Michael Sauers
May 22, 2025
The battle for the soul of the Democratic Party has been ongoing since the Party’s birth. Recently, Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, ripped the scab off the festering debate when he openly acknowledged that the Democratic Party was less than “democratic.” For this post I will begin in the 1980’s.
In 1988, the Republican National Committee (RNC) joined the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in wresting control of presidential debates from the League of Women Voters. They tightened the qualifying participation rules to handicap non-establishment, third party and progressive candidates from joining debates thereby reducing constituent choices and strengthening the establishment candidates. This was a disappointing strategy that coincided with the Democratic Party’s move to the corporate center and the Supreme Court’s ongoing recognition of “corporation rights”.
William Clinton was the first Democratic presidential candidate of significance to be part of the center leaning Democratic Leadership Council. Consistently, the DNC has been active in keeping third party candidates off all ballots, if possible. They have become known as the undemocratic Democratic Party. Harassment of third party and progressive Democratic candidates like Bernie Sanders, Robert Casey, Jerry Brown, Ralph Nader and Jill Stein are classic examples. These people and others were candidates of substance even though they were ignored by the corporate controlled media/press. They deserved recognition and a platform. Instead, they were conspired against.
The treatment of Sanders and Nader were particularly egregious. Sanders was conspired against by the Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden campaigns. Funding, debate schedules, primary schedules and ballot access were all issues. This was equally true for Nader. Nader was excoriated for causing Al Gore to lose the 2000 Florida primary. Aside from the Nader campaign, several others, Libertarian and Reform, amassed enough votes to deny Gore a victory as if that could ever be proven. Remember, Gore could not even win his home state of Tennessee. Political bigotry on full display.
Now, here in 2025, after losing to Donald Trump, the establishment wing of the DNC continues to obfuscate. They are in denial regarding the issues that need to be promoted. Issues like; health care for all, a living wage, a bloated military budget, corporate welfare, having everyone pay their fair taxes, Gaza, Ukraine, etc., etc., etc. All of these have majoritarian support for debate and promotion, yet they are ignored. Currently, they are trying to remove David Hogg, a 25 year old survivor of the Parkland School Shooting. He has had the audacity to call out entrenched Democrats who are living large on the incumbent bandwagon.
Corporate money and consultants are difficult habits to kick. I remain a Democrat only because, occasionally, I get a candidate I can support. I held my nose to support Biden and Clinton because Trump was far worse.
Stay tuned. More to come.
Do some research. Make this an issue.