I’ve had my mail-in ballot on my desk for weeks because I couldn’t make up my mind. I had planned to wait until after Nevada, but after seriously considering Warren and flirting with a few others, I have decided to vote for and support Bernie Sanders on March 3. (My $27 contribution went yesterday.)
My decision was ultimately not based on who had the best plan for health care or even whose agenda most met my Progressive ideals. All the candidates have good plans for health care. All of them would work hard to right the sinking ship of state, “tackle corruption” and recognize the threat of climate change.
The ultimate deciding factor for me was that all the other candidates are selling themselves as being “the one” who will “take on Trump,” “fix” Washington, or “fight for you”. Sanders recognizes that no president, no matter how well intentioned or skilled at fighting, can “fix” Washington, end corruption, or pass Progressive legislation through a recalcitrant Congress. Sanders makes it very clear that he can’t do it alone. That this moment requires a movement not a candidate. I agree 100% with that assessment.
Our experience with Obama should have taught us that. The mistake Obama made (and we made with him) was that he created this astounding grassroots movement for change that swept him into office on a wave of optimism and hope. (Remember the joy as we watched him take office, tears streaming down our faces and the faces of our fellow supporters watching the returns come in? We believed change had finally come.)
But once in office Obama left the grassroots behind and tried to tackle the problems from the inside, as the person who could “fix” Washington and “work with” the other side. Yes, he accomplished a lot (Obamacare, the Iran deal, the Paris accord etc.), but instead of a changed Washington we got an even more entrenched and partisan opposition party that continues to make it clear that their only goal is to maintain power at any and all costs. Trump is not an “outlier”, he is their test model. Don’t believe me, read Paul Krugman’s early book “The Great Unraveling.”
Because there’s a lot of material and people are too busy to read long narratives, I am simply linking to the various videos, ads and graphics that shaped my decision, which was not reached lightly. I hope that those of you who have not yet fully committed to another candidate will watch the videos, listen to the interviews and consider supporting Sanders in 2020. I feel he is our best hope.
I respect the many divergent views in this community, and each person’s right to support their candidate. My history on DK since 2007 shows my commitment to civility and courtesy. I ask that commenters — no matter who they support — pledge to maintain civility in our discourse.
I use the “large bold” font to direct attention to the particular video or graphic and to denote actual quotes from the video or ad. To those who find the large font annoying I apologize. Personally, at 74 I find it easier to read! :)
Why I chose Sanders:
We need a movement, not “a savior”. Sanders not only understands that but has actually built a movement that will not end with this election. “Not Me/Us” resonates with me.
I ran across this ad a few weeks ago, “The Times they Are A Changin’”. I lived the civil rights and anti war movements of the Sixties. This election requires a similar movement to fight entrenched power and racism. It wasn’t easy then; it won’t be easy now.
Killer Ad by Killer Mike! (Quoting Baldwin): “You asked my father to wait, my brother to wait, my uncle to wait. How long must I wait on freedom?” . . .”I started to understand . . poor white people have been denied, women are being denied, gays and lesbians . . . been denied . . . Everybody outside of that one percent has been denied . . . Look to your neighbor and say neighbor THE TIME IS NOW . . .there are more of us . . we are stronger . .we are together ..we are united. . . we will NOT wait four more years. The time is NOW.”
“No president no matter how honest or well intentioned can do it alone. . . We can’t get this done without solidarity with each other.”
“It’s not a radical idea to provide health care to those who need it.” . . “I listen to Bernie speak and I see a kind man...I’ve heard him say when you hurt, I hurt and I believe it. I can see that he means that.” “I need hope right now and Bernie Sanders is the man who gives me hope.”
You can’t fake empathy
I had only seen Sanders at debates and rallies, where the decibel level and finger wagging can be distracting (sadly, none of our candidates have Obama’s oratorical gifts). Watching this one on one interview in Kentucky with Krystal Ball I was struck by how measured, calm, and thoughtful Sanders is, how clearly he explains his core message and how genuine his empathy feels as he discusses addiction.
“First we have to ask the question why is it that so many people are falling into drugs, into alcohol and into despair?. . .Why do people turn to drugs to ease. . . because I think there’s a lot of pain in this country and I think the people are running away from that pain. . . .the doctors call it “diseases of despair” that’s what it’s called. . . . there is a physiology of poverty . . .if you can’t afford to pay your bills . . .you develop a physical structure that deals with all of the stress. . . and that’s why we have massive gaps in life expectancy between wealthy communities and poor communities . . . We have to give hope to people who in many cases have lost hope. . . give them the educational opportunities . . . decent housing . . .health care... give them jobs that will allow them to be productive members of society. . . when people have jobs and income there is much less likelihood that they will turn to drugs and addiction.
Sanders took a lot of heat for going on Fox to do this Town Hall. I almost skipped these Q & A sessions because watching Fox can be sickening (literally). Much to my surprise, Sanders was exactly the same on Fox as he is everywhere. The audience was made up of Republicans, Democrats, Independents and “conservatives”. Seeing him handle the Fox moderators and the audience with grace and courtesy (no screaming or finger wagging!) was encouraging.
I thought Part 2 of the Town Hall was better than Part 1, but throughout the audience gave him a surprisingly warm reception.
Adding The Daily Show appearance because who doesn’t love Trevor Noah? Who knew Sanders has a good sense of humor?
The argument has been that Sanders is unelectable because he has a “25% ceiling.” Could it be that 25% is a floor, not a ceiling? Like Trump, Sanders has a base that will never desert him. The rest of us who were not in that base but who might vote for him make that 25% a floor, not a ceiling. Trump has ONLY his base left and no way to grow his party, which is shrinking. Sanders has a rock solid base but the recent polls are showing that it’s NOT a ceiling, it’s a floor. He can grow our Party.
While demographic changes unfold slowly, it’s already clear that the 2020 electorate will be unique in several ways. Nonwhites will account for a third of eligible voters – their largest share ever – driven by long-term increases among certain groups, especially Hispanics. At the same time, one-in-ten eligible voters will be members of Generation Z, the Americans who will be between the ages 18 and 23 next year. That will occur as Millennials and all other older generations account for a smaller share of eligible voters than they did in 2016.
“Bernie leads all candidates, to include Trump, in donations from active duty military, and not by a little bit, by like 50%, he’s leading by a lot. This surprised a lot of people, the military has traditionally been a bedrock of support for the Republican Party and that appears to be changing.”
Responding to criticism about the culinary union.
The “Sanders is a [Democratic] Socialist” question is being addressed and will be baked into the conversation by November. It’s not much different from Warren’s “regulated capitalism”.
Sanders’ may not yet have the level of support among African Americans as Biden, but there’s a reason his numbers are rising.
“And what I can tell you with absolute certainty and I know I speak for every one of the Democratic candidates is that no matter who wins, and we certainly hope it’s going to be us, we are going to unite together, we are going to unite together and defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country. And the reason I believe we are going to win is we have an unprecedented grassroots movement coast to coast of millions of people. . . a multi-generational multi-racial political movement . . .which is demanding that we finally have an economy that works for all of us.
Trump may be mad as a hatter, but he has an innate cunning and undeniable political instincts. His minions may laugh at Sanders. Trump isn’t laughing.
As mentioned, I considered Biden, Warren and Buttigieg, before deciding on Sanders. I didn’t seriously consider Klobuchar or Steyer because I don’t see a long term path for either. Bloomberg is buying his way to the top tier. The video above speaks for me as to why I feel he would be a terrible nominee. I hope our Party doesn’t chose him as our standard bearer. Yes his ads are the best money can buy. So were cigarette company ads, and drug company ads that hide side effects in the small print.
Sanders’ message reaching key battleground states:
“Trump betrayed the voters of Wisconsin. . . .for empty promises . . that’s been wiped out . . gone . . That’s why I’m going to vote for Bernie, because I know that he’s going to fight for the every man, for all of us. It’s not about what he wants. It’s about what’s right for the country.”
My decision making process involved a long and winding road narrative that I omitted in the interest of not adding to an already long diary. I’m happy to answer questions and respond to comments.
Thank you for reading.
We can win this election.
Hope and love are more powerful than fear.
At this moment in our history despair is not an option. I've got four kids and seven grandchildren. I can't give up. You can't give up.
~ Bernie Sanders
Monday, Feb 17, 2020 · 7:44:57 PM +00:00 · hummingbird4015
Thank you to everyone who’s been commenting — I’ve got to go get something to eat and take a break but will be back later to respond. I much appreciate the thoughtfulness and civility of the comments. And making the Rec List is always an honor and a privilege.
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2020 · 1:06:41 AM +00:00
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hummingbird4015
It’s 5:00 and I realize I’ve spent all day answering the incredible questions and comments from this diary. Thank you to everyone who read and participated whether we agreed or not. I almost didn’t post the diary because I was concerned about how it would be received since “Sanders’ supporter” has engendered so much controversy here, but I felt that my process might help others struggling with the difficult decision of how to vote. Many of you are Warren supporters. I like her too, and would happily see her as the nominee. There is more that unites us than what divides us.
I have some health issues that I’ve put aside today to work on this diary and answer as many comments as I can. I need to leave it now. I need to feed the dog, take a shower, eat dinner, do my exercise and yoga, and go back to my “regular” life.
It was an honor to be on the rec’ list for most of the day. Thank you to everyone who read and commented.