THE BEAST

MetalSucks writes: Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn, like many of us, spent yesterday mourning Bernie Sanders’ decision to drop out of the U.S. presidential race. I did my mourning a month ago when Joe Biden trounced him on Super Tuesday — yesterday’s news was really a formality at this point — but I understand that the news still stings.

Flynn sent out one of his patented The General Journals entries by email this morning (he says he won’t be posting them to social media for now because “Especially in todays climate it brings out a bunch of non-Machine Head fans who interfere with and harass the Head Cases on our socials”) in which he laments the demise of Sanders but recognizes how greatly he’s shifted the conversation over the past few years. He also expresses in no uncertain terms that he believes Biden is a horrible candidate who Trump will eat alive in the general election. I’m inclined to agree.

Here’s Robb’s message:

“I’d like to congratulate the DNC, CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, Mayor Pete, Beto O’Rourke, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Mike Bloomberg, and all the other Establishment Democrats for handing Donald Trump another 4 years.  Hit piece after hit piece ensured Bernie Sanders’ defeat, while fluff piece after fluff piece tricked enough older people into thinking Biden could somehow save us.  Regardless of whatever awesome and powerful woman he picks as VP (Warren? Which will no doubt be another huge step forward for women, as Hillary was), Trump will unequivocally slaughter Biden. It will be a fuckin’ bloodbath. As I said in the piece below a month ago.  

“The ‘machine’ that got behind Biden and his ‘centrist’ vision to ‘bring us back to the way things were before Trump’ (as if shit wasn’t fucked up before!) is (once again) the most absurd thing I’ve ever witnessed from a party I once sort-of identified with.  

“And that ain’t to say that I couldn’t identify with conservative values either, I can.  And I can identify with a whole lot of other values as well. Values that fall well outside of the 2 party system we seem permanently stuck in.

“On the bright side though, I had a friend break it down to me, that many, if not all of Bernie’s ideas will live on, and will in fact be implemented soon. Many of them are already happening now, with non-insured people getting free COVID-19 testing (Medicare For All), and everyone more than happy to cash that $1,200 ‘socialism check’ coming their way tomorrow. People will get used to these things, and will realize how good they are, realize the sky didn’t fall when they got implemented, and want more.  

“People fear change, until life forces it on them.

“We will live to fight another day.

“Thank you Bernie Sanders for everything you brought to America that will eventually take hold. Thank you for inspiring a generation of young people that will fight for your values. Thank you for bringing those far-out ideas to the forefront of the conversation. Thank you for inspiring more people than maybe any human in recent memory.

“What a shame our next president couldn’t be a man with as much moral courage, Brooklyn toughness, self-depracating-humor, and conviction as you.

“Joe Biden?

“Nope.

“Today, with Bernie out of the race, I’m defeated, I’m deflated, I’m furious, I’m lost, I’m checkin’ out.”