2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: In 1980, did Ted Kennedy endorse Jimmy Carter? [View all]Lyric
(12,675 posts)is really what killed us, and you know it. I adore the man, but he was never built for being President.
Compromising your principles is practically section A, line 1 of the Presidential job description. Because you are not President of People Who Think Like You, you are President of EVERYONE. And ignoring voices that you disagree with on a personal level, even if you feel in your heart that those voices are WRONG, makes you a wannabe dictator, not a President. You don't get elected to RULE. You get elected to govern. And that means making concessions to your personal beliefs and values, when huge segments of the nation disagree with them.
I agree there are some concessions that should never be made--civil rights and equality should never be conceded in any way, shape or form. But other than that? We are not tyrants. Your side keeps saying that Clinton cannot ignore 45% of the Democratic electorate who voted for someone else inthe primary? This is true. But after the President is elected, she also can't ignore the 40-odd percent of people who voted for someone else in the general. Bernie Sanders WOULD ignore those people, because his values are at complete odds with theirs. But Clinton would make sure those voices were heard, and even appeased on some things, because that is what Presidents DO. They govern EVERYONE...not just their own. They horse trade and make deals and that is exactly how it should be.
Carter is too good a man. Incredible integrity. Would NEVER do anything but what he believed was right.
That makes him a fantastic father, humanitarian, minister, and philanthropist. But it made him a terrible, terrible President. Ted Kennedy knew it. Everyone in the party knew it. But at the time, what could they do?
I think Sanders is like Carter in that way--he too is uncompromising about what he believes is "right". He would make a fantastic liberal talk show host, fundraiser, philanthropist, or even a federal judge. But a terrible President. People who cannot compromise, cannot govern. It's as simple as that.