Since there was virtually no Bernie Sanders campaign direction coming at us -- save for imploring us to "yes" vote on the DNC Party Platform (to which many dissented, but we'll never know how many, since there was no recorded vote), and a few Bernie text requests that we "be respectful" during the proceedings -- what unfolded among the 'insiders' over the next 48-to-72 hours was quite organic and, remarkably, in sync with 'outside' forces. For example, on Tuesday night, when Bernie delegates staged a massive walkout following the roll call vote and Bernie's endorsement of Hillary (though not by acclamation, as many media outlets misreported), that action coincided with a visceral response of 'outside' Berners, many of whom threw themselves at the closest security fence, protesting the same, seemingly pre-ordained, DNC-tilted outcome. Shock, disbelief, anger, and outrage had gripped us all in the same moment -- leading to similarly proportionate responses by each, inside and outside.
Remarkably, the police allowed the demonstrative, non-violent actions outside the Wells Fargo Center, with only a few reported incidents. This was due, at least in part, to the 'outside' Berners building a mutually respectful relationship with police and security forces they came face-to-face with in the streets and parks of Philadelphia. By contrast -- and regrettably -- the DNC convention managers, sitting in luxury suites far above the gathering below, and mindful that TV, radio, and print reporters were all about, dealt with the 'inside' Bernie protesters far more harshly. It must be clearly understood that the DNC managers, similar to most state party chairs, and most MSM reporters in the Wells Fargo Center, approached Bernie delegates as unwelcome guests, troublemakers, and recalcitrant children. Not surprisingly, therefore, I witnessed, and personally experienced, numerous acts of physical intimidation, protest-sign destruction, blocked re-entrance, and seat displacement.
JB: What would you say those factions - DNC, party chairs, and others - think the Bernie supporters are going to do going forward? The former certainly do not seem to be working toward party unity, taking actions to suppress Bernie delegates' speech and participation. Are they making assumptions regarding the general election? And are they right to do so?
CP: The Party Establishment, while not an absolute monolith, is truly fearful of the Berniecrats. The Sanders campaign -- from the perspective of the top-down, neoliberal, Wall Street-friendly DNC -- represented, during the primary campaign, and will continue to represent, through its new "Our Revolution" structure, an existential threat to the corporatized Democratic Party structure based in WDC. The national DNC, through the state party chairs, elected representatives, and rank-and-file party underlings and enablers at its disposal, will battle, undermine, and marginalize true progressives by whatever means necessary. In the meantime -- to your latter points -- during the general election, the DNC, Hillary's campaign, and down-ticket allies, will double-message across cultural, civil rights, and economic issues to portray a compassionate, yet tough-minded, Democratic Party. At the same time, Hillary will continue to pivot right on national security and foreign policy issues (think Israel, Iran, military bluster), narrowcasting to the relatively few moderate Republicans who still exist, while also pitching conservative-to-neoconservative voters disillusioned with Trump. For committed progressives, our votes will largely be taken for granted, relying instead on Bernie to play the anti-Trump card and Hillary surrogates to badger Berniecrats on social media to vote for HRC. Given Trump's current, dismal performance, Hillary's hubris-minded campaign will to continue alienating Bernie supporters (think Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ken Salazar, pro-military rhetoric) regarding the presidential race itself without concern for losing. However, politics is a peculiar sport. Elections can reset around crises (think mid-September 2008 recession that spelled doom for McCain) without much, if any, forewarning. For the DNC and MSM to be discussing a "landslide" scenario at this stage is tantamount to quitting a football game at halftime, though the final outcome may appear beyond doubt. Moreover, and more importantly, this election should be about governing our nation and governing the projection of U.S. power across the world. Will the Democrats retake the U.S. Senate and/or rebalance the U.S. House toward the Democrats? In other words, this election is about governing functionality from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, not just about winning the White House and ruling through secret agreements, covert actions, and executive orders. From an "Our Revolution" perspective, regardless of the 2016 election outcome, we need to mobilize significant numbers of activists (old, new, renewed) to battle 'inside' and 'outside' until progressives constitute both a majority at all levels of government and a preponderance of power as a citizen lobby and watchdog.
Assuming Hillary wins in the fall, the Democrats retake the U.S. Senate, and the Democrats cut into the enormous GOP U.S. House advantage (247-186-2), it's reasonable to expect the decades-long purging and/or cooptation of progressive Party members and elected officials to continue. In complementary fashion, the DNC will try to push further right on economics, security, and foreign policy -- morphing into an even more strident neoliberal home for corporatists and rightists -- a development, we know, that dates to the late 1980s' launch of the Clinton's Democratic Leadership Council. Whether called DLC, New Democrats, Third Way, Pro-Business Democrats, or Corporate Democrats -- the game is the same. The Corporate Democrats want absolute control of the Party -- absolute loyalty and absolute obedience.
Fortunately, Bernie's presidential campaign-prepared "Our Revolution" is poised to push back, to take back, and to reclaim the Democratic Party along the lines of its progressive origins. Stay tuned, get ready, be engaged. Be one of the 3% (or more) who will turn the current corporatist counter-revolution into a People's Revolution.
JB: How much do the ongoing Wikileaks and revelations about a quashed FBI Clinton Foundation investigation figure in the mix? Does any of it make much of a difference and should it?
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