To my Democratic friends local and national who are traditionalist Democrats. Please, please let the primaries play out. Your attacks on Bernie Sanders on issues like Venezuela actually increases his appeal for not only his base but others who wonder what is the rationale for America’s concern when most of us Latin Americans know that the American government does not give a damn about folks south of the border absent mineral resources to extract (Oil and Gold and bananas).
So why this piece today? The narrative about Bernie Sanders not being a Democrat even though he caucuses with Democrats reliably is growing again. Sadly, ranking file Democrats in their tunnel vision cannot seem to understand that Bernie Sanders no embracing the totality of Democratic Party affiliation is additive, not subtractive. A full party embrace loses a massive chunk of his supporters, people the party needs.
But this Politico article will justifiably piss many off because the Democrats attacking Bernie Sander were more than Republican-like but Trump-like.
Florida Democrats are denouncing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for refusing to call Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro a dictator — a politically explosive issue in the nation’s biggest swing state. …
Sanders also would not say whether he considered Venezuela’s assembly leader, Juan Guaidó, as the nation’s interim president, which is the position of the United States and a majority of Latin American countries European countries.
“He is not going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. He has demonstrated again that he does not understand this situation,” Rep. Donna Shalala, a Miami Democrat who represents Venezuelan exiles and, told POLITICO. “I absolutely disagree with his imprecision in not saying Maduro must go.” Shalala has filed legislation aimed at helping Venezuelan immigrants.
The fact is that President Nicolas Maduro is no less legitimate than Donald Trump given all that we know of both elections. At least Maduro seems to have gotten the majority of those who voted. Even with shady tactics and Russian help Trump did not even get the popular vote.
Most Americans can neither find Venezuela on the map nor can tell anything about their history and the reasons for their total economic collapse (American Sabotage, the Venezuelan Plutocracy Sabotage, and a corrupt Maduro government). Just like a corrupt Trump administration does not lead to an immediate economic catastrophe neither does a corrupt Maduro administration.
Those who for years have been equating the Democratic Establishment to the Republican Establishment have been getting ample material in the last few days to justify the belief that neoliberalism in both parties is stronger than the parties themselves.
That reality gave us Donald Trump who was just a simulated anti-neoliberal who is turning out to be one on steroids with a Trumpian twist that places a facade on all that is going on as people assume he is making a fool of himself. There is a method to his madness.
The attacks on Bernie Sanders that have little to do with contrasting economic, social, criminal, and racial justice policies will be the demise of many candidates fairly early. After all, Bernie’s core base is just as committed if not more so than Trump’s base.
An activated millennial base, now the largest voting block, means that many of the tactics of 2016 are unlikely to work. Any Democrat who wants to win must touch on the real issues.
Once again, neoliberalism just won’t do. Democrats should leave Venezuela alone. Stop starting our fight on issues from the middle, it is a losing proposition as the electorate knows legislation only moved rightward. And most importantly, mount a full court press on Bernie Sanders at the peril of losing it all.