Bashers and Haters and Trumps, Oh My!
Read Time:4 Minute, 18 Second
The Ides of March have come and gone and in their wake, they’ve left a trail of divisiveness and discord the likes of which I’ve never seen. Bernie-bashers turn on fellow Democrats and Hillary-haters follow suit. Polls sway one way and the crowd sways the other. How many true Democrats believe that a write-in campaign will work? How many true Democrats believe a vote in absentia for the opposing party is a good idea?
The vitriol I’ve seen leveled at Clinton and Sanders by their supporters is not characteristic of their candidates. These candidates have kept the mudslinging to a minimum and, for the most part, have engaged in civil discussions on the issues. And while the GOP has become the laughingstock of the civilized world with their three-ring circus-style antics, the Democrats’ base has begun a circus of its own.
I hate to have to point out that Reagan proposed no Republican speak ill of another Republican. While they’ve thrown that unwritten commandment out the window, we seem to have started a drag race to the bottom right along with them. Levying attacks against Hillary for the same reasons Republicans have gone after her for years is just doing their work for them. Calling Sanders a whacked out Socialist on par with Che Guevara is a page out of Drumpf’s playbook. How anyone can’t see that is beyond me. It’s a sad day in America when you have to resort to attacking someone who votes 91% the same as your candidate.
Is Hillary a perfect candidate? No. Is Bernie? No. Why’s that, you say? Because there’s no such thing. You’d have a greater chance of finding a six-legged albino pygmy unicorn. But if you’re in the camp that has decided you’ll abstain from voting or vote for a third party candidate, then you may as well just openly vote for the candidate that looks like he’s subsisted on Cheetos and carrots his entire life. If your candidate is the right choice, then tell me why. Show me how they’ve impressed you. Show me what inspired you. Show me which emotions they’ve stirred in you during their speeches. But don’t, even for a second, expect me to reconsider my position by telling me the latest propaganda you dug up against the other.
As in all things, you find what you go looking for. Want to dig up dirt on John Doe? Google John Doe screwed up. But you’ll be excluding a considerable amount of results that may outweigh those screw-ups. Keep this in mind while you’re laughing at the GOP infighting or chuckling away at the comments they make. Keep in mind that the things you’re saying about Clinton or Sanders are talking points for every Republican listening. If you like sharing similarities with the GOP Clown Car, then by all means, continue to spew their stump speeches for them.
Personally, I believe in my candidate enough to spend my time supporting them and not waste my energy being a Republican by proxy. My candidate’s record and accomplishments stand on their own and don’t require naysaying or argument to be validated. I don’t expect blind party loyalty. In fact, I usually don’t tolerate it at all. But, we have reached a point in our history that I never thought I’d see and every single voter needs to speak up to stop it. We’ve become witness to the rise of fanaticism and to a resurgence of ideas I thought were far beneath this country. This has become more than about just voting on principle. It needs to be a vote of conscience. This nation’s conscience cannot allow rampant racism to openly occupy the White House. We can’t allow our country to become an embarrassment to the entire world by demeaning large segments of the population. This nation cannot, in good conscience, allow either GOP candidate to clutch the reins of power and steer us backward at full speed. Not simply because they’re Republicans, but because they represent a platform based on fear and hatred. This country deserves better than that. Each and every vote will be necessary.
Take that energy that’s being used to argue with fellow progressives and channel it into raising voter participation, raising awareness of the issues, and bringing this country up instead of down. Or be prepared to watch each and every milestone we’ve reached so far be knocked down and erased from existence, only to be replaced with barbaric legislation that benefits a select few. Voter turnout has always been our weakness and we can’t afford to let that happen this time. Now, more than ever, we need to show a unified front against the threat of fascism and hatred.
Campaign FOR your candidate, extol their virtues, sing their praises, raise their banners… And when you find yourself confronted by someone from a different camp, simply nod your head, realize they feel the same way about their candidate as you do yours, and be civil. No one ever yelled someone into changing their mind. Save some energy for the battle that is to come. The battle that truly counts.
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I do want to just go on record as saying that one can be a realist and still hate to hear all kinds of people saying Bernie has no chance. YES, Bernie has a very little chance, and I still do think it highly likely that Hillary Clinton will gain the Democratic nomination, but the more people say “it’s a done deal, she will, and has, won, the less Bernie believers can feel verified. It’s not just going to win, it’s who feels trampled on in the process!
On a related but definitely a different note, many people buy lottery tickets when the lottery goes up to multimillions! No one expects to win, but they’re paying to dream! I agree that no more money should be given to Bernie Sanders in the hopes that he will win; I have already donated (to him), and I won’t give any more money until the actual Democratic nominee has been named! But I really am tired of hearing that he has no chance – he has a very very small chance, but I don’t even want to hear that! What I would like to hear is that Donald Trump, or any other Republican, has NO chance. I know that that is another, just a wild guess, but that doesn’t deal as much like an insult – perhaps because I want so badly for that to be so! I want that to be so much more than I really want Bernie to be the Democratic candidate, although I really would like the latter, also, unlikely though it may be.
As my pet six legged albino unicorn once said to me…”oh what the fuck? We’re all screwed what ever happens” – very clever is my pet….
As I see it the Bernie Sander’s fans won’t accept the inevitable. The man cannot win, unless we assume Hillary is going to take a smoke break for the rest of the primary season. As a result of their failure to “get it” the rest of us get frustrated. I was a Sander’s supporter until he lost five states on Tuesday. I then did the math, calculated the probabilities, and realized my man, a man I loved and admired, had less of a chance than me winning the California lottery. I then had a decision to make, and that decision was I’m a progressive and my support is going to Hillary, and that means my money. That’s a common sense decision, not an emotional decision. There is one goal, and one only, and that’s to keep the republicans, especially a Donald Trump, from capturing the White House. In order to accomplish that goal we all have to work together. Bernie isn’t going to win. Within 30 days he will concede and endorse Clinton. He did his job by pulling her to the left and he will keep her straight.
I agree with Marsha, Josh. Great piece. I engaged in discussions yesterday, and tried to patiently reason with Bernie’s disappointed supporters, but when I suggested that the math shows his chances of winning the nomination were only based on something catastrophic happening to Hillary I was roundly chastised for even mentioning such sacrilege. What made it worse is there were many long time FB friends who were even insulting me for daring to suggest that Bernie would have a very, very difficult time winning the nomination. I didn’t just make that up. It was based on lots of research. But, no matter. I finally gave up.
Well said, Josh Fielder!