Analysis, Commentary, Opinion
12.22.2018
Cognitive Dissonance, A Reprisal
Politics
is a nasty business, and a foolish one.
My
Democratic Party is poised to enter another cycle of self-destruction, another
cycle of finger pointing and purity tests, of driving ideological wedges
between constituencies, and internecine conflict.
One
month after a solid victory in the House of Representatives, in state houses
and gubernatorial seats across the nation, the first straw polls for the 2020
presidential election are coming in and the camps are dividing.
A
friend of mine posted an article published by the Guardian, to his Facebook
page, the article digs into the voting record of Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke,
calling out his history of voting for Republican legislation, and asking the
question; “Does he deserve our support?”
I
trust the Guardian, it is a reputable news service. I don’t have an issue with
the article, I do have an issue with the divisive headline.
Other
reporters are sharing the news that, as Beto O’Rourke makes strong appearances
in these early polls, the political machinery of the so-called progressive
caucus, the “Bernie Bros” and others, are seeking to tarnish his luster.
They
want to bring him down.
It
is politics and I know that. It is the same old self-serving non-sense that
drove deep wedges into the Democratic constituency in the last cycle. It is as
if we did not learn anything.
The
same gang of supposed super-liberals have already spent a lot of energy tearing
down Corey Booker for some votes he took supporting pharmaceutical companies.
Duvall
Patrick, of Massachusetts won’t even get into the race on account of his
connections to Wall Street and private equity firms.
If
these super idealogues have paid any attention to the reporting on the havoc
Russia caused in the 2016 election, they would stop with the nonsense, and let
the field sort itself out.
The
Democratic Party needs a galvanizing candidate, someone capable of turning out
the vote, of exciting the masses, we do not need to live through the tired old
passion play of the Bernie Sanders acolytes, the Elizabeth Warren fanatics, the
Joe Biden fans.
We
don’t need a repeat of the Jill Stein betrayal, and that is exactly what these
articles by the Guardian, the posting and the sharing and the sensationalizing
of them is meant to do.
Let
me be clear, I am not coming out for Beto O’Rourke, not at this stage in the
game, but shame on anyone who is trying to tear him down this early in the
process.
I
would like to see what Jerry Brown plans to do in the 2020 race, and Sherrod
Brown of Ohio, and I want to hear more from Kamala Harris too.
My
hope is this; wherever you fall on the spectrum of left wing politics; whether
you are a wing nut or a corrupt-corporate-centrist, you are prepared to tell
the world that anyone of our candidates, no matter how flawed they might be
(and they are all deeply flawed individuals or they would not be in politics in
the first place), no matter what their ideological issues are, they are better
than that criminal currently occupying the Oval Office, as better than that white
haired imp serving as Vice President, and better than anyone else the right
wing could ever put on their ticket.
