Why are Clinton supporters so bitter

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Several reasons, I think:

1. Bernie is playing a long game - a very long game. His goal is much larger than just winning the nomination and the presidency; it's to start a monumental change in the way governance in a democracy is done - without the pernicious influence of big money, so ordinary people can have a fair chance at actually being heard, so government responds to our needs instead of just sucking us dry. Hillary is for more of what we've been getting for years, which is sucking hind teat economically and in terms of governance. The difference between the GOP and establishment Democratic politicians like Hillary is that the Dems are more socially liberal and more likely to support liberal social initiatives like pro-choice and pro-environment legislation, LGBT rights, etc., but they are willing to compromise on even these things if that's necessary to keep the gravy train running in their direction. That's the mindset Bernie opposes. When he decided to run for the nomination he probably didn't expect to be this successful. His goal has always been to wake people up to the terrible consequences of economic injustice. In that respect his campaign has been the maturation of the Occupy movement. Whether or not Bernie wins, this movement can't be stopped. But Hillary's folks don't like to be reminded that Bernie represents something much bigger and more important than politics as usual.

2. The optics of Bernie talking about the idolatry of money at an international conference while Hillary rubs shoulders with the glitterati at a $353K fundraiser for the rich and famous are not good, and they know it. Hence this morning's staged photo-ops she did with some poor people in Harlem, which were not unlike Paul Ryan's fake pot-washing at a food bank during the last election cycle. "See? I care about the poors, too! I even spoke to a couple of them!"

3. Somebody who made more money giving a few speeches to the vampire squids of Wall Street than would be necessary to support four middle-class families for a year will not be asked to talk to an international conference about economic justice.

4. Anything Bernie does, regardless of how positive (or maybe especially positive things), has to be downgraded, disregarded, misrepresented and made fun of. That's the whole stated plan of her campaign: "Disqualify and defeat." The mean-girl sniping about and Benghazi-ing of this conference is exactly that.