Marianne Williamson on the Contest Being Played Out by Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders

. . . and what it will really take to defeat Donald Trump

I appreciate spiritual author and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson's take on the current “contest” being played out in the Democratic party between moderates and progressives, and on what it will “really take” to defeat President Trump in November.

Although this interview was conducted yesterday, ahead of Super Tuesday's results and the changes they brought about in the Democratic presidential race, Marianne's insightful comments are still very much relevant to what's happening politically and, in her words, “on a level of energy” in the United States.

There is a contest within the Democratic party between the moderates and the progressives. The moderates say we should take an incremental approach to America's course correction and the progressives say we need a fundamental and a quick course correction. And the course correction is due to the fact that we've strayed. American capitalism has strayed from its conscience . . . and has become untethered to ethical and moral consideration to people and planet, and our government has become little more than a system of legalized bribery which is a handmaiden to those forces. That is the contest being played out, primarily today between Biden and Bernie.

I personally think that what's going to beat Trump is passion and conviction. When you look at all of those Trump rallies and look at how much passion and how much conviction his supporters have, we need a candidate who ignites that same kind of intense passion but in a progressive and genuinely democratic way. And the person, the one candidate who has proven that he can make that happen is Bernie Sanders. Look at those rallies. We have that on our side, and it's not with the likes of Joe Biden.

– Marianne Williamson

___________________

UPDATE: Marianne Williamson on The Story with Martha McCallum, March 4, 2020.

As one friend said about Marianne's post-Super Tuesday appearance on the Fox News channel:

This is a graceful interview with the tone and tenor so desperately needed in our public discourse today. Thank you, Marianne. 🙏🏼

I think both political parties are going through a bit of an identity crisis right now. Traditionally, the Democratic party has always stood on the side of the American worker. You know, there are two ways of looking at things. You can say, serve your economy, help your economy in order to serve your people . . . [or you can say] help your people in order to serve and invigorate your economy. The Democratic party has always looked at it where first you serve the people. And so Bernie Sanders is speaking to a slide that has occurred within the Democratic party over the last few decades where it does have more of a corporatist leaning, where there a factions within the Democratic party who do give too much subservience, as does the Republican party, to short-term profits for major corporations as opposed to and at the expense of the American people. That's what's going on here. That's the contest within the Democratic party and I think it's a contest within the American people.

– Marianne Williamson

Related Off-site Links:
Super Tuesday Sets Stage for Biden vs. Bernie: “A Two-Person Race for Future of Democratic Party and the Country” – Jon Queally (Common Dreams, March 4, 2020).
Let’s Get to Know Joe Biden, Our New Democratic Front-Runner, in His Own Words – Ashley Feinberg (Slate, March 4, 2020).
Bernie Sanders Is Still in a Remarkably Strong Position – Eric Levitz (New York Magazine, March 3, 2020).
"Organized Money vs. Organized People": New Sanders Memo Details Stark Choice Between Biden and Bernie – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, March 3, 2020).
Dealing With Bernie Doubt: My Letter to a Skeptical Friend – Jim Sleeper (Salon, March 4, 2020).
The Real Losers on Super Tuesday: Urgent Climate Action, Medicare for All, Anti-Plutocracy – Juan Cole (Informed Comment, March 4, 2020).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Bernie Sanders’ “Revolution” is Ultimately One of Values – the Values of Justice, Hope, and Love
• Progressive Perspectives on Joe Biden's Presidential Run
• Marianne Williamson On What It Will Take to Defeat Donald Trump
• Marianne Williamson: “Anything That Will Help People Thrive, I’m Interested In”
• Marianne Williamson and the Power of Politicized Love
• Caitlin Johnstone: “Status Quo Politicians Are Infinitely ‘Weirder’ Than Marianne Williamson”
• Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson: “We’re Living at a Critical Moment in Our Democracy”
• In the Garden of Spirituality – Marianne Williamson