NEVER TRUMP: Privilege is what allows Sanders supporters to say they’ll “never” vote for Clinton

[MrWendel]

http://qz.com/644985/privilege-is-what-allows-sanders-supporters-to-say-theyll-never-vote-for-clinton/


Liking one doesn't have to mean hating the other.

The latest installment of “The Internet Explodes with Hatred for Hillary Clinton” happened earlier this month. The Democratic presidential candidate, whose own record on AIDS research and funding is better than any other candidate, mistakenly said that former US first lady Nancy Reagan was a key supporter of AIDS research. Reagan was, in reality, horrible about AIDS in every possible way. Clinton immediately apologized, then apologized again, at length. Yet we’re still seeing a wagonload of “I’ll never vote for her” claims from progressives, as if her words about Reagan trump–and I’m using that verb deliberately–her actual record on AIDS research and funding. Why?

Clinton’s stellar record on AIDS is ignored while people indignantly attack her for making an inaccurate statement. I like Bernie Sanders. I really do feel the Bern. But I see Democrats brush aside things that he and other male politicians have done while raining fire on Hillary for the exact same thing–or something much less.

This happens all the time. Clinton is flamed for being a “career politician” and an “insider” when Sanders has been in political office much longer than she has. (Clinton was first elected to political office in 2000; Sanders was elected to his first office in 1981 and his first national office in 1991.) People flame Clinton for speaking in favor of the omnibus crime bill in the 1990s when she was first lady, a position with no political power. But Sanders, as a member of Congress, actually had the power to enact it into law, voting in favor of it despite the fact that many of his colleagues did not.

I’m not here to argue about Clinton versus Sanders. I genuinely like them both. I’m here to say that I’m sick of seeing her reviled for the same things people forgive easily when they’re done by men, and that the stakes are too high this election cycle to indulge that or leave it unexamined. If you’re reviling Clinton for saying something racist and stupid in 1994 in favor of a crime bill that turned out to be a very bad idea, but you’re not reviling Sanders for actually using his political power to pass that very bad crime bill law, I want you to take a long, long think about why that is. If you’re reviling Clinton for campaign contributions made by banks, but did not revile Barack Obama for the same thing, I want you to take a long, long think about why that is.

(More in link)

[mcar]

1. K&R

[yallerdawg]

2. The most shocking disappointment:

There’s not a thing wrong with choosing Sanders over Clinton, or disliking Clinton’s current policy proposals. However, the out-and-out hatred we’re seeing from some Sanders supporters (and about which I am hardly the first person to write) bears some serious scrutiny. While the Sanders campaign has made real efforts to deal with the worst of it–the “Bernie Bros” acting as a misogynistic mob, attacking Clinton and her supporters Gamergate-style; the “Bern the Witch” controversy–there’s still far too much active hatred, and far too much of it is misogynistic or coded misogyny. Far too much of it stems from willing belief in conservative propaganda about Clinton that has been debunked over and over.

I think we all expected it, but I did not expect it from our side.

[LannyDeVaney]

28. I used the GamerGate comparison several weeks ago ...

and the post was hidden, with the jurors saying that comparison had gone too far along with the usual hyperbole about "this is too much for DU". What a crock. The overlap between the two groups is larger than anyone wants to admit.

[Walk away]

3. They are just in the "denial" stage of grief. After everything they put themselves through....

They can't just think clearly and act logically. This has very little to do with the facts and everything to do with an intense, obsessive romance breaking up.

Hillary supporters have a hard time understanding the religious fervor that Bernie elicits in his followers. We really like our candidate, believe in her platform and think she will make a terrific POTUS. The Bernie thing is very different. He never explains any of the promises he makes and his followers are completely blind to his faults. But more than that, they frequently refer to him as "god like" or 'Saint like" and profess their adoration. If I felt that way about ANY politician I would seek help immediately!!!!

These are very emotional people and it will take several weeks after the object of their adoration lets them down, before they will be able to move on. Possibly much longer for some of the most deeply affected. Eventually most of them will cast their vote with the party and forget their irrational hatred of Hillary.

If they weren't so obnoxious I would feel sorry for them.

[cneff123]

4. Really?

"But more than that, they frequently refer to him as "god like" or 'Saint like" and profess their adoration. If I felt that way about ANY politician I would seek help immediately!!!!", says the person who uses Hillary Clinton's face as their profile pic.

[Walk away]

5. ....

[johnp3907]

13. That was my reaction too.

Also a touch of

[George II]

11. You joined DU for that?

[still_one]

24. beautiful response George

[NastyRiffraff]

17. Welcome back! n/t

[Hortensis]

20. Thanks for kicking Walk Away's post, Cneff. I missed it last month.

Very good post, Walk Away. "an intense, obsessive romance breaking up." I enjoyed the chance to read it, kind of later on of course, but still just as pertinent as the denial stage drags out.

And, yes, poor things -- the not-so-mean ones. I suspect political life for many is decades of failed romances and betrayals.

[Walk away]

21. Thanks! Sometimes I wish my posts could have a 2nd life!

I sure hope Cneff sticks around and boosts my other posts!

[Hortensis]

37. Nice to have friends. :)

[cneff123]

6. I'm Tired

Personally, I'm tired of all this crap about Sanders supporters being, sexist, young, or uneducated. Clearly, he wouldn't have won so many democratic primaries in a row if all of his supporters were such a small group of people. I don't know what sexist evidence you think you have, but so far I find Clinton supporters sexist. If any other politician gets criticized, everyone drops what they are doing and looks into it. When Trump stated that women should be punished for having abortions he was grilled for it. He was interviewed several times about it and then he changed his stance. But if her grace, Hillary Clinton, gets criticized for her email scandal (which the FBI is still looking into) the person who criticizes her is sexist. If she gets criticized for her failures as Secretary of State, it's because of sexism. So why can I criticize Obama for not being able to close down Guantanamo, but when I criticize Hillary for lying about being under sniper fire (which there wasn't any) I suddenly become sexist. She was running for President, criticism is something every candidate should and will face. Instead of treating her like this frail little flower every time she is criticized, let her respond to it. Don't just equate criticism with sexism. If she were to become President and somehow cause another war in the Middle East, we should be able to criticize her for it. We can't just forgive her for everything she does wrong just because she is a woman. That would be sexist.

[Walk away]

7. ....

[George II]

9. I don't think he's won more than one (maybe two) primaries in a row. Check it out....

...oh, and BTW, welcome back!!

[cneff123]

10. You are kidding right?

Before New York he won the last 7 in a row. Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming were all wins for Sanders.

[George II]

12. Check it out.

[Walk away]

14. Maybe they think that those silly caucuses are primaries....

[Sheepshank]

15. long diatribes, no paragraph breaks...where have I seen that before?

either way...if you are tired of actions being called out, the best thing to do would be to stop the actions.

Seems like Bernie finally has. His acolytes? Not so much....yet.

[spooky3]

16. You are not responding to any of the points raised by

The author, and you're repeating debunked myths. Have you lost your way?

[NastyRiffraff]

18. Good to see you return!

Well, not really.

[Loki]

22. Your tired, go to bed.

n/t

[wildeyed]

23. Yes, we can see that you are tired!

[Cha]

25. You can't criticize President Obama for not closing down Gitmo because he's tried.. it's

Congress who won't let it happen.

See you would know that if you were really paying attention. It tells me you got nothin'.

[Rose Siding]

32. Bernie voted against it! No, criticizing Obama for gitmo is ridic

[Cha]

33. BS voted against it?! Yeah, these bernie fans don't know anything about him.

Thanks Rose!

[Hekate]

30. After an extended vacation it often takes awhile to get back up to speed; probably why you're tired

Welcome back. Enjoy your stay.

[Rose Siding]

34. Dramamine can do it, too

[fleabiscuit]

8. K&R! (Privilege)

[bluestateguy]

19. All the Naderites I knew in 2000 were trust fund spoiled brats

I'm sure they rode out the Bush years just fine.

Indeed, Bush gave them a tax cut.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. Or people like Susan Sarandon and Bill maher

Who are the one percent, at least bill has learned from his mistakes

[bluestateguy]

31. Michael Moore was a Naderite in 2000 as well. So was Barbara Ehrenrecih.

And how much money did Moore make in those first four years, making movies and writing books denouncing the Bush Administration. Kind of a nice racket for him.

He did vote for Kerry in 2004.

As for Ehrenreich, she was a Nader voter in Florida in 2000. That's just completely unforgivable.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. Yup. I especially despise people who voted for Kerry

But won't vote for her because of the IWR

[creeksneakers2]

29. I don't think it sexism

But I think that the people who hate her here are obsessed and will say and believe absolutely anything bad about her. They've made her into the worst monster that ever walked the Earth. She has faults but she isn't anything like as bad as they say she is.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. If you cannot stand her but can stand Biden or Kerry

Or a bunch of other democrats who voted for the Iraq war, then I think it's fair to say your hatred is rooted in part is misogyny.

Look at the way people discuss the omnibus crime bill from the 90's, they hold her full responsible for it while completely excusing sanders who actually voted for it. She had no official power at the time. That is def misogyny.

[Surya Gayatri]

35. Massive K & R. Thanks for posting.

[Yavin4]

36. This is THE key passage from that article that separate Bernie supporters from other Dems

Those of us who are old enough to remember what it was like to live under the Reagan and the Bush administrations remember how bad it was. How much better almost everything–including the economy and job growth—got under Bill Clinton and Obama. I lived through this, and I would support half a Snapple as the Democratic nominee rather than go back to the policies of Reagan or (any) Bush.

People who lived through that era had to fight through Reagan and three Bush recessions.

[Loki]

38. ^This^

Thank you for posting what those of us who have lived through those times remember as we look at those today who say they will take their ball and go home. They haven't got any idea what living with that shit is really like. I'll take that half a Snapple any day.