillary Clinton and unequivocal in the manner in which he articulates the “problem” with America. Yes, Hillary Clinton is the smarter candidate. She knows the policy, and he does not. Sadly, most Americans don’t realize they should care.
Most importantly, Trump gets press coverage—and he knows how to use it. While it’s true that he is having a bad couple of weeks, an election cycle is very long. With an economy that is not firing on all cylinders and with many Americans feeling the angst we’re all aware of, it won’t be long before the narrative changes away from Trump’s racism.
Would it be a good thing if Bernie Sanders took the nomination to the convention floor? Bernie Sanders came across as a warrior for the middle class and the economically disadvantaged. His decades of consistency make his record unassailable—unlike Clinton’s record, which many justifiably view with concern.
It’s imperative that all of those who are not yet excited about Hillary Clinton are brought over—not because they think that’s their only choice, but because they believe that she gets it. They must believe that regardless of what is in her heart, she is committed to the millions of Bernie Sanders supporters. One must remember that the desires of Hillary Clinton’s supporters are a subset of the desires of those people who support Bernie Sanders.
Americans do not need a clean and staged Democratic National Convention. They need to see active and hard discussions in the open, discussions that make good TV. Americans need to see Democrats atone for less-than-stellar support for the middle class and the needy. That atonement should ultimately result in a believable platform that focuses on the middle class.
America needs a catharsis where all eventually come together—not in a staged manner, but in a way that makes clear all Americans believe they have a stake in their future.
Absent that: Be ready for President Trump.