Millenials should join Democrat 'coalition'

I don't believe that many millennial generation readers will happen by a letters page in an actual newspaper, and I can't get my stuff on the Daily Show. Let me give this advice to you instead, and ask that you pass it on to any embittered Bernie Sanders supporters you find that are considering throwaway votes for the Greens or Libertarians.

First, if a president had the power to do the things that Sanders (really, any candidate) is promising, then we'd have had immigration reform, 2011's American Jobs Act, more renewable energy, a carbon tax, common sense closing of gun sale loopholes and the rest of President Obama's agenda we saw blocked so effectively by Sen. McConnell and the low-productivity GOP House.

Second, political parties are coalitions not monoliths. For Democrats the coalition includes unions, environmentalists, social liberals, supporters of the various types of civil rights, anti-war and anti-empire activists, etc.

And variations within these broad categories. Like liberal on social issues but economically conservative or ardent about the protection of the environment but comfortable with a strong military. And most aging Democrats want opportunity for following generations but would be wary of a "political revolution" with retirement beckoning.

Many of us admired Bernie's thinking while wondering how he'd be successful in implementing change. His demonization of the "Corporate Democrat" created an unnecessary schism. Corporate Democrat should be a description of a part of the coalition and not a curse.

And as to the unfair treatment by establishment Democrats, it kind of follows when Sanders - an independent "Democratic Socialist" - went after the mainstream party's nomination.

So tell the disillusioned Millennial that change is most likely to be bottom-up and from the inside and welcome them warmly to the big tent.

David Troland

Arlington Heights