I am 19, living in MN. This is my first post, so feel free to rip me apart in the comment section, albeit gently. I apologize if I come across as pretentious.
My dad is a spitfire liberal. I grew up with spitfire liberals in a sea of old conservatives. Rural Minnesota is not as blue as the hipster den known as Duluth or the happy green pretentious beer garden called the Twin Cities. For this reason, the liberal discourse in my family seemed to ferment, getting so potent that I didn’t see my dad for a few days after the 2004 election. This is my origin story so you know where the next part is coming from.
Hillary just doesn’t fly with college kids. I have no facts to back this post up, but don’t abandon me yet. I can tell you I’ve never heard college kids talk positively of Hillary. Republicans are out of the question. Any college student who is a Republican is beyond the point of redemption, but they are a minority. There are more college libertarians, I feel, but they are low key and less likely to vote.
Back to the point...Hillary, whenever she tries to touch base with us, ends up looking like an “alien space lizard” (a term coined by a friend). Don’t get me wrong, most college liberals would pick her over any Republican, and Bill Clinton’s legendary appearance on campus a few years ago still reverberates around the halls from time to time. Kind of like how, in Dante’s Divine Comedy, Hell was still experiencing earthquakes hundreds of years after Jesus came crashing through.
It’s just…Hillary just doesn’t seem to notice us, or understand us, or stand for us.
Why is this important? Yes, college kids are naive. Super naive. We also do a ton of stupid shit. But nothing is more infuriating to college liberals when the older generation regards us so condescendingly. I was told once that young liberals are too naive to accept the fact that Hillary will get the nomination. The things we ask for are brushed off by politicians as being the result of the recklessness of youth.
Recreational marijuana? Oh college kids. So cute.
You want free community college? You do realize this isn’t like kindergarten where everyone gets a medal for participating.
Bernie Sanders? You college kids are too unrealistic.
These are some of the things older Democrats have told me. It is disheartening. Furthermore, when we try to point out Hillary’s rather Machiavellian stratagem, we are disregarded as being “conspiracy theorists.” Even though some of Hillary’s top donors control a large contingent of the media.
Naive and idealist? Yes we are. But we are not stupid. We know what kind of world we want. Most college kids don’t vote, that’s a fact. But why? Yes, some are lazy, hungover, or busy with homework. Others just don’t connect with politicians. Hillary doesn’t put a spring in our step. She was an amazing Secretary of State, she sure can debate, and the Saudi family would be toned down a bit, but does she really understand American youth? It isn’t easy being young in America.
Look at Bernie’s rallies. Look at all the young people. Bernie gets us. He is the first candidate that lights a fire in our hearts. Hillary has changed her views and discourse so much to the point that no average voter could seriously know what opinions she really holds. Whenever Democratic discourse sways one way, Hillary is quick to jump on the bandwagon. Bernie is the bandwagon. Bernie wants to be president because he wants to fix America. Hillary wants to be president because she thinks it’s her turn.
We all know American democracy is always in danger. Some would even liken it to plutocracy- a country that is controlled by the rich. If Hillary gets elected, it is just another case in a long line of examples where rich interests get what they want. If no large donors were involved, what would the campaigns look like now? If Hillary wins it means that more people voted for her. That’s fair. But in today’s climate, we can’t discern if people voted for her because rich interests empower her and influence voters, or if that support is truly organic. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate whose support is undeniably raw- support built from the ground up, and not given the adrenaline shot that Super PACs offer.
We trust Bernie. He is the grandpa of American youth.
Please, vote for us.
(EDITED for syntax)