Submitted as a comment to another blog by Caleb Pilgrim – Blogmaster
@ Blogmaster:
Back to Trump, in the days preceding The South Carolina primary this coming Saturday, February 29th, and Super Tuesday, next Tuesday, March 3, 2020. …
Sometime ago, Dr. G.P in an overly zealous and passionate defense of POTUS, exclaimed “Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!”. G.P was apparently seduced by and so enamored of the officious showman, erstwhile host of “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice”.
We are now approaching a significant milestone in the Presidential elections. Former VP Biden (a/k/a “Sleepy Joe”); – Blogmaster described his performance thus far as being like “warmed over soup”; Trumpf’s campaign spies must also have noticed something “sleepy” about Joe – expects to win. He (Biden) describes it as “a firewall”, Super Tuesday. But, like all other candidates he is still far from the winning tape. Also, Biden lacks money, compared to Sanders, and billionaires Bloomberg and Steyer.
Moreover, as I have often noted, there are certain rumblings going on in the bowels of American body politic. The body politic is in ferment, if not disarray. Like your stomach, sometimes, after a heavy meal?
How else do we, objectively, explain the Obama two term Presidency in a still predominantly racist society? The backlash of the rather strange Trump Presidency? The phenomenon of angry white men”; (blacks apparently have nothing to be angry about)? The rise of the Me-too movement and its profound repercussions, e.g Cosby, Weinstein and many others rich and once powerful? Legalization of same sex marriages, in itself, a quiet revolution in values, and the so far relatively successful Presidential candidacy of the first openly gay, same sex married, South Bend Mayor, Pete Buttigieg? Legalization of recreational marijuana in almost a dozen states including all west coast states, Colorado, and some East coast states; legalization of medical marijuana in more than 30 states, etc, etc?
But, first, why should all this matter to the BU reader? Some nativist, insular, navel gazers dismiss such inquiries as irrelevant because they “vote in Barbados”. This is myopic, however. These navel gazers simply ignore the fact that there may well be several hundred thousand Barbadians and persons of Barbadian extraction (there are no realistic figures) presently living in North America). Are we simply to ignore the legitimate concerns and the welfare of such Bajans on the ground that “I don’t vote in America. I votes in Barbados”? “Fluck them”!
Secondly, for better or worse, in mere geopolitical terms, the American Empire still remains, for the time being at least, the world’s richest economy and the world’s most powerful military. We never live in a vacuum.
In the circumstances, it behooves us to think a little, even a little outside the box. In this vein, there has recently been talk of Former NY Governor Bloomberg offering former candidate Andrew Yang the VP slot should he become the Democratic nominee.
The gist of my argument here is that barring a successful repeat performance by the Democrats’ 2016 “superdelegates” (if Senator Bernie Sanders, does not win by a clear majority on the Convention’s first ballot), Sanders, a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist”, favoring a Scandinavian type democratic “socialism”, can not only win the Party’s Nomination this coming November. He can also win the Presidency in November.
Even if the “superdelegates”, or “supercrooks”, depending, can somehow derail and thwart Sanders, they will never be able to unify a highly fractured Democratic Party, far less form a National Unity Government. If they are seen as having robbed Sanders yet again, many of his supporters will predictably defect and may well guarantee Trump another term in office. The Democrats might even suffer a trifecta, losing the House, the Senate and the Presidency.
Despite Trump’s predictable name calling, Sanders can nevertheless defeat Trump. Trump has already called him a “Communist”. Strange that he (Sanders), a so/called “communist”, should be supported by millionaire businessmen like Tom and Jerry, Jeff Weaver, and on several issues by billionaire Tom Steyer, et al. These, after all, are hard headed businessmen, not Communists. With such support, the “Communist” smear rings hollow. It is simply reminiscent of Trump’s Attorney, Roy Cohn, Whittaker Chambers and Senator Joe McCarthy. Red baiting might appeal to some voters well over 60 years and who lived through the Cold War. However, beyond frightening the uninformed, it does not really resonate with the changing electorate. Sanders could go on to win the US Presidency.
Also, surprise, surprise, Sanders’ “democratic socialism” is no different from the democratic socialism in Norway, (don’t forget that Trump prefers new U.S immigrants “from Norway”). Call it “democratic socialism”, “Scandinavian democracy”, (Sweden, Denmark, Finland), whatever. The problem here is to educate the electorate, admittedly a sometimes formidable task.
But, should Senator Sanders choose a younger, former Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate, Stacey Abrams, a black, female, Yale trained lawyer and former Minority Leader in the Georgia Senate, with very substantial political, business, industry and community experience, a Sanders-Abrams ticket could win, absent interference by the “super-delegates”.
A Sanders-Abrams ticket wins the black vote throughout most of the United States. (As an aside, a female Black Vice Presidential candidate will also be a first. It would add more energy and excitement to Sanders’ already highly motivated supporters; it would also break the mould and position Abrams to run for the Presidency the next time around, the first black female since Shirley Chisholm of Barbadian lineage). Relatively few black voters, except perhaps for some black recidivist legatees of the Confederacy, a specie of mentally defective Clarence Thomas, “Blacks for Trump”; “Woke”; will decline to support such a ticket.
Abrams is also almost certain to demolish Pence in the Vice Presidential Debates.
As to immigration, Sanders’ promise of a moratorium on all deportations within the first 100 days of his Administration, guarantees support among the Latino and immigrant communities in the USA. Hence, his very substantial support among Latinos in the recent Nevada caucus.
Further, Sanders’ promise of a minimum wage of $15 resonates with the poor and the working class. Hence, his support among blue collar workers and trade unions.
Time and space do not allow for a detailed discussion of ever increasing and extreme inequality in the U.S; or examination of proposals such as “Medicare for all”; student loan forgiveness and free college tuition; climate change – “a Chinese hoax” per Trump; (but just ask Dr. Leonard Nurse his opinion on climate change, as a more capable expert witness); the economic and social impact of the corona pandemic on the much vaunted Trump economic “successes”. ….
Notwithstanding predictably ritual denials, we should also not underestimate the role and impact of the U.S Intelligence Community (IC) or some disaffected agents in re-paying Trump’s generosity in dissing the 17 Intelligence Agencies, throughout his Presidency. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold.
Also, this will be the first election in which tens of billions ($$$$$) will have been spent by the candidates. On the Democratic side, we can expect that Bloomberg himself may spend a few billions if per chance he is the nominee. Steyer himself may also contribute a few billion. Jeff Bezos of Amazon, an avid Trump fan, should also be most comfortable in putting in a few billion to anyone opposing Trump. George Soros should also be good for a few billion. How easy it is to spend Other People’s’ Money (“OPM”)?
To the Trump Choir, I therefore say – even though it is still early, “come over to Damascus”! We would never want you to be the Patron Saint of Lost Causes.
Finally, don’t forget that you first heard it (this murky analysis and prediction), here on BU. Uh gone!
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.