If it’s true that those who don’t learn from the failures of the past are doomed to repeat them, the fringe of the Democratic Party will, once again, “feel the ‘Bern’” in 2020.
Most of us remember how Hillary Clinton, in cahoots with then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, rigged the primaries against poor unsuspecting Bernie in 2016. However, do those supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren remember?
If they don’t, they are about to fall victim, once more, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the DNC machine.
Pelosi is quietly stacking the deck against the fringe of her party. This time, the betrayal is a little more difficult to spot, especially if you are mesmerized by the illusions and performances of the impeachment hearings.
Make no mistake; Pelosi isn’t dumb. Far from it. Most Republicans are well aware of this fact. Democrats are about to get a taste of her manipulation, and it will be bitter.
Have you ever asked why the speaker caved to the growing chorus to impeach President Trump? Or more importantly, why now?
The answer is that she saw an opportunity. Pelosi recognizes that the country will not stand for the policies most of the candidates are offering. She knows how dangerous their policies are politically and substantively.
If Sanders or Warren were to become the Democratic presidential nominee, there are $40 trillion reasons why Democrats would be obsolete for a generation— a price Pelosi is not willing to pay.
Saying “yes” to impeachment is win-win for Pelosi. It enables her to appease (and silence) her left-wing members, while she simultaneously provides the more moderate establishment pick, former Vice President Joe Biden, an advantage.
Why? Because the late process will surely conflict with campaigning in the early primary states.
What better way to keep Democratic candidates in the Senate sidelined for weeks leading up to the Iowa caucuses (Feb. 3) and New Hampshire primary (Feb. 11) than continuing an impeachment charade that the Senate, according to the rules, must take up?
If Sanders, Warren and the Democratic senators stay in Washington for the trial, they will lose much needed face-time in those early states. If they stay and campaign, they will be shirking their responsibility as elected officials, while avoiding the top campaign issue for their base: impeaching Donald J. Trump.
Pelosi’s performance is well choreographed. She is helping to rig the system in order to censor the voices of her party’s voters and throw the weight of the DNC behind Biden’s nomination.
Remember that this is a battle for delegates. Any advantage given to one candidate, no matter how small, will yield dividends later. The longer the sham impeachment hearings drag on, the more it will benefit Biden.
Think this is a little far-fetched? Think again.
This is the same Democrat establishment that went all-in against Sanders in the 2016 primary. So much so that in order to overcome Hillary Clinton’s superdelegate lead, Sanders would have needed to win each and every state by an average margin of 59 percent to 41 percent just to catch up to her.
It all boils down to peacefully removing the voters’ choice. The illusion seems to be working flawlessly thus far.
Democrats fighting for the survival and relevance of their own party will stop at nothing to tip the scales. If Democratic primary voters keep their eyes on the acrobats long enough, maybe they will fail to notice that they flying without a net.
Blaise Ingoglia (@GovGoneWild) served as chairman of the Florida GOP from 2015-19. He has also served in the Florida House of Representatives since 2014.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.