Did you know that Anthony Weiner, aka Carlos Danger, writes a regular column for Business Insider? In his latest piece, he wonders why Bernie Sanders, who’s an independent socialist, is running for the Democratic nomination.
This is pretty entertaining stuff:
ANTHONY WEINER: I have one big question for Bernie SandersApart from the Donald Trump sideshow, one of the biggest stories in the presidential election this past week has been the apparent momentum Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is enjoying in his underdog campaign.Sanders has been drawing crowds of thousands at his rallies and is quickly becoming the main primary rival of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. I totally get Bernie Mania. However, I’m deeply conflicted about it.My wife works for Hillary so there’s that. But I’m also torn because I don’t really understand what he is doing.
It’s good that Weiner admitted that last part. After all, he is married to Huma Abedin, one of Hillary Clinton’s most trusted aides.
Weiner continues:
I served with Bernie and he is my kind of politician — a progressive guy with some New York City attitude. It’s hard not to love Bernie Sanders. The Brooklyn accent perfected at Madison High School and Brooklyn College and the rumpled mad scientist look are perfect compliments to his colorful and unyielding presentations.Still, I have one major question for Bernie. What exactly does he think he’s doing in a Democratic presidential primary? Why is he asking for the nomination of a party he always avoided joining?
That’s actually a very good question. Bernie Sanders has spent years of his senate career describing himself as a Democratic Socialist. What business does he have running as a Democrat now? Weiner provides a partial answer:
There’s no question Bernie’s leftist agitating is filling a void in this primary process. The Democratic Party has a strong primal scream element right now. It expresses itself in frustration that the high expectations of change that came with President Obama have not been met. It howls at the failure of candidates who hew to the middle of the road and it feels the need to counter the batshit crazy it sees dominating the debate on the other side of the aisle.Our party needs a kick in the butt. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Paul Krugman, and Jon Stewart are currently the standard bearers for that sentiment.But Bernie Sanders? I just don’t know.After a career of steadfastly insisting that the Democratic party was not his home, now he wants to not only be a member of the party but its standard bearer? What changed?
What changed? Elizabeth Warren decided not to run. Here’s the part where Weiner keeps saying socialist:
Is Bernie’s newfound party affiliation just a practical decision to run in a party that can win rather than risk being a Nader-esque spoiler on a third party line in November? That’s a fair calculation, but doesn’t it wipe away Bernie’s three decades of standing as a principled Socialist?Many times over the course of his career Bernie has repeated the line that his independence made him more able to speak truth. He argued forcefully that being a Socialist was his identity and not function of political expediency. Well, duh, nobody chooses to be a Socialist to smooth their political path. Yet, as 2016 approaches, here he is filing papers all over the country presumably declaring himself a member of the Democratic Party.
The better Sanders does, the more “concerned” progressive Democrats appear.
Sanders can take Weiner’s questions seriously if he wants, let’s just hope he doesn’t let Weiner anywhere near his social media accounts.
Featured image is a screen cap from Business Insider.
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