I Can't Support Bernie Anymore in 2020 Than I Could in 2016

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders today officially launched his second bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for President.

After giving Hillary Clinton an unexpected run for her money in 2016, Sanders is running against five  Democratic Senators - Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker as well as Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard with former Vice President Joe Biden, former Congressman Beto O'Rourke and others yet to be heard. While not an establishment candidate, Sanders can no longer be viewed as the underdog he was before.

There is no doubt that Bernie is largely responsible for the Democratic Party turning left, if not openly socialist. Yet for a socialist, Bernie has a way of raising money and a lot of it. But I suspect Bernie will continue to have trouble attracting minority voters especially if Democrats coalesce around someone like Harris or Booker. Warren could help split the left wing vote with Sanders. However, should Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorse Sanders then all bets are off. Although AOC organized for Bernie in 2016, she has been coy about who she will endorse. Whatever her ties to Bernie, it wouldn't shock me if AOC were to endorse another candidate with stronger Democratic Party ties be it Warren or even Harris and possibly Booker.

As for myself, I can no more support Sanders now than I could in 2016. While Sanders isn't the pathological liar that Trump is (no one is), he looks for easy answers and blaming "millionaires and billionaires" for all of our problems is not much different than Trump blaming Mexicans and Muslims for all of our problems. Nor do I care for Sanders' position on Israel. It is heartbreaking that the only Jewish candidate in the Democratic presidential race is the most anti-Israel. In 2016, Sanders had no qualms of getting James Zogby appointed to the DNC Platform Committee, a man who claimed Israel is committing a Holocaust against the Palestinians and supports the BDS Movement. Back in September, Sanders claimed Israel was part of "a new authoritarian axis."

As with Warren, Klobuchar and Gabbard, I cannot bring myself to vote for Sanders if he won the Democratic Party's nomination.