Sanders-Rodham '16?

by JASmius



A desperately needed late morning/early afternoon palate cleanser, and an indication of the self-confidence that the Democrat presidential frontrunner has in his national viability, even if few others do:

Now, at the DoubleTree, three members of the Sanders high command — campaign manager Jeff Weaver, communications director Michael Briggs, and field director Phil Fiermonte — were reflecting on what [Mrs.] Clinton’s record might say about her character. All agreed that Sanders and his staff believed that [Mrs.] Clinton had moved to the left on numerous issues, from the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the Keystone pipeline, for purely political reasons: to foreclose daylight between her and Sanders. I asked Weaver if he thought that made her, as some longtime [Rodham] critics argue, a craven hypocrite and opportunist?

“A craven hypocrite?” Weaver replied, grinning slyly. “That’s a little bit harsh, don’t you think?” Then he added, with a chuckle, “Look, she’d make a great vice president. We’re willing to give her more credit than Obama did. We’re willing to consider her for vice president. We’ll give her serious consideration. We’ll even interview her.”

Weaver was at least half-joking, or so it seemed to me. But even in jest, his comments were telling: about both the darkening assessment of [Mrs.] Clinton among Sanders’s people and their heady confidence that they can beat her. Though Sanders’s top advisers concede that the past two weeks — from the first debate to Joe Biden’s decision not to run to the Benghazi hearing — have provided [Mrs.] Clinton with a boost, they contend that the fundamentals of the race remain unchanged. That [Mrs.] Clinton is still a markedly weak candidate, far less in tune with the Democrat nominating electorate than Sanders. That their operation is stronger financially and organizationally than the establishment grasps. And that if Sanders can prevail in Iowa (where he is currently [lead]ing) and New Hampshire (where he [also] leads), the nomination will be within their grasp. [emphases added]

And they're absolutely right about that.  The dynamics of the Democrat race have indeed not changed one jot or tittle: The Nutroots are the bulk of the Donk electorate, they hate Hillary Clinton, she's still a godawful candidate who can't win (without Donald Trump), leftwingnuts do not compromise and never will again after the 2004 John Kerry debacle, and they've got the genuine Marxist-Leninist manifesto in Weekend Bernie.  Why shouldn't the Vermonter be confident?

I have to say, though, that as much of a commie-bastard as Sanders is, you gotta like his style.  Hillary gets sufficiently desperate to try to flailingly twist his words into "sexism," and his devastating riposte is to offer to hire her - as his running mate.  That's awesome.

I'd offer to give Bernie a fistbump, if I didn't think it would break every desiccated bone in his ancient hand, and probably cause him to fall over and break both his hips.  Of course, in that case, the Empress wouldn't be spending her days attending overseas state funerals, but pushing President Sanders around in his wheelchair.  Which would be awfully difficult for her to do with her walker getting in the way.