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Bernie Sanders is rapidly making himself into Mr. Irrelevant, a footnote of campaign history like Jesse Jackson and Howard Dean before him, the great Progressive Hope of 2016. He pretends he is the revolutionary his followers want him to be, while he twists and turns his way to Philly for the coronation of Queen Hillary, where he will kiss her ring. He and Noam Chomsky and Gloria Steinem and Tom Hayden can then get on a bus called Furthur Down the Rathole and tour until November, berating and guilt-tripping independents and lefties to vote for Hillary and against Hitler, aka Trump.

But that is not the candidate bus tour we need, nor one you could pay me enough to see. What would tremendously benefit the current scene of political rot in America is if the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and the Green candidate Jill Stein, announced a two week coast-to-coast tour of debates versus each other. Both desperately need to elevate their poll numbers and break through the corporate media’s censorship of any candidates but Trump and Clinton. The networks ignore them, except to run stories of how these so-called third parties are ruining it for everyone by trying to intrude on our democracy and the massive system of corruption that so rewards the paid media and the industry of professional political hacks.

I doubt either Johnson or Stein’s campaigns have the imagination to do this, because the inherent nature of campaigns is to play it close to the vest, not make any foolish moves, not swing for the bleachers. But I suspect that such a tour, which is both sustainable and easy to organize, could pump blood into their poll numbers, so much so that one or both could hit those shamefully high numbers that would force the two-party monopoly to let them into the debates they own.

My slogan this election year is simple: #BoycottTrumpClinton. And I know that a majority of Americans are with me. So if you are shaking hands with, or writing a check to Gary or Jill, pass on this suggestion. I am already sick in the stomach watching Bernie play sheepdog for Hillary, and seeing ahead to five months of the vicious garbage and propaganda that Hillary and Donald and their pals will be dumping on us.

Let’s see if we can light a fire under Johnson and Stein, and at least get an interesting and rather honest debate of critical issues that would highlight and publicize their campaigns. Maybe keep hope alive, and not just a jive, for a little bit.

Oh, and if you see Bernie, make sure you get a button for your grandkids!