"In the 2016 election, David Brock’s Correct the Record spent $1
million berating Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein voters, as well as
conservatives. To the Democratic
establishment, “Bernie Bros” were just as dangerous as Trump voters,
since complete loyalty demanded everyone fall in line behind Hillary
Clinton. The Los Angeles Times explains the Democratic Party’s view of
unity in a piece titled Be nice to Hillary Clinton online — or risk a
confrontation with her super PAC:
Hillary Clinton’s well-heeled backers have opened a new frontier in
digital campaigning, one that seems to have been inspired by some of the
Internet’s worst instincts. Correct the Record, a super PAC
coordinating with Clinton’s campaign, is spending some $1 million to
find and confront social media users who post unflattering messages
about the Democratic front-runner…
“That is what the Clinton
campaign has always been about,” he said. “It runs the risk of being
exactly what their opponents accuse them of being: a campaign that
appears to be populist but is a smokescreen that is paid and brought to
you by lifetime political operatives and high-level consultants.”
The task force designed to stop the spread of online misinformation and
misogyny is the brainchild of David Brock, a Clinton confidant who once
made a career of spreading such misinformation and misogynistic attacks
against her and Bill Clinton. His critics say he kept his taste for
dirty tricks when he switched sides to become one of the Clintons’ most
valued operatives.
Although David Brock eventually apologized to
Bernie Sanders, the damage was done; lifelong Democrats voted for Jill
Stein, stayed home, or reluctantly sided with Clinton. Also, Brock only
apologized to Bernie because Clinton lost, and Democrats need
progressive voters to win in 2018 and 2020.
Hillary Clinton’s
campaign spent $1.2 billion losing to Trump, and donors aren’t going to
give more money with another progressive mutiny on the horizon.
The Democratic establishment’s hitman now wants to build a “Breitbart of
the Left” and the Slate and Daily Beasts of the world don’t seem to
mind. Establishment Democrats feel they need David Brock, because they
think Republicans need a dose of their own medicine. The problem,
however, is that alienating its progressive base cost Democrats the
election. Cheating Bernie Sanders, along with greater research into
Clinton’s past, destroyed any chances of a unified party.
This
isn’t the 90’s anymore and people are willing to risk a Republican
presidency, if the alternative is a candidate like Clinton. With the
2008 financial collapse a big issue during the election, Bill and
Hillary Clinton earned $153 million in paid Wall Street speeches since
2001. With ISIS emerging as yet another consequence of a failed Iraq war
(that Clinton vote for), Robert Kagan and other neoconservatives raised
money for Clinton and Henry Kissinger helped advise Clinton as
Secretary of State. For many people, the prospect of Republican-light or
the epitome of neoliberalism wasn’t worth falling in line."
