After lying low with some dignity intact, Hillary Clinton finally stepped out from the shadows to proclaim: “Nobody likes Bernie.” Following the Bernie blamed implosion of her own presidential bid, Clinton became such a complete political nobody that her assertion is certainly true regarding those sharing that embittered perspective. Three years after her contentious convention victory and humiliating general election defeat, she clearly still feels the burn of Bernie’s ongoing fiery political currency. He’s the one who remained active in the game and a viable presidential contender.

In trying to reclaim some political potency all she achieved was to have anyone hoping to become a Democratic candidate, top of the ticket or down, run as far as possible from her anathema stature. Truth is, it’s Hillary with whom nobody now likes being associated. Double ditto with Bill. Once a dynamic duo, now they’re just a couple of relics from a past ever more embarrassing to the Democratic establishment. NAFTA, Three Strikes mass incarceration, Wall Street deregulation, the Defense of Marriage Act, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and way too many #MeToo moments aren’t a legacy one wants to dwell on. Once passionate proponents of universal health care, their former idealistic kindredness to Bernie is now never mentioned.

The DNC’s obsession with defeating Bernie at any cost ultimately defeated the Democrats last time around. This time around we didn’t need WikiLeaks to reveal that game plan. This time, The New York Times managed that revelation unaided. This time the Democratic establishment blatantly circled its wagons in defending a centrist status quo where “Someday. Not now” remains the mantra of a supposedly progressive incrementalism. Electability trumps authenticity and idealism. Democracy must be manipulated to maintain a paternalistic establishment authority. Internal party fear-mongering and character assassination have brought about a race to the bottom where Joe Biden is now somehow believed to be the answer in defeating a sitting president who rose to victory within his own party’s nomination process by way of a similarly destructive dynamic.

The Republicans will once again hold their noses and support someone most conservatives I know find a far cry from their own principles but believe necessary in maintaining their party’s dominance. Sadly, the Democrats are now asking for a equally compromising Us vs. Them party allegiance. We’re told to wake up, smell the DNC’s ill-brewed coffee and accept Sleepy Joe as the best the party has to offer. Bernie supporters are supposed to remain true-blue and have Biden’s back even after the DNC has doubled down on its collusion against them.

Though free of #MeToo accusations, Biden’s political past pretty much dovetails with that of the Clintons. His Obama coattail ascendancy is once again all about hierarchical entitlement, only this time it lacks Hillary’s legitimate electorate devotion. Last time, both Bernie and Hillary were propelled by actual adoration from their followers. No one likes Joe all that much. Crowd size has never been his calling card. If Biden manages to beat Trump it will be by a generic anti-Trump allegiance, not a heartfelt embrace of Joe’s pro forma political platitudes where blarney and malarkey often merge. “Anybody but Trump,” or even “Anyone but Bernie,” is a sad rallying cry for a political party in shoring up their touted electability. Simply being a “decent guy” shouldn’t give one a pass on a lifetime of well-intended political positions with all too often regrettable consequences.

The Democrats are at a crucial juncture in deciding which direction their party should head. Sanders remains steadfast in leading a youthful groundswell rooted in progressive sociopolitical, economic and environmental justice. Biden is an aged establishment’s finger in the dike holding back real equitable reform of a system, whether predominantly Blue or Red, that’s great for many but not all.

A Biden administration would certainly bring about measurable improvement over Trumpism’s anti-government excesses, but it will nevertheless fall far short in provision of truly fundamental change needed to fulfill America’s promised potential. Biden and the DNC will need all the help they can muster in reclaiming the White House. Demonizing proponents of social democracy as a means of garnering their vote seems an unlikely road to a united party victory.

Gary Anderson lives in Bath.

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