As a Democrat I look at the leaders of our party going forward, and I see age while as I look at the GOP with the exception of Jeb, I see not so much age. I also find myself warming up to some members of the other party where in other days I would be hard pressed to name one interesting Republican, like Ohio Senator Rob Portman and Arizona Senator Jeff Flake.
Because I feel compelled to speak the truth I see the GOP stocked with relatively young guys; and the Democratic Party? Hillary? Bernie? Biden?
Yet there has always been a youth movement among the Dems. In the past it coalesced around Obama, Howard Dean, Gary Hart, and Gene McCarthy. This year it appears that Bernie Sanders will be the recipient of that support. Usually that support is earned through the generation of new and fresh ideas. But Bernie’s platform of pay equity, change in the tax code, income inequality, single payer health insurance, strengthening social security and holding with labor in fighting the TPP, are not new ideas. They’ve been around since Roosevelt, some with Teddy, before Franklin. But what is fresh and new about them is they speak the truth. This country is spinning divisively out of control. The 10%ers are distancing themselves from the rest of the 90%ers faster than the expansion of the universe is separating distances between galaxies.
Look at the pervasive dissatisfaction with the economy despite 5.7% unemployment, little inflation, and a stock market enjoying record territory; see the anger in the streets in Baltimore, Missouri, New York and LA. What did you expect? The middle class is shrinking faster than the coast line of Rhode Island, 90% of the country is losing more and more control over their lives and there’s not going to be a backlash?
I think it will get worse before it gets better. But first we have to be truthful with each other and assess our problems in an honest fashion and that starts with our leaders.
These days you can’t pull the usual political stunts, using Belichickian type evasiveness to the press and serving up empty symbolism to the voter; not in 2016 where everybody is a political strategist aided by omnipresent update and analysis on our smartwatches.
Bernie Sanders campaign is modeled around truth saying. If that is his campaign and it garners a broad interest from the 18-29 year old crowd, maybe 73 is the new 42.