Pre-Caucus Points

I have been almost totally silent on the blog about the presidential primary. But I will say the following:

1. After tonight, I can forget Iowa exists. Thank God.
2. This process of selecting a presidential candidate is as trash as the rest of governance. It’s a truly, genuinely awful way to choose a candidate.
3. It barely matters who Democrats nominate for this office. Any president is going to face the same structural restraints on their power.
4. Given that, it’s better to nominate someone to the left because at least on certain things, such as appointees and foreign policy, the ideology will make a small difference.
5. Real change in this nation does not come from choosing a president. It is generated from bottom-up action, building power and putting pressure on government. Unfortunately, what we have seen from both the self-described left and liberals is a belief that the president is a life or death choice. In terms of the general election, it is. But in terms of the primary, it is not. I sort of forgive liberals for that, for much about liberalism is a pretty shallow understanding of power. In the left, however, I find it pretty disappointing. I like Bernie just fine and am happy enough if he is the candidate, but the left has mistaken a presidential campaign for organizing.
6. If you really hate a given Democratic presidential candidate, get over it. Stop whining. Look, I will be pretty upset if Biden is the nominee and even more so if Bloomberg somehow buys his way to the nomination. But it is what it is and deal with it. It’s just one point in a broader lifetime project in reclaiming this nation and that starts with defeating the fascist in the Oval Office.
7. Never, ever, ever, ever watch politics on television. It is pure poison. That includes the debates, CNN, MSNBC, whatever. Stop it. Pay attention to the world around you. Talk to your neighbors. Take a walk. Do not feed into the 24-hour news cycle and the sewer of cable news.
8. If nothing else, at least this damnable process moves forward after tonight.