Page Two: It's the Time of the Season for Absolute Moral Certainty

It may seem more and more a given that Bernie Sanders will not receive the nomination, though many of his followers still believe it possible. They know he should, both because he really won, the victories subverted by Hillary Clinton and her evil gremlins, and they argue because he can win the election, with some polls showing Sanders handily beating Donald Trump, with Clinton having a much more difficult run. So if the Democrats really cared about winning, the reasoning goes, they would nominate Sanders. Because he can beat Trump. They insist Clinton can't, and besides Sanders really did win the nomination – that's gospel. Citing numbers, these followers demonstrate a belief and respect for polling that transcends even the pollsters. If Clinton begins to dramatically poll ahead of Trump, one wonders if this could be used as an argument to get reluctant Sanders supporters to back her. Interestingly, those of us now supporting Clinton are so dumb and deceived that we are actually handing the election to Trump.

The fact that Clinton hasn't been indicted yet proves her guilt. They know she will be soon, for any one of an ever-growing, wide-ranging list of accusations. Even then she probably won't be convicted because she is so corrupt and controlling.

The Republicans, though bashing Clinton for decades, have hardly touched Sanders. Because they are scared of her and not of him?

What seems so very sad is that the long Republican smear campaign against Clinton has gradually become accepted as scripture, now being echoed by some Sanders progressives. Any attack or accusation involving her is accepted as fact.

One woman posting on Facebook, part of the Hashtag Lollipop Kids gang, puts up any and every thing negative she can find about Hillary Clinton whether offered by the right, left, or center. I offered the suggestion that such a scattershot assault, accompanying a widely shared desperation to see Clinton indicted, really seemed more like the late Senator Joseph McCarthy's smear campaign than the search for the truth that was claimed. A post immediately followed from someone saying that whatever Clinton is accused of, she is guilty.

I have issues with Clinton; she is very much a mainstream politician. Which means whereas she supports many things I agree with, she also takes positions with which I disagree.

But the progressive left seems to be oddly in sync with the hard right. Rather than negotiation they prefer stalemate, rather than cooperation they seek hostile confrontation.

The constitutional notion of governing by debate and compromise is fading. Instead we have the pure and the purer, the holy and the holier, with workable government near abandoned in the middle.

They have been anointed with the blood of the lamb and will not compromise their beliefs for pragmatic politics. They certainly won't for Clinton. Some are considering Trump, others third-party candidates, with a number not planning to vote at all. How dare we try to shame or bully them otherwise?

(Don't dare bring up Nader. That is not allowed.)

When they were in the Senate, Sanders and Clinton voted the same way 93% of the time. Yet he is Sanders the Christ, tainted a bit now by his support for Clinton. She is Hillary Iscariot.

Elizabeth Warren endorsed Clinton. Rather than help Clinton, it simply demeaned and diminished Warren. I do find disconcerting the arrogance of rocking-chair radicals swiftly denouncing those that have been in the trenches much of their lives.

Embarrassingly, my support for Clinton is enthusiastic though I'm sure that just makes me a fool.

I do not buy the demonization of Clinton, nor believe that any accusation made against her has been proven just by utterance. Currently we are told that the rule of law has been undermined, and the Democratic Party is crooked, so when she is not indicted it is proof positive she is guilty – a unique interpretation of the constitutional protections of citizens' rights.

After someone is convicted in the court of public opinion, their accusers are certain it is political influence keeping these folks from being jailed immediately. In Clinton's case – with so many conservatives and now sadly any number of progressives absolutely certain of her guilt, even when often lacking much notion as to what she is supposed to have done wrong – many feel that due process just gets in the way. Some will even do a spit take when due process is brought up, because they know with certainty in their hearts and minds she is corrupt.

The court of public opinion is always certain, and often wrong.

Honestly, how many of you really care about her emails? How many can cite the variety of similar cases over the past years where government officials didn't follow procedures? This is not to excuse her by saying others did it, but to suggest that the drive is to get Clinton, rather than any genuine indignation over the crime.

When Sanders supporters evoke Vince Foster, cite Benghazi, or offer the very long list of dead Clinton associates, the profound effectiveness of long-term negative campaigning is brought home.

Unfortunately, anybody but Hillary may well mean Trump. Given the current dialogue – where institutionalized racism is the fault of minorities, Muslims are terrorists, liberal perverts are invading bathrooms, Democrats are totally corrupt as are Republicans, Obama is a Muslim and a traitor, and Clinton is the Antichrist – rational discourse seems unlikely.

The current political traffic jams are not because of evil people, the illuminati, agents of the devil, or suicidally determined crazed anarchists, but actually from unreasonable expectations from most common citizens. We are happy to be empowered, but we are not sure everyone else should be. We know our beliefs are for the good of the country, but we are suspicious of the motives of others. Too easily led astray by political, religious, and social leaders, many of us believe whatever message we are being sold.

Clinton's detractors are so absolutely certain of her guilt that specific charges are not even needed. We have entered a world where the conspiracy hobbyists' favorite Chicken Little, Alex Jones, is treated with more respect by many than the president of the United States. Perhaps this is appropriate as Jones was a modern pioneer of the baseless accusation, suggesting that there is little distinction between an accusation and providing the needed proof. I guess this is understandable as so many champions of the Constitution, American Exceptionalism, and the greatness of this nation have not just watched but been actively engaged in two terms' worth of racist attacks, bizarre allegations, accusations of traitorous behavior, and absolute moral certitude that the president is not just a Muslim but an American-hating one. That Congress is determined not to work with him is clearly all his fault. And, of course, Clinton's.

Following the recent Supreme Court decision on abortion, I came across a website blaring about what a hypocrite Clinton was for being so happy at the decision. Wondering what was the thinking, I went to the site. Turns out that Clinton thinks she is a champion of women, but the Supreme Court decision actually endangered women's health. Paraphrasing Henry Miller: "When you begin to believe your own bull, all else follows with dead certainty, even in the midst of chaos."