Anyone who thinks Bernie Sanders is going to go independent by people wishing and hoping alone are living in Candy Land (fun board game, but there is a reason it is for children lol).
He is going to have to be PUSHED and PULLED, and the only ones who can do it are those (we) in the disenfranchised middle (yes, we who had the power to muck up plutocracy's intended trajectory for the last election)! If you do not believe this, just think how many times you heard Bernie speak out publicly about internal DNC refusals to learn the reality of their demise evidenced by the DNC governance decisions since June 2016 through to the present. DNC wants to use Bernie's popularity now more than ever, but they are also on record of considering misrepresentation of interests normal and acceptable (see Jared & Elee Beck's DNC lawsuit proceedings). In any case, even with large support of young people, Bernie might not win the chief spot (if he in fact still even wants it) without a partner representative of the real political diversity that exists in the country. People know deep down that most voters have nuanced political views and are not the ideological zombies the MSM portrays.
For example, many conservatives are not OPPOSED to gay marriage in principle, but rather overt public displays of physical intimacy. Many so-called progressives are not FOR abortion, but rather seek (continued?) liberation from the authoritarian powers of faceless government "officials" and the nanny state over woman's personal sovereignty. Personally, I would wish Bernie to coalition with a partner like Rand Paul, on a single ticket, with a coin-toss to choose to select who would wait 2 years in the VP slot and then alternate. While that scenario may be unrealistic Candy Land living for the near future, rest assured that the duopoly will seek to undermine whichever candidate attempts to represent voters over plutocracy interests, unless a powerful, enduring deterrent is in place from the get-go.
I recommend taking a good look at this video about the liberty movement focused on the state of NH.
Sure it may be funded (at least in part or indirectly, or in any case admired) by the usual self-serving oligarchs. But a key factor for its success is its branding as a bi-partisan coalition aimed at independents. The time is ripe for the independents, alt-left, alt-right, and left + right leaning libertarians to unify forces into an ideologically diverse coalition force unified around a passion and commitment to grass-roots, self-sufficient, representative governance! I call this "issue-based quantum coalition politics" and it is a realpolitik of focusing on overturning political and economic authoritarianism and corruption as the first priority and central unifying platform. (Remaining issues can be decided by run off votes, etc., but concepts of liberty and self-determination are still paramount guiding values and themes). There is also scope for supporting liberty-minded candidates who may not be in the inner circle of one's ideological base camp on every single issue, but are willing to do old-school coalition voting to support or block candidates proven to have been working against or for authoritarian governance respectively.
I don't know how much this realpolitik has in common with the Internet Party of New Zealand, but it is time to take our destiny into our own hands. There is no savior coming to rescue us from our mundane and increasingly bleak-looking future in this corruption-ridden world. Or, to put it another way, "God helps those who help themselves!" as the slogan goes!
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
So find your inner light, hone it into a sharp laser focus, and keep it pointing on routing out the corruption and authoritarianism, while keeping a healthy body and mind or at least minimizing toxic intake. If you are in the USA, consider taking a Community Emergency Response Team civilian responder training offered by local fire departments (often via the PD), and get to know the people that are the back bone of your town. Become a backbone! Get the body politic to stand up for freedom and self-determination, and to abandon authoritarianism!!
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