HRC can only GAIN by working with Bernie on platform and party reform issues.

[pat_k]

53. Of course

You are, of course, absolutely right. But I fear the power of beltway group think is in the process of burying common sense, once again. Clinton is being pushed to stay on "playbook" and do the "move to the right" thing for the GE. The notion -- that winning means you must give up positions deemed "too left" by the DC brain trust, look 'shifty", and make it clear to voters you have no strength of conviction -- is incredibly irrational, but it's one that is strongly reinforced.

It makes sense to believe the example of the Sanders campaign has put a dent in the notion, but I'm seeing signs of the opposite. There has been a profusion of "Democratic noise machine" efforts to marginalize and write off the Sanders campaign, "put it behind us," or even define it as an illness of sorts. For example, on Friday, Cass Sunstein had this to tell us:

The Sanders campaign has become a classic example of the phenomenon of "group polarization," arguably more so than any campaign in recent memory — even Donald Trump's, which has greatly benefited from the same phenomenon.

Gee, that sure sounds terrible! Sanders people are victims of "group polarization" so bad they're even worse than the Trump people!

The article is devoid of anything that would give the reader an inkling of what the campaign is about. Absolutely no acknowledgment that all those "afflicted" people came together for a purpose worth considering.

What we're up to is pretty simple. We are calling on the nation to recognize its illnesses; we are advocating effective, and available, treatments. That's what we were doing throughout the primary as we worked to get Sanders the nomination. That's what we are continuing to do.

Without acknowledging that the campaign has a message, Sunstein just turns his lens on the group, finds some who hold beliefs he thinks are problematic, and then presents his diagnosis.

Easy peezy. It's not the nation that's ill, it's the Sanders campaign. It's not the nation that needs curing, it's the campaign. By defining the group as being afflicted by a problem that causes extremism, you get to write off the group as a bunch of extremists.

And what's the cure? If the group is the problem, the group needs to go. And if they won't go away on their own, find ways to write them off so you don't need to about think it. If you did think about it, you might need to do a little self-examination.

It's long been a "given" within the beltway that advocating "socialist" notions like universal health care, billionaire’s tax, and so on, is political suicide. The successes of the Sanders campaign constitute overwhelming evidence to the contrary. As you point out, it's not just Sanders voters who would love to see a New, New Deal, Clinton supporters would love it too.

I'm usually not so pessimistic. I like to believe DC Dems are "teachable." But a full court press is on to ignore or misinterpret the significance of what has happened so they can recommit to all their bizzaro world beliefs. It's so much easier in that bizzaro world. You don't need to do much. Anything that looks a bit difficult is deemed a "loser." And you know, if you can't win, you don't fight. That belief is perhaps the number one killer of progress. Clinton is the "preemptive surrender" standard bearer.

Is all hope lost? Of course not. I'm just having a tough time finding the wellspring of hope and confidence within.

Here are some of my favorite quotes. They aren't working for me at the moment, but might help others:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511811478