Opinion Editorials, March 2016

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Bernie Sanders’ call for a political revolution will not come to pass if blacks and browns fail to join in the battle.  Nevada just gave us a likely scenario of future primary results in elections to come.  That is... unless leaders in B&B communities, churches and other organizations rethink their committed personal loyalties in order to attain any and all defined common goals of their followers.

Hillary Clinton just managed to pull a close victory in Nevada’s caucuses with her steady and balanced tripod of “in-the-bag” voters: blacks, browns and Local 226 of UNITE HERE. Given the economic realities in a Nevada still struggling after deep recession – a bona fide depression for those in lower economic strata, Bernie’s message, delivered with passion and authenticity, should have translated to a landslide victory for him.  But it did not.  And almost catching up to a 30, 40 or 50 point deficit of a few months back, no matter the Herculean effort involved, just wasn’t enough.  Unfortunately, in grammarian politics a moral victory yielding fewer votes continues to be spelled d-e-f-e-a-t.

It was a close call for Bernie’s dedicated legions, and the senator’s significant inroads in the Latino vote, exceeding 50 percent, almost won the day for “El Viejito,” or The Lovable Old Man, as Sanders came to be affectionately known by Hispanics.  But he was denied most of the black vote; and Local 226, although not endorsing either Clinton or Sanders, also gave Clinton the upper hand by default.  And what should have been an easy 60-40 state-wide victory tally, similar to that in New Hampshire, ended up as a 47-53 defeat; a sad but explainable 13-point eradication courtesy of the old guard loyal to Hillary’s Democratic Political Machine.  But that’s expected quid pro quo in the world of politics.

More than an old fashion ideological revolution, with or without the tentacles of civil disobedience or discord, Bernie’s so-called revolution is but a call to arms, a demand for fast track transformation of a society which for well over a generation seems to have evolved in reverse: economically, negatively affecting 80-plus percent of the population; and socially, denying opportunity and social justice to the weakest amongst us.  Not a new thing to Bernie, these economic and human rights advocacies to which he has dedicated most of his adult life; it’s just that his messianic hourglass took over half century to empty, the last grains of sand being his exhausted patience, the time for this transforming revolution to start.

Other prophets have appeared in the past unveiling the truth to economic and social conditions, Ralph Nader, most recent among them, but circumstances or their timing proved unpropitious for them.  Have we, then, entered an era of civic enlightenment with Bernie; or is his head going to be served to Hillary on a plate just as John the Baptist’s head was served to Herodias?  And, if Bernie does make it to the general election will our ruling elite have him crucified by either Trump or Bloomberg?

No worries, not yet.  As repetitive and powerful as the message from Bernie is, a message for change, and change NOW!, the Democratic political establishment appears to be well entrenched, and neither Washington nor Wall Street need to be concerned should Hillary Clinton end up duking it out with Donald Trump.  Or whoever turns out to be the Republican nominee for the summer’s main event in this 2016 presidential election.  And, whether Hillary wins or loses the election, the folks at Goldman Sachs et al need not ring any alarms on Wall Street.  But, of course, that entails the Democratic crowning of Hillary as the nominee.

Never mind the primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada! As of February 22, Hillary Clinton has an unmerited running start with 431 party superdelegates (vs. 16 for Bernie) of a 712 total, who have declared for her – and which include 10 distinguished party leaders, 13 governors, 39 senators, 159 representatives and 210 DNC members.  An undemocratic but legal way of stacking the deck against   the gentleman from Vermont!

But the political machine doesn’t just stop there; much of the tenured leadership in the Democratic Party, particularly that which represents the strong black and brown “components” of the party’s membership, appears beholden to favoritism which often leads to bad decisions… which in this presidential election represents a truly revolutionary and transformational change

One gets the feeling, however, that the best interests of both blacks and browns would not be served as well under a Clinton presidency, as they would be with Sanders in charge.  And that much of the leadership in minority communities might be unintendedly promoting a continuance of the undesirable status quo… which for all effects and purposes would be committing political hara-kiri.

Keep the faith, Honest Bernie… on to South Carolina and beyond!

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

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