As the dust settles on the 2016 Presidential Primary season, let's take a look at some of the things that are peeking through the dissipating clouds:
--> The 2016 Presidential Primary was RIGGED, and the result was the INSTALLATION of Hillary Clinton as the Nominee. She didn't WIN the nomination - it was predetermined. She was always going to be the Dem nominee, come hell or waters high, regardless of Bernie Sanders or any other high-minded insurgent candidate with big ideas. The evidence of the rigging is overwhelming (thanks to Wikileaks and evidence gathered by Debbie Lusignan and others), and often available only through non-mainstream outlets. Lee Camp, of RT's Redacted Tonight, dedicated air time for several weeks to the election fraud issue.
--> Good on the people outside the convention hall (and some inside) who provided the coverage of the protests and other events that the mainstream media would rather you not see. I send a special shout-out to Josh Fox, for his 2-minute video of the half-empty arena immediately after Hillary's formal coronation. It went viral, and it shows just how little inter-party support from the rank and file Hillary truly has. Another shout-out to Debbie Lusignan, aka The Sane Progressive, who filmed hours of coverage and commentary in and around the Crime Scene. (By the way, check out her absolute take-down of Tamron Hall regarding John Lewis' hypocrisy in regards to his HRC endorsement. The sound of the video is highly distorted, but the distortion perfectly suits the anger and righteous indignation Debbie serves to Ms. Hall and her cohorts at MSN-BS.) There were many others who contributed to telling what really happened in Philly last week - thank you to all of you.
--> I was disappointed about the results, and felt the proverbial knife in the back when Bernie called for nomination by acclamation. But, after letting emotions process, I think I have a better idea as to why he did what he did and what he's doing now. He has always said that he would support the Dem nominee - it was a condition of the DNC for allowing him to run as a Democrat, and he has always been clear as to that fact. He now has an international following, which when combined with his new national profile, will make him a VERY powerful senator when he goes back to Washington. He's also continuing to support causes and politicians ("Berniecrats") who push his overall message and platform through new organizations like Our Revolution. As much pain as I felt about what he did, I don't hold it against him. He and his family have gone through a tremendous amount of hard work and emotion, and the only way for it to be in vain is for us to not follow through on what he started.
--> Let's take a look at what the Bernie Revolution accomplished, even though the man himself will not be the Dem standard bearer (he should be, and would be without the Election Fraud which he and his campaign did very little to fight - more on that another time.) He made economic inequality the centerpiece of his campaign, and brought it and other progressive issues to the front and center of the political mainstream. He proved that a major campaign can be fought, and won, with minimal donations and no Super PAC help. He pushed a rightward-lurching Democratic Party back toward the left, showing that it's in progressive ideas that the votes really lie - even in some typically Republican strongholds. His campaign, and offshoots like #BernieOrBust and #NeverHillary, showed that progressive votes and voters should never be taken for granted - they are not guaranteed and need to be earned by the candidate, something Bernie has said flat-out on several occasions. He showed the world outside of the US that yes, there are people in America who want much of what Europe and other countries have and are willing to fight for it. He ran one of the cleanest campaigns in modern political history and was able to win 22 states and 13 million voters - all while declaring himself a Democratic Socialist. Most of all - he showed that America wants their leaders to possess INTEGRITY and HONESTY, qualities sorely lacking in today's retail politics.
What this means is - by 2018 and 2020, America will be ready. Bernie opened the door to what is possible. We now must walk through it, and with organization and continued commitment from we the people, we can.
I'll have more to say about the primaries and the election in the coming weeks leading up to November. The role of non-traditional parties and organizations, fighting election fraud, and other topics will likely surface. Stay tuned.
