I’m Outreach and Inclusion Officer for the Democratic Farmer Labor party here in Minnesota’s 7th congressional district, a 400 mile long chunk of rural America and a classic swing district. My job is to help elect democrats here, and Hillary isn’t making it any easier. We got our butts kicked in the 2014 election with republicans winning most of the legislative seats in our district, and we’re out to take those seats back… But when our anointed presidential candidate, Hillary, is polling at only 35% in a matchup with Trump, it looks like it’s Hillary who’ll need the coattails. Sure, she’ll bring out the old ladies in Ivanhoe who vote democratic, but the old ladies in Ivanhoe vote in big numbers no matter who’s running. And it ain’t like Hillary is bringing out new candidates or even has a field operation out here… The Hillary supporters are the usual party hacks, and the Hillary campaign is totally MIA out here. No wonder we’ve can’t find a candidate to run in an R+2 swing district…
Hillary ain’t helping us any, so how about the old lefty from Vermont who campaigned today in Hibbing on the iron range in a Steelworkers Union jacket? The massive layoffs on the Iron Range due to one sided trade treaties ain’t even on Hillary’s radar. And with no airport big enough to handle Hillary’s jet within an hours drive, fat chance Hillary will ever visit the Iron Range, even during campaign season. And now that the Steelworkers have given Bernie their jacket and rank and file endorsement with it, if Hillary manages to get elected, I doubt extending unemployment benefits for those Steelworkers will be a high priority for a Clinton administration.
No wonder Bernie polls at 51% in the same rural Minnesota district, 16% better than Hillary. Bernie wins by bringing out democrats and independents that had given up on the democratic party. Better yet, Bernie is bringing out new democrats to volunteer for party positions and run for office. While Hillary’s 35% is about what I and a bunch of other rural Minnesota candidates got in low turnout 2014, Bernie’s 51% is a winning margin in our swing districts… Which would you rather have at the top of the ballot? Heck, if Bernie’s our presidential candidate, I’ll even run again!
So if all you care about is (maybe) sending Hillary to the White House and could give a crap about winning back congress and everything on down, support Hillary. But if you want to put a true progressive in the White House AND take back the rest of government… Bernie is your candidate!