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Except for the first and second paragraphs of this commentary, I wrote the bulk of this editorial as part of my April 28th, 2019 column. But my words are worth repeating today because certain polls are showing that there is increased enthusiasm for candidate Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic nomination for President. Progressives throughout America don't seem to understand that the senior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, if she wins the Democratic nomination, cannot be successful in the general election. A far-left progressive liberal cannot win the presidency --- at least not in 2020. Therefore, whether it's Senator Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, or any other person who defines himself or herself as a progressive Democrat cannot beat Donald Trump or any other Republican who may be on the ballot next year. So if you're a Democrat - whether progressive, liberal, moderate, or conservative, (and yes, there are conservative Democrats), be careful and be smart. As for Independents who lean to the left, you too need to be on your toes so to not make a mistake that could put Trump in The White House for another term.
Progressive voters across our nation cannot botch up the works as some of them did in 2016. If progressives had abandoned Bernie Sanders early on in the 2016 campaign - or at least by March 1st when I wrote my column, SAY GOODBYE BERNIE, as he knew then that he couldn't win the nomination - former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would more than likely be President. But Sanders didn't even endorse Secretary Clinton until July 12th. By then it was too late, and combined with
Americans need to support a Democratic candidate who can actually defeat the GOP nominee for President, as well as having long enough coattails so that Democrats gain control of the Senate and retain the majority in the House of Representatives. Americans need to elect Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.
Russia's interference in our election, as well as former FBI director James Comey's October 28th letter to Congress eleven days before that election, Mrs. Clinton was unable to get the votes she needed to stop an Electoral College victory for Donald Trump. Below are the comments I wrote nearly five months ago, albeit with a few edits and a couple of additional remarks, all of which are even more applicable today.
Regular readers of The
Controversy are well aware
that I identify myself as an ultraprogressive liberal Democrat. That being
said, though, I actively and aggressively campaigned in 2016 for Hillary
Clinton, not Bernie Sanders...and I'm often asked why. Many people wonder how I can be so madly in-love with
politicians like Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Hillary
Unacceptable conduct cannot be tolerated. Voters should never applaud anyone
who has engaged in hate, as too many people in our country have done with Donald
Trump. As Aaron Sorkin
wrote for Michael Douglas when he portrayed the
fictional President Andrew Shepherd in the 1995 motion picture, The American President, "I can tell you without hesitation, being President of this country, is entirely about character."
So why do I continue to support candidates who aren't as far to the left as I
am? There is no law that says an ultraprogressive liberal Democrat is required to
vote for an ultraprogressive liberal Democrat. After all, most Democrats are not ultraprogressive or ultraliberal. To quote Vice President Biden, "If you look at all the polling data, and look at the actual
results, the fact of the matter is, the vast majority of the members of the
Democratic Party are still basically liberal to moderate Democrats in the
traditional sense." Mr. Biden made that comment to reporters after a speech he gave on April 5th, 2019 in Washington, DC at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers conference.
A candidate's character and core beliefs are what's absolutely essential to me, even if the person doesn't lean as far to the left as I do. That's not to say that Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and other Democrats who are running for President don't have good character. They do; each and every one of them. Any Democrat who is in the race would be a better President than Donald Trump. But then, Donald Duck would be a better President than Donald Trump.
I always thought that America's presidential election was designed to choose the best person to lead our
country. That of course didn't happen in 2016. But in 2020 - more than ever before - this election needs to not only be
about who is best, but who can beat the Republican, especially if that Republican is Donald
Trump. The Democrat who fits both categories is Joe Biden.
Clinton and Barack Obama
(alphabetically) when none of them would be labeled by themselves or others as
an ultraprogressive liberal Democrat. It's simple. Because besides using those
three words to describe myself, I also am realistic. As long as the President is a
Democrat, and he, or she, believes in the same basic liberal principles as I
do, even though he or she may not necessarily be progressive with their ideas -
or as some would call "far left" - I'm going to support that person who
Democrats overall have nominated to be our candidate in the general election. In order for a Democrat to win in 2020, he or she needs to receive votes from
not only the left, but from those closer to the center, and even those who - on certain issues - lean to the right. Mr. Biden, Mr. Clinton,
Mrs. Clinton, and Mr. Obama are each in their own ways "liberal." But it's not
just policies that I have to be attracted to, but to the candidate as a person.
And after being nauseated by Donald Trump and his rally rants and Twitter
tirades, Americans deserve a President - as we always have had in the past, prior to Trump - who
brings decorum to The Oval Office. Even President Richard Nixon -
who made a destructive mistake for his presidency by covering up the Watergate
scandal - remained a gentleman. Although Mr. Nixon resigned his office in
disgrace on August 9th, 1974, he still was tremendously successful as President, and some of his
accomplishments were historic. Now I don't want anyone to take my praise for our 37th President to in any way excuse him
for his unlawful actions, for deceiving the American people, and for spearheading a
conspiracy to cover-up a felony. President Nixon concealed a crime, and he lied to all of America when on
November 17th, 1973, he infamously stated, "I'm not a crook." But of course he
was. However, that being said, Donald Trump is the most
dishonest, fraudulent and corrupt U.S. President that America has ever known. Trump makes
Richard Nixon smell like a fragrant springtime bouquet of fresh White House Rose
Garden flowers.
I have criticized Donald Trump for more than four years; since he first became a
candidate. Trump's ruthless and reckless demeanor, and his obscene and obnoxious temperament, illustrate the behavior of someone who is morally and ethically unfit to serve
as President of the United States. A person who is offensive and degrading, who treats others in a racist and/or xenophobic manner, who is hurtful, derogatory and repulsive, and who can be bigoted and belittling in ways that Trump has proven to be, are not attributes that are in any way part of my DNA. For those reasons and others, I am, therefore, without question not cut from the same bolt of fabric as Donald Trump or anyone who continues to be one of his cheerleaders. Theirs is a tattered and torn polyester rag, while I've been blessed with pure cashmere. Beyond the contrasting values, we paint a different portrait of what the President of
the United States should represent. I have to be attracted to a candidate's
character. Character means much more to me than the politics. If any Democrat
was to ever speak out with wickedly evil insults as Trump has done over and
over again, I would never, ever, support that person. And if such a candidate
was one who I did promote, but later he or she became a venomous vulture voicing
vile verbiage, I would pull my endorsement like a slab of Atlantic City
saltwater taffy.
Unacceptable conduct cannot be tolerated. Voters should never applaud anyone
who has engaged in hate, as too many people in our country have done with Donald
Trump. As Aaron Sorkin
wrote for Michael Douglas when he portrayed the
fictional President Andrew Shepherd in the 1995 motion picture, The American President, "I can tell you without hesitation, being President of this country, is entirely about character."
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
Please express your personal opinions by following the instructions printed at the top of this column. And thank you for reading The Controversy.
Photo credits:
1 - AFP/Getty Images (Former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders)
2 - Thaier al-Sudani/Reuters (Former Vice President Joe Biden wearing sunglasses)
3 - Brian Snyder/Jim Young/Reuters/Salon (Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders)
4 - NBC News and Today Screenshot (Former FBI Director James Comey)
5 - The Associated Press/Getty Images/Alamy (Former President Barack Obama, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Former President Bill Clinton)
6 - Twitter (Former President Barack Obama and Former Vice President Joe Biden)
7 - The Associated Press (Former President Richard Nixon)
8 - Reuters (Donald Trump)
9 - IMDb (Aaron Sorkin)
10 - Columbia Pictures/Universal Pictures/Castle Rock Entertainment/Wildwood Enterprises (Michael Douglas in The American President)
11 - Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images (Former Vice President Joe Biden talks with reporters)
12 - The Walt Disney Company/Alamy (Donald Duck)
13 - Nathan Congleton/NBC News/NBC Universal/Getty Images (Former Vice President Joe Biden)
Copyright 2019 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
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