Opinion Bernie’s day out

Sometimes, cliches come true. He who laughs last laughs longest. Or, at least, most merrily. The saying’s exemplified now by Bernie Sanders, former Democrat aspirant to the party’s presidential candidature until Hillary Clinton won that battle before she lost the war. Hillary trumping Bernie, before being Trumped herself, wasn’t predictable. As the party debated its nominee, Socialist Bernie had young Democrats enthused over how they could “feel the Bern” and how they supported the one candidate not born with a silver spoon — or a foot — in his mouth. Hence, Bernie not being allowed to run came as a bitter disappointment to many Democrats, not least to Bernie himself.

But if you thought the Bern would fizzle out, re-think. Following Trump’s triumph, Bernie has been painting the town Socialist red with thundery pronouncements. Appearing on TV shows and writing energetically, Bernie’s clearly positioning himself as America’s great hope — again. This time, he’s not only criticising capitalist fat cats — he also has a few acrid words for his own party. Writing of how he’s “saddened, but not surprised” at the election results, Bernie describes working class families watching Democrats — mostly “liberal elites”, of whom Bernie firmly underlines he’s not a part — receive “campaign financial support from billionaires and corporate interests”. These are the same hands that, Bernie feels, cause hard-working Americans to endure greater hardship, facing rising medical costs, crashing retirement funds, spiralling college fees and dwindling towns destroyed by big business. Naturally, Bernie says, those people feel a little mad if they see their leaders accepting champagne and cheques from the corporates who crushed them. And stole Bernie’s own chances at the Democrat nomination, whispers add, some polls now suggesting Bernie would’ve defeated The Donald with ease.

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But don’t cry for him, America, because Bernie’s making sure, by chastising Trump and others, while calling for an American grassroots movement against elitism and bigotry, that he really has the last word. And that last laugh.