Democratic Primaries

In the small far-left cliques where Sanders had his introduction to politics, party platforms, party manifestos, do matter, because there is little else the group does but wrangle over the platform. Its chief importance is not owed to any demand or proposal for action it contains, but simply to demonstrate who is on top in the clique, and who must accept being on the bottom, or calve off into a clique of their own.

Platforms of a major national party mean nothing. They do not serve as the basis for campaign efforts, they do not bind candidates elected to office in the Party's name. They are aspirational statements perhaps, but in fact are mostly something for delegates to busy themselves with before the big show of nomination by acclaim and the triumphant speeches of the candidates, which is what everyone comes for, along with the meeting of colleagues and the networking. The last meaningful platform fight in the Democratic Party was Mr. Hubert Humphrey's Civil Rights plank in 1948, which when approved kicked off the 'Dixiecrat' walk-out to put Strom Thurmond on the ballot as a Presidential candidate in competition with Mr. Truman.






"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."