Is Bernie another Nader ?

There is nothing I can say against Bernie Sanders. His positions reflect mine more than any other politician except maybe for Elizabeth Warren. I even grudgingly accept his voting on gun control due to the rural state politics he represents. Although obviously I would prefer a more gutsy stance on that subject, I don’t think he would have been the senator from Vermont if he had taken that route.

I am fascinated by the youth and energy this old angry man with a heavy New York accent has brought to the political process. He speaks for everyone including that top tier within the one percent. A strong middle class is not only fair, it is not only an American right but it is also very good business for the wealthy of this country. The bigger and stronger the middle class the more they will buy, the more small investments they will make, and the more they will spur the economy. The more money our government invests in infrastructure and energy independence through renewable energy, the more middle class jobs we are going to have in this country. All this will trickle-up to the top 1 percent. It’s trickle up economics, fool!

He is also right when he speaks about health care. We spend more than any other nation and it only results in Billions for the insurance industry and millions for some doctors. The rest of the country struggles to make sense of this ridiculous expense in our system. Yes, Social Security and Medicare are bankrupt but all you have to do is follow the money and at the end of the road you will find the American Insurance Industry. So less money for the bottom line of the insurers will keep more money in the pockets of the insured and in the coffers of the government. It makes perfect sense to me.

So, if I like Bernie so much, why label him another Nader? Well a little history lesson for those of you on the #bernieorbust camp who might be too young to remember. In the 2000 Presidential election Al Gore lost the election to W.Bush by 543 votes in Florida. Let that sink in. A state where Ralph Nader, the Green Party candidate, gained 97,488 votes. Ralph Nader, whose self-righteous, egomaniacal run to nowhere has cost America and the world so much in the last 16 years that I don’t know where to start. 2 eternal wars, trillions spent, an economic collapse, the state of the Middle East, demise of the middle class, the collapse of the American dream. I am not absolving Bush/Cheney from any of this. We knew who they were and what they represented and what would happen if they got elected. Nader still ran, his followers still felt that Al Gore was not liberal enough for them, they were indignant and self-righteous, and they wanted change, now! Ring any bells?

I like Bernie, I love what he represents, and if he were to win the popular vote and the pledged delegates in the Democratic Primaries then I would support him wholeheartedly. But he won’t, he can’t, the math doesn't add up anymore. So after June 7th when we will all know that his popular vote and his delegate numbers are below Hillary Clinton’s he should bow out. He should put his full support behind Clinton and he should demand his supporters to do the same.

Hillary Clinton is not the most likable candidate, and likability is important in this era driven by image. But there are things a whole lot more important then likability as a prerequisite to become the President of the United States. She is more qualified then anyone who has ever run for President — man or woman. She is smart, knowledgable, is a true political operator, and she will get things done. Also to be perfectly fair, her stance in almost all issues that matter to Democrats is not that different from Bernie’s at all.

So to all the #bernieorbust troops out there. Let me spell out your options one more time: You either get Bernie-lite now and move the country to the left at a slower pace than you would have liked or you get Trump, who just might make you wish you had Bush/Cheney again.