Dear Bernie Sanders: Enough already

[The Magistrate]

10. Pleasure To Have You On Board, Sir

The 'progressive' left is going to have to change strategy if it wants increased influence in the Democratic Party. At present, it seems to believe that proving the 'progressive' left cannot be relied on as part of a larger coalition will lead to courting and concessions by Party leadership. But all it actually achieves is to drive the Party more towards the center, in an attempt to make up from more middle of the road types the votes the 'progressive' left threatens to withhold unless placated, and often does withhold even if attempts to placate it are made. When all is said and done, the number of votes to be had on the left-most portions of the political bell-curve is far smaller than the numbers to be found near its center. It can be argued that these voters may be fair-weather friends not committed to the Party, and so of less long-term value to the Party then people more to the left, but with the 'progressive' left doing all in its power to establish as fact that people on the left cannot be relied on any more than middle of the road types, simple arithmetic makes the decision as to where efforts may pay off best. Especially since many more middle of the road types, often people who might well be receptive to left policies, especially once enacted in law and operating to their benefit, are actively repelled by the scolds and flamboyant poseurs who make themselves the public face of the 'progressive' left.






"From Bernie’s perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they don’t want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."