To my Hillary-supporting friends — yes, you are still my friends — I have a few thoughts on some of the things I’ve heard lately about Bernie Sanders.
1. He put out an economic forecast which makes unrealistic assumptions.
Actually, if you read page one of the study in question, it says the study was created independently of the Sanders campaign. Sanders merely approved of the fact that it was seen as an endorsement of his plans. And he’s put out very detailed plans to pay for his actual proposals.
2. His ideas are DOA in Congress, so supporting him because of those ideas is unrealistic.
First of all, any Democrat’s ideas are DOA in a Republican Congress. Both Bill Clinton and Obama faced opposition to everything — even plans that the GOP congressional leaders endorsed hours earlier. Sanders understands this. He said “No, you just can’t negotiate with Mitch McConnell...Mitch is gonna have to look out the window and see a whole lot of people saying, ‘Mitch, stop representing the billionaire class. Start listening to working families.” Clinton, meanwhile still clings to the delusion that she can work with the GOP on passing bills, saying there might be a chance to “find common ground” with GOP Senators on the issue of climate change.
3. I support Obama, so I want Clinton to continue his legacy.
First of all, I thank you for supporting President Obama. I myself worked on his campaign and I support him, too. He’s the best President of my lifetime. But the truth is that, Hillary’s pronouncements aside, Bernie is actually closer to Obama, both stylistically and on many of the issues. For example, many of Hillary’s stated positions on the Syria conflict are well to the right of Obama’s — like establishing a no-fly zone there. Stylistically, Obama ran on hope in 2008, something Sanders is running on now. As Keith Ellison explains, Hillary is running a “no you can’t” campaign, while Bernie is the true heir to the Yes We Can promise.
4. I’m a feminist, so I’m voting Hillary.
Voting for Bernie can be a feminist act, too.
5. But Clinton has so much more experience!
Actually, Sanders has decades more experience of public service.
6. Sanders can’t win a general election.
Across all polling averages, Sanders consistently does better in head to head matchups than Clinton.
7. Clinton is battle tested, Sanders has never faced the GOP.
It’s Clinton that has never won a truly competitive race. She’s won 2 Senate elections against weak, underfunded opponents. Sanders, meanwhile, has a long history of improbably victories against strong, much better funded opposition, and has re-written the rules for what’s possible, both in the past and in this primary.
8. The youth won’t turn out for Sanders.
The youth are already turning out, matching 2008’s historic turnout levels. And the youth are supporting Sanders much more than they supported Obama. The Political Revolution is already happening.
9. But people of color prefer Clinton...
New Hampshire was a mostly white state, sure. But among non-white voters, Sanders and Clinton were nearly tied. It’s a mistake to assume that non-white voters won’t continue to flock to Sanders as he keeps his momentum up.
10. Clinton has an expert team of strategists, Sanders is an amateur.
Clinton appears to be repeating the same mistakes as she did in 2008. Even among writers who have long expressed great skepticism of Sanders, like Markos and brooklynbadboy, the Clinton campaign strategy seems at times “pathetic” and “leaderless.” Sanders, meanwhile, is breaking fundraising records without Wall Street fundraisers and has put out masterful campaign ads that celebrate their support for and from people of color.
Sanders will be an inspirational figure for our party and our nation, and he’ll be a fantastic President. If you’re on board, let’s share this message respectfully and passionately with our Hillary-supporting friends and family. Thanks everyone for your hard work, and if you’re feeling inspired by this post, please donate $5 to Bernie Sanders right now!