2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Sanders was the only White guy who showed up [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)Palast is a writer. He understands the concept of deliberate ambiguity and he used it here--thing is, it's blowing back on him. He used "Selma" as in "Sanders was there and has been working SINCE he was there." That IS the impression this writer, this builder of images with words, was crafting.
There was no need to bring up "Selma" at all -- it's not like Selma-to-Montgomery was the only event in the Civil Rights movement, hit movies notwithstanding. If he'd said "...since the March on Washington" he would have been somewhat more en pointe, since Sanders did attend that speech.
But more to the point, to criticize Clinton for not attending an event that took place on the HOUSE side, when she was one of the SENATE co-sponsors of this entire leadership event that brought 150 leaders to the Hill and had other events to attend herself, is just, well, bullshit (to use HIS word). What he did with his words was--to use a popular word used on this board lately--SMEAR one of the people whose very sponsorship of the event brought those people--including Palast--together.
What he said was SLEAZY and it diminishes him, no one else. I should like to point out that SANDERS was NOT a co-sponsor of this event, he just showed up at a few of the conferences and warmed a chair. Nice that he showed up, but he wasn't involved in putting this thing together--Clinton was. And--more to the point--who are the members of the CBC backing, in overwhelming numbers? People get what they give. Clinton has GIVEN and so she does get. What goes around comes around, and her friends are coming round and lifting her up for a reason.