It's Republicans and Trib, not Dems, going off the cliff
Monday's Trib editorial, 'Will Republicans and Democrats go off the cliff' poses a false equivalency between the Republican Trump and Democratic Sanders presidential campaigns. It strongly implies each party is being hijacked by an extremist out of touch with the "sensible center." But the differences are huge, on a Grand Canyon scale, which do great injustice to Sanders, and his followers.
Consider the false equivalency. According to the Trib, Trump's divergence from the "sensible center" is that "Trump has done his best to alienate Latinos, blacks, Muslims, women and anyone with an aversion to Sarah Palin." Missing is the necessary background of Trump's relentless pathological lying; xenophobic and racist charges; and denigrating commentary that has made him a grotesque caricature of a responsible candidate. Also missing is that Trump's freak show campaign resonates with the current majority of Republicans in every poll, whether state or nationwide. Rather than being a fringe GOP contender, Trump represents the 'insensible GOP middle' the Trib erases from their vision of a 'country club' Republican Party.
Your only evidence of Sander's extremism is your claim he's a "self described democratic socialist." That is a meaningless charge, McCarthyite in fact, as it's today's version calling him a 'communist'. It doesn't reflect one whit on his exemplary record of 8 years as Burlington, VT mayor, 16 years in the House and now 9 years as Senator, representing Vermont. During that incredible 33 years of public service, Sanders has displayed, wisdom, class, and decency, championing fiscal responsibility, opposition to war and unbridled militarism, rebuilding America's infrastructure, truly caring for our vets and ameliorating the concentration of wealth in a tiny ruling oligarchy. Far from being outside the "sensible center", Sanders represents it, in the same way FDR did during the Depression. Millions of otherwise disaffected young idealists now rally to his campaign, and millions more will join in should he garner the nomination.
The Trib Editorial Board is terrified of both a Trump and Sanders finale. Trump because he's already wrecked the Republican brand beyond repair. And Sanders? You folks can't stomach a leader focused on undoing the vestiges of economic royalty you enjoy at the expense of the great majority.
Consider the false equivalency. According to the Trib, Trump's divergence from the "sensible center" is that "Trump has done his best to alienate Latinos, blacks, Muslims, women and anyone with an aversion to Sarah Palin." Missing is the necessary background of Trump's relentless pathological lying; xenophobic and racist charges; and denigrating commentary that has made him a grotesque caricature of a responsible candidate. Also missing is that Trump's freak show campaign resonates with the current majority of Republicans in every poll, whether state or nationwide. Rather than being a fringe GOP contender, Trump represents the 'insensible GOP middle' the Trib erases from their vision of a 'country club' Republican Party.
Your only evidence of Sander's extremism is your claim he's a "self described democratic socialist." That is a meaningless charge, McCarthyite in fact, as it's today's version calling him a 'communist'. It doesn't reflect one whit on his exemplary record of 8 years as Burlington, VT mayor, 16 years in the House and now 9 years as Senator, representing Vermont. During that incredible 33 years of public service, Sanders has displayed, wisdom, class, and decency, championing fiscal responsibility, opposition to war and unbridled militarism, rebuilding America's infrastructure, truly caring for our vets and ameliorating the concentration of wealth in a tiny ruling oligarchy. Far from being outside the "sensible center", Sanders represents it, in the same way FDR did during the Depression. Millions of otherwise disaffected young idealists now rally to his campaign, and millions more will join in should he garner the nomination.
The Trib Editorial Board is terrified of both a Trump and Sanders finale. Trump because he's already wrecked the Republican brand beyond repair. And Sanders? You folks can't stomach a leader focused on undoing the vestiges of economic royalty you enjoy at the expense of the great majority.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 8:15 PM
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