Bernie Sanders:
A Spoiler. Like Ralph Nader? © 2016


Bernie Sanders has been on a crusade of sorts. He says it’s designed to promote economic equality. Nothing wrong with promoting economic equality. But there is something wrong with living in a fantasy world and ignoring a more pressing reality.


The pressing reality is that unless the Democrats unite, Trump could very well be elected president. Sanders trails Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, and his chances of winning the nomination are not likely, to put it mildly. It’s been said there’s no “I” in team, and when Sanders speaks, he’s not talking like a team player.


Sanders has been steadily attacking Clinton, claiming he would be a more electable candidate that he trails badly in the delegate count. By not uniting with her, Sanders is making it difficult for the Democrats to put forth a united front in the upcoming presidential election.


Without a united front, the Republicans, who are starting to unite behind Donald Trump, will have a better chance of electing Trump. Certainly, Sanders supporters and Clinton supporters have more in common with each other than with Trump. Why can’t Sanders’ supporters see that?


If a fractured Democratic party results in a Trump victory, Sanders will get much of the blame, much like Ralph Nader in 2000. History will record that as his legacy.


In 2000, Ralph Nader ran for president, and like Sanders, he too, appealed to a similar constituency. In a razor-thin election, Nader played a spoiler role, and he is widely viewed as a major reason George W. Bush won the election over Al Gore. The problem with fringe candidates, like Nader and Sanders, particularly in close elections, they tend to split progressive and independent votes, and that makes it more likely a conservative candidate, like a Trump, is elected.


In 2005, a study by Harvard Professor BC Burden actually confirmed that Nader played a key role in the 2000 election that George Bush won.



When you’re as idealistic as Sanders, you see things the way they should be, and you ignore the more immediate reality. The immediate reality is that the election of Donald Trump would set the nation and progressive interests back for decades. But Sanders seems so self-absorbed, he doesn’t get it.


Sanders and his supporters should take heed and learn from history. If you want Trump to be president, then continue the infighting, the attacks on Clinton, and the refusals to unite.