Hillary can’t win, because Bernie has already won his real race

[n2doc]

by Sally Kohn

snip:

What makes Sanders’ campaign alluring to voters is also what makes it frustrating to Hillary. Sure his critique of the system and his ideological vision find resonance in part because they speak to what progressive Democrats are troubled by in Hillary’s record and beliefs. But it’s the simple unwillingness to play the political game that makes it so hard to take on Sanders as an opponent. When Sanders repeatedly refuses to talk about Clinton’s emails or Clinton Foundation donations or take the bait on any other smears, it makes Hillary seem even nastier when she or her husband attack Bernie’s character. When Sanders barely prepares for debates let alone combs his hair, it makes Clinton’s polished one-liners and well-prepared moments seem extra establishment. His “Bernie Hair Don’t Care” hyper-authenticity makes anything else look like politics as usual. Which also works to his benefit, since politics as usual is what Sanders is truly trying to defeat.

Sanders has said that whatever happens in the upcoming primary votes, “We are in this to the end.” There are many ways to interpret that. Certainly it suggests he intends to stay in the race, and shape it, through the convention—whatever his vote tally. But just as his campaign can be viewed more broadly, so can this timeline. “If Sanders inspires supporters to delve deeper into Democratic Party politics,” writes Jamelle Bouie in Slate, “then it could change the long term.”

Bernie Sanders could be the Democratic nominee for president. It’s looking more possible every day. But either way, what is clear is that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic establishment cannot defeat Sanders—not his candidacy, per se, but his meaning, the ideas and values and rising movement he represents. As the old protest march chant goes, “The people, united, can never be divided!” And a movement, once seeded, can never be defeated. The Bern will keep burning no matter what.

the rest
http://qz.com/616236/hillary-cant-win-because-bernie-has-already-won-his-real-race/

[Merryland]

1. He's raising the consciousness of a whole bunch of people

whatever happens, and that's pretty great.

[californiabernin]

2. In fairness, I did noticed his combed hair during the debate. nt

[rhett o rick]

3. This is a People's movement that isn't just Sanders. He is currently leading the way

but their will be people following him. He is making it easier for others like Sen Warren. I think OWS should get some credit also and the movements around the globe to throw out Nestles in South America or Chevron, etc.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. The "establishment" doesn't want Sanders to win - that's pretty clear.

And by the establishment I mean both the upper echelons of the Democratic party and the GOP. This isn't to say that both parties are the same - I don't mean that Naderite canard at all. What I do mean is that most of the people at the top of both parties don't want any significant changes in the way the system operates. They derive their power from that system and they don't want to lose that power. They also get a lot of money because of the way the current system works.

I think that the rank-and-file supporters of both Bernie and Hillary believe fervently that their favored candidate is the one who is most likely to win the general election, and that may be a cause of a lot of the animosity between the two sides. I think we all feel that a win by any of the truly awful GOP candidates is an existential threat to just about everything we believe in, so if your candidate wins and not mine, we are doomed. Or vice-versa.

But a powerful reason for the Democratic establishment's opposition to Bernie is also its realization that the gravy train carrying those juicy corporate contributions and PAC money could get derailed, or at least sent off to a siding, if Bernie wins. Hillary is a beneficiary of that money as much as the GOPers. Goldman Sachs and its ilk know that Bernie will at least try to make them stop sucking the people dry. But if either a GOPer or Hillary wins, it will be business as usual.

Since the GOP is already bought and paid for, they just keep their money conduit to their PACs all the way open. But they also know that lately some of the Dems have been threatening to go all Bolshie on them, at least since the proles started noticing Occupy and Elizabeth Warren and Bernie. So they've got to keep the gravy train coming to the establishment Democrats, too, meaning, of course, the DNC and DWS and Hillary. Goldman Sachs didn't pay Hillary enough to support a half-dozen middle class families for a year, just because they think she's an interesting speaker. They need to support the Democratic establishment to keep the party from falling into the "wrong" hands and putting an end to their fraud.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

5. looking more possible every day

we have a long way to go but I now think it possible