re: #152 Mattand

I’m so torn on all of this.

My natural inclination is to support Sanders. It’s good that he’s out there, at least forcing the party to maybe come back from the center right area they’ve been in a for awhile.

That said, unfortunately, electability to the precious independents is a thing that needs to be considered. As people here and elsewhere have pointed out, if Sanders gets the nom, the GOP wins. Flat out. Because it’s going to be 2004 all over again. Instead of Kerry being a flip-flopper on Iraq, it’ll be “ZOMG, the Democrats want to turn the country into socialist hellhole Sweeden!”

And I still think the eye on the prize here is the Supreme Court. You think it’s a 24-hour extremist conservative shit show now? Just wait until a GOP POTUS gets his picks on.

I hate typing that, and worse thinking that, because in a perfect world, honest principles should win out over labels that are easily researched and dismissed. But this ain’t a perfect world, and we’re talking about the American electorate here.

My general attitude is support who you want, but if Sanders loses (which is probably still how this is going to turn out), don’t throw and tantrum and refuse to vote. Not that anyone here would do that, but I go to enough sites where that attitude is proudly screamed from the moment you hit the hyperlink to know it’s going to be a problem.

Given what a racist, ignorant, fanatical shitshow the GOP has become, there is way, way too much at stake here.

My issue really isn’t with Sanders’ agenda in itself. I just have been disappointed with how he expects to pass his reforms. Like for example, he has said he won’t do much for downticket candidates. Honestly, I think that’s narrow minded of him. Plus, he thinks that when Republicans in Congress inevitably vote down his legislation, the people’s response will be to just vote them out or protest to force them into acting. Again, I think he’s being short sighted there. The idealist in me loves Bernie but the pragmatist in me knows that his approach would make him ineffective.