A recent article at OpEdNews titled Loving Bernie, But Getting Real is a must-read for all Bernie Sanders supporters. In the many posts I've written on Sanders, at one time or another I have alluded to the issues James Quandy brings up in his article.
The article will make the most ardent supporters of Bernie Sanders really upset. That said, it is important to remember that one should be more attached to policy than candidate. Policies can live beyond a candidate's viability.
Quandy points out four specific issues with Bernie Sanders that should be heeded.
What I am referring to is the very basic fact of what I believe one could call his "political identity": Bernie is a 73 year-old Jewish Socialist from Vermont. Now this very brief description in itself presents what I see as at least 4 "challenges", any one of which (unfortunately) could be fatal to any candidate for President. Many of these issues have, of course, already been discussed at some length in the media. But I think it might prove useful to try and focus on each one, to some degree (particularly on this site). So, let's briefly take them one at a time.
To put it simply below the fold, the four reasons why Quandy believes Bernie Sanders winning the primary let alone the national presidential election is unlikely are:
- He's too old
- He's Jewish
- He won't get the black vote
- He's a socialist
First, I disagree completely that Sanders would not get black support. The black vote is not monolithic. Inasmuch as it votes solidly Democratic, it does so because of Democratic policies. One should remember that when the 2008 election campaign started, Hillary Clinton was beating then-Sen. Barack Obama in the polls, including among black voters. Black voters vote on perceived policies just like any other voter. As Sanders starts to codify his economic and social justice platform, black voters likely would see it as better than the moderate policies Hillary Clinton is expounding. Moderate Democratic policies have not been all that kind to the black voter.
Would Americans elect a Jew? Of course they would. While America still has a healthy dose of anti-semitism, it also has a large dose of racism. Most Americans will elect people even if they are biased against them. Why? If that candidate speaks to their hearts and needs, they will. I understood that during the Obama campaign, a canvasser went to the home in a white blue-collar neighborhood. When the canvasser asked the woman at the door who they were voting for, the husband shouted, "We are voting for the ni$$er." Many were taken aback by the statement. When I saw that report I turned to a few friends and said, "Obama is going to win this." An election is about letting people believe that if you get there, you can really make a difference—a difference for "me."
While Quandy shows polling in which 50 percent of Americans says they would not elect a socialist, if Americans are schooled on the real definition of Democratic Socialism, it is likely those numbers would change dramatically. When Bernie Sanders speak about the need for a revolution, he is correct. It is not about a revolution to adore him—it's a revolution in which all of those in the know teach their fellow Americans as to what Sanders' policies are all about and why it would be best for America. Only massive grassroots action will break the unnecessary fear Americans have for the word. After all, the happiest people in the world are, in fact, within Scandinavian countries that practice the fair and moral democracy Sanders speaks about.
The biggest concern is Bernie Sanders' age. The man is in apparent great health. There are many older folk in their 80s who are quite vibrant. That said, the pressure of the presidency even got to Reagan, who was really not in control at the end. Surely it is important to note that if Bernie Sanders supporters do the necessary work to get him through the primaries, Sanders will need to ensure a vice president that is ready to serve as president immediately.
Quandy's article points out many important questions. Bernie Sanders' supporters should not blast the article or articles of this type. Instead, they must do what is necessary to mitigate the very relevant questions. After all, these concerns can all be mitigated effectively if supporters take a positive attitude and work hard to coax, calm fears, and help Americans through the morass of the false information that will be forthcoming.