A Revolution of One

In times like these, I think of the musical Hamilton.

Specifically, I think of the scene from "Cabinet Battle #1" in which spitfire Alexander Hamilton verbally duels with Thomas Jefferson about the potential establishment of a national bank. As the battle heats up, Hamilton is pulled aside by George Washington, who counsels the indignant Hamilton with the following words of advice:

You need the votes

No, we need bold strokes, we need this plan (no, you need to convince more folks)

James Madison won't talk to me, that's a nonstarter

Ah, winning was easy, young man, governing's harder

They're being intransigent

You have to find a compromise

But they don't have a plan, they just hate mine (convince them otherwise)

What happens if I don't get congressional approval?

I imagine they'll call for your removal

Sir

Figure it out, Alexander, that's an order from your commander.

At this moment, Hamilton learns that it doesn't matter how smart you are; if you can't play nice with others you'll never be able to enact meaningful legislation. It is a lesson he takes to heart as he realizes that the art of compromise is a necessary political skill to not only endure but to succeed in American politics. Hamilton does take his mentor's advice and because of it, he is able to build alliances, which grants him all-important access to later be in "the room where it happens" where he's able to make key critical decisions that will forever alter our nation's history. In short, Alexander Hamilton was not afraid to put aside his own personal political ambition for the greater good of the country.

It is a message that 230 years later has fallen upon the deaf ears of Bernard Sanders.

For 30 years, Sanders has been a political back-bencher. Thanks to a cozy deal with the Vermont Democratic Party, Sanders has been allowed to run as an independent with promised that he caucuses with the Democratic Party. In exchange, the Vermont Democratic Party has promised not to provide resources, including financial support, to any Democrat running to unseat Sanders. That may have been a mutually beneficial agreement for both parties, but it was Sanders and his arrogance that then created problems for the freshman congressman in DC. Like a fiery young Hamilton, Bernie Sanders was convinced he was the smartest man in the room but unlike Hamilton, Sanders never learned how to play nice with others. Sanders remained cantankerous and because of this, he has only passed a total of 7 bills, 3 of which renamed local Vermont landmarks, including 2 post offices. Sanders' former House colleague Barney Frank said that he "alienates his natural allies" and Sanders' former Senate colleague Hillary Clinton said bluntly, "Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done."

Despite this reputation, Sanders convinced 13 million Americans to vote for him in 2016 and he did that without the support of his peers. Other than a few endorsements by his own personal sycophants, Sanders basically went all 14 months of the campaign without the support of those in his own adopted political party. Sanders saw this and rather than go back and evaluate his relationships, he doubled down in his ongoing rhetoric against the party, declaring them the enemy of the people. It was the modern-day equivalent if somehow Alexander Hamilton had disregarded George Washinton's advice and had chosen to be a pariah rather than a team player. But that was exactly the strategy that Sanders took. He truly believed he didn't need to build any alliances to once again run for president in 2020.

But something funny happened on the way to the ball.

Just when it became clear that Sanders, largely thanks to a boost from lily-white Iowa and New Hampshire, could perhaps emerge from a crowded field to then take a plurality of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party got serious about making sure that didn't happen. Team players like Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out before Super Tuesday and endorsed Joe Biden. Beto O'Rourke jumped back into the national spotlight with his endorsement. Michael Bloomberg dropped out shortly thereafter and gave his endorsement. Elizabeth Warren dropped out without endorsing anyone. And Kamala Harris endorsed Joe Biden right before mini-Super Tuesday. All for a former vice-president that they had all wanted to beat at one point of the Democratic primary and all putting aside their own political ambitions for the greater good.

And Bernie Sanders was left standing alone.

Alone this time, not by choice but by consequence. Left in his corner were Marianne Williamson and Bill de Blasio, not exactly the heavy-hitters of the modern Democratic Party. But this is what happens to someone who always thinks he's the smartest person in the room. When you think you don't need others, you actively work to keep them away from screwing up "your" work. When you don't let anyone in, nobody wants to work with you. When you work alone, you are unable to get co-sponsors to your legislation. When you don't get co-sponsors to your legislation you don't interact and establish professional relationships with those in your own political party. When you don't have any close allies, you don't have anyone to lean on when you need them most. Not only are you not in the room where it happens but you aren't even in the same building where the action goes down. 

Like Alexander Hamilton, Bernie Sanders wanted to be the smartest person in the room. But unlike Hamilton, Sanders never learned that a person's arrogance can prevent them from achieving one's goals. While Joe Biden was creating deep, meaningful relationships with his peers in the Senate and then his peers at the White House, Bernie Sanders was still stuck in his solitary Senate office, refusing to collaborate with his peers. During crunch time when Bernie Sanders could have used a helping hand, there was nobody there to offer it to him while a team of true Democrats put aside their own goals to support Joe Biden and unite the Democratic Party. At the end of the day, Bernie Sanders has nobody to blame for his fate but himself.

And that is why Bernie Sanders still, to this day, does not have the votes.