All the way down he could be heard saying, “So far so good! So far so good! So far so good!”
A few stray thoughts.
From the beginning I thought that the odds were very much against Senator Sanders winning the nomination. 100 to 1, 1000 to 1, 10,000 to 1, something like that. Given that, I’ve been very happy with his progress so far. I will continue to support him throughout the primaries and I will vote for him in the California Primary. Those who slander him in the mistaken belief that it will help their chosen candidate only further my resolve.
Some reasons that I have supported him.
- He’s the only candidate to seriously address the economic imbalance in this country.
- The only candidate to seriously address the increasing influence that the corporate world has over our government.
- The only candidate to seriously address the need to dramatically act on climate change.
There are others but I’d say those are the big three.
Some reasons that I have not supported Secretary Clinton… Well apparently that’s not something I can talk about now, not that I was ever all that interested in listing my problems with her. I have been very interested in hearing her supporters make a case for her presidency and I have to say that the majority of her supporters here on DK have made a very poor job of it.
A brief pause for those who are into loyalty oaths. Knowing that a Republican presidency would be unimaginably horrible I promise to vote for whoever is the Democratic nominee in the general election. Those who believe that the nominee will be Secretary Clinton shouldn’t take too much satisfaction in that. I’m a Californian remember? California is a pretty reliable Democratic state with or without my vote. Once the presidential primary is over I’ll spend what time and money I have working on returning the Senate to the Democratic Party.
Also, though I make this promise freely and of my own choosing I understand that each and every voter has the right to vote as they see fit and attempts to shame those with other intentions makes me believe that you don’t really buy into the concept of Democratic elections. It is a right to vote, not a duty that you can dictate to others. It is the responsibility of the candidate to make a case for your vote.
A optimistic belief of mine. I believe that whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee will beat whoever ends up being the Republican nominee. The one tiny, tiny fear of mine is that if anyone can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory it would be Secretary Clinton.
Given that fear, here is some helpful and free advice for Secretary Clinton if she should end up being the Democratic nominee.
- Further evolve and move more to the left in your beliefs and aims. This will help clearly define you as different from the Republican nominee and it will be good for the country.
- State plainly and loudly what you believe and what you want to do if you become President. If you’re against the TPP then say “I'm against the TPP”. Don’t say "As of today, I am not in favor of what I have learned about it, I don’t believe it’s going to meet the high bar I have set”.
- State your beliefs and aims as simply as you can for the broadest possible audience, including those college educated white guys like myself who don’t get nuance as easily as others. I’m not saying go as far as “Make America Great Again” but stick to plain spoken prose. Not to criticize but you really aren’t that good at poetry.
One bit of helpful and free advice if you become the Democratic nominee and win in the general election. Stick to the beliefs and aims you stated while campaigning. I think that people like it when a politician keeps their word. Remember, the mid-terms will come up faster than you think.
I know that excessive reading and commenting at Daily Kos can lead to anxiety, anger, fear, and depression. For those exhibiting those systems I would suggest taking a walk, breath deeply, think fondly of those you've been kind to and of those who have shown kindness towards you.
Finally:
- Be optimistic. Everything is going to be OK.