Bernie’s Tune

Democrat’s Rebirth or a Jazz Standard

Take Bernie Sanders. The people of Vermont took this Brooklyn born and educated boy into its green world in 1968 and watched him run independent third party political campaigns unsuccessfully through the mid-1970’s. Then in 1981, still as an independent, he became Mayor of Burlington winning by ten votes. He knew what to do and was reelected three times.

In 1990 he was elected to Congress; served for 16 years, was elected to the US Senate in 2006 and reelected in 2012 with 71% of the vote. He called himself a Democratic Socialist, didn’t bother to explain what that meant and nobody bothered him about a definition

And then in 2015 he announced that he was going to be a candidate for President in 2016. Knowing full well that the Democratic National Committee was totally behind the second campaign for Hillary Clinton, it was obvious that he had nothing to lose.

But he had a hell of a lot to say and said it.

Suddenly this fire-eating, balding Eagle, looking every bit his 74 years, became the new soul of the Democratic Party talking genuinely liberal policy changes (he called them ‘progressive’) sounding like the Democratic Party of another era. He actually stood for something and that meant something to the next generation we call millennials. They heard him, loved it and came flocking to his side.

Stunned by the response, he redoubled his efforts. He rocked his speech about Medicare for All, free public colleges, an end to economic and income inequality through a heavy tax on the very wealthy, major investment in people through paid parental leave and in the crumbling infrastructure all over the U.S.

As these ideas caught the imagination of millions of people Bernie and his campaign speech were everywhere as he marched across the country. In the end he went on to win 23 primaries and caucuses and gained 43% of the pledged delegates. He refused money from corporations or PACS or the finance industry but the public response was such that he never suffered from a lack of campaign funds to spread his message.

He had a right to be proud of what he’d done.

But we had a right to something more from him. Because then and now, he never explained how these policy ideas would work, be funded, or overcome the power establishment’s opposition to them.

He never provided a mechanism for these programs to work. Nor has anyone else.

Not Elizabeth Warren. Not any of the young Democrats – so many women and minorities – fighting the establishment Party in primary contests across the country…and winning.

The ideas are wonderful and offer plenty of promise…as ideas can. But unless they are made to work…they remain ideas.

During the campaign, Bernie said he hadn’t thought the ideas through to workable solutions. Given his 40 years of experience in government that was an amazing and disappointing admission. Apparently he still hasn’t. And again, nobody else has either.

THE NEW ‘PROGRESSIVES’

The list of new Democrats making primary breakthroughs against establishment candidates is impressive: In Florida for Governor Andrew Gillum; famously in NYC, for Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; in NYC for Congress, Dana Balter; In Massachusetts for Congress, Ayanna Pressley; in Nebraska for Congress, Kara Eastman; In Kansas for Congress, James Thompson: In Texas for the Senate (against Ted Cruz) Beto O’Rourke; In Maryland for Governor, Ben Jealous; In Colorado for Governor, Jared Polis.

There are others. Big steps against an aging, mindless, empty Democratic Party resigned to non-action, fighting for a majority in at least one House of Congress and maybe a few Governorships. This is a party stung by its backing for Barack Obama, a man who brought great character, bravery, patience and humanity to the office but not a group of leaders who could help him overcome the ferocious, deep-seated American racism inherent in our character. He essentially worked alone…with some help from Chicago friends and little else. And so an examination of his record already shows that he did very little to help black Americans elevate. Americans felt pride in his election and then dismay. He defeated Sarah Palin who became a stand-in for John McCain and then Mitt Romney a man who knew that half of America would never vote for him…and was right.

But coming after the triangulation of party principles engineered by Bill Clinton and supported by Hillary, the Democratic Party stood for very little. After Obama, nothing at all but a group of old political professionals hanging on to their positions as Chuck Schumer hangs onto his reading glasses and never looks America in the eye.

Do they represent differences acceptable to a majority of the voters in their areas even in this age of Trump or are they symbolic only?

The Democratic Party cannot be successful in America again until it cleans its largest state New York of an endemic corruption which seems to go very deep and has no end at all.

Bernie set the tone three years ago and it is a tone that has some vibrancy and depth. But will it set a new standard of excellence and success because the ideas are developed into real programs that work.

Or are they nothing but a groovy Jazz standard named Bernie’s Tune. (Look it up on YouTube) Fun while it lasts…but little else.