The movement must go beyond Bernie or Bust
I really understand the legitimate frustration of the Bernie or Bust movement. However, there is only one solution to mitigate that frustration and it isn’t about going bust.
I had a caller to my show Politics Done Right yesterday who said if Bernie Sanders did not win he would write in Mickey Mouse. It was evident that he initially subscribed to the Bernie or Bust movement. I understand the frustration of my caller and of millions of Americans who are tired of settling for the best of the evils. However, that is not the way to do it.
I do not subscribe to the tenets of incrementalism. In fact, I wrote on that issue in my piece “Incrementalism has outlived its usefulness” where I said the following.
I am no longer an incrementalist. Politicians preaching incrementalism as pragmatism have failed us all. Incrementalism isn’t pragmatism. It isn’t a logical acceptance of the possible. It is the coercion of a population paralyzed by fear. It is mental enslavement of a people who simply cannot visualize their innate collective power. In effect incrementalism has turned into virtual suicide.
The Democratic Party is currently faced with a fork in the road. The party will take one of two paths, the status quo where incrementalism will continue to reign or a political revolution where the middle-class rises up and asserts its worth.
It is incumbent on those who what real change to continue to work not only during general elections, not only during primaries but continuously to educate, to enlighten, to inspire our fellow citizens that there is a better way. Later in the same article, I said the following.
The Democratic Party created a huge vacuum in order to ensure an entitled candidate would win. Most of that vacuum was filled with an unlikely progressive candidate whose policies are much more appealing to the middle-class. That candidate was deemed unlikely to realistically contest because he is a democratic socialist. Unfortunately for the democratic establishment, not understanding the plight of the middle-class as many sit in their ivory towers, is shaking up the entire democratic primary. Insularity is dangerous for any party.
So what are Democrats to do? I cannot tell you what to do. I know what I am going to do. I will be writing, talking, preaching, engaging, enlightening, and educating every single person I encounter to first encourage them to assert their worth as citizens. I will ask them how successful our incrementalism in policies has been for their financial and medical well-being and the well-being of their families in the aggregate. I will tell them there was a time when incrementalism was the only pragmatic answer. I will tell them that reality proves it has outlived its usefulness. I will ultimately urge them to follow the path of fork that proposes the policies they want.
When speaking to those who support the Bernie or Bust tenet, it is important to be respectful and empathetic. It is important to acknowledge the legitimate frustration. After all, most engaging them have that same frustration. Until we are successful how can we justify, except for feeling a temporary sense of satisfaction, not voting for the best option available?