Wednesday, July 27, 2016

In Philly: Dissent, revolution, disruption or?

Last night was an historic moment, one which the optimist in me wants to believe signals a move forward. After a long roll call vote of all fifty states, with Vermont passing until the end, and Hillary clearly having the numbers to secure the nomination,when Vermont came back up, Bernie rose to nominate Hillary by acclimation.  The disappointed and passed off Bernie delegates, or a large number of them, yelled out Nay! But again, clearly the ayes had it.

Some of them walked out in protest, headed for the media tent to continue the demonstration.  Where hear they were surrounded by the police.

While I join in the frustration, grief and even anger, I am a Democrat committed to making change from the inside,which w have done, with the CDP Progressive Caucus, our California platform and trying to elect progressive officials in and out of the Party.

All this reminds me of 1968 and the Democratic Convention and its aftermath.  Those who were "clean for Gene(McCarthy)," something I found personally insulting,implying that we really were dirty hippies, plus all us radicals were not going to accept Hubert Humphrey. I wasn't old enough to vote, you had to be 21 in those days, but we marched and yelled "Dump the Hump" and called Humphrey and Nixon "Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee". We really did believe the revolution would come, before we were 30 (remember "Don't trust anyone over 30?") and we also wanted to heighten the contradictions.

Well we did that, and got Nixon and a lot of us left the movement in frustration, back to the land or whoever.  Others stayed, like me, and joined the women's movement and other outlets.

I don't know if there were any inside baseball deals made with Humphrey, but I kind of doubt it.  Anyway,  he lost.

Off to DFA training. Where people are still touchy.  More to come.


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