The Tulsi We Thought We Knew
By: Peter Hager
Tags: Infrastructure, Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, Democratic Party, Build Back Better

Tulsi Gabbard (right) following the 2nd Democratic Primary Debate in Detroit, MI.

The 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary was the dawn of a political awakening for millions who supported Bernie Sanders. Even though we knew it was going to be an uphill battle to the nomination, something was amiss from the very beginning.

Whether it was the lack of media coverage or debates, support from local Democratic offices or elected officials, or the unelected Super Delegates putting their thumb on the scale, those of us who supported Bernie sensed that the primary was being rigged. We simply couldn’t prove it.

Until Tulsi Gabbard confirmed our worst fears.

On February 28th, 2016, the Hawaii Congresswoman delivered a political earthquake by resigning her post as DNC Vice Chair in order to endorse Bernie Sanders for President.

Tulsi built her reputation on the mantra of Aloha while also serving our country as a U.S. Army Reserve Officer and was considered a rising star in the party. In her statement to the press, she expressed disdain for the political favoritism DNC leadership had exhibited behind the scenes to benefit establishment choice Hillary Clinton over populist upstart Bernie Sanders.

Without knowing much of her history or voting record, I like many others embraced her as one of our own. After all, very few federally elected officials had thrown their support to Sanders over the course of the primary so this was certainly a moment to celebrate!

It was even more inspiring when the congresswoman was positioning herself as one of country’s most fierce anti-war voices during the Trump administration years. Ending regime change wars became her campaign rallying cry & it attracted many walks of political life including myself.

As the 2020 Democratic Primary debates unfolded, Tulsi took center stage as a political markswoman who would slay an establishment candidate by turning their standard-issue corporate talking point into a viral moment counterpunch.

Congressman Tim Ryan became her first victim when Gabbard flexed her service chops along with well-placed knowledge on our foreign affairs. If running for president, one should be able to differentiate between Al Qaeda and the Taliban!

But that was merely an appetizer for her next debate moment when she single-handedly derailed the current vice president’s bid for the White House. In one magnificent soundbite, Tulsi exposed Kamala Harris’s horrific Top Cop record as CA Attorney General in which she incarcerated marijuana users & exploited prison labor.

Kamala Harris never recovered & at that moment, I was convinced Tulsi was either going to garner serious momentum for herself, or at least help clear the path for Bernie to win.

That’s when the political daggers came out in full force to end Tulsi’s campaign. What transpired showed the depths to which the Democratic Establishment will sink in order to ex-communicate one of their own if they longer toe the line.

This included preposterous claims of treason against someone voluntarily serving their country & culminated with Hillary Clinton’s vague statement about a current candidate who is ‘the favorite of the Russians.’

Tulsi lashed out in yet another viral moment by declaring Hillary to be ‘Queen of the Warmongers.’ While one could argue her sentiment was true, her delivery was a complete misfire.

She had the opportunity to portray herself as a soldier with valor being smeared by a bureaucrat who never served their country & continue to raise her political stock. Instead, she ended up garnering sympathy for Hillary whilederailing her own upstart campaign.

What shocked me even more was her subsequent decision to endorse Joe Biden over Bernie Sanders.

Now one could argue that her actions were a result of the primary voting trends, merely trying to unite the country as a raging deadly pandemic was being poorly managed. But then again, how does the anti-war candidate not endorse the other anti-war candidate who represented major crossover with her base of supporters?

This wasn’t just a red flag, this was a fan favorite making an unexpected heel turn at Wrestlemania.

Following this betrayal and ultimate exit from Congress, Tulsi found herself becoming ever more comfortable as part of the conservative political commentary circuit, particularly with Tucker Carlson of Fox News.

But what started as a critique of the corporate left, which I admittedly appreciated, slowly descended into a complete repudiation of progressive ideology and full embrace of right-wing dogma.

Whether backing away from major progressive policies such as Medicare For All, changing her tune on war overall, and became ever the contrarian of the Biden Administration, the warning signs were now on full display.

It finally came to a head this weekend when she went full austerity monger on the Build Back Better bill, a project highlighted by Bernie’s generational changing progressive legislation.

If there were any lingering doubts about where Tulsi stands today politically, she made sure to leave no more questions unanswered.

I will always be appreciative of Tulsi’s courage, whether in service to our country or in service to helping uplift Bernie’s progressive movement in its early stages of development.

Perhaps someday she’ll reassess her political trajectory, or perhaps she is exhibiting who she’s always been and simply grew tired of maintaining the facade. For now, we must go our separate ways, for a movement sustains itself through policy, not personalities.

Aloha Tulsi & good luck.