The Politics of Compromise

It was depressing to see Jane Sanders on Chris Hayes "All In" show on MSNBC last night.  Instead of proclaiming they fought the good fight and would keep reminding Democrats that the better angels of our nature are still in the house, she promised a brutal fight at the convention which will probably cause many BernieBros to feel they have been sold out by the party.  Bernie is further behind Hillary than she was behind Obama in 2008.  While she fought to the end of the primaries, she pulled the plug on her campaign after California voted and actually nominated the future president at the 2008 convention.   With the more and more acrimonious muck being hurled by Sanders' supporters, it seems unlikely we will hear the candidate singing Clinton's praises in Philadelphia.  This is of a piece with all the purity candidates in my lifetime.  Since JFK, every Democratic president has fought for health reform and until Obama, every one has failed, many because they refused to compromise.  Perhaps their best chance at Obama style reform occurred during Nixon's presidency.  The watered down reform, which could have been improved over decades was shot down by Ted Kennedy because it wasn't ambitious enough.  He later said it was his biggest regret.   Now comes Bernie and the "Revolution" which will founder on the rocks of republican obstruction.  If he can't even bring himself to endorse a Democrat willing to compromise, how could Sanders possibly wrangle his programs through congress.  If the last 8 years have taught democrats anything it is political compromise may seem dirty and impure, but if you want to move the progressive agenda forward it is the only way to go.