Full Disclosure: I have attended numerous "Bernie" events. I was also at the rally and Netroots Nation in Phoenix, and I have donated money to those who are working on behalf of Bernie and the campaign.
While that is true, I'm finding that the commentary of several - not all - supporters of Bernie Sanders is not nearly as informative - and sometimes intellectually dishonest - in a way that is not making for a battle of ideas, but rather a demonizing of those who do not support Bernie as much as you do. It is also running over those ideas and important issues while we fill up the REC list with generic daily BERNIE IS AWESOME! material while many great stories that need attention should get them.
This morning, during a conference call, the joke came up that in order to get attention, the quickest way was to put BERNIE! in some fashion in their title. While I am all for rah-rah we support Bernie as a Bernie supporter, too much of this has also turned into: "Hillary is SO unacceptable I will quit if X" or "Hillary is borderline evil" which several comments have filled with seeming scorn of Hillary supporters.
While I support Bernie, I have no problem saying I would gladly, happily vote for Hillary in a general election. Her stances on many issues are VERY progressive, and her direct track record includes something I can't forget: by all accounts, her work on helping select and manage judges for the Clinton administration brought us names who have shaped the courts we have in a very positive way. Does anyone doubt that the selection of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a significant moment for progressives? Or that the choices made to go away from insider "preferred" picks - like George Mitchell?
Repeated diaries have argued: "Why do you like Hillary.. At all, basically?" Which seems to be dismissive of numerous reasons why people do, in fact, support Hillary that go beyond her gender.
In 1995, Hillary Clinton was one of the first to argue for changing the way we treat military veterans and handling mental illness and PTSD treatment. This was a significant change in the way we've done business, and frankly, things would be far worse for almost every veteran who lived under the Bush administration.. her foresight in pushing for this as a first lady was a big step that also brought mental health issues out into the light. Nothing wrong with that.
Maybe some look at her foreign policy successes, like brokering a cease fire in Israel, or working for civil rights in Burma and Africa and think: this is the only candidate running with foreign policy accomplishments.
Maybe they are a fan of her environmental plan, which despite the view of some Kossacks as being "inevitable" still over-achieves the projections of the US Solar industry by nearly 450 fold with significant investment from the government in renewable energy.
I point these things out because we are spending way too much time saying "She's not good enough, if she wins X" well, as a Bernie supporter (me) I'm finding that argument to be repugnant. I'm a huge supporter of the key arguments that Bernie Sanders is making, and I think it is a profound breath of fresh air that he is. His arguments in regards to banking standards, income inequality and others are the kind of thing that I think need to be discussed and should help shape our discussion. The notion that anyone except for Bernie could never address any of those issues? I'm hoping for all of our sakes that a lot of people CAN do exactly that, because no matter who is elected, his argument needs to convince many including senators and house members, state governors and mayors. Do we believe Hillary would be working against these things? That they would be happening "In Spite" of Hillary?
Bernie Sanders himself doesn't buy that argument, as he has said it is important that none of the Republicans prevail. For all of the 'negatives' that people throw at Hillary, including the accusations of "what have you done lately", I point to Kossacks who have profound, life changing experiences because of Hillary Clinton.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
In response to a question: "Why would you support Hillary" a Kossack pointed out that in 1992, as an employee in Arkansas, Hillary Clinton supported them in their transition - supporting LGBT issues in 1992 in the south? Say all you want about triangulation, but when rubber has met the road, Hillary Clinton has been there with accomplishments.
I plan to caucus for Bernie Sanders, because many of his items I strongly believe in and feel the need to get them a broader discussion as he does well. I think Bernie is a better candidate not just in the primary but because he brings the fight about issues I care about that I haven't heard in a long time.
Should Senator Clinton prevail, I will not "grudgingly" vote for Hillary, I will gladly with a whistle do so. I will do so not just because I value the courts, our environment, policies and our position in the world, but I will do so because Hillary Clinton has shown that she can work the global stagecraft to benefit our place in the world. She has worked on causes I care about and, she has put forward plans which maybe don't go as far as I wish but which I think could be pushed through a divided congress.
Bernie Sanders in Phoenix said something I thought was profound: without a revolution, none of this happens. And he is right. For all of Bernie Sander's plans, and for as much as I believe in them, he acknowledges that it will take multi-level work to keep them from being the equivalent of promising everyone a pony and beautiful rainbows. The US Senate will vote on only a portion of the US Senate every two years; not enough to create a Democratic super majority that would push his issues.
For right now I plan to caucus for Bernie. Like many Progressives, I appreciate his bold stances. But I have no plans to start attacking Hillary and damning her supporters... it isn't an effective way to build us together in 2016. Instead, I have plans to talk about the issues I care about and the issues where Republicans are wrong.
This is the first and really last diary I plan to write on Hillary/Bernie. There are too many issues that are significant happening around the country - issues on which both of these candidates agree with us in large and significant ways. Protecting the ADA. LGBT rights. Non-Descrimination. Women's Health. A peaceful world. The environment.
With black lives at stake, with mental health advocates screaming for help, as we go to trial on people who have threatened to bomb abortion clinics in America, there are profound and significant issues to discuss in our country.
And they aren't all 'Bernie ROX! Hillary SUX!' or 'Hillary ROX! Bernie SUX!'. Let's talk issues, folks. It is what we do best... and all of us have always said we focus on the issues, not the horserace.
Thu Jul 30, 2015 at 9:15 AM PT: Update
This diary referenced diaries that were within the REC list at a specific point of time and reflected a grumpy grouse of the diarist. It was not written with the idea it would garner nearly as many eyeballs, more as a "come on" kind of thing.
There are responses in the comments below; but in the end, this was about having more source-citations and less conspiracy or allegation stuff. That was it. For those seeking well written Bernie Sanders commentary, please attend the latest "Bernie News Report" which is well sourced and covers the rundown.
Thanks to all the commenters, even when we disagreed.
