The Sad Politics of Realism
by Bob Schwartz
Besides the politics of pessimism being peddled by Republicans, we have a new wrinkle courtesy of some of Hillary supporters. The sad politics of realism.
While most advise being gentle with Bernie Sanders in the upcoming debate to avoid alienating his supporters, others are pushing her to take him on as promoting unrealistic ideas that are “pie in the sky.” According to Politico:
“I think she needs to show that she isn’t taking the nomination for granted and that Bernie’s ideas are not realistic,” a Nevada Democrat said….
Added a New Hampshire Democrat, “His pie in the sky policy ideas, while wonderful, have received very little scrutiny by the press. It’s about time they did.
The sibling of realism is expedience. Not quite twins, but very close, sharing much of the same DNA.
Optimism and aspiration are never out of place in politics. Without them, all you’ve got left is the past and the present, and a future that looks like some version of that. Of course for some, the idea of redux, of say, another Clinton White House, is an outcome worthy of killing dreams, interesting ideas and hope, unrealistic fables appropriate only for children. Grownups know what it takes to win the real prizes, unpretty and sad as the path may be.
Suddenly the politics of pessimism doesn’t look so bad, or at least won’t be so lonely in the company of its companion, the politics of realism. Please put down that pie in the sky. You just might get ideas.
Bob Schwartz 
I don’t find the realism sad if it means real work will be done.
We would be thrilled if the political process could get much of anything done. And realism isn’t sad. It’s the politics of realism I’m talking about.
The politics of pessimism is saying things are terrible and even though we have no concrete and specific plans for making things better, elect us anyway. Otherwise things will just keep getting worse, no matter what.
The politics of realism, as I’m defining it, and as some want to deploy it, says don’t listen to those filling your head with hope and ambitions for a moderately, maybe radically, better nation and world because it ain’t never gonna happen. Don’t fall for that line.
Both are equally sad.
For millenia we’ve been washing clothes, and we will be for millenia more, unless we all go naked, develop permanently clean clothes, or go with disposables. A machine to make that job easier was once a dream, but here it is.
Realism is we’ve got to do the laundry. We don’t need people telling us how disgustingly dirty our clothes are. We also don’t need people telling us to get our head out of the clouds and quit thinking about some pie in the sky machine that will make it easier and better.
I believe that telling someone to not listen to idealism is not realistic advice. I’d put that over in the pessimist category too. What I do think is that things do get done in politics, and right now I’d vote for that certainty rather than for things that are not realistic given the political climate. While we are making things better in actual ways, we make more time for pursuing new ideas. Id like to see us pursue all of it.