Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumWhy Hillary Clinton Is Not Entitled to Bernie Sanders’ Supporters
(snip)
First, let me preface this argument by pointing out that this entire debate over whether or not Bernies supporters should throw their weight behind Clinton in the general election is (intentionally) misleading, as it maintains an underlying assumption that Hillary Clinton is the inevitable Democratic nominee; an assumption that we have been force-fed for years by both the media and operatives of the Democratic Party. Despite the incredible efforts to push this narrative, millions of Americans continue to outright-reject the inevitability of Hillary Clinton, and have been doing so long before Bernie Sanders (who is undoubtedly an inspiring alternative to Clinton) stepped into the race. By focusing on whether or not the supporters of Bernie Sanders would be willing to vote for Hillary Clinton as a potential-nominee not only sets the stage for the media to act as if the primary race has somehow been decided, but it forces progressive figures (who otherwise wholeheartedly support Bernie Sanders in the primary) to needlessly pledge their support to Hillary Clinton for the general election, effectively shifting the narrative.
Rather than falling victim to this purposefully-deceptive framing that has been perpetuated by both the media and the Clinton campaign, voters must remember: we are not currently in a general election; we are in a primary election. Additionally, we are not currently deciding between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump; we are currently deciding between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. So, it raises the question: why would any rational political observer believe that Bernies supporters should simultaneously pledge their hypothetical, future-support to the candidate who they are clearly trying to prevent?
Second, it is fallacious to assume that those who are claiming Bernie or Bust (i.e. those who refuse to rally behind Clinton if Bernie is not the nominee) are staunch Democrats to begin with. It is even more fallacious to believe that Hillary Clinton is somehow entitled to the support of Bernies voters, just by her very nature of running for President as a Democrat. Bernie is posing such a significant threat to Clinton and the Democratic Party establishment because of the fact that he is able to effectively accomplish something that Hillary Clinton has proven time and time again that she cannot: expanding the base of the Democratic Party. Throughout the last few months, it has become increasingly more clear that Bernie Sanders is succeeding precisely because he is bringing in new voters to the Democratic Partys primary elections, including (but certainly not limited to) first-time voters, Independents, moderate Republicans, Civil Libertarians, Green Party voters, and the politically disenfranchised. It is arguable that these Bernie supporters, who by many accounts do not consider themselves to be bogged down by a staunch alignment to our two-party system (a trend that is becoming increasingly-popular amongst Americans) would not have been Clinton supporters in the first place. In fact, we now know that many of Bernies supporters would have instead opted out of voting in their states primary elections, had it not been for his presence in the race, which explains the record-breaking voter-turnout in many of the primary elections won by Bernie thus far, and the devastatingly low voter-turnout in the states won by Hillary.
Third, to say that Bernies supporters have an obligation to vote for Hillary Clinton in a general election assumes that the two candidates are advocating for the same things, which is objectively false. While Hillary has made it clear that the objective of her potential presidency would be to maintain already-existing policies, she has also made it clear that she is unwilling to fight for significant change, in order to avoid a contentious debate with her Republican counterparts. Hillary Clinton, despite all of her recent efforts to emulate Bernie Sanders unwavering record of advocating for the people, cannot get past the fact that she is, in many ways, the poster child for the corrupt system which Bernie is arguing to reform. In recent years, the American people have caught on to the fact that it is no longer just the Republican Party that participates in a corrupt political and financial system, but that establishment, corporate-funded Democrats like Hillary Clinton and the head of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, are in many ways just as culpable in terms of perpetuating the existing-system of political corruption
More:http://politicallydc.com/2016/03/13/why-hillary-clinton-is-not-entitled-to-bernie-sanders-supporters/
noretreatnosurrender
(1,890 posts)Thank you.
I also tweeted from their website.
basselope
(2,565 posts)I only switched back to the democratic party from Independent BECAUSE of Bernie.
I switch right back out if he is not the nominee and vote 3rd party in the general election.
I don't vote for Republicans and Clinton is a republican.
N/t
Ivan Kaputski
(528 posts)"I don't vote for Republicans and Clinton is a republican."
Cassiopeia
(2,603 posts)are not the fault of Bernie Sanders supporters, but her own.
This is the main blind spot nearly every Hillary supporter has. They honestly have been blinded by their candidate and truly don't see why anyone would turn away from her, even though we have decades of evidence to show the fact she is simply not liked by the majority of the country, regardless of party.
21st Century Poet
(254 posts)The best thing to happen to the Clinton campaign is Donald Trump. Pretty much anybody else would trounce her in a general election.
Cassiopeia
(2,603 posts)significantly over the next 2 months. If he can stay in it until the convention and Trump misses locking in the nomination with delegates I won't be surprised one bit for them to throw it to him.
If that happens it's a really hard GE for Bernie, an impossible GE for Clinton.
jillan
(39,451 posts)Look at those independents. Woot!!
Lorien
(31,935 posts)30% of Independents, and maybe 5% of repugs (if she's lucky). She's only ever won two elections in her life. Bernie has been winning election after election for decades! He even won EVERY Town and city in the State of Vermont, even the very "red"ones (yes, there are some deep red areas of Vermont). The media is the main obstacle now, but we can still take action to do something about that: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280149740
Do remember: lefties have targeted the media in the recent past AND WON! http://deadstate.org/thanks-to-a-national-boycott-hate-radio-is-facing-a-20-million-bankruptcy/
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Don't kill or ppr the messenger here. It's something that is a real problem and could get us a Republican in the WH.
Lorien
(31,935 posts)if they are actually serious about keeping a Republican (one who actually wears the "R" out of the Whitehouse. It's not just Bernie supporters, it's also Independents who will never vote for Clinton. She has a huge amount of baggage, horrible establishment connections and policies, and she never generates real enthusiasm (a warmongering enemy of the environment who laughs about defending child rapists in court hardly inspires warm and fuzzy feelings). Without the very obvious aid of the media, the DNC and her dear old friend Trump she would be a distant memory by now.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Those who love Bernie need to vote for him.
Lorien
(31,935 posts)and believe the media when it tells them that Bernie isn't a serious candidate. They watch TV, they don't read DU.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)I put an OP about it earlier in this group. Those Bernie supporters who feel they should vote for Hillary because they have been scared into it will get us a Trump or Kasich into the WH and the disaster it will bring.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)radar: their goal is to discipline the party, not win elections