Smoke and Mirrors in Philadelphia

Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com

Evan El-Amin | Shutterstock.com

This election, Clinton supporters argue, is about stopping Trump. In fact, it is becoming increasingly clear that it is about stopping the growing movement in this country in the direction of genuine populism. Speaker after speaker took the stage on the first night of the Democratic National Convention had to fight to be heard over chants of “Bernie, Bernie.” There was little applause for most of the speakers, but Sanders’ reception, when he finally took the stage, made it clear that he is the real popular choice for the Democratic nomination.

What the party doesn’t realize, however, is that Sanders’ popularity is not a product of his extraordinary charisma (almost anyone would seem charismatic compared to Hillary). It’s a product of his populism. No one in the mainstream media seems to get that that is what this election is really about. That’s what Trump and Sanders have in common. Independently of whether Trump’s populist rhetoric is sincere, it is the source of his appeal. 

It’s been observed recently that the liberals have won the culture war. Gay marriage is finally legal, state after state is legalizing marijuana, and we have what not so long ago was actually unthinkable –– a black president!

Some of Trump’s rhetoric may be racist, but his racism is not why he’s popular. There’s always some racist or other vying for the Republican nomination. Yes, racism still exists in this country, but it’s on…

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