2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: American Revolution (Phase Two) [View all]bigtree
(85,984 posts)...I can speak for myself, in fact, I have. The fact that I don't respond to every poster here means nothing. I work full-time in a very labor-intensive job and I just don't have the time or interest to engage in every argument presented here. Bizarre to have to explain that.
The goal in this election is to defeat the republican nominee. It's not just Hillary supporters who are challenged to make up the difference in numbers needed to make that happen. I'm not inclined to hold anyone's hand here who thinks they need a warm feeling to join our Democratic coalition in November.
We've seen repeated lectures from supporters here about the importance of independents and republicans in the general - that allowing them to choose our nominee in open-primary states, as many have backed Sanders, is something defensible. Suggesting that Hillary is actively appealing to republicans is pure bunk. She's not doing that, however, the Sanders campaign has actually benefited from republican pac money spent alongside of the campaign's own in almost every primary state against Hillary. Some appeal of hers to republicans. It's pure sophistry.
Participating in some epic pout over Hillary as the nominee (after the prospect for Sanders has evaporated) isn't something virtuous, it's self-serving. The party is a coalition, and you'd be deluding yourself to imagine that ANY of us come to support this party or candidate with the expectation that all of our interests or concerns will receive the best hearing or representation.
We join together out of the necessity of strength in numbers. The alternative is a republican victory. Holding out for your ideals in a primary makes perfect sense; projecting that intransigence to the general election is a defiance of not only history, but common sense. You are responsible for what you do politically; not Hillary supporters. You either back the eventual nominee (when that's determined), or you risk the republican alternative. It's not complicated.
That holds true, no matter if the nominee is Hillary or Sanders. Polling has consistently shown that the overwhelming majority of Democrats would be fine with either candidate in November; the 300 or so DUers who regularly rec Sanders' posts here, notwithstanding.