Exclusive Reaction From Official #FeelTheBern Hillary Clinton Indictment Watch Party
The FBI’s announcement of its findings in the Hillary Clinton “Emailgate” investigation has been a long time coming, and has been eagerly awaited by the media, Republicans, Democrats, and pretty much everyone else. Nowhere has that sense of anticipation been more acute, though, than among the citizens of Berniestan, who have long seen Hillary’s “inevitable” indictment as the last, best chance for Independent Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential still-candidate Bernie Sanders. FBI Director James Comey made that announcement Tuesday morning, as millions of Berners looked on:
You might think that similar reactions are occurring over at Fox News or Trump headquarters, but the reality is that Bernie Sanders’ most devoted fans are the only real losers today. First of all, they are the only people who really expected Hillary Clinton to be indicted. Everyone else knew the story was garbage all along, and used it for whatever purpose they could, and everyone but Bernie fans will still get to do that.
The media played along with a long series of self-evidently false Republican leaks that flew in the face of objective reporting, milking the story for maximum drama, including but not limited to injecting added suspense in what was supposed to be a boring Democratic primary. Comey’s 15-minute presser contained lots of meaty bones for them to continue chewing on, along with their narrative about the “optics” of the events leading up to this morning’s announcement, and those that follow it. Already, the timing of Comey’s announcement with President Obama’s first campaign appearance with Hillary is being questioned.
Republicans have been tenderizing their audience for months by claiming this whole thing was rigged from the start, so this will barely break their stride, and as disappointed as they may be that Hillary won’t face charges, they never really expected her to.
Democrats, or at least pro-Hillary Democrats, will be taking copious victory laps over this decision, and will likely see it portrayed as a vindication similar to that of Hillary Clinton’s testimony before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.
But for Bernie Sanders fans, today means the death of their last dream, and a future of only real bitterness, not the fun, feigned kind that Republicans get to enjoy. As for Bernie Sanders himself, he’s much too intelligent to have expected any other result, but may feel that slightest of twinges you get when you scan that Powerball ticket at the grocery store and it tells you what you already knew: “Not a winner.”
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
