Quick repost of one I made on Facebook.
Someone had posted this Slate article: "A Letter to a Bernie-or-Bust Voter: I get it. I was just like you once."
Typically, I don't respond to such blatant propaganda by Hillary supports, but this one was particularly agitating because it not only attacked Bernie for damaging Hillary's chances in the general election (which it will), but went after a fundamental right of American citizens.
The author encourages Bernie supporters to stop supporting their candidate for the sole reason of boosting Hillary. That is, he wants them to revoke their right to vote and, instead, blindly support the Democratic party's preferred candidate.
(Slate) |
This is the dumbest thing I have ever read.
I'm not the biggest Bernie fan, but this mentality is what got us here in the first place.
Instead of demanding the best candidates and the best of them, we concede to the "safe" candidate and settle for just "OK".
Consider the current situation:
Sanders has long known that it was a near mathematical impossibility to win the nomination. However, he stayed in and fought.
In doing so he has helped pull Hillary further left (good or bad). Additionally, because of his vast support, he will now influence politics beyond the primaries.
Had he given in and dropped out months ago, this would not have happened.
Like it or not (and whether or not his policies are fiscally possible), there are people who agree with his views. In a democracy this must be recognized and respected.
The past year, the Hillary campaign has acted like her nomination was a forgone conclusion. That's not how it works.
Playing safe and simply trying not to mess up should not be a strategy. A campaign is meant to expose weaknesses and reveal a candidate's true self.
Unfortunately for Hillary, despite her best efforts, this is what ended up happening and only happened because Sanders remained in the race.
So, sorry, Hillary supporters. You cannot silence a significant section of the population in the name of unity and #NeverTrump.
By the way, for those unhappy with both Trump and Hillary, there is a viable 3rd party candidate that will be on the ballot in all 50 states.
Gary Johnson is likely the Libertarian candidate and believes in a women's right to choose, legalizing marijuana, the rights of ALL people, and being smart about international policy. i.e. he will not get into endless wars (not just Iraq and Afghanistan, but in Syria and Libya). All of this and he will not spend the country into an unrecoverable deficit, only to pass it on to the next generation.
Maybe he'll win, maybe not. But don't for a second believe that you'd be "throwing away" your vote by expressing your opinion in a manner that many around the world are unable to do.
Thoughts on the article?
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