In the wake of a catastrophic RNC sideshow–which was poised from the start to be defined by the party heavyweights who refused to even show up, but ended up being overshadowed by Melania Trump’s plagiarized speech and Ted Cruz’s refusal to endorse Donald Trump–the Democratic party is now taking fire for a scandal involving almost 20,000 emails, stolen from Democratic National Committee servers, which were leaked over the weekend.

The emails, which suggest a certain impartiality on the part of DNC officials as they discussed efforts to assist Hillary Clinton’s campaign to undermine Bernie Sanders and thwart his bid for the presidential nomination, were released as a searchable database by WikiLeaks just days ago. DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has wasted no time in falling on the sword for her party by promising to step down after the convention this week, which she will no longer be speaking at.

Wasserman Schutlz has since been given a position as an “honorary chair” within the Clinton campaign.

Some of the more egregious emails exchanged between DNC officials during the primaries include one from committee financial officer Brad Marshall, suggesting that Sanders should be portrayed as an atheist in order to hurt his performance with Southern Baptist voters. Another was sent by Wasserman Schultz herself in which she calls the prospect of Sanders actually winning the presidency, “silly.” Other exchanges refer to Sanders as “obnoxious” and ponder strategies to make him appear to be a mess who ‘never ever had his act together.

And just for good measure, a bit of racism is laced throughout. One email, outlining a strategy to win over Latino voters, declares that “Hispanics” are “The most brand loyal consumers in the world,” and that they are “unforgiving” once that brand has lost their loyalty.

So far, the Democrats’ response has done little to put the authenticity of the emails into question. Rather, the DNC has attempted to recast this all as a hit on Clinton by Russia in support of Trump, pointing to a security breach in their servers earlier this month which was allegedly linked to Russian government hackers.

Speaking to ABC News Sunday, Clinton campaign chief Robby Mook deferred to the Trump-favored ‘experts are saying [some unverifiable conspiracy]’ method of deflection, seeking to shift the focus away from the content of the emails and appeal to fears of Russian espionage and foreign meddling in American Democracy by suggesting that this was all planned and executed to undermine the Clinton campaign and boost Trump’s favorability.

Clinton campaign chief suggests Russian hackers behind DNC leak, may be trying to help Trump https://t.co/u1pCAj4bNUhttps://t.co/PzKCWwjTfz

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 24, 2016

Perhaps it was. But ironically, this strange response only serves to cast Trump as a hero in the #DNCLeaks narrative, lending credibility to his anti-establishment rhetoric and suggesting that he, like Sanders, has been victimized by the party-first politics of the Clinton campaign. Trump made multiple references to such in his speech at the RNC convention last week, and wasted no time in seizing this opportunity to try to court Sanders supporters yet again via twitter:

Even though Bernie Sanders has lost his energy and his strength, I don’t believe that his supporters will let Crooked Hillary off the hook!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2016

The Democrats are in a total meltdown but the biased media will say how great they are doing! E-mails say the rigged system is alive & well!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2016

Regardless, the strategy of martyrdom and deflection on the part of the Democrats hasn’t stopped the emails from being relentlessly scrutinized by media and voters alike, and with major protests by Sanders supporters already underway in Philadelphia at the site of the DNC convention, things are looking bad for the party as Clinton formally steps into the nomination and this whole election cycle flutters into a downward spiral before it has even officially begun.

There are plenty of reasons to be at least a little bit terrified at this point. There is a very real chance that the United States will soon be helmed by some orange-faced monstrosity so offensive to human decency that the depravity of his entire platform doesn’t even seem to register with a large portion of voters. This racist, egomaniacal byproduct of 1980’s capitalistic excess, who has called for banning an entire religious group from the US, could be the next Commander in Chief of the most powerful army in the world.

Alternatively, the future of this country may well belong to the very establishment that got us into this mess in the first place. The most likely candidate for the presidency is still the one who supported the military interventions that helped put Iraq and Libya in the hands of the most perverse Islamist organization the Middle East has ever seen, who as Secretary of State granted arms deals to dictatorships in exchange for donations to her foundation, who has intimate ties to the financial sector that recently drove our economy into a massive recession, and whose dynastic presidential bid has been assured of success this year by a Democratic party that was willing to treat any opposition to her as a threat.

These are the two possible futures for the United States, existing in superposition and awaiting orders from a voting public that seems to understand, in large part, that no matter what happens, everyone loses.

But fear shouldn’t be the main takeaway from the events of the past week, nor those that will follow. Fear is what drives the pervasive political strategy of convincing us that we must always be forced to choose the ‘lesser evil’ in an election. This strategy suggests that American Democracy is a swimming shark, and if we allow its established trajectory to be impeded for even a moment, the shark will die and democracy will fail. As such, the only responsible thing to do is bite the bullet and vote for the less nefarious of two candidates while dismissing all others as interlopers.

We may very well be presented with a choice between the lesser of two evils at this point in the election cycle, and it should go without saying which of those two evils is, in fact, lesser (it’s still Clinton). But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the momentary implosion of the parties that prop up this static, two-party system of lesser evil. Such an event is actually a net gain for our democracy, as it forces the prevailing players to stop listening to each other and start responding to the public.

This election was always Clinton’s to lose, and it still is. But for the first time in quite a while, two ostensibly anti-establishment candidates have entered the race and rattled the cage in a significant way. One was thrown onto the rails by the party he sought the nomination for, and the other was abandoned by his party’s stalwarts and left with the keys to the liquor cabinet. In both cases, however, the candidates’ respective parties have been spooked into searching for their souls, and lasting impressions have been made.

For Sanders’ part, there is evidence that his influence has helped move some of the more contentious issues surrounding his campaign in favor of candidates who might follow in his steps. Clinton has moved left on her previously inscrutable stance on college funding, and the DNC has voted for new rules regarding superdelegates in primaries, a system which had been criticized as weighing heavily against Sanders’ chances for the nomination.

On Trump’s end, the Republican party has split into two camps, with one simply washing their hands of the problem, and the other opting to go solemnly down with the ship, doubling down on an absurd party platform and hoping for the best. Assuming that there’s any future for this country worth prophesying about, Trump will lose the election, and the RNC will spend at least the next four years rethinking its entire existence. Potentially, what comes out on the other side of the next administration will be a party that has forsaken the bigoted bottom-feeding of its forebears and found some semblance of integrity to build upon.

These are the growing pains of a democratic system that has been long overdue for a reset, and is now facing down the dual threat of an emerging generation that simply does not take establishment politics for granted, and an indignant political movement that has little regard for standards of decency. It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but for now just enjoy the spectacle, and try to rest assured knowing that it’s all leading to something meaningful…probably.

Or just watch this video of Eric Andre crashing the RNC again, because this is about as meaningful as anything you’re going to see at these self-congratulatory political pageants, anyway:

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According to CNN, the decision was made as the result of pressure after the revelation of the leaked emails on Friday, July 22. The emails showed that there was a preference by DNC staff members towards Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. As mentioned by the New York Times, Sanders had claimed that this was the case during the primaries. The emails, nearly 20,000 of them appearing on WikiLeaks, appear to support what he had been saying all along. News of Schultz’s impending resignation was accompanied by cheers from Sanders’ fans.

Sanders had his own response to the news:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz has made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party. While she deserves thanks for her years of service, the party now needs new leadership that will open the doors of the party and welcome in working people and young people. The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race.

It was decided on Saturday that Schultz will not have major speaking roles during the DNC, though she will still open and close the convention, and speak to the delegates “about the stakes involved in this election not only for Democrats, but for all Americans.”

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Bernie Sanders congratulates Hillary Clinton on winning the Democratic nomination and urges supporters to vote for her in order to defeat Donald Trump.

According to CNN and NBC, Sanders and Clinton held a joint rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to deliver the news. Sanders’ endorsement of Clinton will no doubt bring many, though not all, of his supporters onto Clinton’s side, as it erases the possibility of Sanders running as a third party candidate. While there are many differences between Sanders’ and Clinton’s campaigns, they have both stated that their professed beliefs and promises outweigh Trump’s. Sanders took the time to compare Clinton’s campaign to Trump’s, remarking that Clinton understands diversity as a strength while Trump seeks to condemn it.

Sanders doesn’t refrain from mentioning his and Clinton’s differences:

“It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues, that is what this campaign has been about,” he said. “This is what democracy is about.”

Clinton said that she “can’t help but reflect how much more enjoyable this election is going to be now that we are on the same side.”

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Earlier today, the President Of The United States (POTUS) endorsed Hillary Clinton. This would seem like the rational choice considering the current options to be completely honest. Barack Obama has gone through enough criticism in his eight years and surely doesn’t mind coming to the forefront to share his personal opinion on who he thinks would be the best candidate for this position. By essentially backing up Hillary in her race against Donald Trump (who I pray to the lord almighty in heaven is not nominated) they have created quite a stir in the nation and social media.

After the official video was released Donald Trump was one of the first to pipe up about it on Twitter, not surprisingly, with hate and insults.

Hillary retaliated which didn’t seem to be the best idea by basically telling Trump to shut up.

.

Though this endorsement wasn’t exactly a surprise, it has continued to stir the pot of politics and fellow voters. After the two candidates tended to their Twitter beef, voters seemed unamused to say the least. The action of a Twitter war in the middle of campaigning does seem a bit childish, but I digress.

Regardless of what happens on Twitter it is the real election that goes on that matters and what points and promises the candidates bring to the table. Barack will be with Hillary and her campaign trail, supporting in Green Bay, Wisconsin next week. With POTUS on her side it seems to eliminate Bernie Sanders from the race which is sad to say, but anything besides Trump would be ideal honestly.

Obama even went the length of stating, “I don’t think theres ever been someone so qualified to hold this office.” Hopefully he’s keeping it as real as he has the last eight years with this statement. Don’t fold when it gets to the end, now!

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Bernie Wins 1981 Vermont Senate Election.

The Michigan Primary Presidential Debate held Sunday, March 7 in Flint, Michigan, was a unprecedented event, with an atmosphere of sincerity and honest rhetoric from both Democratic candidates, which placed accountability for this nations shortcoming in the hands of all government officials: local, state and federal, who continue to diminishes our natural born rights to healthcare, well-nurtured education, job security, quality housing and a justice system which works for us all.

Giving the fact that this is the seventh democratic debate, the time is drawing near to elect our 45th presidential candidate. Members of this nation our pleading for a revolutionized political leader that will not only speak to the average American, be it White, Black, Latino, straight, or gay, but also emphasize and end these struggles these Americans are enduring in everyday life. Even after the media and hype of a politicalized system.

A Fighter for the People

Sanders being arrested at a 1963 anti-segregation protest in Chicago. He was later found guilty of resisting arrest and charged $25.

Although I could agree with some policies derived from the Hilary Clinton Campaign, such as her fight for equal pay for women, reform in the realms of criminal justice and education, I believe this country requires a complete social transformation in all areas of politics that Hilary would not deliver. Bernie Sanders, is a candid individual that is driven to dismantle the repetitive, institutionalized inequalities this nation has upheld for over 400 year sand counting.  Some believe Sanders approaches to change American politics are unattainable and just plain crazy, but as Nelson Mandela once said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Bernie is much more than an average politician, and is often associated as a democratic socialist by media outlets such as MSNBC, Fox New, & CNN.

“I think [democratic socialism] means the government has got to play a very important role in making sure that as a right of citizenship all of our people have healthcare; that as a right, all of our kids, regardless of income, have quality childcare, are able to go to college without going deeply into debt; that it means we do not allow large corporations and moneyed interests to destroy our environment; that we create a government in which it is not dominated by big money interest. I mean, to me, it means democracy, frankly. That’s all it means.” -Bernie.

Bernie Sanders at a campaign stop at the Pinkerton Academy.

U of M Flint graduate student, Jia Ireland and Elexis Nelson show their Bernie Sanders support.

 Moreover, the American people are as different as we are similar. Some may have darker skin tones, short hair, or an abundance of other external distinctions that divides us, but overall; we all want to be treated with respect, and be assured that we have love & support, from guardians, friends, family and mentors during this difficult life journey.

“A great nation is judge by how we treat our most vulnerable,: says Bernie during a Flint, Michigan debate.

Bernie Sanders speaks during the CNN Democratic presidential primary debate with candidate Hillary Clinton in Flint, Michigan, Sunday.

The post Flint, Michigan Debate Creates Discussion for Change in American Politics appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We all know that politicians will do pretty much anything to get the vote, it was only a matter of time before one of them hit us with the “Hotline Bling”, but who could have guessed it would’ve been Senator Bernie Sanders to take the first leap?

The Democratic presidential candidate showcased his impressive dance moves in his faux presidential ad campaign during The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday, as he unashamedly bopped and grooved to Drake’s hit single.

As the jovial visuals came to an end, Ellen threw out a proposal to Hillary Clinton, “All right. Hillary, it’s your move.” Do you think she’ll be up for the challenge? If Sanders is attempting to win over the younger voters, then we’re guessing that this is definitely a two-step in the right direction! Watch the video below.

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