2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Ban me from DU if you must, but I won't be voting for Clinton. I'm voting for Sanders or I'm voting [View all]rjsquirrel
(4,762 posts)Who cares who you vote for?
In my view no one changes their mind FOR a candidate from histrionics like this and other dramatic self-declarations of intentional purity. Yay for you.
However people can change their minds AGAINST a candidate when his or her supporters seem intent on making sure it's their guy/gal or nothing.
I started this year a total Bernie supporter. I planned to vote for him in my primary as a protest but expected Clinton to win and planned to support her in the general if so. I even changed my registration from Ind to Dem so I could do so (and only because Hillary will easily win my state anyway).
Watching the mania of Bernie supporters on here and elsewhere has made me rethink that plan. They think they're helping their candidate but their stridency about Clinton as an "oligarch" for the one percent and especially the sexism of their advocacy has driven me, the father of a daughter, into voting for HRC in the primary, and no I won't be be holding my nose, I'll be hoping we win and stop the facist right.
So congrats Bernistas. You had one and you lost him by overstating your case and making it an ideological purity test and babbling about "revolutions" that can't possibly happen and wishing the rich had no power.
When was the last time we voted for a revolution? The only reason Bernie polls better is because the right hadn't started the kind of assault on him they've leveled at Clinton for 20+ years. You live in a bubble if you think otherwise.
I'm well off, white, and highly educated. I know people who work in investment banking too, even though I was at Zucotti Park for days. I've donated money to Sanders for congress and senate for years.
And I'm thinking it's gotta be Hillary this time. I want to win. We can't afford to be all or nothing purists.
She's far from perfect. So was Obama. This country is not going democratic socialist anytime soon.