I Like Hillary but will be Voting for Bernie

"What is the difference between a socialist and a democrat?" The Democratic National Committee Chair, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, hesitated. She was likely caught off guard. "I'll ask again, what is the difference?" Chris Matthews, a liberal pundit on MSNBC, aggressively questioned. The segment topic involved Bernie Sanders. He did not appear to be a fan. Chris wanted answers.

I like Chris Matthews. In middle school, I read his books. He always seemed fair-minded, even with people that he disagreed with. Chris' love for Pennsylvania, the state where he was born, and preference for political compromise puts him more to the center than some progressives / liberals.

When it comes to the 2016 democratic primary, there is no dispute as to whom he supports. He is strongly behind Hillary Clinton. The tacit endorsement brings me back to my initial thoughts: Bernie Sanders irritates him. He is not alone.

Senator McCaskill, former Representative Barnie Frank, and other democrats have openly questioned the "insurgent" campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders. They argue that his campaign only hurts Hillary. The critics also claim that Bernie has no chance of winning; he should let Hillary ease into the general election. I respectfully disagree.

Bernie Sanders is running for the middle class. His policies are extremely popular. Take one issue after the other, and you will see that a large majority of people support his views. Incomes and wages must be increased. Wall Street should be regulated. More must be done to end crony capitalism. Bernie puts the issue of income and wealth inequality front and center like no other candidate.

Make no mistake, the United States is at a pivotal point in its history. There has been no other time in our history when inequalities have been so extreme -- before the Great Depression even, during the Gilded Age.

There must be a candidate who is not afraid to discuss these issues. A candidate cannot be afraid of wealthy, powerful lobbyists-- special interests who will spend billions to keep the status quo. It would not be the first time that a candidate has stood up to the robber barons and won. Indeed, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, to a certain extent, have all proved that populist policies are smart politics. 

I certainly would support Hillary if she were to win the primaries. She is a great candidate. But, given current economic realities, we need a strong progressive. I think of FDR or Teddy, and I know that America could elect a fighter again. That's why I support Bernie Sanders. He has the best policy stances and is not afraid to voice those policies. Against a default Republican candidate, he could easily win.

So, let me answer Chris Matthews' question. A democrat is a socialist. Even some republicans are socialists. If you like Medicare, Social Security, and other social safety nets, you are a socialist. It is not a bad word. We can support both a democratic society and a capitalist market economy that works for everyone, not just the rich. Sometimes, it takes a self-described democratic socialist to make that happen.

The Perpetual Campaign Season

It is 2015, right? Sometimes I have to double check, because the political pundits I watch talk like it's the summer of 2016. I catch myself looking around the apartment for a mail-in ballot, in a fit of moral rage -- my face gets red and my eyes bulge out, until I realize that the presidential election is not until November of next year. Seventeen months away. My pulse slows down after I count to ten.

I blame the media for my feelings of excitement. Actually, I place the blame on more than just the media. Right now, our political process needs some serious reform. You get any voter in a room, Republican or Democrat, and they can agree about one thing: they're fed up. They may disagree on the solution, but they have similar feelings.

Americans are dissatisfied. There is too much disagreement and not enough "getting things done." Part of the reason why our representatives can get away with it is because we allow them to. As constituents, we lose focus on what is important.

Campaigns and promises are never ending. An incumbent urges her constituents to vote her party into office, and then states that a party majority could lead to real progress. An agenda, conservative or liberal, cannot be accomplished, until a majority is won. A majority seldom happens. And even if it does happen, it may not last long, or the minority party may procedurally obstruct.

Meanwhile, the money rolls in. Special interests buy up their favorite candidates, the media covers the electoral intrigue like a gossip column, and the voters are left with their favorite social media  outlet to discuss the issues for ten minutes, before looking at the millions of selfies to follow in their news feed.

Significant issues are forgotten. Real policy debates are discarded like an old book on a dusty shelf. The next election down the road becomes the topic at hand. The election coverage resembles a beauty pageant more than a civic dialogue, with all the attention being placed on the candidate's personality or looks rather than the candidate's positions on the real issues facing our country. We must hold our elected officials to a higher standard.

Instead of arguing ideology for two years until the next election, we should demand that legislation be passed. Deals to be made. Infrastructure spending, an issue that has not been covered enough and use to be non-partisan, steadily decreases year after year. Our roads, bridges, railways, and airports are crumbling and we are losing an advantage in a competitive global environment.

Immigration reform, of any substance, could bring economic security to millions. Yet nothing has been done. Education investments are neglected; children are left ill-prepared to challenge the world's brightest in other nations.

Perpetual campaigns are hurting America. Politicians, journalists, campaign donors, and voters are all responsible, but if we make a conscious choice to change the ways things are done, I believe our country can remain the most powerful. Otherwise, we may have to settle for being the country with the best entertainment on earth.