Words&Dirt

Bernie Sanders’s bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination has been an inspiration to progressives across America. As the only genuine alternative to the pseudo-liberal policies of Hillary Clinton, Bernie speaks openly about the scourge of socioeconomic inequality, big money’s influence in politics, the threat of climate change, the excesses of Wall Street, corporate oligarchy, racial discrimination, and gerrymandering––all factors contributing to the tenuous state of American democracy. Bernie’s no newcomer to the inequality bandwagon; he’s driving the wagon, and has been for decades.

I liked him from the beginning, but my “come to Bernie” moment happened during the first Democratic primary debate, when he identified climate change as America’s number one security threat. I thought I was going to fall off my chair. No tribalism, no war drums, no fear-mongering. Just good sense, backed by scientific consensus and a proper understanding of long-term geopolitics. (Bernie doubled down on this assertion in a subsequent debate.)

Bernie’s stentorian progressivism has generated a lot of curiosity about the man and his background, and now readers can satisfy that curiosity by picking up the re-release his political autobiography. First published in 1996 as Outsider in the House, the new version is called Outsider in the White House. It’s the same book with a new preface from Bernie and an afterword by John Nichols. I can’t say it was a particularly thrilling read, but Outsider in the White House certainly proves that Bernie is exactly what he claims to be: a courageous and unique firebrand who’s spent decades defending poor, working- and middle-class Americans.

I had my suspicions: would a book about elections from the 1980s and 90s still be relevant in 2016? Although there have been significant changes in strategy, outreach and financing since that time, many of Bernie’s observations from those early elections turn out to be surprisingly up to date. Whole passages can be lifted straight from this book and applied to the 2016 campaign with minor or no tweaking. Here are some examples:

My political opponents in Vermont often accuse me of being boring, of hammering away at the same themes…Tragically, most politicians do not talk about the most serious issues facing our country, or the real causes of our problems. So I do. Over and over again. This drives the media and my opponents a bit crazy…Should we ever achieve economic and social justice in this country, I promise that I’ll write some new speeches. (19)

This exact criticism was leveled at Bernie when he stayed on message after the Paris attacks last November. He doesn’t care about giving the media a new story every time he opens his mouth. Instead, he stays focused on the stories that matter, ones that expose the economic, political and environmental injustices that are eroding our democracy.

If people, including the media, do not understand the difference between one candidate who receives the bulk of his support from organizations and individuals who represent working people and the middle class, and another candidate who receives the bulk of her support from wealthy and large corporations, then they do not know much about what goes on in Congress. I am going to do my best to prevent the wealthy and corporate interests from buying this election. (93)

Here Bernie is referring to his opponent in the 1996 election, Susan Sweetser. But simply switch out “Congress” for “the White House,” and this passage perfectly describes the difference between Bernie and his current opponent, Hillary Clinton. Even the gender pronouns can remain untouched. Additionally, Bernie is still doing his best to prevent wealthy interests from buying elections by refusing to engage with Super PACs. (He is the only non-billionaire candidate from either party willing to do this.)

I was angry that the Iraqi situation was deflecting attention from the serious problems that I was anxious to tackle…Twenty percent of our children live in poverty, millions of Americans lack decent housing, workers’ standard of living is in free-fall, and we need a major overhaul of our health care system to ensure affordable medical care for everyone. And now we were going to spend months engaged in a war with a two-bit tyrant. (137)

Update the statistics and switch out “Iraqi” for “ISIS” or “Syria,” and this passage reads like it was written yesterday.

Millions of Americans demand an explanation. “I obey the law. I play by the rules. Why do I have to live in fear when I walk down the street? Why can’t my kid be safe when she goes to school? Why is it costing me a fortune in taxes to pay for extra police or to send these people to jail? Why can’t they get a job, and be decent citizens? And why does the government want to take away my guns at the very moment when I most need them to defend and protect my family?” In summary, many Americans are thinking: “This world is changing very fast. I am confused, I am frustrated, and I am angry––and I’m frightened about the future.” (161, emphasis his)

This is a spot-on depiction of Trump supporters, and, interestingly, it also applies to a lot of current Bernie supporters as well.

Just to reiterate: all of the above passages were first published in 1996. They prove Bernie was ahead of the curve in his thinking about the American polity and its uncertain future.

Although I dig Bernie big time, he is of course an imperfect candidate. He’s only human, and it would be disingenuous of me to praise him without describing some areas of disagreement. My biggest gripe is Bernie’s apparent soft spot for alternative medicine. Back in the 90s, Bernie developed a nodule on his vocal chords that impaired his speech. Instead of seeking medical treatment, he tried for a “natural cure”:

I don’t want a doctor scraping away at my vocal chords and making me sound like Donald Duck. I drink all kinds of weird teas. I’ve taken homeopathic remedies. I’m supporting the cough drop industry. I’m trying to change my way of speaking. It’s all very interesting, but none of it is working. (48)

At least Bernie was big enough to admit the failure of his alternative approach, and he did eventually get surgery. His voice made a full recovery, and he did not end up sounding like Donald Duck or any other cartoon character (no surprise there). Still, he’s lucky it wasn’t something life-threatening, because he might have chosen the wrong path and ended up like Steve Jobs.

Bernie is great on climate change because he has listened to the scientific community; if he becomes president, I will expect him to look to science whenever appropriate, including on matters of health policy. This doesn’t mean western medicine is perfect, or that we have nothing to learn from different medical traditions, but it does mean we need to rigorously suss out the difference between health care professionals and snake oil salesmen. This is especially critical when trying to save money and reduce unnecessary treatments in a world of ever-increasing health costs.

Another of Bernie’s flaws is characteristic of almost all politicians: a tendency to oversimplify the views of his opponents. I’m all for calling bullshit when necessary, but some of his depictions of right wing positions go too far:

If you have no rational analysis of the causation of social problems, if you represent the rich and powerful and can’t address the needs of ordinary people, then the surefire route to political success is to manipulate people’s fear and ignorance, to play off one group against another––to scapegoat. (156, emphasis his)

I won’t argue that these statements are grossly inaccurate, but I do believe they represent only a half-truth. It’s important to remember that plenty of conservatives are well-educated, thoughtful and decent people with a sincere investment in making this country better. It’s just that, from a progressive standpoint, they have very different ideas about how to accomplish this goal. There are snakes and wolves in the halls of power, but there are also many well-meaning folks trying to do the right thing according to their individual and social peculiarities. Despite the reality of manipulation at both ends of the political spectrum and everywhere in between, our nation is hashing out many legitimate and fundamental disagreements with good arguments on both sides. If we forget that, then we deserve the same excoriation Bernie serves up to the right wing scapegoaters.

Here’s the good news: even if Bernie’s rhetoric sometimes gets out of hand, he’s also a pragmatist with a record of coalition-building to balance out his “outsider” status:

I cannot emphasize enough how important it was that we developed “coalition politics.” The way to rekindle hope in America, we learned in our small New England city, is to bring people together. After all, most people share things in common with their neighbors. They work hard to make a living, they are concerned about their children, they want to drink clean water and to feel safe in their homes. Reminding ordinary people that government can and should work for them, speak with their voice, is the great strength of coalition politics, and the hope, I believe, for America’s future. (40)

This passage reveals what is possibility Bernie’s best quality: his staunch belief that government can and should be a force for good in the lives of ordinary citizens, and not just a blind bureaucracy that needs to be reined in as much as possible.

Bernie’s record reflects this attitude. During his time in Congress, Bernie not only built a Progressive Caucus (189-90), but also worked with conservatives to discover common ground where it seemed none could be found (318-9). He is deeply committed to citizen education and determined to expand voting opportunities and encourage all eligible voters to actively participate in the democratic process (31, 254, 316).

Although it’s fair to point out that President Obama’s “purple America” approach backfired tremendously, Bernie’s record belies the arguments of critics who claim he’d be an ineffectual president. Make no mistake––this man can do the job. But whether he will get the opportunity is up to us, the voters. My realpolitik instincts tell me that Hillary is still likely to win the Democratic nomination, but as long as Bernie’s on the ballot, he’s got my support and my vote.

In the “Afterword,” John Nichols argues that Bernie’s candidacy could potentially amount to much more than progressive puff:

[Bernie’s success] may sound like a romantic notion. It may be a romantic notion. But politics, at its best, is about more than cold calculation. It is about believing in a “left wing of the possible.” What distinguishes Bernie Sanders, however, is that some of his romantic notions have succeeded. (345)

Here’s to striving for the success of one more romantic notion.

Rating: 7/10