{"id":28957,"date":"2016-01-11T16:29:05","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T20:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=28957"},"modified":"2016-01-13T06:48:26","modified_gmt":"2016-01-13T10:48:26","slug":"sanders-for-president-as-an-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=28957","title":{"rendered":"Is Bernie Sanders Ready To Lead The American People As A Real Independent?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sanders for President as an Independent?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The Game Plan for Winning and Governing with Intelligence and Integrity<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

MUST HEAR AUDIO:\u00a0http:\/\/content.blubrry.com\/vtradio\/tjradio-12-19-15-steele.mp3<\/a><\/p>\n

Robert David Steele<\/p>\n

Now that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has made it clear that it is merely an extension of the Hillary Clinton campaign, and all too willing to sacrifice Bernie Sanders over a brief indiscretion due to a security flaw that the Sanders campaign itself had flagged multiple times to the DNC, the time has come for Bernie Sanders to get real. He was not going to win the DNC nomination before, and he will not win it now.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

America is unhinged\u200a\u2014\u200afrom Griftopia<\/em> [1] to Double Government<\/em> [2], all the checks and balances are gone. A two-party duopoly that has rejected\u200a\u2014\u200anine times\u200a\u2014\u200anational legislation to assure electoral integrity and open the ballot to independents and small parties, at least for federal offices\u200a\u2014\u200ais the enabling factor. [3] A country whose institutions\u200a\u2014\u200afrom academia to labor unions to the media to religions\u200a\u2014\u200arefused to challenge 935 lies [4] leading to an elective and ruinous war on Iraq, is now also near cultural, economic, and social ruin. The unemployment rate is 23%, not 5% (U1) or 10% (U6), but our institutions\u200a\u2014\u200aparticularly Forbes and MSNBC as well as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and others, refuse to get real.<\/p>\n

Politically, the two-party tyranny had anointed Jeb Bush on the Right and Hillary Clinton the left\u200a\u2014\u200aboth representing dynasties too easily connected to drugs and money, while suffering the bluster of Donald Trump and the platitudes of Bernie Sanders. There can be no question about the wisdom of Tom Friedman\u2019s declaration, that none of the existing candidates is attractive. [5] There has never been a better opportunity for an Independent candidate to make a bid for the presidency. Fully 60% of all Americans hold the two-party duopoly in disdain and believe an alternative is needed. [6]<\/p>\n

Now that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has made it clear that it is merely an extension of the Hillary Clinton campaign, and all too willing to sacrifice Bernie Sanders over a brief indiscretion due to a security flaw that the Sanders campaign itself had flagged multiple times to the DNC, the time has come for Bernie Sanders to get real. He was not going to win the DNC nomination before, and he will not win it now.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If Sanders were to run as an Independent, he must avoid the assumption that merely winning the presidency on the strength of televised debates and a traditional campaign, will suffice. It will not. As long as Congress is in the grip of a two-party duopoly, where Members no longer write or read legislation, whose votes are sold in bloc form to combinations of 40+ billionaires, [7] any President, however well-intentioned, will be very weak.<\/p>\n

If Sanders decides to run for real rather than as a placeholder (placemat) for Clinton, he must first restore integrity to the US electoral system, such that he not only wins as an Independent, ideally with a bi-partisan ticket and a coalition cabinet announced in advance; but is also able to govern in partnership with a Congress in which the 20\u201330 seats being vacated\u200a\u2014\u200ai.e. without defending incumbents\u200a\u2014\u200aare taken by small party and Independent candidates\u200a\u2014\u200aand perhaps some Democrats and Republicans\u200a\u2014\u200awho make one pledge: to represent their constituents, not caucus with either of the controlling parties, and vote on the basis of ethical evidence-based decision-support. Creating a swing vote independent of the two-party duopoly is the fastest way to restore Article 1 of the Constitution and integrity to the legislative process. This is the other half of \u201cindependence,\u201d of being able to govern with intelligence and integrity.<\/p>\n

There are seven specific things Sanders could do in the Fall of 2015 in order to not only be assured of winning, and also be assured that the next federal government is inherent honest, governing with intelligence and integrity.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

01 Call for a \u201cVirtual\u201d Article V Constitutional Convention.<\/strong> Reach out in a most unorthodox manner and invite Mark Levin [8] to chair and organize the event. Inspire an online and Living Room Conversation [9] process from the county-level up that ultimately sends eight people from each of the 50 states\u200a\u2014\u200aone each from each of the eight information tribes (academic, civil society, commerce, government, law enforcement, media, military, and non-government\/non-profit). There are at least five amendments that need strengthening or revision.<\/p>\n