Inevitable problems on horizon for DNC

In the German language, there is a wonderful word that, until recently, I thought had no equivalent in English. “Schadenfreude” (shaa·duhn·froy·duh) is described in the Oxford dictionary as “pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune.” As it turns out, we do have an English equivalent in “epicaricacy,” but that’s just not as catchy. I’m sticking with schadenfreude. This comes to mind because I’ve been enjoying the Democratic primary process too much lately; so much that I’m beginning to feel guilty about it.

The Democrats in general, and the Democratic National Committee specifically, have found themselves in a bind not unlike what the Republicans were facing in 2016. Senator Bernie Sanders, the current leader in the delegate count, is not a traditional Democrat. He is, in fact, a self-proclaimed socialist. His positions aren’t radically different from the rest of the traditional democratic field, but at least he practices truth in advertising. Let’s at least give him credit for that.

When he last ran for President, there was a great deal of discussion as to whether the average American was able to discern the nuances between a socialist and a communist. Given Bernie’s recent praise of “Chiner” and “Cuber,” that distinction doesn’t seem quite so relevant during this election cycle.

What is relevant are the parallels between the current Democratic dilemma and the great deplorable uprising of 2016. On one hand, Bernie’s followers are passionate and engaged. They are a youthful, energetic, grass-roots movement with a strong ground game, and one that will ensure a strong turnout on election day. At the same time, Bernie’s more radical proposals (i.e. single payer health, student loan forgiveness, etc.), as well as the socialist moniker will create down-ballot pressures on newly won House seats and are less likely to attract swing voters.

The GOP faced a similar situation in 2016 with the unlikely nomination of Donald Trump. He was loud, unpolished and didn’t poll particularly well. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t get him then, and some days I still don’t. What I now recognise is that his election reflected the popular will of the people. That much, at the very least, I can respect.

By contrast, the DNC has demonstrated a track record of not respecting the will of the people. Thanks to Julian Asange and Wikileaks, the DNC was caught putting their thumb on the scale in 2016. It’s now public knowledge that they were working against Bernie and his supporters during that primary process. They have also, coincidently, worked tirelessly to overturn the results of the general election via investigations and impeachment efforts.

The question at hand is “what will happen if they undermine Bernie again?” Will those active, passionate Sanders supporters still turn out on the day of the general election? If Bernie wins a plurality in the delegate count, but not a clear majority, the convention will go to a second ballot. At that point, the “Super Delegates” get to vote, and they will almost certainly favor a more moderate candidate.

The DNC faces problems if Bernie wins, and they face problems if Bernie doesn’t win. Either way, they are facing a steep climb for both the presidency, and continued control of the House of Representatives.

With only three states decided, it’s still too early to call. I won’t be engaging in predictions just yet, but we have South Carolina this weekend (which is characterized as a make-or-break for Vice President Biden), then on to Super Tuesday, where the ultimate delegate math will begin to take form.

Either way, I will enjoy listening to the rhetoric and watching the results. At the very least, it will be more entertaining than golf on the radio.