Went to bed late Tuesday night after CNN declared that Hillary Clinton had beaten Bernie Sanders in Illinois, and was very happy. Hillary was well on her way to getting the nomination, and now she could concentrate on the general election and beating Donald Trump in the fall, (assuming he is the GOP nominee). Woke up Wednesday morning and was met by the following on liberal websites everywhere;
Piss off Democrats, I’m leaving the party
Clinton victories leave me very depressed
I will never vote for Hillary
Hillary cannot beat Trump
Arrest Bill Clinton for talking to people
Don’t you dare celebrate Clinton victories.
How the media sabotaged Sanders.
Our last best hope, FBI indicts Hillary.
And my personal favorite, Bernie really won all the states Tuesday night, but the media is covering it up.
Now, I can understand some of the frustration coming from Sanders supporters. I felt the same way back in 2008 when Hillary lost to Barack Obama, but I’ve never seen as much loathing, whining and outright hatred for Hillary Clinton than I have seen in the past week. I understand that people may not agree with Hillary on everything. Heck, I always didn’t agree with Obama on everything, but it seems simply pointless to me to pile on Hillary when the real enemy is Trump.
I ask Democrats this, do you want Trump as president?? I certainly don’t. In order to win in November, we have to show a united front. This crazy talk coming from Bernie people isn’t helping matters any.
“I ask Democrats this, do you want Trump as president??”
Not really, but IF he can be believed on trade and banks, a big IF I grant you, he would be worlds better than Hillary who is no more than a whore for Wall Street.
How can you support her when you see those “speaking fees” bribes?
I really have to wonder if people like you have actually read into Trump or Hillary on actual policy proposals at all.
Trump’s proposed a comically large tax cut for the hyper-rich Wall Street types and talked some vague bullshit about China and Mexico that anybody with even a 3rd-Grade-level understanding of how our government works knows he can’t actually do.
He hasn’t proposed anything on banks.
Hillary’s proposing taxing banks and implementing new regulations on banks and proposing actual policy that would basically accomplish what Trump is bullshitting about.
This is all putting aside the fact that Trump’s a fascist, of course.
But, by all means, have another slice of red meat.
“Hillary’s proposing taxing banks and implementing new regulations on banks and proposing actual policy that would basically accomplish what Trump is bullshitting about.”
Which week was that? When you just spout whatever the polls tell you to spout, no one can believe you. What can you believe? The open payoffs she and her husband have collected from Wall Street.
You’re seriously going to argue consistency in favor of Trump?
…adding:
I say all that as a fellow Sanders voter.
And I’m a fellow Martian.
Believe what you like. But careful with stamping your feet. It’ll leave your knees shit later in life.
Booman Tribune ~ Comments ~ Clinton victories met with anger, whining
I will offer some opinions on why this is as a European, who has followed this election from the outside. Take it with a grain of salt if you like.
I started following the democratic primary because the MSM was all Trump, Trump, Trump and I thought the democratic primary was more interesting. I have followed this election mainly here for the analysis and on DailyKos to see the mood of the activists.
First, what we are seeing now is anger, and that is an emotional response. People are not angry because they want to be angry, they are angry because they are angry.
And that is quite a change in six months. I would say that during the fall the mood was quite good in both camps – we have two good candidates! – apart from some passive-aggressive sniping. There was anger at the media and at the DNC establishment – in particular DWS – both not at the campaigns.
The mood went sour after the Clinton campaign went negative in January and it has continued downwards from there. Lots of Sanders supporters (not the campaign) went negative, the Clinton campaign continued going negative and now when many Sanders supporters sees the case as lost, this all boils over.
I would say that the Clinton campaign pretty much laid the groundwork for this anger. If the Clinton campaign wants to patch things up to make sure they get the votes the things they can still do it, but as campaigns wield much more power then unorganised voters, it is up to the campaign. In the words of Tywin Lannister destroy those who will not kneel, but if a man does kneel, help him up.
I think what needs to be done is stop with negative attacks on Sanders, run out the rest of the primary with respect to the opposition and then explore how they can offer enough to Sanders base to make them come out for Clinton in the general election. I don’t think Clinton is trusted enough for legislative promises to cut it, but for example making clear that [insert name of someone who is competent and wants to go after Wall Street] will be appointed to [insert position] where said person can go after Wall Street to the full extent of already existing laws. Or that [insert name of someone who is competent and wants to go renegotiate international trades treaties] will be appointed to [insert position] where said person can with the full backing of the USA move power back from TPP courts etc.
Now, I don’t think they will any such move to make sure the left votes for them. And it is not because it would scare centrist voters (they are running against Trump who should scare centrist voters much more), and not because I dislike the Clintons, but because that is not what third-way politicians do. And when you look at it, it is rational. Third-way politicians can rule the big party on the left by running to the right only if the party believes that running to the left will always fail. And therefore third-way politicians must ensure that the left wing fails, even if it means undermining the party as such. And in Europe there are seceral examples of parties run enough into the ground that they no longer is a credible alternative for ruling party.
I would like to be proven wrong, but I think the Clinton campaign will do little and less to patch things up and if the general election goes bad the left will be blamed. That is more the pattern for third-way politicians.
Your former labor parties have been captured by neoliberalism, too, I take it.
Oh yes, very much so. And since at least the financial crisis, the added notion of the horrible deficit.