As a Californian and a Bernie volunteer, I was delighted to hear his response to a CBS reporter. Asked before election results if he would drop out if he didn’t have a good showing in New York, Bernie said this. “No, no, we’re going to California. The people of every state in this country must have the right to make a choice about who they want to be the Democratic nominee."
Thank you, Bernie, for acknowledging us — for remembering that the people who live in California are American citizens just like the folks in New Hampshire and Iowa, and we have just as much right to vote. It amazes me to read news articles, blogs, and diaries on DailyKos that say Bernie and his followers are doing something outrageous by treating an election like an election — instead of a coronation.
Hello everyone, this is an election! And do you know what happens in an election? Every citizen is supposed to have the right to vote. And do do you know when an election is over? After all of the polls have closed, when everyone who is eligible to vote and wishes to vote has voted. Not on March 15th or some arbitrary date the PTB have chosen — before millions of people in half of the states have even gotten the chance to cast their ballots.
Please do not claim with a straight face to believe in democracy if you advocate ending the race while people are still waiting to vote. That’s a farce; that’s not a democracy.
In 2016, the concept of a democratic election running its full course and ensuring that every citizen is allowed to vote is somehow controversial. This amazes me. If you are among those advocating for Bernie to drop out, what is wrong with your candidate? Why do you have so little confidence in Hillary?
If your candidate is a worthwhile candidate, then she should be able to stand up to the rigors of an election. The primary is not where we shield a weak or flawed candidate by trying to force her opponent out of the race. The primary is where we subject candidates to scrutiny and we put them under pressure to see who is tough enough to stand up to Donald Trump.
Now, I’m signing off to phone bank for Bernie — something I’ll be doing every weekend right up til June 7th.