Out-Reaganing Reagan

Today, the Democratic National Convention kicks off. At the risk of going where every talking head and pundit in the world has already gone, it will be a stark contrast to last week's Trump coronation. After hearing Trump speak slowly and darkly for 75 minutes, his family joined him on stage. When the balloons didn't fall on cue, He pointed to the "sky" and said something to his youngest son. I could help thinking, after 75 minutes of doom & gloom, that they were looking for the "Bat Signal" and inspector Gordon was telling some little boy, "Batman will come now and put the bad guys in jail".

The entire RNC could not have positioned the Democrats better to produce a lesson in how to produce Conventions, some of the younger talking heads said. However they did not watch the 1968 DNC in Chicago, I did.

It is almost the nature of the Left to be combative, even while talking unity and peace. They, we, are disparate groups of primarily young, hormone-filled people ready to fight, with broad views of Democracy and being generally younger and more inclined to being more educated and less tolerant of that which seems "dumb" for lack of a better word. In short, Democrats protest......... everything and often!

If money is NOT involved, I tend to be one of the luckiest people you will meet. In 1980, when I really awakened politically, it was as a young Republican. I was a car salesman and positive this would bring me great wealth. My mentors and my family were Republican and so was I. I had the honor at a rally of sitting next to then vice-Presidential candidate George HW Bush. We talked, he gave me some names to contact and I did, ending up campaigning for the Presidential ticket and our Congressional candidate. They both won. The folks Bush had me meet, were "insiders" and I stayed in touch with them for many years until drifting away.

It was because of these contacts, that I learned that the "fix" is nearly always on as far as candidates and presidents. That fix does not always work,, Bush in 1992 and Hillary Clinton in 2008, were all upset by upstarts and this trend happily is gaining momentum. We have MORE control over the outcome now, than we have in our history. The INTERNET is the happy creator of this trend.

I am not a conspiracy theory person. However, the cyber break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters and the subsequent release of e-mails showing the DNC "trying to guide" the nomination toward this year's chosen candidate, Hillary, should not be a surprise to anyone. This has been politics in America since the beginning. The timing of the release and Democrats assertion of a  "connection" to Trump's alignment with Vladimir Putin do look quite "coincidental".

A scandal at the beginning of the DNC, particularly one involving the very popular Bernie Sanders, is just what the dictator ordered! Given the Democrats predisposition to becoming passionate, then unruly, "Trump TWEETS" would be many and effective, if we have even a small revolt, let alone something like 1968.So we cannot!

This is where Bernie Sanders becomes perhaps the most important person in American politics..... today! He and he alone can end this, with a little help from the President asking DWS to NOT be anywhere near the convention floor!

In 1976, Ronald Reagan fought for and BARELY lost the Republican nomination to President Ford. He could have been divisive. He could have done as Ted Cruz did, He could have gone Third Party. He did not. He arguably gave the political speech of his life, both unifying the party and at the same time, leaving them thinking they had made a mistake...... one they corrected four years later.

There may not be "four years later" for 74 year-old Bernie, but there is today. He already got many of his "planks" put into the "platform". He was not going to win, even without the interference of the DNC, but there is no doubt that what he preached for America is what the youth, tomorrow's leaders, want to see in our future and it is there now, without the "Socialist" tag on the nominee that would have put many independent, older voters off.

I like Bernie. My knowledge of him comes from "Brunch With Bernie" that was a part of the Thom Hartmann broadcast every Friday. He was a great candidate, but Hillary won and she is what I personally feel is what America and the world needs right now.

So where does that leave Bernie and his passionate, new, inspired, young, optimistic followers? That, is entirely up to Bernie tonight. He can go the way of Ted Cruz, who, as a fellow Texan,  I respect for his speech and his position. Had Trump spoke of MY Father the way Trump did of his, I would have kicked his non-billionaire butt! BUT, I think Ted did that in his own way!

OR...... Bernie could go the way of 1976 Ronald Reagan and give not just the speech of his political life, but the speech of the century! In addition to all the good Bernie has managed to date, despite not being the nominee, Bernie can unite not only the Democrats, in spite of the released and to-be-released e-mails, but he can unite the Nation and the world behind a clear, qualified leader.

Bernie Sanders can accomplish everything he tried to do, IN DEFEAT, tonight, by finding the words to bring half of America out of its trance and unite (most of) them with the other half, behind a leader who will guide not only us, but the world through what is the most dangerous time in our history that I have lived through.

Can Bernie do it? Yes! A 74 year-old man that can unite 18-25 year-olds behind him can do anything! Will Bernie do it? After having brunch with the man every Friday for about five years, I say he can and he will do it with the Convention on its feet cheering! Bernie can do what most would have though impossible before tonight:

He can out Reagan, Reagan!