I admit it, I felt the Bern. Now, at 54, I didn’t feel it like the starry-eyed youth that form the largest block of Sanders supporters. I never thought he was perfect (his weakness on gun control always bothered me), nor that he could get most of his priorities through Congress intact if he won. But, although a lifelong Democrat, I’ve always considered myself a democratic socialist in political ideology. I’m an economic populist and I was thrilled to see an unapologetic democratic socialist move the Democratic Party away from chasing a “center” that no longer exists. Thanks largely to Sen. Sanders, Democrats are remembering that we exist as a party to work for economic justice. We aren’t simply Republicans who have decided to be somewhat nicer to minorities and LGBT folk and not destroy the environment quite so fast. We are the party of FDR’s New Deal, Truman’s Fair Deal, LBJ’s Great Society.
I am not a Hillary-hater. I didn’t vote for her in the ‘08 because of one issue: Iraq. She had voted to give W the authorization to use force and Obama hadn’t. It’s the same reason I supported Howard Dean instead of Kerry in the ‘04 primary. But Hillary had the better health care plan in ‘08 and the “Obamacare” we got was closer to her plan (minus a public option) than to his. I had always admired her work for the rights of women and children and her strong defense of reproductive freedom. Even as I got my Bernie-gear in the mail and put my sign in the yard and on my car, I told everyone that I was fully prepared to vote for HRC (should she win the primary) in the general election—and work to get others to the polls for the same reason.
As the primary wore on, it became clear that Sanders would fall short. That was fine. He’d changed the conversation and set much of the agenda for some time to come. I was happy. But then he refused to drop out after Clinton became the presumptive nominee—and even after the last primary in Washington, DC. The contrast between Sanders’ petulant behavior and that of Clinton in ‘08 (a MUCH closer race!) when she gracefully conceded to Obama, endorsed him enthusiastically (which, given the sharp elbows in that hard fought campaign, couldn’t have been easy), and worked her ass off to get him elected. Then she served honorably for 4 years as his Secretary of State—during which time she had much higher approval ratings than her president.
Then, when Sen. Murphy (D-CT) made his courageous filibuster to force my odious Senator, Mitch McConnell (R-KY—God-Help-US), to schedule votes on small gun-sense matters, Sen. Sanders was nowhere to be seen. That was and remains beyond embarrassing. If Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) of Freaking WEST VIRGINIA can stick out his neck on this and conservative GOPer Pat Club-of-Growth Toomey can break ranks for gun sense, then WHERE THE HELL was the “progressive” Sen. Sanders for whom I voted? A tweet is not “support!!!!”
And then he gives an on-line “speech” to his supporters (200K watched) in which he DOES NOT CONCEDE, barely mentions Hillary, and allows the delusion of “we can win at the convention” continue! WTF???!!
So, I apologize. I had warning. Louisville City Councilmember Tina Ward-Pugh, a longtime HRC surrogate in my city called and tried to convince me to throw my support to Hillary for over an hour. She warned me that Bernie had always campaigned only for himself (as an Independent he had never cared about a party) and was doing nothing for downballot races. She reminded me of how embarrassing I found the New York Times interview in which Sanders could not give any details on HOW he would break-up the big banks—His Effing SIGNATURE ISSUE! But I, happy that I was voting the same way as my daughter, wouldn’t listen.
Well, screw Bernie and the BoBs. We’ll win this without them. Hell, if Warren is HRC’s Veep pick, we’ll get 90% of Bernie supporters without him! And, YES, if he doesn’t concede, he should get NO SPEECH at the DEMOCRATIC National Convention! I’m done—and I’m sorry I was ever a part of his delusion. I’ve ordered signs and T-shirts and other Hillary swag on line. Let’s go win this, folks.