Bernie Sanders

Jerrymooney

(36 posts) Wed Apr 27, 2016, 10:29 AM Apr 2016

Political Shenanigans Are Undermining Voter Confidence In The System

Political shenanigans are a historical reality. They have been a part of every democracy because that’s how the lust for power corrupts. But until recently, I’ve had a blind spot, thinking these practices were limited to Republicans and their kind. Nope.

Bernie Sanders is a disruptive candidate and as such has created a real movement that has energized the youth and brought in millions of previously estranged voters to the process. Normally this would seem like a good thing, but it has not been treated as such. The Democratic establishment clearly wants Hillary Clinton to win the nomination and will go to extreme lengths to ensure that outcome.

One tactic used in Philadelphia was omitting Sanders from the ballot completely, requiring Sanders supporters to write him in.

https://twitter.com/247BernieNews/status/724961747111661568

These things combined with voter suppression tactics, like reducing polling places in Arizona and New York despite increases in voter turnout along with counting early voting first and announcing the results created a culture like I’ve never witnessed in my nearly 50 years on this planet. There have long been jokes that there were attempts to affect elections. Slogans like vote early and vote often made fun of the potential for abuse. But this election cycle has brought real corruption to the forefront and those in charge seem unconcerned.

A problem with employing these strategies is that even if they only had marginal effects or no effects at all on the outcome, they allow the narrative to be proffered that the result is tainted and process is corrupt. And by being so blatant about it, it can no longer be talked about tongue in cheek as if it were business as usual. This now resonates as a political hijacking.

These narratives jeopardize participation in democracy because it fosters the sense that it doesn’t matter, the king makers will anoint who they want. Additionally, these tactics are, according to Portland State University, tantamount to white collar crime:

Governmental /state-corporate: activities committed on behalf of governments or by government officials, as well as white collar crimes committed in collusion with a corporate or organizational entity

But we all know that these ‘crimes’ will not be prosecuted. They will be dismissed as error and incompetence instead of manipulation. This plays easily into the hands of the orchestrated narratives that have been telling us who will be the nominee since last summer. In fact, The Peoria Report at George Washington School of Political Management was reporting that Hillary had the nomination locked up back in August. This was before the primary season even began. This casts shade on the shenanigans, because when they are pointed out, it simply looks like Sanders supporters are being sore losers.

Ultimately, these tactics are prevailing. Whether it is actual popular support or the tactics of the establishment's machinery Secretary Clinton took significant steps in winning the nomination yesterday. Unfortunately for all involved, we don’t know how much this is due to sincere broad based enthusiasm or manipulation.

In the previous 10 contests, 8 had been won by Bernie Sanders and the 2 he didn’t win, Arizona and New York, are under investigation. Not only is this disappointing as a Sanders supporter, it is tragic if you had any faith in American democracy or enthusiasm for bringing the youth into the process.

We can’t complain that young people don’t vote and then make their voices irrelevant at the same time. This simply creates a generational disenfranchisement. But the people who are using these tactics aren’t concerned with disenfranchising voters or about the integrity of democracy. They care about power.