By Todd Smith | The Caledonian Record
Last week Bernie Sanders turned down the nomination for U.S. Senate from Vermont Democrats after the “independent” won primary support from over 90-percent of registered democrats.
Todd M. Smith is the publisher of the Caledonian Record.
The move is in keeping with Sanders’ long-time strategy of organizing his supporters to vote in the primary of the party he won’t belong to, in order to give him the Democratic nomination for re-election.
Then he politely declines the nomination he organized people to deliver to him. That way no real Democrat can get on the ballot and jeopardize Bernie’s chances of winning in November as an “independent.”
This is the same “independent” who sought the presidential nomination of a party he technically refuses to belong to, and may well do so again (when he’s 78). When Bernie first joined the national race for President, though, his handlers wanted to make clear that he caucuses with Democrats — thereby softening the association with history’s prominent Socialists like Lenin, Stalin, Chairman Mao, Guevara, and Chavez.
That was shrewd, because in a land of individual rights and personal liberty, a candidate pitching a system in which all property is owned and administered by government might not jibe.
But at least for now he’s only running for a third term in the U.S. Senate. And Vermonters apparently don’t mind re-distributionist political philosophies.
It’s also pretty clear Bernie has no plans to stop masquerading as an “independent” even as the lifetime politician was a recent chair of the Democratic Senate Caucus Outreach Committee (which you can bet won’t encourage anyone to run for office as an “independent”).
Whatever one may think about Bernie Sanders’ “democratic socialism” agenda, the myth of his “independence” has long since succumbed to his lust for the easiest path to a lifetime job in Washington as America’s fiercest apostle of democratic (small d) socialism.
Over the past months Bernie held a handful of spaghetti dinners and local rallies around the state to remind voters what the absentee senator from Vermont looks like. He used the opportunity to ask recipients to make a $3 donation to his campaign. Even with no serious opponent, Bernie apparently believes that his $6.9 million war chest might not be enough to put him over the top. So he wants more, especially from people who can’t afford more than $3.
Then, facing no reelection threat here at home, he disappeared around the country with his cash to urge voters in other states to elect Bernie-clones, running on the ticket of the party he won’t belong to because he’s an “independent.”
Bernie Sanders will never make anyone’s list of Great Statesmen, but the millionaire sure ranks on top of our list of Great Self-Serving Hypocrites.
Todd M. Smith is the publisher of the Caledonian Record, where this editorial first appeared. He lives in St. Johnsbury.
Bernie gets elected because he promises free money to his disciples. The teachers union loves him, he is a great puppet for them.
Bernie has some nerve and our election process helps him with the fraud. Hey Bernie are you doing your “fair share” and living by the tax code you’ve been promoting for 27 years? Yeah are you sending the feds 50% like you want all the other millionaires.
Bernie is in bed with monopolies of health care and education which are currently the biggest rip offs in the united states due to their protected activities by lobbyists and friends in high places.
A group of us are working toward term limits, Bernie with 7million dollars has his own little monopoly too, who’s going to be able to take him on? For a small little state, to ask for MORE money?
This is the only article to challenge his non-sense, thank you so much. Every other press organization is in love with his $15 an hour utopia, where you still won’t be able to afford anything and entry level workers wont’ have job….guess he wants them to free load like he did on the commune, rumor has it he was kicked out. What a dream that would be. Kick him out.
Socialist leaders never follow their own rules and they somehow always end up on top with everyone’s money. Something’s never change.
Well crafted article by Todd Smith.
He is one awful hypocrite.
I just cannot understand how this creep can fool so many Vermonters for so long. Ethan and Ira Allen would shoot him on sight if they were alive. What has happened to Vermont? Worse yet, they keep electing idiots like Patrick Leahy, who is almost as bad. I am very disappointed in Vermonters.
I so agree Kenneth. Since I live, and grew up, (too) close to Goddard College, I have been trying for MANY years to understand WHY these folks I’m surrounded by think Socialism is so great. The only conclusion I can possibly think of is that “they”, incl. Bernie, will “reap the harvest”, and be superior to us “deplorables”! BTW-great article Todd.
I wouldn’t say it’s “Vermonters”electing these wackos, it’s people who have claimed residency here for a short time.
Bernie ” Soapbox ” Sanders is an independent, he’ll independently run under whatever
banner suits his needs ( Democrat, Socialist ) It’s all about a vote and a donation you’ll
never see under his Independent banner !! It’s just his title in VT as he knew he would
never carry DNC or GOP Votes…………………..
So in 2020, yes Bernie will throw his hat into the Political ring ( Again ) Let’s see what
banner he’s running under, let’s not forget he’s an ” Independent “. and the DNC has
there own agenda
He’s really a Socialist, but that won’t get him what he wants, So foolish Vermonter’s
keep electing this buffoon !!
“owned and administered by government” – Negative. Collectively Owned by the People! Held, collectively (of course), distributed, administered and managed by the government. According to Marx, the only valid class distinctions were the Ruling Class and the Working Class. All other distinctions were distractions from the accomplishment of a true People’s State. After the laughter dies down, we can get into the concept of “Equality” – which the Working Class is currently approaching in Venezuela where no one who is not in the Ruling Class has anything at all.