“A Big Tent”?

For those of you who have followed the primaries for the past few weeks in various States you may have heard a new phrase used by the many prominent Democrats talking about the DNC. The question asked by reporters “what are your feelings about the various DSA candidates in their races”? It seems like maybe their marketing advisors have created a phrase which is “we are a big tent”! I have seen clips of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Hakeem Jeffries and others use this phrase.

My guess is that this marketing team or PR group decided to create a phrase similar to the GOP’s “MAGA” catch phrase to gain momentum going into the midterms. Plus, the DNC knows they can not alienate the young Gen-Z voters supporting the DASA! There are a few Democrats saying they do not support the DSA ideology such as Fetterman, Carville (he calls them a “pack of fools”) and others. 

I really think this PR or marketing firm was incomplete in creating this new phrase to describe the DSA and reactions to by centralists to describe them. They omitted one word ....”CIRCUS”. So, the phrase should be by the DNC “we are a big CIRCUS” tent! The DSA are a bunch of “Clowns” disguising as politicians! The announcement a few weeks ago of their major platform goals are too foolish (“clowns”) to even list here!!

Chuck Bracken
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Learning things at the 50th reunion

I recently attended the 50th reunion of my high school class. A former classmate was wearing a “grumpy old patriot” tee shirt with an American flag on one sleeve and crossed rifles on the other. I was wearing a Woody Guthrie tee shirt showing him holding his iconic guitar on which he had written “This machine kills fascists.” Yet the two of us, who should have been bitterly divided, who are supposedly on opposing sides in an impending civil war, shook hands warmly and yucked it up. There was no algorithm or inflammatory propaganda driving a wedge between us. It was just two old guys musing about our shared humanity. Likewise, last winter, in our predominantly liberal neighborhood, when the truck of one of the few local republicans was stuck in a foot of wet snow, his liberal neighbors pushed him out. I’m sure he would have returned the favor. Sadly, Americans are heavily propagandized with divisive rhetoric meant to keep us at each other’s throats. We are taught to fear and hate “The Other,” whether it be other races or other creeds or whatever. And, like animals, we rarely look up. But it is above us, in the rarefied air of the oligarchs, where the schemes preventing universal healthcare and fostering our massive income inequality are hatched. We squabble over our superficial differences while data centers and bogus wars are shoved down our throats. It’s said that our democracy depends on an informed electorate, but how are we to be informed? By Fox News? Or by our neighborly experiences in the real world? We can remain divided and conquered, or we can shake hands and turn our anger towards the true source of our problems, before our open society comes to a close. 

David A Sorensen
Duluth, Minnesota