2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Why would any liberal support Hillary over Bernie? [View all]Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)...Excepting the comment on gun control laws, Thinking made almost no mention of Bernie in that initial list. You came back at this person with comments like "and Bernie doesn't?" However, just because Bernie shares some of these positions doesn't mean a liberal voter must support him instead of Hilary. Any more than YOU must support Hilary for what she shares with Bernie. In short, Thinking's original answer offered almost no argument on the "Why Hilary rather than Bernie?" question; rather it answered the "Why a liberal would support Hilary" question.
You didn't accept that answer, but instead started grilling Thinking on the "Why Hilary rather than Bernie?" In another thread, one that had started with THAT question, this might have read as a neutral debate, an exchange of opinions as you thought it was. However, the initial question essentially accused pro-Hilary voters of not being a true liberals. It insisted they prove their bonafides rather like someone proving they're a "real" American. Which meant that drawing this out with "and Bernie does not? And what about Hilary this? Or Hilary that?" made you appear to be grilling the person on whether they were a real liberal...not on whether Bernie/Hilary was the better candidate.
So. It's not about you having a contrary opinion and being allowed to state it. It's about liberals who share a lot of the same values attacking each other ("You're not a real liberal!" . You don't have to agree with a Hilary supporter's choice in order to agree with them that they are a liberal and, in the end, on the same side as you are when it comes to things like women's rights, etc. I was hoping some Bernie supporter would say as much. That it rubber-banded right into "And Bernie doesn't? Hilary this, and Hilary that, etc...." the second that a Hilary supporter answered the question was sadly predictable and disappointing.