Shame.
At the end of Season 5 from Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister- the deviously ambitious Queen mother whose sense of entitlement knows no bounds- is lead naked through the streets of Kings Landing while her warden parts the crowd before her, repeating the accusation, “Shame” over and over again. In an excruciatingly long and gratifying scene, the proud Queen is laid low by her walk of penance among the commoners she had previously disdained while living in her stone tower high above, plotting and conspiring to maintain her family’s reign of control.
I found myself thinking back on this scene as I read about the release of former Democratic National Committee Interim Chairperson Donna Brazile’s book claiming the Clinton Campaign essentially acted as Sugar Daddy for the DNC, clearing up debts and bankrolling monthly expenses in what she refers to as a “starvation diet,” in return for some extra love by the Party. Just a little pay-to-play on behalf of Hillary in order to assure DNC support for her campaign during the Primary. No big deal. Except that her “win” of the Democratic primary would ultimately mean the loss of the White House to the unhinged billionaire malcontent and insane reality TV circus clown who is Donald Trump.
While most of us rational observers could see that the DNC favored Clinton over Sanders from the very beginning (the decision to schedule only 6 debates, many on weekends or simultaneous to major sporting events always seemed a bit dodgy), Brazile’s claim of a signed fundraising agreement document between the DNC and two of Clinton’s campaign funds removes all doubt. According to Brazile “The agreement—signed by Amy Dacey, the former CEO of the DNC, and Robby Mook with a copy to Marc Elias—specified that in exchange for raising money and investing in the DNC, Hillary would control the party’s finances, strategy, and all the money raised.” The agreement also gave the Clinton campaign final say over the selection of DNC Communications Director.
So, there it is, but really: is anyone surprised? Does anybody out there require more proof of just how corrupt American Politics- regardless of Party- has become?
The debacle that was the Democratic run for the Presidency left me red-hot angry. And this latest bit of news about the DNC has me feeling the same way. I’m angry at our intentionally-rigged electoral system. I’m angry at so many of the top Democratic Officials who purport to be a firewall between us and the disastrous, enemy-of-the-people Republicans, yet who showed such an utter lack of scruples during possibly the most important Presidential Campaign of our time. But mostly, I’m angry at Hillary Clinton and her unbelievable hubris, a person who either has no sense of right from wrong or who felt that- in her case- the usual rules didn’t apply.
So, Hillary: at the same time you are actively campaigning in the Democratic National Primary you decide to step into the middle of the finances of the DNC, paying off their debts and funding their monthly expenses so you can exercise control over their activities and that’s… ok? Would you have been alright with your opponent playing a similar quid pro quo with the DNC? Did any part of you think that maybe what you were doing was just a little wrong, or- I dunno- unfair even? Or was it simply that your blind ambition to become President at any cost (and look at those costs now) coupled with Bernie’s extraordinary success among both registered democrats AND independents, robbed you of your sense of fairness?
And hey, Bill- we all know you must have been aware of what was going on: what have you to say now about your wife’s decision (and undoubtedly yours) to essentially bribe your own Party in order to win the Primary? Do you get that what you and Hillary did may not technically have been illegal, but could essentially be called a politically corrupt act? I think even an elementary grade kid would call this outright cheating. But I’ll bet these are words that, in your mind, simply cannot apply to you or Hillary. Sort of like how, by your definition, extra-marital “sexual relations” never occurred between you and another woman. In spite of the fact that they did.
And what about the rest of the DNC leadership who were part of this financial arrangement, many of whom are still in places of power since that fiasco that was the rigged 2016 Democratic Primary, including former DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz herself? What are they saying about their decisions to take a bribe from the Clinton Campaign in return for their aid in her securing of the nomination for the Party?
Given the short news cycle of our culture, most of them- the Clintons included- may never need even respond to Brazile’s accusations. If they just sit tight in silence for a few days, he whole thing will eventually blow over as the Press moves on to whatever other new scandal or Trump tweet catches their attention.
The hubris of the modern big Party Politician knows no bounds. Hillary’s political career is over, thank goodness, but her flawed moral character and utter lack of judgement and scruples cost all of us, and cost us dearly. If she had played fair Bernie probably would have won the Primary. Excitement for the Sanders campaign would have grown in the remaining months of the election, and disillusioned registered Democrats and Independents (and yes- probably untold numbers of registered Republicans) would have turned out in droves on Election Day. Trump would not be our President, and many other progressive candidates would likely have been elected as well, but for the arrogance and lack of shame of Hillary Clinton and the Dems who conspired to undermine the Sanders campaign.
And so where does that leave us, the average Joe and Janet Americans bearing witness each day to the cost of Hillary’s dreadful campaign decisions, as we struggle beneath the helm of a deranged narcissist who has put his crony friends and industry executives in charge of our Government and the regulatory agencies meant to protect us ?
Are we willing to let the DNC slide on this one? Will we begrudgingly continue to get behind whichever Democratic candidate happens to run in opposition to a Republican in the next election, based on the “lesser of two evils” philosophy? Or will we- their constituents- put these arrogant, entitled, and far too comfortable Dems on notice and start demanding that they show their allegiance to the American People by (among other things) championing the reform of our corrupt, privatized Electoral system?
As far as Hillary goes, we can expect no Cersei Lannister style walk of Shame. I doubt we’ll even get so much as an apology from her. Not that it matters. What matters is what we do going forward, to fight back against the awful corruption that continues on both sides. When the next Occupy happens (not a matter of if, but of when) we will need to have a cohesive and specific series of demands to rally behind, and the abolishment of the Electoral College and the Constitutional enshrinement of a Publicly-funded election campaign system needs to be at the very top of the list. Otherwise more Trumps and more Hillarys will be sure to follow.