Note:  As a Sanders supporter, I sent this analysis to the campaign in August, having initially drafted similar assessments since Warren positioned herself as a “capitalist,” (honest enough, albeit more accurately a social democrat – which she wisely avoided branding herself), the political subtext of which was, “Bernie and I agree on most everything, (true enough), but I’m not a socialist.” Shortly after Warren’s “I’m a capitalist,” assertion she began rising in the polls, eclipsing Bernie. Finally, it was Sanders’ failure to effectively finness the Castro’s Cuba-socialist smear campaign the week before the South Carolina primary, when establishment Democrats in accord with the corporate news media savaged Bernie, “saving” Americans from the benefits of European social democracy Sanders advocated, and opening the door to Joe Biden.

If a vote for Bernie is understood to mean a binary choice for or against socialism our campaign will fall short of victory. Enough voters trust him and agree with his proposals to win the nomination and the election but ignoring the problems Americans have with the word “socialist” or taking it as a positive, is as much of a stumbling block for us as Warren’s native American faux pas. The good news is that forcing voters to swallow “socialism” in order to vote for Bernie is both a false choice and an entirely unnecessary political blunder.

Bernie is for a “mixed economy” not a socialist economy. He must say so now.

For us to win, we must introduce the term, “mixed economy,” to the voters. Bernie should explain that all modern nations have mixed economies, made up of a private and public sector. In a paid half-hour, Bernie, in fireside chat mode, would quietly and thoughtfully present a history of how the mixed economy became the universal mode in all advanced nations.

He would display a level of intellectual objectivity the voters have not heard from him before, in a tone they have not heard from him, as he surprises them in saying that the mixed economy allows for the benefits of both the private and public sectors to work in coordination, if the government properly adjusts the mix.

A democratically-adjusted, mixed economy allows the profit-incentive to influence businesses to offer consumers choices they determine to be in their best interest in the “private sector” in coordination with a “public sector,” which provides what the private sector either does not or cannot provide, or provides at an unnecessarily high cost. Bernie could then briefly opine that purists on both sides might believe much more in the virtues of the public or private sectors, then quoting Churchill, that mixed economies might not be perfect, or philosophically pure, but they are better than all the alternatives.

At this point, Bernie would list some examples of what EACH sector has contributed to the development of the country and to the lives of Americans. He must show that he appreciates the technical innovations and efficiencies that the profit-incentive and consumer choice in the private sector has encouraged, and those aspects of the public sector voters don’t realize are part of it: the military, advanced research producing the internet, medical research, discovering, X, y and z cures, the national highway and mass transit systems, police, fire, and sanitation departments, environmental protections that cleaned our air and water, etc. etc. etc.

In the conclusion of his fireside chat, Bernie would then review some of the other advanced national economies, in countries far poorer than ours, which nonetheless find a way to adjust their “mix,” providing a better quality of life in ways we could afford, and THEN go into his litany of what the better mix provides in other countries.

As you can see, I am not suggesting any change in what Bernie believes is right, and has already proposed, or may propose going forward. But it is an approach which actually presents his DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST philosophy(without unnecessarily waving (or saying) the red flag of socialism which has opened too easily, and unnecessarily, a successful political smear, that has helped the “I am a capitalist” Warren campaign, even as she and Bernie pretty much support the same programs and policies.
LET’S NOT BLUNDER INTO FORCING VOTERS INTO A BINARY (and for us) LOSING CHOICE FOR OR AGAINST SOCIALISM. Instead, let’s prepare to put a discussion of what a better mixed economy could be if the crony capitalists weren’t buying a government of by and for themselves.

Let Bernie sit down and talk sense to the American people, addressing their concerns about an economic philosophy that sounds strange, and could be a deal-breaker if the opposition succeeds in branding our campaign with an economics we are not actually advocating, but which is too easy to weaponize against us.

Bernie Sanders is for a mixed economy, but a better mix, so let’s focus on how to bring that better mix about for all Americans. Just like Bernie started us talking about how we can save money per capita in healthcare, and provide it for everyone, with a better mix between the private and public sectors, we should be presenting Bernie as quietly common-sense in the other policy areas, not trying to defend, or even discuss democratic socialism. Let’s walk the walk, not talk the talk, AND WIN!

Let’s transform this crucial political blunder into a central strength of our campaign.

…and please get in touch, as I think I have the key to winning the Medicare for All debate as well. (Hint: You can recreate your roster of MDs you have chosen from your company’s plan, but pay 25% less.)

David Calhoun Mendelsohn 9179023050