It would be weird

To think that the presidential primary is going to be la la la is wishful thinking. And, actually, if there were no acrimony, no sharp differences over policy or no divisions over who’s electable, it would be weird.

Of course, the trick is to keep the differences within reasonable bounds and thus allowing the broad sweep of Democratic voters and the electorate to join hands without rancor at the convention and into the fall.

Imagine

Oscar Wilde said, “a map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.”

Much later another countryman of Wilde’s gave my generation and later ones that map when he sang “Imagine.” The song still resonates and reminds us that the politics of the present moment will limp some without a measure of utopia.

Martin Luther King at about the same time did much the same with his evocative words and imagery of a kinder, gentler, and just world — a Beloved City.

Social movements today as well as yesterday require poetry and high notes as well as practical politics. And the best politicians are ones that combine both in their person and words.

Lyrics
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You, you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You, you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one

Unintended effect

Bloomberg appears to be cutting the ground from underneath Democratic Party presidential moderates. I got to think that an unintended effect is to strengthen Bernie’s hand. That would be ironic if it is the case.

Bernie in driver’s seat

Lots of buzz about (and money around) Bloomberg, but I don’t see him winning the nomination. Right now Bernie is in the driver’s seat and his lead could be baked in Super Tuesday. But stay tuned.

Varied attitudes

Polls have varied results as to the attitudes of people toward socialism. But the salient question for me is: how will Bernie, the democratic socialist, fare in the face of a sustained attack from Trump and the right wing propaganda machine, assuming he is the nominee?

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