Bernie Sanders, Letter to a European Friend

Hola from America:


I'm a huge Bernie Sanders fan and have been for the 12 years that I've been aware of him.  He's the only socialist in Congress, as far as I know, a longtime Independent who caucuses with the Democrats.  I prefer his politics to Clinton's certainly, BUT!!! I support Clinton because I don't think Sanders has as good a chance to win in the general election.  Clinton's centrism is considered less threatening, while Sanders' socialism, in America, is perceived as extremist.  Many centrist Americans see him the way I see Ted Cruz, for instance.  I think the negative impact of a Republican in the White House outweighs the positive influence of Bernie Sanders, who can continue to do very important work in the Senate.  I'm glad he's running, though, as he very clearly outlines some basic tenets of socialism, which, frankly, many Americans know nothing about, and equate it with either Soviet-style Stalinism or godless Satanism.  I'm not exaggerating.  It's a good
thing that all of America will hear him.  He'll singlehandedly push the dividing line in our country to the left, a line that has been pushed constantly to the right since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980.  But because I believe he'll lose in a general election, I don't want him to be the Dem nominee.  And I don't dislike Clinton.  She will be a practical, pragmatic steward, sort of our version of an Angela Merkel, say, building on the slow, plodding work Obama has begun of moving America into the 21st century.  William F. Buckley, Jr., the great conservative writer, said he would always support the most conservative candidate who had THE MOST REALISTIC CHANCE OF WINNING (my emphasis).  Exactly.  In short, "Run, Bernie, run!" but then when Clinton leads in the delegate count, "Drop out, Bernie, drop out!" and support her wholeheartedly.

I despise Martin O'Malley.  He gave the worst speech I've heard in years, if not decades, from a Democrat, at the Democratic National Convention in 2012.  He sounded like a wind-up Amway salesman.  Also, a few weeks ago he started talking about Benghazi, and Clinton's role in it, something Republicans do, just because he's desperately low in the polls.  I expect that from a Republican, but from a Democrat -- well, I despise him, I'll just put it that way. 

Jim Webb is interesting, a bit too far to the right wing of the Democratic Party for my taste, but he's...interesting.  Known as a very good novelist (a few Vietnam War novels, a conflict he served in), and a former senator from Virginia, which will be a battleground state, very close to going either D or R this year.  He might make a good VP running mate for Clinton, a manly macho manly man for all the swing voters who might be uncomfortable with a woman president.


All best,
Bill