Rather than present this as a Quick-link, I am certain that the full impact is stronger with all of the words here. I presented this recently on OpEdNews in a larger context, and if you recall, I had a longer, more angry title about corporate journalists, apparatchiks, etc. The Monterey Herald editor changed the headline, and I like it. I submit this here for one reason alone: that it might inspire you to write your own response on editorial pages when you see condescending and illogical misrepresentations in any newspaper in America, which are going to increase as the Convention approaches. Get ready, folks: the worst corruptions in American mainstream political journalism are about to increase exponentially, and if you don't respond, they get away with it, and everyone forgets that there is such a thing as TRUTH.
Stephen Kessler's Letter to Bernie Sanders was outrageous. The tone was smarmy, condescending, dismissive and oblivious to Sanders' monumental and unprecedented accomplishments in galvanizing sincere idealistic Americans from across the nation who recognize his long overdue and eloquent solutions to serious problems faced by America. The fact that it has so few comments in both the Herald or the Sentinel indicates that your progressive readers find it unworthy of comment in that it is so far removed from the verifiable political reality.
There was election fraud in 12 states, documented and soon the subject of lawsuits. This included voter purging in New York (300,000-plus civil rights violations) and vote "flipping." If you don't know that term, take 80 minutes and watch on YouTube the 2010 film, "Uncounted: the New Math of American Elections."
The worst thing about his article was the conclusion that somehow Bernie will be responsible historically if his followers don't get in line behind Clinton and Trump gets elected. This is backward, upside-down and inside-out thinking that is so flawed and so contrarian that I almost have no words with which to respond.
To quote from this scurrilous and reprehensible open letter:
"You lost. Hillary won. It's time to declare solidarity with her to defeat the truly vile Mr. Trump. If you screw this up and cost Clinton the election by being an intransigent nag and a sore loser, you will live in history as a tragic footnote, not as the political prophet you claim to be."
This is beyond comprehension to me, especially coming from one with the many literary and journalistic credentials that Kessler has earned. By trivializing Bernie's charismatic and valiant leadership, it reduces the credibility of the author and turns him into some kind of shallow "spin doctor," having produced one of the worst examples of that branch of journalism. The king of Yellow Journalism, William Randolph Hearst, who started the Spanish American War with his newspapers would be proud.
This is the crowning insult to Bernie: "Disorderly conduct by your people could easily help Trump prevail in November."
I do appreciate the chance to rebut Kessler's insidious condescending polemic, and can only assure him that he is not alone in such lunacy. The fact that Bernie won Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties should illuminate the truth a bit.
Stephen Fox lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
(Article changed on July 4, 2016 at 06:31)
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