Open Letter to Bernie

Letter to Bernie Sanders

I have been an enthusiast of yours long before you ventured forth from Vermont into a national campaign.

But thinking through some specific answers to how you propose to do things, would help, perhaps along the lines of the brilliant ad MoveOn did with you. Make your ideas more concrete, if you can, but give some idea how you/we will achieve them.

Trump would say: “I’ll get the best people,” but for you, that’s not enough. Most voters, not the poor fools swayed by Trump, want to believe you’ll know how to practice the art of being President.

I know there is a danger of being like Adlai Stevenson: policy wonkery and fine language turns voters off. In fact, that’s part of the problem with your opponent (policy wonkery): she acts as if knowing the process is all.

But making ideas concrete would be the opposite. I’ll get back to that below.

Please don’t get into angry arguments like the one you had with Hillary in the debate April 14, in Brooklyn. You have to be above that. You lead a movement. The only way you can really win, is to lead that movement, inspire it, and change the electoral landscape in this country. Sniping at Hillary, sarcastic comments, “Oh, they must be really scared of you!” does not go over well even with your supporters. You’ve got to be above that: your strongest point is your passion for the ideas you represent and your authenticity.

Frankly, I get a little tired of the repetition, and maybe a little more human scale than “universal healthcare” would help, without having to pull an Adlai/Hillary. Illustrate what it would mean, how it would be paid for, and why paying taxes instead of insurance, etc. would save everyone a lot of money. Don’t cite Denmark.

Don’t just repeat the fact that the bankers almost brought down the economy through fraud: give stories of people adversely affected. Others will be unless…end with breaking up the banks, using Dodd-Frank, Presidential determination and popular support. And prosecution of the perps: most people would love that.

Give people some meat for your policies, not just raw passion.

Get some sleep!

Good wishes: I’m going out to GOTV in my corner of NY tomorrow. And Monday and Tuesday.

Sincerely

Douglas C Smyth, Ph.D (Social Sciences) Retired. Town of Marbletown, NY