Bernie Has Gone Too Far

I like Bernie.  If he were the Democratic candidate, I would vote for him, but only because I think Trump is a walking, talking disaster. Let's face it, I would never vote for any Republican, but I would vote. It's not only a privilege, it's a duty, and I wish more people felt that way.  

But, I think Bernie  has been disingenuous with his young followers. It's all well and good to want to provide young people with debt-free college educations, but he can't accomplish it without raising taxes, and even if he could make it happen, it wouldn't cover everything, as he seems to suggest. 

He should have explained from the beginning that those free college educations would only cover tuition for the public colleges and universities.  No point hoping to go to Ivy League Colleges for free.  They're all private colleges. And, again, those same students' parents would be paying higher taxes, along with the rest of us. Those young people need to understand that there is simply no free lunch.

Same with health care.  I would love to see single-payer coverage for everyone.  It should happen, should have happened decades ago.  But, life is made up of choices, and we, as a country, made the choice to have the biggest, most expensive fighting force in the world, and that did it for health care. Bernie can't possibly bring a change in health care for the better without convincing the Department of Defense, the Senate and the Congress that we simply don't need our armed forces in every single country in the world. I don't see that happening, do you?

I have no problem with Bernie Sanders keeping his campaign going until the last primary is over.  And, I have no problem with him making a big, prime-time speech. And, I think consideration should be given to some of his ideas about the platform. He is absolutely right when he says the process of voting need to be changed. But, he probably wouldn't agree with me on the specifics, though. For instance, I think we should do away with caucuses, among other things.  More on that subject in a later Blog, maybe.

Here's where I have a problem with Bernie at this point in the campaign.  He has been in office for decades, as a Socialist who has been allowed to caucus with the Democrats.  He has been on the receiving end of the Democrats' "largess," in that they have supported him in his many campaigns, and, in many instances, he has received funds from Democrats. And, in all the years, he has never once returned the favor, and has never gotten any meaningful legislation passed.  He has never bothered to campaign for any other candidates, and is doing precious little for down-ticket candidates even now.

Now, all of a sudden, he has decided to try to turn the Democratic Party on its ear, and he doesn't seem to care if he destroys the very hand that has fed him, so to speak.

I just fee that it is time for him to get behind  the inevitable candidate, Hillary Clinton, and other Democrats and get real with his followers and encourage them to do the same.

Stay tuned.