A different view of what "Bernie or Bust" now means

[silverweb]

44. Well said!

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Bernie's concession was a hard pill to swallow, but we have to look at it as part of the bigger picture. We're stuck with a 2-party system for now, like it or not. Bernie is an idealist, but a practical one. He knows how things really work, which is how he's accomplished so much in his unwaveringly consistent career.

Consider that the Tea Party didn't exist as a third party in opposition to the GOP, but basically took over the GOP and pulled it hard to the right. If we're smart, we'll act similarly and load Congress with "Berniecrats," substantially increasing the size and power of the Progressive Caucus within the Democratic Party. That's how we'll pull the party back to the left and make it once again the party of The People.

The Greens are a wonderful group and I actually think of myself as a "Green Democrat." My blue-green avatar is meant to reflect this concept. As a party, however, the Greens don't currently stand a chance in federal elections. It took the Tea Party only a few years to completely hijack the GOP, and we Berniecrats have the numbers to pull the Dems back to their core left-of-center values by being just as loud and persistent within the party, but not by abandoning and splintering it.

Our new president will be either Clinton or Trump. That's the reality and nothing will change it for the upcoming election. The well-being of everyday Americans as well as the overall health and progressive transformation of the nation are my paramount concerns, so Trump is unthinkable. Conscience now demands that I move into the Clinton camp, as well as support the most progressive congressional candidates running for office, specifically those endorsed by Bernie.

Bernie said, "[font color="teal"]Not me, US![font color="navy"]" and I choose to move forward with him in that spirit. It's what he's decided and I follow his lead.