Posted on February 14, 2020
Donald Trump is a dangerous force of selfishness, darkness and deceit. He is an existential threat and must be defeated by a more powerful opposing force.
Bernie Sanders is not a man for all seasons. Not by a long shot. But he sure as hell is a man for this season…a fortitutious meeting of man and moment. Most of the time America’s presidential personality and style preferences lean towards affable confidence and casual flair. JFK, Reagan, and Obama had the formula. Bernie does’t do “affable” but this isn’t “most of the time.” This is now and nobody available speaks with the seriousness and passion that Bernie brings to doing the right thing for the “human family” right now. Bernie is impatient to do right. He takes injustice personally. Listening to him is not always easy. We’re not talking Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue. I’ve heard him a few times and, if truth be known, sometimes he makes you hunger for the more soothing sounds of fingernails on a blackboard. But, as they say, no pain no gain. Listen to Bernie a few years ago at Liberty University, the school that Jerry Falwell founded, one of the most conservative audiences there is and see how he holds the audience and earns their respect. Anybody who tells you Bernie can’t win is either wrong or intentionally trying to misdirect because they fear his strength. Because his message is strong and true he can tell it anywhere…a biker bar in Steubenville, OH, a truckstop in Breezewood, PA, Silvia’s in Harlem or the Republican Women’s Club in an upscale Philadelphia suburb. Dissemblers and half truth tellers (Hillary Clinton comes to mind) are limited to preaching to the choir. Their message doesn’t travel. People see through them. Bernie can go anywhere because, as it says in the Good Book, “the truth will set you free.”
Profound.
Thank you, Sir.
Tom Callaghan.
I watched to Democrat Nevada Debate last night.
I thought Elizabeth Warren showed herself to be a tough competitor. She’s been sort of mediocre in
prior debates. She showed me she’s a tough fighter and she’s in it to win it.
They are just pandering the needy no real issues with substance or real ideas to fix anything. I thought it was just a waste of time. Pick a candidate and let’s get to a debate of real answers to issues in a capitalistic society that is working.
I think debates serve the purpose of demonstrating communication skills and ability to
function under pressure.
A guy, whose name escapes me, said “a presidential campaign is like an MRI for the Soul.”
If you are supporting a communist for the leader of the greatest free society on this planet, then that soul MRI is something you could use.
😜
There are no “Communists” in the race that I’m aware of. There is a Democratic Socialist, Sanders.
Ok then.
A Democrat Socialist that embraces Communism.
That’s splitn hairs. He loves Castro! Wow!
A little distracted by the stock market today, but let me say a couple of things about Bernie.
He’s one of the few politicians that I’ve observed that speaks like he believes what he says.
He has referred to the citizens of the world as “a human family.” I like that. I agree.
A President can impact foreign policy in a major way immediately. Domestic policy, less so. Our present ridiculous, belligerence towards Iran is driven by Trump’s biggest contributor Sheldon Adelson. Bernie,
will get us back in the Iran Deal and take reasonable steps towards normalizing relations with Iran.
With regard to what Bernie said or didn’t say about Castro forty years ago, who cares? If you do care, I suggest you check out the low life Castro ran out of Cuba, Flugencio Batista. He ran out on his people in the middle of the night after Fidel put a little heat on him. Poor baby.
In terms of Bernie’s domestic policy, he’s more liberal than I am. I support him because I think he will end our policy of getting into “unnecessary preemptive” wars in the Middle East. I think he is a truthful
person and that our country needs truth all the time and especially after experiencing the absence of it.
Peace,
T. C.
Bernie is the only Democrat in the race that can beat Trump. I don’t like either option, but they are both populists. They both have a positive message. People are drawn to either or for similar reasons. They identify with their message. Very straight forward situation playing out across the “flyover space” in the U.S.
Trump is probably the only person in the Republican Party that sees Bernie as a threat. Because Bernie is doing just what he did four years ago. Albeit on a completely different platform, but he is turning the Democratic “machine” on its head. Very confusing for the pundits. When Chris Matthews compares him to a Nazi you know there is a major shift coming. He is passionate. He is believable. Voters like him. He is electable. Whether the party dems accept him or not remains to be seen. Thought he was the only one that could beat Trump in 2016. They gave us Hilary instead. About as dour of a candidate they could have “given” the dem nomination to.
Bernie vs. Trump would make for a very interesting election season.
Bernie has authenticity. You can’t fake it. People sense it and are drawn to him. He will draw huge crowds. The so-called money people in the Democratic Party who funded Hillary have no influence with Bernie. He doesn’t need them. He can raise all he needs for the campaign with small contributors…MILLIONS of them.
He’s more liberal than me on domestic policy by quite a bit. I’ll deal with it because I think he will give us a very sane foreign policy.
The owners of the media outlets (FOX and MSNBC) are very uncomfortable with Sanders. FOX is outright hostile to him while MSNBC is more sneaky. They pretend to worry that Bernie will be another McGovern. Baloney. Their REAL worry is that Bernie threatens their wealth AND Bernie will not take us into every war that Netanyahu picks out for us. Americans have had a bellyful of that BS.
Bernie is electable. No question.
If we elect a socialist for president I’m selling everything I own. Then I’m going to quit my job and stop contributing to the tax base of this country. Why should I continue to work as hard as I do just to give my money away to the government to “manage” for me? I won’t. Can tell you most “producers” in the country feel the same way. Will absolutely kill our economy.
I’ll take a narcissist, blow hard, misogynist, truth stretcher, with poor manners any day over a true socialist. Our existing president has been held in tight check since being elected. He can’t fart without commentary or a “leak” to the media. Not my first choice, but more palatable than a socialist. Our current national political environment is a sad state of affairs. No doubt.
If we elect a socialist as our leader foreign policy won’t matter. We won’t be a world economic leader for long. Free healthcare for all will bankrupt us. Sounds great but it’s not feasible.
Crazy situation. Did not think it could get nuttier than the last election. Yet, here we are.
Tom
by now the myth that Bernie somehow will present us with a less aggressive foreign policy is much hogwash as that other old myth that “demockracies” do not get into wars by choice. War is after all good for the health of the state and clearly Bernie is for a very healthy State.
At one time you had the Republicans hewing to noninterventionism, but excepting a Ron Paul or so, the repubs merely want a warfare welfare state, the democrats a welfare warfare state.
Indeed, we have a stark choice: either our military goes overseas to battle the enemy of the day or come home to beef up the internal security forces. And Bernie has got to have quite a few budding Felix Dzerzhinsky wannabees in Bernie’s entourage.
I had to go next door and ask my neighbor, Mr. Wikipedia, about Felix Dzerzhinsky.
I’m a great believer in the power of individual actors to impact events. I’m sure you have your favorite individuals and I have mine.
Bernie doesn’t talk about his belief system. Many think he’s an atheist. I think he’s most
probably an agnostic. I do know that he has from time to time referred to the “human family.” I find that comforting.
You mentioned Ron Paul…always sort of liked him. I’ll give you another name, Ronald Reagan. I love the fact that, back in 1982, when Israel was conducting a savage beatdown of Beirut, Ronald Reagan picked up the phone and called Israeli PM Begin and told him “if it didn’t stop it would change our relations on all matters.” Reagan used the word “holocaust”
in that conversation and told Begin that “the image of your war is a seven month old baby with her arms blown off.”
I think Bernie Sanders is capable of making a call like that in a situation where it is warranted.
Tom, I have to completely agree on one point.
Sanders does actually believe in everything he says. As much as I disagree with almost all of his viewpoints, that single fact separates him from his peers who change their beliefs based on the most recent poll data.
Good. Fundamental honesty is important.
Another thing that’s important is that Bernie actually believes that there is such a thing as the “human family.”
Bernie is going to need to have a candid sit down with some of his most passionate supporters and talk about priorities. And he’s going to have to come public, sooner rather than later, that some of his stuff is
going to be compromised a bit.
I think he can have an immediate impact on foreign policy. For the better.
I don’t feel the Bern!0
Bernie didn’t have a great night. I’ll be surprised if he wins S.C.
I watched him being interviewed by CNN right after the debate. He was far more relaxed and likable BUT he simply is a true believer. His idea of the role of government, which I believe is based on his view of the interconnectedness of all people, is light years away from where most people are. I agree.
But that’s not the end of the story. He appears to believe that he can “move the country.” He views himself as the leader of a movement and if he becomes president he will continue to view himself that way. He will be leading the movement from the White House.
Knowing all that and knowing that I’m not all for everything he’s for I’m still for him. Enthusiastically.
Wow! I will stick with Trump. Like MLK’s granddaughter said….. if it is working don’t change it. That can mean different things to different people. My belief is America is leading the world not funding it!