In Search of an Honest Man
by Barb McMillen
Yet
another condescending and disparaging article in the New York Times,
this time assessing the DNC’s attitude toward their amusing but
irritating step son. Why on earth, members asked, was Bernie visiting
Martha’s Vineyard. After all, that’s where the wealthy Democrats were
donating $37,000 to the DSCC.
I never gave
Bernie’s choice to run as a Democrat much thought. After all, third
party would be a spoiler; Republican would be unconscionable. So, this
thought caught me a bit off-guard: How would the DNC feel about Bernie
running against their daughter, the presumed golden girl herself? They
called him a hypocrite.
At the same time, the
thought came to me that what the DNC must really think is Bernie’s an
interloper. They must think, "He’s ruining everything". They must think, "He’s the reason we can’t have nice things."
Then,
sans segue, I am reminded of that photo of young Bernie some thirty
years ago head turned left feeding his restless baby. I thought: Why is
he looking over his shoulder? What had Bernie heard at that moment? What
was he waiting for?
This is where imagination
steps in and I thought: Was it the future--did he hear the future while
holding his baby, giving him his bottle? Did Bernie hear its whisper for
the first time, the thing that would haunt all of us years later?
And,
at that moment, my realization: For the DNC, the campaign is about the
DNC and their candidate. But Bernie has said it over and over, his
campaign is not about him. It is not about party loyalties. It is about
his message. And it’s about getting that message to us, the people of
the United States, that our economic system is broken and has its claws
about our necks, choking us to death.
Bernie is
running under the Democratic ticket, but he is not a Democrat. He is a
man who rose up from among us, the carrier of a message. He’s an honest
man, self-deprecating and humble. He is not an inheritor. If he dares
to enter Martha’s Vineyard, it’s not in search a buck. It’s to spread his
message, raise his lantern of truth in search of an honest man.
Bio: Barb McMillen is one of the co-creators of The Bernie Blog. She's passionate about getting the word out to others about Bernie Sanders.
There are many, many Bernie meet-ups planned for July 29th and new ones being posted everyday. Have you checked out one in your area yet? https://secure.berniesanders.com/page/event/search_simple
