i've noticed a new trend, and it makes me sick. i'm not usually political on this blog, but i am today, because political results can be very personal. we democrats are going into a new season, starting with the iowa caucuses, and going on until we pick a nominee to run against trump. but the problem is, the other side has amassed millions, if not billions, and is willing to use it to manipulate the outcome. the chances are very slim that we, the poor, can get what we want in spite of what billions worth of television ads want.

it's not really trump alone. trump gave trillions in tax cuts to the rich, which is what they wanted, and they can now pay him back, and ensure that that money keeps rolling in. the system is much larger than trump, but trump chose who to sell out to, and chose who he was going to help out, and chose who was to give him kickbacks, and who in return he'd help with his power. and one problem is, the rich have become much richer. there is a lot of money around for those who sell out.

now i suspect that they've thrown their weight behind bernie, much in the same way they supported stein and nader. with stein and nader, they figured, if they could get a couple of million people to not vote democrat, that was as good as, and easier than, getting a couple million to vote for trump. same with this situation. if they can get bernie elected, he'll be easier to beat, because he's divisive, the dem organization doesn't like him, and they can appeal to anti-socialism as well as anti-semitism. and anti-semitism is an incredibly powerful force. dislike of the jews goes way back and is firmly embedded everywhere from the south to the rustbelt.

to bernie's credit, he doesn't take money from people such as koch. their support does nothing to change his firm belief that he's the right guy and he will be good for the country. it doesn't change him much, if they manipulate the system to make sure he wins. but remember, they have fox news, and they have a powerful machine to bring things to the attention of people at just the right time. if they want bernie to win, there's a lot they can do.

the reason i say they are supporting bernie now is that i've noticed a subtle shift in the focus of fox news, and the nature of the headlines. they are generally anti-dem, anti-impeachment, anti all of them. anti-warren, anti-a-o-c, anti-any real change. my support has always been for buttigieg, who could be vague enough to get the nomination, and yet fend off a billion-dollar disinformation campaign against him. in other words, i see it the same way koch does - it's all in the anti campaign that puts billions against whatever democrat. that's what it comes down to. who can fend that off? to me buttigieg is the only one with a chance.

in the past, they were finding things to knock bernie down. it was any little thing, from the way he talked when he spoke about warren, or whatever. now it's all about bernie's surge. they think he's the man. he's the man trump can beat, anyway. and that makes me sick.