It is astonishing to see what lengths the Democratic elite are taking to ensure that their precious candidate, Hillary Clinton, will secure the nomination. They have engaged in many of the same tactics that Republicans have used in the past and more to discourage Bernie Sanders supporters. From the Nevada Convention where chairwoman fled after denying a recount and a vote, to the voter purges in New York (video), it is hard for me to believe that I am being asked to support Hillary Clinton.
But Bernie reminds us that even if he doesn't win the nomination, the revolution must go on all the way down the ballot. The revolution is not carried out by one man, though it can be fomented largely by one man. No, as Bernie says, he's not a savior. He's a man who saw that the time is right for change and decided to run for president.
If Hillary wins, she will not be greeted by throngs of supporters as her motorcade trundles towards the White House on Inauguration Day. No, the street will be lined with protesters like we saw with George W. Bush in 2001. They will hurl expletives and wave their signs at someone who demonstrates, probably better than anyone I can think of, what social class essentialism looks like.
Hillary Clinton, and many of her elite supporters are sincerely deluded by their own social class essentialism. They believe that because they have the power, they are right. They have the power because they are backed by fantastically wealthy corporations. They have the power to change the rules at will. They have the power to disenfranchise their opponents at will. They have the power to control the narrative in the mainstream media. Hillary can still pretend to be proud of her victory after all the help she got from elite Democrats and perhaps a few Republicans to get the nomination, if she should prevail.
But they don't have the power to change our minds. No, we will not vote for Hillary. No, we will not get in line. No, we will not go quietly. Sanders supporters will be there, at the convention, some are talking more than a million strong. More than a million have attended rallies for Bernie. It is entirely possible that more than a million will show up at the convention, ready to make their voices heard.
What exactly is social class essentialism? Slate has a very nice article on the subject. In a nutshell, it is the observation that rich people think that they're different than everyone else. They're above everyone else due to their social status and money. They have a sense of entitlement that is beyond their own sense of reproach. Naturally, there are exceptions. But study after study has borne out one simple trend: wealthy people think that a different set of rules applies to them.
Hillary Clinton is wealthy. With a personal net worth estimated to be somewhere around $31 million (Bill is worth $80 million), she is well insulated from the rest of us. Multiple houses, chauffeurs, fine dining with personal chefs, world class vacations and the finest health care money can buy, she has it all. That wealth can buy insulation from the consequences of her decisions.
A great example of how Hillary thinks that a different set of rules applies to her is her email scandal, soon to come to full boil. She was assigned an email address to use upon her first day of work for her business email as Secretary of State. Never activated that email. She signed a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA), that requires her to follow certain rules about government information. She didn't. She may not disclose classified information to people who may not see it. She did. She may not transport classified information off of secured networks. She did.
Experts in the field are pretty sure she was negligent with her handling of classified information on her watch. Despite what the news says about lack of intent on her part, proof of negligence does not require proof of intent.
Hillary Clinton felt so entitled, that she bought her own email server and begged the authorities to let her bring her own phone into secure sites while everyone else had to check their phones at the door. She did not even want to view her own email on a government terminal like everyone else had to do. Remember, she is above it all.
There is a very clear path to indictment in front her, something that she is studiously ignoring. The investigation is anything but routine and some observers say that an indictment is all but certain. Do you really need to worry about her emails, dear Hillary supporter? Yes, you do. She will be indicted. It's not a matter of if, but when. Some say that the decision makers on indictment (who happen to be Republican) are waiting until after she wins her nomination, you know, so that we will be stuck with her.
When I see her giving speeches about the rest of us, about how she intends to unite the party, I am mindful of her sense of entitlement. When I see her talking about breaking down barriers for the rest of us, I am thinking about her insistence that she be able to use her own Blackberry phone at the State Department. I am thinking about her support of NAFTA, the 1994 crime bill and private prisons. I am thinking about her support of welfare reform, her stances on immigration and how her husband Bill, helped the Republicans reach 5 legislative goals in the 1990s.
So while she is hosting dinners for the maximum contribution one person can make directly to her campaign ($2700 per plate), Alice Walton is sneaking in $350,000 through the Hillary Victory Fund. George Clooney is hosting dinners to bring in more. She can rub elbows with all of them. Does it make her happy? I honestly don't know. Will that win her the election? Probably not.
She is the opposite in many respects, to Bernie Sanders. He flies coach in the tiny seats like the rest of us. When he announced his campaign, he drove his own car to the podium to speak. While he is packing stadiums, Hillary has had to shut down a few rallies due to protests.
Yet, the Democratic elite insist she is he better candidate. They are sincerely deluded to believe that Hillary is the better candidate, despite most polls showing that Sanders beats Trump by double digits, double the spread of Hillary Clinton.
Yes, Hillary, you may win the nomination, but you will not win our hearts. The revolution will go on without you, if it must. Stay in your bubble, feel secure, and know that all those people shouting at you are not your people. Those people out there will just get busy with the work of a peaceful revolution for radical change. A change for the better.
No comments:
Post a Comment