By Wednesday, in all likelihood, Bernie’s political revolution will come to an end. According to the latest polls, Joe Biden is poised to run the table in tomorrow’s Democratic primaries. Even if Sanders manages to squeeze a caucus win in North Dakota or a primary win in Washington, it will not be enough to justify staying in the race. Perhaps, a win in Michigan could give Bernie enough cover to continue his quest. However, the race for the Democratic nomination is over even if Sanders chooses to limp along a few more months.
Bernie’s attempt to rescue his campaign since the walloping he received on Super Tuesday have been rather pathetic. It sort of reminded me of Ted Cruz announcing Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential choice as he was scrambling to stop the Trump Train. Sanders’ Hail Mary is receiving Jesse Jackson’s endorsement (I had no idea he was still around). Besides Jackson’s blessing, Bernie’s desperate attempt to attract black voters also included a rally in Flint on racial justice mostly attended by his white supporters and a photo-op with a black man selling fried chicken (SUPER CRINGE).
Another desperate move was haggling over the format for the next Democratic debate scheduled for March 15th – a completely pointless exercise. It is abundantly clear that the Democratic establishment wants to stop the debates. The DNC has already changed the rules, again, to exclude Tulsi Gabbard. If Bernie fails to win Michigan, the pressure will be on for him to drop out and allow Biden to take a long rest until the Democratic Convention. Even if Bernie doesn’t drop out, I would not be surprised if Biden refuses to participate in anymore debates.
Looking at Sanders’ actions the last three years, I cannot help wonder whether Bernie was ever serious about becoming president. He claims to be running to end the political corruption in Washington that is hurting working class Americans. Yet twice he was presented the opportunity to show he would take on corruption and took a pass. Let me be more specific. In 2016, Bernie refused to hit Hillary Clinton over the email issue, her family’s foundation, her husband’s paid speeches to entities that had business before the State Department. In 2020, he refused to hit Biden over his son’s crushy job at Burisma. Instead, he embraced the talking point that it was a hoax perpetrated by Trump. I guess Bernie believes that Hunter Biden was qualified for the position – maybe he’s fluent in Ukrainian after all!
If Bernie was truly interested in seeking the Democratic nomination, why did he go back running as an independent for the Senate? To this day, he’s listed as “Independent” on the U.S. Senate website. Why should Democrats nominate as their presidential candidate – and de facto party leader if he manages to win – someone who refuses to join their party? The Bernie Bros will surely counter by saying that Donald Trump was not a Republican before he decided to seek the GOP nomination. True enough. However, Trump did join the Republican Party. Heck, even Ivanka has joined the party.
Perhaps the most obvious indication that Bernie was never serious about becoming president is his electoral strategy. Specifically, his political revolution is predicated on turning out large numbers of young and Latino voters. You read that right. Bernie is relying on the two groups that historically are least likely to turn out. Sanders’ revolution never had a chance. It was always an old sixties radical reliving his youth.
