On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, what should progressives – whether inside or outside the Democratic Party – be doing? I am not one to advocate voting for the lesser evil. But, to my mind, Bernie Sanders is not a “lesser evil.” He is the real thing. No, he is not perfect. People like Kevin Zeese will insist that he made errors in connection with Venezuela and other issues, and perhaps Kevin is right. But if you look at Bernie’s history and his platform, anyone can see that he follows the same road at all times. He will do the best that he can to have a progressive America. And he is far more trustworthy than Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar. The fact that the New York Times endorsed them is proof enough that they are really centrists.
So what road should progressives be taking? They can cut their own throats and vote Green again – or vote for some other party that stands no chance of winning. Or they should vote for Bernie. At the moment where we are, he is leading in the polls. On the other hand, if he gets only 30% of the Democratic vote, then at the nominating convention the DNC will haul out the super delegates and use them to choose Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Warren, or even Biden. Anyone but Bernie. Once again, they will cheat him out of victory.
Should that happen, then that is the time to decide the next step. What? Support Warren if she can be nominated? Or abandon the Democratic Party for good and all and try to found a New Party which is totally progressive? In my view, progressives should wait and see – because Bernie may win.
And how might he win? By accepting the support of Greens and other progressives. By making every attempt to form a coalition of progressives, using votes from within the Democratic Party in order to outmaneuver the DNC’s super delegates strategy.
If this strategy fails, then it may be time for Bernie to run with another party, or to form a New Party with all progressives in it. That party can bring “The Squad” and other Democratic progressives into it and seek the support for progressive candidates for Congress.
But now is not the time to make a final decision. It is the time to support a candidate who can win, who will support the Greens and other progressives, and who can truly make America progressive. Let’s not demand the impossible. Instead, let’s all band together and throw out Trump, the neoliberals, and those who want ever more wealth for the already wealthy.
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