The media narrative for the past six months has been that the Republican convention in Cleveland will be a fight, a mess, a second “mistake on the lake.” Journalists have relished the prospect of GOP floor fights and street protests. What has been missed, or more likely ignored, is the brawl on the left and the mess that could have been the Democratic convention in Philadelphia.
Yes, there will be protests in Cleveland. Republicans, conservatives, and even average Americans who just want to be left alone can’t meet without the prospect of a mob of irate leftists trying to disrupt it. But what was once considered a near-riot in Ohio will likely be reduced to chants, drum circles, and marches far beyond the security perimeter.
The fear that many felt the Republican convention could lead to clashes not only from progressive crowds but also from Republicans unhappy with Donald Trump as the Republican nominee turned out to be somewhat premature. The real action is brewing in Philadelphia.
While media coverage masquerading as “news” did little to address potential Republican disagreements, the real conflict brewing on the left went unnoticed. The focus on the division on the right ignored the chasm between the rank-and-file Democrats who rallied behind Hillary and the true believers who marched toward Bernie.
The funniest part of the brewing storm in Philadelphia is the karmic justice that this predicament will bring.
The recent Democratic convention fight in Nevada, where Sanders supporters nearly rioted over their perceived rejection by the party establishment, was the height of the chicken-and-egg moments.
For decades, we have been annoyed by stories of conservative speakers being booed on campuses, of conservatives being turned away from universities in response to progressive whining and groaning, of think tanks and conservative activist organizations being picketed or stormed by leftist mobs. All the while, the Democratic power structure in Washington and the media have either ignored or ignored it altogether.
These mobs were their hired army, their soldiers of fortune for “social justice.” First Amendment to hell, leftists didn’t care about free speech when it was their opponents who were silenced. Now the pitchforks are pointed at them.
Bernie Sanders supporters are a natural outgrowth of the entitlement mentality instilled in college students. They love the idea of “free” government programs, unencumbered by an understanding of the economics behind them.
They were told that the George W. Bush administration was corrupt and had done them wrong, but nearly eight years of Barack Obama’s administration had done nothing to improve their situation. Programmed to believe that massive government is always the answer, they naturally gravitated toward the person offering the biggest government of all. Since government is the source of all good, the candidate offering all-encompassing government must be good in itself. The cult of Bernie was born.
As with any cult, rejection by others so closely associated with it provokes anger—the “true believer” is always more upset by a fellow believer with less fervor than the unbeliever, because he is frustrated that someone is so close and yet does not see. This was the case in Nevada.
There is not much difference in Sanders’ and Clinton’s goals, but differences are all that Sanders’ fans see. Anything less than all the requirements is treason. The political left has a long history of purging and infighting over philosophical differences that are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
This is what we saw in Nevada, and you have a better than average chance of seeing the same thing in Philadelphia.
While that irate mob marches through the streets of Cleveland, far from the convention hall, it will be Sanders’ delegates from Philadelphia. The prospect of a Nevada repeat on the national stage terrifies Democrats.
Fears of a repeat of 1968 are being openly expressed, most notably by California Senator Dianne Feinstein, when riots outside the Democratic convention in the streets of Chicago helped doom Hubert Humphrey and tip the scales of victory in Richard Nixon’s favor. These fears are well-founded, as Sanders supporters (those who aren’t delegates) are already planning rallies outside the convention hall. With more than 30,000 people expected, Democrats will be on edge, knowing that any perceived slight to his radical agenda or the man himself could set off a spark in the powder keg they’ve weaponized against the rest of us.
That’s the beauty of this Sanders movement – it’s always fun when Frankenstein’s monster turns its gaze on its creator’s castle. Whether it explodes or not, its potential to influence the actions and words of those on the podium, those on TV. There’s a chance that the true nature of progressivism will show its ugly face. Either way, it’ll be a lot of fun.
