The audience repeatedly booed Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Socialist, and applauded Michael Bloomberg, the Billionaire, during Tuesday night’s debate in South Carolina.

This was an audience of Democrats? The party of the working people of America? Or is it the party of the billionaires of America?

Here’s my guess: There aren’t enough billionaires to BE a political party. But it doesn’t take very many billionaires to BUY a political party.

New York Times headline and subhead:

With Tickets $1,750, Debate Audiences Are Elite of the Elite. But That’s Not New. 

Getting into one of the Democratic debates is like getting a ticket to the Super Bowl or the World Series.

We learned something Tuesday night that we should have known all along. The wealthy elite can pack the auditorium.

Here’s what’s new: Suddenly, the privileged are scared to death that Bernie Sanders might become the Democratic presidential nominee and the Democratic president. I wonder why the privileged are frightened?

Bernie Sanders has promised, time after time, that he will take on the health insurance industry, Wall Street, the big banks, the petroleum-industrial complex, the prison-industrial complex, the pharmaceutical-industrial complex, the National Rifle Association.

And Bernie Sanders has vowed to tax the rich.

So upon reflection, it’s no surprise that the wealthy elite is scared to death of Bernie Sanders. They’re scared enough to loudly boo Bernie and clap for one of their own, Bloomberg.

Bernie has warned repeatedly that America’s wealthy elite, the leaders of Wall Street, banking, health insurance, the pharmaceutical industry, the petroleum and prison and gun industries, all will fight him tooth and nail.

Now the booing has started. What else will the privileged class — be they Democrats or Republicans — do to stop Bernie Sanders?

Maybe the stakes are higher than we thought. Where will it all end?

— John Hayden