I realize there's virtually nothing that can be done to prevent the upcoming pie fights regarding Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Despite the fact that the comments consisting of "Bernie can't win", "Bernie is too old", "Bernie's hair needs combing", "Hillary's a corporate shill", "Hillary voted for the Iraq war", "Hillary sat on the Walmart board" accomplish virtually nothing, except perhaps getting the poster a few recs from like minded souls, these comments will be made and will be responded to.
Nonetheless, I'm going to make a plea - and an argument - in the hope that at least a few might resist the temptation to engage in such pointless postings.
First, I'd like to point out that this site can be a catalyst for change. It's had an impact in the past, but it could be So Much More. We could each be a part of something that has a real impact on this next election. But not if we waste so much of our time, energy, and space on the pointless, silly bickering that serves solely to assauge each of our own individual egos by voicing our opinion, an opinion that no one but ourselves and those sharing that opinion gives a hoot about.
During "down" times, I see nothing wrong with each of us using this site for that very purpose. It's satisfying to voice an opinion and it's satisfying to feel like one is demolishing an opponent. It's human nature to enjoy that process and, as long as it's not hurting anyone or anything, there's nothing wrong with it. However, wasting time and energy on such a self satisfying but pointless process at a time that is going to be crucial to our country's future is harmful and we should no longer engage in it.
So I'd like to challenge everyone here - whatever side of the aisle you're on - to ask yourself several questions before you post either a diary or a comment.
One of the aspects Democrats claim to pride themselves on is being open minded. Ask yourself - does the diary or comment you're posting reflect an open mind? Or does it reflect an adamant "I am right and you are wrong" mindset? When you're posting, are you leaving room for another person's right to hold a position different than yours?
Then ask yourself whether there's a purpose in posting your diary or comment other than voicing your opinion. Are you attempting to provide information others might not yet have? Are you providing others with a different way of looking at an issue or a person? Or are you posting solely for the purpose of telling others they're wrong? Are you simply reiterating what you've posted 100 times before because you've failed to convince the thousands on here that you're right and they're wrong? In other words, is it an intellectual exercise or simply an emotional exercise? Ask yourself whether you think your post will actually further the goal of improving the Democratic Party and help our country move in the direction it needs to go.
And finally, when you're tempted to respond to a post from someone who is posting something that's simply an emotional exercise, ask yourself what you think will be accomplished by responding and would ignoring it be a more effective rejection than any response could be? Remember, silence is often the greatest argument you can make. If someone posts that Bernie can't win, would that post lose relevance more by being ignored or by having thirty responses that yes, he can win if we fight or that it doesn't matter if he wins because he can change the conversation, etc.? If someone posts that Hillary is just like Bill, will that comment lose impact more by being ignored or by being responded to with outrage?
There are comments that Must be responded to. Those that contain sexist, misogynist or defamatory content, for example. People that use that type of argument must be slapped down immediately and made to understand that it won't be accepted here. But those that are simply wasting their finger strokes by repeatedly typing the same tripe they've typed 100 times before, that have failed to convince anyone of anything with the same comments they're typing now? No. They can safely be ignored. Don't waste the time and space it takes to respond to them. Instead, spend your time typing something positive and of value that actually contributes to the conversation overall, and let their silly comment sit there by itself, being ignored by all as it so richly deserves. So let's all make a commitment to limiting our responses to such comments to either no response or, at most, to "What is the purpose of this comment?"
I know the emotional tug of wanting to point out the silliness and sometimes downright stupidity of comments about Bernie's hair or Hilary's age or whatever. Feeling like you've got the perfect zinger. But the time for satisfying our urges is past. We now need to get down to the business of focusing on how we're going to have a positive impact on moving this country back to the center from the far right extreme it's swung to. So let's put our own emotions and personal, petty needs aside, and focus on that.
And in the light of transparency and with the goal of openmindedness, below the fold, I'm going to tell you who I support and why and also provide you with good reasons to support both Bernie and Hilary.
I'll be straight forward and say that I've never been a supporter of Hillary Clinton. I'll also readily acknowledge that I was one of those who were fooled by Edwards and, for a time, believed him to be a fighter for the downtrodden. When the truth about him came out, I switched my allegiance to Obama, although I wasn't convinced he was what this country needed. I've been more disappointed in Obama than I expected to be, but also recognize the many insurmountable hurdles he's had and certainly appreciate the things he has been able to accomplish. I'm glad he won and believe Hilary would have been a worse choice - at the time. Nevertheless, I've posted numerous comments defending Hillary whenever I thought she was being unfairly or needlessly attacked and I see many worthwhile accomplishments and positions on her part.
I love Bernie Sanders. I'm incredibly happy he made the decision to enter this race and believe he did it, not out of ego or vanity or for power, but because he decided it's the only way to get the conversations about important issues moved to the center, from the far right. And I believe he's right. I believe there Has to be someone speaking for the progressives. I intend to support Bernie in every way I can, including financially. I'll be sending him more money than I've ever contributed to politics before. And the reason I'm doing it is because I believe his candidacy alone can have a huge impact on the conversations this country has if we support him and his issues sufficiently. We Can make a real difference through Bernie, I believe.
I'm not expecting Bernie to win the primary. I'm not hopeless about it, although I think it's an extremely long shot. However, should Bernie win or lose the primary, progressive ideals will win because he will make a difference. Between him and Elizabeth Warren, the conversation has been changing and, with his candidacy, it will change even more. Therefore, I strongly believe his candidacy is a good thing.
The flip side is that I will be able to get behind Hillary should she win the primary and fight for her just as hard as I'd fight for Bernie. I'll admit to a tiny bit of that enthusiasm being that it's long past time we have a woman leading this country. But there are more important reasons. The most important, in my mind, is that we must have a Democrat in the White House to appoint the next Supreme Court Justices. If we get any more right wing wackos on the bench, any hope for this country swinging back to the center will be gone for generations to come. But there's more.
I believe, that with pressure, Hillary could well end up being a great president. She already holds many socially progressive ideals. Yes, she's made some horrendous decisions and some very bad votes. Yes, she's had a lot of negative influences on her economically. Yes, she's in this for the power and prestige more than she's in it to help the average American. But we can use that last one in our favor and Bernie can help us with that = as can Elizabeth Warren - if we help them do it.
I tend to read a lot of history. Not history about war, which is most of what's written. But history about economics and politics and, on the rare occasion I can find it, the history of the middle class and poor. And the one thing I know is that every single president we've ever had or ever will have wants to leave a legacy. And they want that legacy to be something that will not be forgotten in a decade or two. Leaving a legacy is supremely important to each of them and is a central part of their perception of being president.
Sometimes that legacy is good, sometimes bad. George Bush's will be the Iraq War. Obama's will be healthcare. If we could convince Hillary that she could develop a legacy that is even larger, one that would be remembered, not like Polk's acquiring much of Texas and southern California which is no longer thought or talked about, but instead like Roosevelt's, who will be remembered with thoughts of greatness for centuries to come, I believe that possibility would serve to overcome much of the influence she's exhibited to this point. The hope of leaving a lasting legacy could overcome her "centrist" (which is really moderate right) tendency and swing her back to the real center.
I believe that between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, along with the Occupy movement, etc., she's already begun to recognize the possibility. As they've been brave enough to start fighting for the middle class and poor, and Hillary's seen the swell of support for these two fighters, it seems her perspective has begun to change. It seems she's recognizing the failure that Bill's economic "accomplishments" have been and she's beginning to reassess what hers should be. And I think that if the American people show a swelling of support for Bernie Sanders, it will have a major impact on her. If she becomes convinced that strengthening and expanding Social Security, improving the tax code to help the middle class and poor, significantly increasing the minimum wage, etc. has massive support, she will begin to see that the way for her to have a lasting legacy is to become another Roosevelt.
But to have any hope of that, we have to exert major pressure on her and have the means of showing her how much support those issues have. And the way to show her that is to show major support for Bernie Sander's candidacy.
I know many people are going to completely disagree with my take and opinion, and that's okay. Whether it's because they think Hilary is simply hopeless and it would be better to have a Republican than to take our chance or her or that they think Bernie will win, or that they think Bernie is foolish to have entered the race because it will create the pie fights that are imminent, it's okay. I only hope that they'll voice their disagreements courteously, keep an open mind to the facts and others' opinions, and not waste time, energy, and space arguing the same things endlessly, with no new facts or theories.
Without question, I will be supporting whoever gets the Democratic nomination. And between now and then, I'm going to be doing everything I can to get that candidate to hold positions as far left as possible. That won't be accomplished by attacking whoever it is. It will be accomplished by supporting those who hold the right positions with everything I have, so whoever is the candidate has an opportunity to see the depth of feeling there is in this country for supporting policies that help the middle and working class.