Objects in Mirror Closer Than They Appear: The Sanders Surge

[WilliamPitt]

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a town hall event at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on
Friday, February 20, 2015. (Photo: Alex Cooney/StumpSource.org)

Objects in Mirror Closer Than They Appear: The Sanders Surge
By William Rivers Pitt
Truthout | Op-Ed

Tuesday 09 June 2015

How many times do you have to get hit over the head until you figure out who's hitting you?"

-- President Harry S. Truman

A few miles down the road from here, due west on 101, is the town of Brattleboro, Vermont. The architecture is a landscape of long brick, blocks and blocks of old mill buildings, a throwback to the days when the textile industry dominated this little corner of the country before the chance to find cheap labor elsewhere motivated a migration. The passing of that industry devastated many local economies for a very long time, and laid waste to many families, businesses and towns, another verse in the scripture of corporate greed.

In Brattleboro, Sen. Bernie Sanders is a household name. The same goes for Burlington, where Sanders served as mayor for four terms in the 1980s, a tenure that catapulted him into the House of Representatives in 1988. He was re-elected to that office by landslide margins until 2006, when Vermont's Sen. Jim Jeffords announced his retirement. Sanders ran for the seat, and won it handily by about a 2-1 margin. When he ran for re-election in 2012, Senator Sanders won with 71 percent of the vote.

He went back to Burlington to announce his intention to campaign for the Democratic nomination for President at the end of this past May. Five thousand people attended. He pulled in three thousand people in Minnesota, and enjoyed a large crowd when he recently came through Keene, New Hampshire.

When he came through Iowa, he drew the largest crowds of any candidate, regardless of party, so far this year. According to a report on the visit in The New York Times, a Democratic county chairman named Kurt Meyer fired off a text to Hillary Clinton's Iowa political director. "Objects in your mirror," he wrote, "are closer than they appear."

(snip)

Bernie Sanders is preaching a different gospel. He wants to break up the "too big to fail" institutions that burned the economy down to the stumps. He is against the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Keystone XL pipeline. He is a blood enemy of the Patriot Act and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. He wants Wall Street regulated far more deeply, and believes the wealthy should be taxed to the degree they actually deserve.

Unlike far too many of his congressional colleagues, he actually believes climate change is real, and that it is coming on strong, and is deadly dangerous. He supports breaking up the massive media conglomerates that spend so much time trying to convince people that such bedrock common sense ideas are scandalous, if not treasonous. He is a stout ally of the LGBTQ community, and of veterans, and of the separation of church and state.

Hillary Clinton - former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State - is in every sense the powerhouse candidate in this race. Lincoln Chafee, former Senator and Governor from Rhode Island, has thrown his hat into the ring, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley appears prepared to do the same. More contenders may come.

Yet Senator Sanders remains a fascinating candidate. An Independent social democrat from a small state is drawing huge crowds from diverse parts of the nation because maybe, just maybe, he is speaking his heart at a time when - after decades of looking for a job and finding none, of looking at their bank account or savings and finding them barren, of going to the well of this alleged version of "freedom" and finding it dry - people may finally be taking Harry Truman's advice, and are listening to a guy who has spent a career explaining who, and what, is hitting them.

Time, that funny little bird, may be turning on its wing. Bernie Sanders is the very definition of a long shot. He is campaigning like a cannonball on a shoestring budget against seemingly impossible odds ... but objects in your mirror are closer than they appear. The man bears watching, and whatever happens, this promises to be one of the most interesting Democratic campaign seasons since time out of mind.

The rest: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/31268-objects-in-mirror-closer-than-they-appear-the-sanders-surge

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Just like Bernie, you cut to the chase most effectively.

Even before I've had my coffee today, your incisive prose shows up in my sleepy brain...........and I get it.

Thank you, my dear Will.

K&R

[daleanime]

42. And that is one heck of a compliment....

[Omaha Steve]

2. Very well done

K&R!

[Segami]

3. K&R

[snagglepuss]

4. "going to the well of this alleged version of "freedom" and finding it dry -

people may finally be taking Harry Truman's advice, and are listening to a guy who has spent a career explaining who, and what, is hitting them."


Great line from great post.

K and R

[n2doc]

5. We can sure hope so

A real primary contest of Ideas. Not too much to ask for?

[L0oniX]

6. K & R

[BeanMusical]

7. Kick and R

[Melissa G]

8. Great post! n/t

[appalachiablue]

9. K & R. Well said. Points for Truman's head hitting, and 'Cannonball' Sanders, love it!

[Roy Rolling]

10. No doubt

There is no doubt Bernie's message rings true with the vast majority of Americans. The trick is to translate that popularity into votes, which means motivating those who agree with him to get off their asses and vote.

[2banon]

28. Voters have to have a reason to..

"get off their asses and vote".

It's that simple. really. Most people understand the game is rigged, the fix is in, the choices are made by big donors and the rest of it is just a dog and pony show to uphold the long standing myth this is some sort of participatory democracy - when we all know that it's just not true.

If ever we do, once we reform/revolutionize our elections process which results in an honest to goodness democratic process, where the PEOPLE are actually calling the shots, then they'll

"get off their asses and vote".

Despite all that, some of us (like myself) will nevertheless go to the polls, canvass, phone bank, donate, etc even though we know it's practically pointless, just cuz if there's even a sliver of a chance - we gotta give it a shot, just the same.

There's probably a word for that but it escapes me a the moment.

[jwirr]

11. Thank you. God knows we need a change.

[Snotcicles]

12. Once again an exquisite work. Sharing all over the place. nt

[Dustlawyer]

13. K&R!!! I wish that every American would read this so they could understand Bernie and the problems

we face. It is so sad that the only one telling the truth and pointing out where and how badly we are being scammed, screwed, and lied to is a "long shot"!

I really don't understand Hillary's support here because these people should know better. I respect their choice all the same, but I am not deluded that many of them will cross over to Bernie now. They know what he is about and should know what she is about. I am happy she came out on the voter registration issue, it really puts the Republicans over a barrel. But what about policy, where does she stand on the issues so skillfully laid out in this piece? Most of us know where she stands on issues related to Wall Street, MIC, Insurance Companies, Big Pharma..., where they tell her to. That is why she will not talk specifics about TPP, campaign finance reform, more war and the bloated defense budget, Wall Street reform, NSA spying, Climate Change and the like. Sure she will say this is bad, or that needs to be looked at, but nothing concrete. She will pick easy issues that her big Donors don't care about, LGBT rights, women's issues, voting rights (because they control the candidates, with Bernie being the exception), and other similar issues that while important, don't affect her Donor's bottom line.

We need to focus our efforts on the ones that don't know what Bernie is about. We need to reach out to the poor and minorities to let them know that Bernie speaks for them, and help them to get registered so their voices can be heard. There lies the masses that Bernie will need to turn his long shot into a reality. It will not be with television commercials or to some extent, even the internet. It will have to come down to door knocking, phone banks, voter registration drives, rides to the polls, and sheer determination. The kind of determination that keeps Bernie going day in and day out.

Thank you Mr. Pitt!

[2banon]

25. Nicely put.

Full Agreement here!

[mother earth]

27. Well said, indeed. And a big K & R for Will & the OP.

[xfundy]

14. The world loves to see the underdog triumph.

[raouldukelives]

15. K&R The Capra candidate. The closest we have had, and ever will have, in our lives.

Frank couldn't have written a better script and Bernie naturally exudes all the small town charm and American idealism of Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper.
To say I am excited is a vast understatement.

[colsohlibgal]

16. He Is One Of A Kind

What you see and hear is what you get. No fuzziness, no parsing, no triangulation.

Compare him so far with Hillary who has largely avoided spelling out what she actually believes and what she would do.

And even if she does start to open up - so did Bubba and Obama - who both went straight Wall Street once elected.

[swilton]

17. Genuine

[Faux pas]

18. Kickin'

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

19. K&R.....well put, Pitt. Never discount the underdog.

[Damansarajaya]

20. Glad you're on board, WRP! nt

[truebrit71]

21. Nice piece...

The only ones telling us he's a long shot are the same ones telling us Mrs. Clinton is the presumptive nominee....that's what primaries are for...when WE do the deciding at the polls...

[marym625]

22. K&R! Bravo!

Thank you so much for a fabulous article!

Damn straight, "Objects in Mirror Closer Than They Appear: The Sanders Surge" And he's coming into view in the side view mirror.

Bernie Bounce

#Bernie2016

[hifiguy]

23. And these, and no others, are the reasons I strongly support

Bernie Sanders and oppose HRC:

"He wants to break up the "too big to fail" institutions that burned the economy down to the stumps. He is against the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Keystone XL pipeline. He is a blood enemy of the Patriot Act and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. He wants Wall Street regulated far more deeply, and believes the wealthy should be taxed to the degree they actually deserve. "

[Duval]

24. K&R

I can only imagine what the US would become with a President Sanders and a working congress. So much good would be accomplished, after so much bad has happened since 1980. Thank you, Will, and Go Bernie!!

[2banon]

26. K&R - Great OpEd Will!

K&R

[WilliamPitt]

29. Thanks!

Cheers.

[2banon]

36. Hears to ya...

[CanSocDem]

30. Nobody thought Alberta would elect...

...Social Democrats. But they did. The global consciousness is evolving. Bring us Home America!!!



k/r


.

[Dont call me Shirley]

31. Spot on, Will! This is exactly how the uber-rich define the American social term "Melting Pot"...

" and all the while, the people boiled in a cauldron of dwindling opportunities, rising prices, falling wages, collapsing hope, dumb schools, potholed roads, and a "news" media that worked hammer and tong to convince them that this is how it is, and so this is how it will be."

[Enthusiast]

32. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[840high]

33. It has mine. K/R

[AwakeAtLast]

34. I really liked this piece

It is not he vs. she. It is the person who runs on a platform with which I agree.

You nailed it for me in a way in which no one else has been able.

Thank you.

[Paka]

35. As a septuagenarian female voter,

I find it insulting to be called a misogynistic because I want to vote for Bernie. He supports and works for what I believe in. It's just that simple.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

38. It's like the Right Wing slurring Israelis who want peace with "self hating Jews".

[Paka]

41. Good Analogy!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

37. Republicans aren't worried about Bernie....

They're worried Hillary is going to tap out their donors.

[corkhead]

39. the biggest credibility boost he could get is to solicit a direct reaction from the Clinton campaign

Last edited Wed Jun 10, 2015, 06:26 AM - Edit history (1)

and her campaign seems to be trying to resist that temptation as much as they can.

It is genius on the part of Bernie's campaign to paint her into this corner imho.

[Oilwellian]

40. Great piece, Will

Love the title.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

43. No baggage with Bernie

not even a hatbox!

[AzDar]

44. Bernie!!

[padfun]

45. great article!

stop children, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down

[cantbeserious]

46. I Will No Longer Settle For The Lesser Of Two Corporate Evils - Go Bernie Go

eom

[Warren DeMontague]

47. K&R

Well Said.

[DeeDeeNY]

48. K and R

[Vinca]

49. Bernie almost doesn't need the big money other candidates do.

He's willing to talk with anybody at anytime about anything and, as a result, is on television more than any other candidate. I knew he would draw big crowds. I remember being in a high school auditorium for one of his speeches during a previous congressional campaign and the place was packed.