I’ve seen a couple of articles here (and elsewhere) already berating Sanders supporters for not supporting Biden. Things about throwing away the Supreme Court, etc.
Give it a rest.
Give Sander’s supporters time to mourn.
Biden wasn’t most of our first choice. When Warren dropped out, I mourned. I grieved for the possibility of a smart, capable, and amazing woman FINALLY leading our country.
I switched to Biden eventually because the data suggested that he is our best chance to beat Trump and that is what I want. That is what we all want.
But the switch didn’t come overnight and if people had been yelling at me and berating me and insulting me it might not have come as easily.
People need time to mourn. They need time to come to terms with the fact that a Sanders presidency isn’t going to happen. They need to to grieve for the loss of a president who supported all that they support. Who has brave and consistent and steadfast and fearless.
Let them mourn.
I get that people who have already switched to Biden are scared. Wounds of 2016 are fresh in all our heads. We know that Trump wouldn’t have won if people hadn’t stayed home or voted 3rd party. And we are terrified.
But this isn’t 2016. Biden isn’t Hillary. And more importantly, Biden and Bernie are not Hillary and Bernie. Bernie genuinely likes Biden. They are friends. He considers Biden one of the few people who took him seriously before he became “Bernie!” And Biden likes and respects not only Bernie but also the many people who support him.
This will not be the fake bond of 2016. As Biden wrote yesterday:
"I want to commend Bernie for being a powerful voice for a fairer and more just America. It’s voices like Bernie’s that refuse to allow us to just accept what is — that refuse to accept we can’t change what’s wrong in our nation — that refuse to accept the health and well-being of our fellow citizens and our planet isn’t our responsibility too. Bernie gets a lot of credit for his passionate advocacy for the issues he cares about. But he doesn’t get enough credit for being a voice that forces us all to take a hard look in the mirror and ask if we’ve done enough.
While the Sanders campaign has been suspended — its impact on this election and on elections to come is far from over. We will address the existential crisis of climate change. We will confront income inequality in our nation. We will make sure healthcare is affordable and accessible to every American. We will make education at our public colleges and universities free.…
And to your supporters I make the same commitment: I see you, I hear you, and I understand the urgency of what it is we have to get done in this country. I hope you will join us. You are more than welcome. You’re needed.
Together we will defeat Donald Trump. And when we do that, we’ll not only do the hard work of rebuilding this nation — we’ll transform it."
So give Bernie fans time to mourn. Don’t berate or insult them if they aren’t ready to flip on a dime and move to Biden today (or even tomorrow or next week). This is a real loss. Be respectful.
We are all in this together. This isn’t 2016. We know the risks and we are playing a different game with different players.
With our eyes on the prize, we can save America. And be kind in the process.