PRE-SCRIPT: I wrote this piece on June 8, 2016 after the California Democratic Primaries. It bears repeating only because I love dispensing from my big bag of I TOLD YOU SOs. My favorite thing to do after writing of course.. And plays… And concerts.. Enjoy..or not.. all 8 of you who read me.
Have we thrown out the baby with the bath water with the results of our Democratic primaries yesterday in California and other states? Are we now clamoring so vehemently for a woman to lead us and not another white male that perhaps we have lost the opportunity to have a chance at being lead by a very different white male, one not steeped in traditional patriarchal chest thumping, testosterone brain washing , Bushesque style leadership. I voted for Bernie and changed my mind at the last minute about Hilary. Hilary has been for all intents and purposes ‘president’ before in a collaborative way. I have worked under eight presidents in my near 38 year tenure as a manager for the Federal Government so my perspective is from the ‘inside’ if you will. There is no question, and the GAO statistical office will support it, that the Clinton administration did more for this country economically and socially than many will ever know and many more will never acknowledge. This was not Bill alone. This was very much a collaborative effort with his wife and his Vice President. What Al Gore alone did to revitalize and fix the federal bureaucracy was nothing short of a miracle. What Hilary did to provide benefits for mothers, children and families will never be matched.
Here’s the thing. During the financial and real estate crises of the early 2000’s, I heard only two voices of reason amongst the shrill chest beating and hand wringing of politicians and pundits who truly didn’t have a clue how we got into the mess we were in. Those two voices were Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. They understood the problems better than most and more importantly they had solutions to the problems. I imagine without doing a lot of research that will hurt my head today, the country and the politicians took some of the advice and left the rest. Not sure they left the worst though. We could be quietly headed back in that direction very easily with expiring mandates in the financial and real estate sectors coming around soon, but that’s another topic for another day. Requires me to research and my head and heart hurts too much for that today.
Have we perhaps rejected the notion of another “boys will be boys” white male led presidency in favor of the matriarchal shift of power we have so wanted? Is that why perhaps we didn’t vote Bernie in, despite the fact that on the surface he provided much more of the radical changes a matriarchal starved populace desires?
Have we painted him unconsciously with the same brush as Trump, the poster child for the worst a patriarchal society has to offer simply because he is another white male? I don’t know the answer to this. I do know that I wish fervently that Hilary and Bernie would be the first to show the world that politics is NOT about egos and manufactured ideological differences and factions and that she would make him Vice President and that he would accept. Is this not truly the way to unite the party if we are to continue the system? Although, as far as I’m concerned the party system in electing our officials should be eliminated all together and parties should be saved for only when you are serving delicious appetizers and good alcohol. But I digress. What is the point of a divided Democratic party? How are we then any better than the Republicans and their ego fueled maniacs? It is patently absurd to me that if these two people are truly what they say they are: altruistic potential potentates who care only for the good of this country then why on earth would they not form the partnership needed to realize their goals. They are NOT far apart at all on what they want for this country and how great would it be to get that meshing of ideas. If the rabid supporters for each side would just look at their positions on the important stuff and stop acting like a bunch of jilted lovers who can’t let go of Hillary’s past they would see how great a collaboration this could be for the country. It will sadden me if she doesn’t ask Bernie to be VP because then no matter how they spin it the bottom line is it is still about egos and winning and all that good stuff we dislike about the other party and patriarchal societies in general. We won’t truly get the matriarchal change we need. That we had to even select between the two just annoyed me yesterday to no end. It was an incredible waste of our time and resources. They could have already been out there campaigning for the November election. I don’t get it. They pride themselves on being so different and yet the same ridiculous childishness of “ I have to be in charge’ and “now I won so you can’t play anymore” is just appalling to me. I am not offended by anyone reading this who will call me ‘childish and naive’ and not understanding of the “real” issues as to why they can’t become a ticket. So be it. I’d rather keep my idealistic common sense, thank you very much.
When are we truly going to get adults in charge that can put their egos aside for the good of this country? Maybe never or maybe this time they will surprise us and as we say in New York, DO THE RIGHT THING!
POST SCRIPT: SIGH!!!! If only!
Midnight Missives and Musings 