As many of you are now aware, evidence has circulated via wikileaks that Chair Woman Debbie Wasserman Schultz did indeed use her position as chair to undermine Bernie Sanders campaign and promote Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Nominee. You may view that evidence here: https://wikileaks.org/dnc-emails/. As a result, she has elected to resign her position upon the conclusion of the DNC..
She has long been accused of misconduct in her tenure as chair. Many began calling for her resignation months ago when it was revealed that several votes for Sanders in various caucus and primary contests were "lost" or "uncounted." In addition, where the distance between Sanders and Clinton was so close in numbers that a universal tie should have been declared, the state was "called" and victory was handed to Clinton. Throw in the data breach scandal just before the Iowa caucuses and you end up with a stinking, steaming pile of corrupt official. It raises serious questions about the legitimacy of Clinton's position as the preemptive Democratic Nominee. Questions to which many demand answers.
Most disturbingly, is what happened just a few hours after Schultz announced her resignation. Hillary Clinton came forward to thank Schultz for her service and declared her "honorary chair" of her 50 state program campaign. While the position seems more of a soft landing from a hard fall for Schultz, it is what is said by the Clinton administration that raises concerns. When someone is accused of cheating and the evidence is presented to support that accusation, the most logical course of action is to distance yourself from the portraiture as quickly as possible. To do the opposite, seems to show approval of her actions and a lack of moral judgement.
There has never been a greater disillusionment to the political process as there is currently. Neither of the two main parties are overly fond of their chosen candidates. For the Republicans, Donald Trump is the stuff of nightmares. His racist, sexist, xenophobic and homophobic remarks have painted an ugly image. Picking Pence as his running mate solidifies that picture. Many believe that his candidacy spells the end of the GOP as we know it. To the Democrats, Hillary has been viewed as morally lacking, untrustworthy, and corrupt. From the question of her "progressive" stance being only a piece of convenient political maneuvering, to the Benghazi scandal and subsequent investigation, and now the culmination of the DNC scandal and appointment of Schultz, many supporters have be alienated or have simply chosen to walk away.
Does this mean that the tide could suddenly turn and Bernie magically secure the nomination at the convention? While nothing is impossible, it seems very unlikely. For those of us who have little to no faith in our established system, where do we turn. Support for third party candidates Gary Johnson and Dr. Jill Stein have skyrocketed over a very short period of time. An upset in two party system could potentially happen. In addition, the #bernieorbust movement is still alive and strong. Many will simply write his name in on the ballot come November. The status quo is indeed changing. It is not unimaginable to see a future without the Democratic or Republican parties on top. However, our focus needs to be on the players in the current game. We must demand accountability from those who would lead us. Rewarding someone for cheating, no matter how small the reward, is not the mark of a leader.
I cannot urge how important it is to become involved in the political process. Yes. It is confusing, frustrating, and at times makes you feel that having explosive diarrhea is preferable, but like said affliction of the bowels, ignoring it doesn't make it go away. To say that it doesn't matter or that your vote doesn't count so why bother is not a criticism of the system. It simply a way for you to absolve your conscious of accountability, while allowing you to still complain. Once you start going you'll find that things aren't as difficult as they seem. A good place to start is isidewith.com. You can affect change. One can become masses. Don't believe me? Just ask one independent senator from Vermont who just helped completely revise the Democratic platform.
