Stop Telling Bernie Sanders And His Supporters To Shut Up And Get In Line

I have said from the very beginning of this entire primary system that I would back whoever was chosen to be the nominee of the Democratic Party, even if it wasn’t who I wanted. I am still going to do that, and I am absolutely certain it isn’t going to be someone I want. Why am I doing this? It certainly isn’t because I am being inspired to do so, and that is absolutely the worst reason to do so.

Now, I do not hate Hillary Clinton, far from it. I know she is well qualified. I disagree with her ideological temperament, which I view as considerably more pro-Wall Street and less for the actual American people. Then again, no politician is ever going to give you everything you want. Personally, I tend to think that Sanders is too weak on foreign affairs.

I want to make something clear here, though. I usually don’t vote for major party candidates, but currently, I live in a swing state and my vote might actually mean something. That’s why I am really kind of worried about the stupidity I am seeing. I know everyone on the Democratic side wants to obtain their version of unity so they can embarrass their opponents, and they should especially with what they are running against.

However, their tactics are just as destructive right now as some of their Republican friends. Hillary supporters have been basking in their victory, which no one can blame them for doing, while castigating the losers and demanding that they now immediately throw in the towel. They are also demanding that they support their candidate without reservations. Sorry guys, but that never happens. Ever. Many Hillary supporters were well and truly bitter the last time she ran and didn’t want to vote for Obama.

It happens. Passions are inflamed during political campaigns and some people will never capitulate no matter what is said or done. I know people forget this, but the rancor is always acute and because of the severe negatives and fears of this year’s elections possible outcomes I believe people are going overboard. People are already saying they will blame Bernie and his supporters if Hillary loses.

The thing is it won’t be Bernie’s fault if Hillary loses. The same thing went for Al Gore, and Michael Dukakis, or any other candidate who has ever lost a Presidential election. You lose a Presidential election because you ran a bad campaign or because you were a bad candidate. Right now, Hillary is a decent candidate, but she is world’s better than her competition. Her problem is that she is running a bad type of campaign, and the same type that helped cause the Brexit vote to happen.

Right now it is almost solely based on the fear of a Trump presidency and nothing to inspire people to vote for her. Sorry, but the first female to be nominated from a major party isn’t a motivator. It just shows you how damned backward our country is. It’s been more than a hundred years since a female first ran for President, and many have run since, but it took this long for one of the major parties to embrace a female? How disappointing is that?

Fear is not a motivator for liberally minded people. It works great for conservatives, that’s why they are always at the polls just to stop liberals from changing things, but liberals just don’t respond to it well. Hillary still has a number of her own roadblocks to overcome, but if things stay roughly the same, and she doesn’t change anything the race is going to be closer than she likes.

Sure some of that will be because of the Sanders supporters who Democrats have been chastising now to get in line and support the nominee, but a lot more of it will be because of the Democratic campaign. If Hillary fails to inspire the Democratic base to get up off their couches this fall to vote for her, they won’t. Ramp up the fear as much as she likes, but by November liberals will be tired of it and tuning it out.

I think it has something to do with how conservatives and liberals view the world, and I may be wrong. I think conservatives believe the past was a better time, and they don’t like change unless it is moving them back to that past. Whereas most liberals think the future can be better than the past, and they believe change is absolutely necessary to bring society forward to it. With this mindset change for a conservative is usually something to be feared, while for a liberal it usually isn’t.

That’s why a campaign based on fear will fail for Hillary. So stop telling Sanders and his supporters to shut up and fall in line. Instead talk with them and not at them. I am aiming this mostly at Hillary’s supporters than at her, as she is actually speaking with Bernie and they are working out a way forward for the Democratic Party. Personally, I have no idea why he hasn’t conceded yet, but that is his business and not mine. Maybe he plans on making a big show of it at the convention?

The point is, if liberals want to beat Donald Trump and what he represents in the Republican Party, stop bickering amongst yourselves. Work together. You won’t agree on everything you want in your own dealings, but defeating a racist, sexist, bigoted son of a bitch like Donald Trump really shouldn’t be a point of contention.