While the Democratic nomination process has by no means concluded, as a Sanders supporter I can admit that at some point I may be faced with the prospect of voting for Hillary Clinton in the general election. At this point I feel it is my ethical obligation to avoid rewarding her with my vote. I won’t vote for the Republican nominee, and I’ll vote for downballot Democrats, but I will abstain in the presidential election. I live in California. It won’t affect the election. Just like South Carolina voters in the Democratic primary have virtually no impact on who will win the general election in November. (Unless anybody here believes Hillary, were she to be nominated, will win that state in November?) You can support Hillary, and I don’t even care about your reasons. Perhaps you want her to win, solely because she’s a woman, despite strong arguments that she is clearly the less electable candidate. That’s your prerogative, frankly. I don’t really care to guilt others on their choices, as I consider this the tactic of morally challenged losers, living in a delusional bubble, blind to the weakness of their own case. If your appetite for risk is greater than mine, and it’s worth it to you to support her despite her favorability numbers, please proceed.
As for my support, well, one simple word can persuade me to vote for her in November. My fantasy is that she will at some point in a nationally televised appearance, preferably a debate, be asked this question:
Secretary Clinton, a Princeton study concluded that the United States is no longer a democracy, arguing, quote,
When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favor policy change, they generally do not get it.
Former President Jimmy Carter agrees, stating that the United States is no longer a democracy, but rather is an “an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery.”
Do you agree?
(Clinton supporters, do you?)