Clinton and Sanders supporters can't stand each other ~ CNN (HRC GROUP)

[Her Sister]

Last edited Fri Apr 22, 2016, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/15/opinions/clinton-and-sanders-supporters-animosity-opinion-zelizer/?iid=ob_article_organicsidebar_expansion

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to watch Thursday's Democratic debate in Brooklyn live and in person. Although I have seen the other debates on television, there was something more visceral about being there.

What was most dramatic was not any particular point in the debate or any statement the candidates made, but the display of sheer and intense animosity that has developed between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters. With so much attention focused on the civil war taking place among Republicans, commentators may have missed the anger brewing among Democrats.

The tensions on the stage were nothing compared to the tension in the crowd. I sat next to one Sanders supporter who sat with his tattooed arms tightly crossed and head angrily shaking whenever Clinton said anything. In his mind it was clear there was nothing Clinton could do or say that was right.

Even when Clinton made a statement about the need to defend women's reproductive rights, something Sanders strongly supports, he and his friends wouldn't stand up. Throughout Clinton's comments, they yelled that she was bought by Wall Street or how she was a liar who refused to answer any question, "yes" or "no." One of the people in the group said, "I'm a Bernie Democrat. She's Trump light." They were not alone.

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HRC HROUP

[Her Sister]

1. Clinton Supporters...

Clinton supporters didn't feel much better about their opponents. Though not with the same vigor, they yelled when Sanders made statements, saying he was lying about her record or that he would not answer any question with specific statements. In their view, he was an idealist, a demagogue, a candidate who was making promises he could never keep.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/15/opinions/clinton-and-sanders-supporters-animosity-opinion-zelizer/?iid=ob_article_organicsidebar_expansion

[BlueCaliDem]

15. Yep. Pretty much how I felt before I became enraged when they began hissing and shouting at Hillary,

among the ear-deafening "boos", that is.

They showed no willingness to understand or even hear what she had to say. They reminded me of angry Tea Partiers heckling and booing Republican pols - and Liberals. I now call them the Green Tea Partiers, and I have zero respect for their p.o.v. and arguments since these stem from a deep-seated hatred of Hillary Clinton and not any principled reasons they say they have.

Hate is an irrational emotion, so why should I try and understand them with a rational head? Not going to happen.

Besides, they call themselves Berniecrats, not Democrats. Maybe Sanders should start his own Party - the Berniecrat Party? Let's see how long that Party survives without the media attention, money, infrastructure and credibility of the Democratic Party.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. As I recall, it was pretty much the same in 2008. We still managed to get enough voters together

to elect a Democratic President. I believe we'll do the same this year.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Most of us will.

It is very likely that ALL of us who are longtime Democrats will. But the Paulites and inverse-Trump radical leftists that Bernie has attracted would never have supported Hillary in any event. Some would likely even have defected to the GOP or not voted at all the moment Bernie made any compromise that didn't meet their moving purist standard targets.

Dem-leaning Indies more likely will move to support either Dem candidate because they cannot stomach the alternative. I also fully expect that a significant number of GOP women will support Hillary over ANY GOP alternative, even though they may never - ever - say that out loud to anyone they know.

[Lucinda]

34. +1

[athena]

8. I don't recall things getting this ugly in 2008.

For some reason, the idea of a female president scares people much more than the idea of a Black president.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. It got real ugly. Not only were there charges of sexism, ageism, etc, the accusations of racism

were brought against Hillary and her supporters. Then we had the pumas vowing to not vote if Hillary didn't get the nomination (and we are seeing similar statements this election cycle). It was real ugly.

[athena]

14. That's reassuring.

I must not have been visiting DU frequently at that time.

So perhaps there is hope, after all. Thanks for the perspective.

[BlueCaliDem]

16. I was an Obama supporter back in 2008, and those charges you noted that were lobbed against Hillary

didn't wash with me even back then. I was just not yet willing to forgive her for her 2002 vote for the AUMF Against Iraq.

Now that I've done my due diligence and researched exactly what it entailed, and now that I could see it from her p.o.v. as a New York Senator, and after she apologized for that vote, she's good with me. Now I see I'd bought into the propaganda that they've been smearing her with since she was in politics, and I feel like a fool. I really do.

Besides, back then it was a primary election between two solid Democrats. This time around, now that O'Malley dropped out, it's a primary by one true-blue Democrat and one interloping Socialist running under the Democratic banner, and that really bothers me. I've been a Democrat for a very long, long time and am protective of my political Party, and that's why Hillary has my full support.

[Her Sister]

19. In 2008 I was an expat traveling living overseas

Voted for HRC in the primary! and for Obama in the General! From abroad! Too busy having fun overseas I missed all the drama here! Did not notice it one bit! Was really in another world! Yet excited about both candidates! Yet removed b/c living la vida loca! Being a tourist abroad is just fun! even in Saudi Arabia... yep it was one of my stops! one year there! as an atheist not easy! Had to not talk about my lack of religion!

Maybe that's why this animosity is new and vivid for me. Because am back in the States. So will take your guys' word for it!

edit: Geesh, I just realized that I overuse exclamation points...

[Arkansas Granny]

20. I supported Hillary in 2008, but when Obama won the nomination it was not a big step to switch

my support to him. As you noted, we had two solid Democrats and either one would have been preferable to McCain. (The thought of Palin being that close to the White House makes sends shivers down my spine.)

If Sanders were to win the nomination this time around (which seems very unlikely at this point), I would certainly vote for him instead of risking any of the Republicans taking office. The thought of a Trump or Cruz Presidency should be enough to scare the daylights out of any thinking person.

[BlueCaliDem]

23. Exactly! We had TWO great Dems running for the highest office and both were historic!

Hillary Clinton was actually more "left" than Barack Obama back then, though. I just couldn't get over her vote for the AUMF Against Iraq since I was still a bit irked about G.W. Bush having stolen the election from Al Gore - and the disaster I knew Duhbya would prove to be to this nation - and I didn't like any Democrats voting with him on anything. This anger inside me against that theft also fueled my passion to never allow a Republican anywhere near the White House, no matter who is on their ticket.

Both Democratic candidates were strong. But even back then I knew Barack Obama would've had trouble with the Democrats in Congress - and he did. They showed him when they voted, en masse, against approving a bill to allow him to close Gitmo. I guess they saw him as an interloper (even though he's been a Dem all his life) and wanted him to earn their support. And he has since, although I disagreed with his soft approach regarding LIEberman, and actually advocating for him to allow him to keep his cushy chairmanships when Reid wanted to take them away from him. I seriously doubt Hillary would've allowed LIEberman to remain in those seats had she won the election.

So can you imagine how Democrats in Congress would view Sanders should he, by some miracle, win the Democratic Party nom? Bloodbath!

Hillary has the strong support of powerful Democrats - including her former rival and his VP - and she'll beat the Republicans in the G.E. no matter who is on their ticket. If she's as intelligent as I believe her to be, she'll choose Julian Castro as her VP running mate, and lock up the Latino vote so that a Republican can't get anywhere near the 45% of the Latino vote they need in order to win.

She might even win Texas, considering the considerably large Latino voting populace in that State who haven't felt the need to come out and vote in past elections. With the possibility that 'one of their own' might be that much closer to running as the Democratic Party presidential candidate in 2024, they just might come out in droves.

[Buzz Clik]

30. +1

Nasty, nasty, nasty.

I was on the Obama side, and I was disappointed with a lot of the DU antics.

[IamMab]

3. Our candidate will be the nominee, which means we just need to rise above stuff like this.

It's petty media bullshit, intended to stoke division and hopefully extend the narrative of the Democratic Primary race as long as possible. Even though it is already over except for the convention and final delegate vote.

The tone of this article is clearly designed to instigate fear/outrage on the part of Clinton supporters and anger/hatred on the part of Bernie supporters. Clinton supporters are supposed to worry or be upset that Sanders supporters won't unite, and Sanders supporters get reminders of every piece of misinformation they've been fed about Clinton.

It's probably good to be aware of it, but me, personally, I am not sweating it. Unlike 75% of Bernie's supporters, I am old enough to remember 2008, and how we successfully united even after a contentious primary campaign.

And I do genuinely believe that for every snobbish progressive who abandons us for "purity" we'll pick up 2 more moderate independents who might have voted Republican otherwise until Trump or Cruz became the nominee.

[Her Sister]

4. The article's conclusion is what you're saying

Concern and suggestion to look beyond now because the General election is too important.

[NurseJackie]

6. I'd simply add the word "Online" as the first word in that headline ...

... the fact of the matter is, that I personally know several Bernie supporters. I like them. They like me. They're all perfectly reasonable and rational people who just happen to support Bernie.

The Bernie supporters I know are not angry or belligerent and aggressive. The Bernie supporters I know are not irrational or vindictive. They're mature and thoughtful. They don't insult others or rely on RW anti-Hillary smears to make their decisions or to justify their decisions.

But most of all, they're not the type to have a temper tantrum and threaten to not vote at all if their candidate doesn't win the nomination.

I tell ya, the REAL WORLD is totally different from what I see here. (Thank GOD!!)

[Her Sister]

7. My Republican sister had a bizarre IRL experience with a BS fan

We are part of a group that gives free advice about legal/government problems to disadvantaged people in the community around our county in NY. This group meets weekly and monthly and is quite diverse. We have known each other for years.

My sister was at the monthly meeting and this older guy who has always been pleasant mentioned he was on BS' camp. My sister was surprised and said: Really?

He went on a tirade on my sister in front of everyone. She managed to say; Don't speak to me that way! He got madder. She told him "am Republican and not voting for her in the primary". He got calmer when he found out she was Republican. His wife apologized to my sister when he went to the bathroom.

Later he walked my sister to her car, kind of apologizing, but then she made the mistake of saying: "You really shouldn't speak to women in that way and tone." He got mad all over again. "I will speak to women any way I want. That's not good excuse"

She told me that he got so freaked all of a sudden.

Good thing I wasn't there, since I was going to vote for her! This is in NY!
BTW my sister is going for HRC in the General all the way!

[NurseJackie]

9. What a bizarre incident.

He was really running hot-and-cold wasn't he. I'm not in a position to judge his actual mental state, but based on that description, it sounds like someone who should have been medicated. (JURY: This is just an observation on someone's behavior, and not an attack on an anonymous individual who's NOT a member of this web site.)

[BlueCaliDem]

17. So he's against Hillary because he's a misogynist. He's okay that your sister appeared to want to

vote Republican because all candidates on the Republican side are men, but when he thought she might vote for Hillary, a woman, he began to froth at the mouth. Tells me a lot about that guy. Pathetic chauvinist.

[Her Sister]

27. Weird! He did not know if my sister was voting for Trump

or Cruz? No Problemo for HIM!

Actually she had given up on voting, so I talked her into voting for Kasich as an Anti-Trump vote! Looks like Kasich got 3-5 Delegates here in NY! Thanks to people like my sister.

It's always funny when we go to vote together in our county. We have -of course- the same unusual last name, so we have to tell them at the polling place: one Republican and one Democrat! ~~~We kinda negate each other in our household.

BUT SHE IS VOTING FOR HRC IN NOVEMBER!!!!!

me my sister

[creon]

13. Online

The internet is much different from the real world.

DU is part of online. DU is nothing like the real world.

[BlueCaliDem]

18. You got that right! eom

[creon]

22. DU

DU does not have flame wars.
It is a flame war.

[Peacetrain]

10. I think this has gone beyond what happened between Clinton and Obama

As an Obama supporter who had to leave DU for a couple of years.. it was not SOS Clinton, but many of her die hards who could not accept reality and just kept battling.. well I am afraid we are going to have the same thing again except this time it could be much worse. But with Clinton trying to bring it together most of HRC's supporters became Obama supporters.. I am sure not with the same passion, but like most of us who have been part of the Democratic party.. we understand that the party moving forward and bringing up new candidates..supporting down ballots.. the platform is bigger than any one person.. As much as I am going to miss President Obama.. his time is almost over and we need good people forward.. That is what being part of the party is all about..

No amount apparently of trying to acknowledge Sanders by anyone in the party.. is going to help .. he is going to use anything to bash the Democrats the Party and Clinton..

There is an agenda here that goes beyond trying to impact the party or the platform..

I hope to hell I am wrong..

[Walk away]

21. Hi, I was an avid Clinton supporter in 2008. I campaigned for her and spent plenty of time...

here at DU. The day of the convention Hillary let us know it was time to get behind (now) President Obama, I did. All of the women in my Hillary group did the same. We work as hard as if not harder than Obama's original supporters. I admire and respect the President and I have no regrets about backing two brilliant, capable and good people.

You also fail to mention that the situation at DU was flipped in 2008. The General forums were pretty much "owned" by Obama supporters. Clinton supporters were far fewer than Obama's. Just as they are in the minority to Sanders' followers now. A handful of Hillary die-hards is nothing like what will be going down at DU when this party is over.

[Arkansas Granny]

24. Hillary's support for Obama really helped set the tone for many Democrats. I really admired the

way she supported and campaigned for Obama after he won the nomination and it enabled many of her supporters to make that step.

I knew from the very start that in the end, I would vote for the Democratic nominee. I felt the same way this election.

[creon]

12. I am not concerned

I think that the supporters of the losing candidate will vote for the winning candidate.
There are some who will not want to; but, come November, the great majority will vote for the Democratic candidate.

[SharonClark]

25. Such nonsense from CNN - trying to create discord to up their ratings

[Funtatlaguy]

26. The really hard core supporters

like those that post on message boards, watch debates, donate may feel this way.
But, all polling shows that in the real world that both candidates supporters generally like the other one.

[Her Sister]

28. it's probably easier if you're not partaking in the online crazyness

[Buzz Clik]

29. The most passionate Bernie supporters are neither Democrats nor likely voters.

Huge, noisy stadium crowds for his rallies; disruptive protests for Bill, Hillary, and Trump; and losing his arse in the NY primary.

Most of the long-term DUers who support Bernie (with notable exceptions) are decent and reasonable. No lack of enthusiasm and ready to scrap. But the real jackwagons are the low-count invaders.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

31. When Clinton said the party will need to unite when the primaries were over, the man to my left said

"not for you. We just won't vote." His friends agreed.
____________________________________________________________________

Most of them probably rarely vote which is why we lost Congressional seats in the off year elections.

[ieoeja]

32. .

[Her Sister]

33. Thanks for sharing!? You are in the HRC group