Why I am voting for Bernie Sanders today

[rebcake]

...and it's not because of some weird hate-on for Hillary.

Comments

[snogged]

I like Bernie for many of the same reasons you described.

Hope things go well for your primary today.

[rebcake]

It's so interesting! Which reminds me of the curse: may you live in interesting times.

[ginar369]

Just voted for Bernie in my Primary in New Jersey. I'm with you on being excited because for once my primary vote will actually be important this year. Usually by time I vote in the primary it's so late that one candidate has already sewn up the nomination. I was proud to cast my vote for Bernie Sanders this morning. And I voted for the down ticket ballots of candidates that supported him!

We have been falling behind in so many areas when compared to other countries for a while now. It boggles the mind that the richest country on earth has such poor health care, education, infrastructure etc... Bernie Sanders has been steadfast in his support of issues that mean a great deal to me.

[rebcake]

Thank you for voting, citizen! I, of course, agree with you on all counts.

This is the most unusual election that I can recall, and I avidly follow them all. It really feels like the soul of the nation is going through some kind of crucible.

I awfully nice not being a foregone conclusion for a change. The convention is going to be riveting!

[ginar369]

Do you know if average citizens get into the convention? I'm not a delegate but I really want to attend this convention.

[rebcake]

Without press or delegate credentials, I highly doubt that a civilian could get into the convention itself. However, there will probably be lots of "off campus" events in town, if you're local.

I ran to be a delegate, but it's a very hot ticket this year! There were over 50 women vying for 5 slots in the Bernie caucus.

[velvetwhip]

THIS. All of it. Because I too am a feminist who would love to see a female president and if Elizabeth Warren were running... But she isn't and Hilary Clinton is. Hilary Clinton, who once lied to Elizabeth Warren and promised to vote against a bill that made bankruptcy harder for poor people, a bill the bankers and Wall Street loved, only to turn around and vote for it. Make no mistake, if she's ultimately the nominee, I will vote for her, but I will be doing so to vote against Trump. I want a candidate I can vote for and that's why I support Bernie Sanders.

Gabrielle

[rebcake]

I don't know if you've noticed, but I try not to speak ill of people. That said, it's pretty hard to ignore that Hillary inspires a lot of negative feelings, some of them a direct result of actual things she's done or said. How I feel about certain Republicans, millions of people feel about her. I shudder at the idea that the general election will come down to who can inspire the most hate for the other candidate. Is that really what this country is about?

Urgh. I must hit the polls and clear my mind.

[velvetwhip]

I know and I understand and I would never make personal remarks against her the way so many are doing. It's disgusting. My issues with her are political. I don't give a damn about anything else when I step into the voting booth. I hope I have not upset you in any way, because I respect and admire you and I would never want to distress you.

Gabrielle

[rebcake]

Nope, no distress here! People are absolutely free to express their justifiable anger in this space.

There's so much to process in this race. Lots of it is distraction, IMHO, but that doesn't mean the things being said are untrue.

I'm not looking forward to the rhetoric of the general election, that's for sure!

[shapinglight]

I hope you get your wish and the number of votes for Sanders will influence the formation of policy. It does seem way too much these days that people find themselves voting for the least worst option.

Also, given the divisive legacy of Margaret Thatcher, ultimately it's policies that count, not the sex of the candidate.

[rebcake]

I feel for you guys, with weeks to slog through until the referendum.

But yes, it's so nice to have something to vote FOR, rather than against.

Yes, Margaret Thatcher is indeed the answer to "but Hillary's a woman". I doubt that Hillary is as heartless and bloodthirsty as Thatcher, but she's not exactly some progressive ideal, either. "Not entirely heartless" is hardly a ringing endorsement, is it?

[shapinglight]

"Not entirely heartless" is hardly a ringing endorsement, is it?

No, not at all.

The referendum campaign over here seems to plumb lower and lower depths with every day that passes. The latest scaremongering from the Leave campaign claims that if we stay in the EU, British women are more in danger of being sexually assaulted.

Like I said, it's hard to know how it could get any scummier, beyond the Leavers getting Trump to campaign for them, because I'm sure he could think of even worse things to say.

On the other hand, I've not much sympathy with Cameron and the Stay bunch either. He's brought this on himself. He didn't have to call a referendum. He just caved in to the Neanderthal right wing of his party.

[rebcake]

He's brought this on himself.

Same with the Republicans over here. They are so very far from being the party of Lincoln, anymore. Their machinations have led to them losing control of their own party, and I am personally hoping this will lead to a splintering of the party after Trump loses in November and takes the people down ticket with him. Mwahahaha!

The 2 party system is not working very well. We really ought to have four at least - right, center right, center left, left - but tradition is hard to overturn in our young nation.

[brunettepet]

I am resigned to voting for Hilary to keep Trump out of the Whitehouse. He is terrifying.

[rebcake]

In the general election? Sure. The most terrifying thing for me about Trump is the people who are buying what he's selling. I think he'll lose, but they will still be there. Are we ever going to stop fighting the Civil War?

[brunettepet]

As soon as Bernie lost the Texas primary the resignation set in so it feels like forever.

Are we ever going to stop fighting the Civil War? It doesn't look like it.