Lately, I’ve been wondering whether we were entering 2016 or 2008. To know what I mean, just take a moment to look in on any Democratic Party forum, chat room, Facebook group or comment section in a Liberal Magazine and you will likely run headlong into a myriad of mind-numbingly vicious name-calling, brutal insults or candidate bashing filled to the ends with an oozing mess of misinformation, outright lies, accusations of sexism, racism and homophobia, along with links to an endless mess of online punditry from a seemingly limitless supply of over-eager, all-to-passionate fans of either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton.
So forgive me if I’m confused as to what year this is.
For those who don’t remember or stayed out of the fray in the 2008 election cycle, the Obama vs. Clinton battle between supporters of their respective candidates, nearly split the party in two. Regular charges of sexism against supporters of Obama were matched in their viciousness only by the charges of elitism coming from the Obama side. Even here on DailyKos, a slew of writers left after heated arguments among writers who supported opposing candidates.
But even those battles eventually ended with Obama’s nomination and even the most dedicated Clinton supporters came around to support Obama in the General Election; leading to a historic election with President Obama’s victory as the nation’s first African American President.
Apparently, far less has changed within the Democratic Party then one would like to think; contentious times lead to contentious election cycles. This year, the split seems even more vociferous than previous primary fights. This may have something to do with how few candidates there are this election cycle. More likely however, this is a fight that has been brewing within the Democratic Party for some time and isn’t likely to disappear any time soon.
Personally, I support Senator Bernie Sanders. I say this because he most closely resembles my own personal ideology. I am deeply committed to Liberalism. I believe in keeping an open mind, a willingness to change my mind when new facts are presented to me; I believe in individual freedoms; for example, I believe that a person has an absolute freedom of speech, including the right to protest speech one disagrees with, along with a freedom of thought, and a freedom of movement.
At the same time, economically I believe in Social-Democracy. I believe that everyone deserves the right to own or start a business, but I also believe in a strong activist Government. I believe that with the right set of policies; strong Trust Law enforcement, a high minimum-wage, a strong regulatory framework, large productive Government infrastructure projects, strong rights to Unionization, easy-money monetary policy, a strong welfare state, a Mandatory Minimum Income, guaranteed Government employment for a fully-employed workforce; with the goal to eventually transition out of a Capitalist economy and into a Socialist one where the public has democratic ownership of resources.
Of course much of this is a pipe-dream and none of it is likely to occur any time soon, but that doesn’t mean I have to vote for someone I completely disagree with because “someone worse might get elected”. That’s a false narrative pushed by party elites who wish us to always vote for them. There are some big differences between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. And so, that’s the point of the Primaries, for us to choose who our party’s nominee is. So debate amongst ourselves is a good thing.
What’s not a good thing, is the many people I see on Social Media and the various comment sections of newspapers and magazines saying they refuse to vote if their preferred candidate doesn’t win, I hear this more often than I hear people say they will vote for whomever wins the nomination.
I’m passionate about Bernie Sanders’ campaign. I want him to win the nomination and I think he’s the best candidate to face the Republicans. I think his lack of a National profile is a boon not a problem. I could give dozens of reasons I believe he would win the General Election by a larger margin than Hillary would. But that’s not why I’m writing this.
2016 is likely the most important election of my lifetime. I was born during the Reagan years, I grew up under Bill Clinton and I supported Obama in 2008. But since I’ve been on this earth, never has so much hung in the balance.
President Obama has done many things I agree with and think will be transformative for our nation; he’s also done some things that disappointed me, but no one can deny that he’s been one of the most influential Presidents of the last century. I have healthcare thanks to President Obama. That healthcare has helped change my life.
On January 2017, a new President will step into the Oval Office. If that President happens to be a Republican, well, we can kiss the Affordable Care Act goodbye, along with Dodd-Frank, new EPA regulations that will lower emissions and eviscerate what’s left of the Coal industry in the US, the Iran Nuclear deal, and all the other gains we’ve made over the last 7 years.
But if a Democrat wins the White House, it will be clear -even to Republicans- that Obama’s legacy is here to stay.
The only way to accomplish that goal is for all of us in the Democratic Party to swallow our pride and vote in the General election no matter WHO the nominee is. Bernie Sanders CANNOT WIN without the support of Hillary Clinton fans. Likewise, Hillary Clinton will not be able to win the White House without the support of those feeling the Bern’.
The next President will decide the fate of the Supreme Court. Will it turn Liberal? Or will it stay an activist Conservative Court? The future is in the hands of some of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met.
With that, I will leave one word of advice to those stubborn people. No matter what happens, no matter who wins that nomination, if you can’t vote for the nominee because they’re not your choice, then vote Democratic because you support President Obama and all the good he has done for this country.