Earn Your Stripes, Kids

by Deacon Blues

I saw parts of the Democratic New York debate last night, and agree with many observers that:

1. Hillary and Bernie are wearing thin on each other;
2. Bernie is going after her tooth-and-nail now;
3. Bernie needs to score an upset next week in the NYC race to validate the venom.

If Bernie loses New York next week, after going all-in on the negative rhetoric, then he either needs to dial it back and return to being a protest candidate, or failing that, he needs to fully commit himself, and his supporters, to being a Democrat for the remainder of the election cycle.

I don't expect Bernie to dial it back, because he is raising boatloads of cash and because he is a viable candidate for the nomination. But if you are making the argument that you are more electable than the perceived front-runner, and if that front-runner has done much more to support the party down-ballot than you ever have in your life, then Bernie Sanders and his supporters can no longer hitchhike on the Democratic Party to have their revolution fantasy. If you are committing to a full demolition derby on the party's front-runner all the way to the convention, then your right to do so derives from being inside the party.

No matter how many times he says it, it is frankly irrelevant that Bernie draws thousands of young, liberal supporters if those supporters stay outside of the party throwing rocks at the establishment. If you want your revolution, then make the commitment and come inside, and earn the right to move the party to your candidate and in your direction. If you are not willing to make that commitment, and instead just simply want to shout for Bernie and his revolution, and against Hillary, then I question what you are really after.

Principled opposition like Bernie's message and supporters purport to be carries with it a responsibility as well. If you think so strongly that the party's front-runner is so flawed and so lacking in judgment that she must be opposed at all costs, then kids it is time to come in from the rallies and step up, and be held accountable for your revolution.

Because simply shouting for Bernie and swooning for a revolution against "the establishment" is the easy part. The hard part is the responsibility for execution and commitment to carry it out and take over a political party.

It's easy to be against Hillary; as I've said, that's a dime-a-dozen stance to take. Now earn your righteous indignation and channel it into actually winning the election through the whole party.