Why I Can’t Support Bernie Sanders

I don’t usually post public political blogs, but I think it’s pretty clear my politics are fairly liberal. I’m not happy with how our country is being run and I think the 2% definitely have things sewn up. So Bernie Sanders’ message makes a lot of sense. He wants to throw money out of the process, give it back to the People and let the majority run the country, not the super wealthy.

There’s the myth is that the President of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. The office has amazing executive power, command of the armed services, and the bully pulpit.

But the reality is that the President can’t do much without Congress. The only reason Obamacare exists is because the Democrats controlled the House and the Senate. Sure, the President can block things on his own, like the repeal of Obamacare now that the Republicans control Congress, but that’s a President of “No” not a President of Change.

FDR’s New Deal was a series of Congressional Acts. Bill Clinton created a budget surplus because he was good at negotiating with Congress. Even George W. wouldn’t have been able to take us to war with out an Act of Congress (and a terrified U.S. voting population after 9/11).

Bernie has great ideas. He has the anger of the people and that anger is powerful. But as long as the people don’t replace Congress, Bernie is not only going to be a lame duck President, he could make things worse because nothing will get done. You’ll have a President asking Congress to do things they won’t do and Congress asking the President to sign laws that he won’t sign.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of the Clinton Legacy. I don’t like the idea of Hillary on a lot of levels. But the fact is that we need an insider to work with the insiders. Putting a Sanders or a Trump or a Cruz in office would hand the power to Congress, not take it away from them.

We need to fix our system, not put an angry man into office. We need a true representational government where if your party wins 10% of the vote, you get 10% representation. This Winner Takes It All model has allowed the rich to influence and control almost all of Congress.

If I had my way, I’d say, put Hillary in for four years as a “caretaker President.” In the meantime, fight to get a Congress the represents all of us, the mix of cultures and people that make up America.

For the people, by the people. Not by the Koch Brothers. Not by multi-national corporations. And not by one guy from Vermont.

Instead, make the House of Representatives the People’s House again.