Of course it was a much better chance of bernie winning than anything else. Thats the only reason we got behind him but it was all or nothing. Not winning has dealt a death blow to the revolution. I only know a few progressives who had the foresight to see this coming. The rest of us got way too excited about the possibility of winning and put everything on the line now we are left with absolutely nothing. In hindsight, maybe we should've had better judgement to foresee the DNC doing everything necessary to steal the primary. I am too ashamed to even talk to the few people i know who stayed put in the green party and never got behind bernie. They said all along that this would happen and now they have to pay the price for what all of the bernie bros have done to let the movement fall into the wrong hands.
7/26/2016 10:44:23 AM
What exactly did you "put on the line?"
7/26/2016 1:25:47 PM
7/26/2016 1:30:47 PM
Anti-establishment is a bullshit ideal to vote on anyway because it's meaningless. If your candidate wins he becomes the establishment, rendering the main tenet of your ideals worthless.
7/26/2016 3:22:54 PM
It's only bullshit if you completely ignore all the issues I highlighted in parenthesis. I'm referring to establishment politicians as establishment politicians because of their respective policy positions, not because of their title.
7/26/2016 4:36:58 PM
Guy is all class..
7/26/2016 6:50:30 PM
7/26/2016 7:35:36 PM
Bernie's positions on a lot of ideas didn't bother me, because at the end of the day I felt like he had the best interest of Americans in mind. He wasn't a globalist and he understood that free trade with countries that have shit labor laws doesn't benefit workers here. He also didn't preach the guns are evil narrative that many on the left do. There were a lot of ideas he expressed that would be great for us to be heading towards, even if some of them would take decades to get right and would probably be robbed blind by his successors.I would have had a lot more respect for him if he'd pulled the Ted Cruz "Fuck you, I'm out" speech at the end though.
7/26/2016 8:44:13 PM
7/26/2016 8:59:42 PM
^^Protectionist policies to keep low paying manufacturing jobs is an awful idea and is not "moving forward". Trump and Bernie are both completely wrong on this issue.If he had any integrity, he would have told the DNC to go fuck themselves. This guy is a fraud, just like the democrats other candidate.[Edited on July 26, 2016 at 9:03 PM. Reason : 1]
7/26/2016 9:03:02 PM
7/26/2016 9:53:33 PM
^^^ It sucks to put your money and time towards a candidate that loses, but this happens to supporters of all but one candidate in every election so it's hard to feel extremely sorry for Bernie's supporters specifically for this. Should we all feel sorry for Rubio and Cruz supporters also?As far as opportunity cost goes, raising that much money and that much support for a green party candidate would be impossible. Bernie got as close as he did because he invigorated the progressive part of the Democratic party. That doesn't mean Democrats would switch if only Jill Stein just got a few more $27 donations.Bernie has done more for the progressive movement by coming close and failing than a green party candidate that cost the democrats the election. Especially if his statements that many of his policies have been adopted by the Democrats aren't complete bullshit.[Edited on July 26, 2016 at 9:59 PM. Reason : ]
7/26/2016 9:57:05 PM
They would switch to Jill stein if they knew she existed. We aren't upset because our candidate lost. We are upset because our candidate took our resources and gave them to hillary our greatest opposition. Cruz and Rubio went down with honor. I wish Bernie had half of their character[Edited on July 26, 2016 at 10:06 PM. Reason : ? J][Edited on July 26, 2016 at 10:06 PM. Reason : Our plane didn't just crash. It was hijacked and crashed into our interests]
7/26/2016 10:05:20 PM
not sure the year on this but it was back when bernie still had integrity and whatnot https://www.facebook.com/drjillstein/videos/1229899670383554/
7/26/2016 10:25:19 PM
Like a lot of supporters I was upset with some aspects of the way things went down. But I've taken a bit to ruminate on it, and I think I can accept voting for Hillary now, not happily, but I'll prob end up doing it. I know many will disagree, which is fine, but I wanted to post to open this conversation up beyond some of the hysterical and deluded shit ITT.1. As I mentioned earlier, I still trust Bernie. Guy has built up credibility over the past 20+ years. Probably more than any other federal politician. That doesn't mean follow him to the gates of hell, it just means you should really be hesitating before you throw him under the bus with talk of "betrayal" and shit like that.2. There is such thing as a pragmatic long game. We all wanted a Hail Mary to put us in scoring position, but sometimes you've got grind it out with short yardage plays instead. Demographics are in progressive's favor. We NEED Hillary's SCOTUS appointees for the long game. If progressive's can keep getting first downs (growing the progressive congressional caucus) then in 4 years we can be in an even better position. Bernie has been playing the pragmatic long game for basically his entire career. Yes he and some of the progressive caucus have big ideas, but at the end of the day Bernie has been in congress hammering out amendments and trying to find common ground to advance progressive interests. Endorsing Hillary is just a continuation of that, I think.3. I personally believe that the Right Wing needs to be curb stomped at this very moment in time - right as they start to take the dive into facism. It's dangerous and all these dumbfuck Trump supporters need to go back into hiding if we want our country to continue to function. Intentionally or not, Trump has emboldened some of the absolute ugliest parts of America and taking the wind out of their sails is actually a priority for me. I get that this is just a slight variation of the Giant Douche v. Turd Sandwich (GDvTS) argument, it just feels different this time to me, enough that Hillary will prob get my vote.
7/27/2016 7:58:27 AM
I think there's plenty of reason to believe that voting third party IS playing the long game. If you are worried about the nation's march toward fanatical nationalism/fascism, then strongly opposing them more priority than slightly opposing them.As it stands, the Democratic establishment has to compromise with the far right because there is not strong enough opposition from the left. If enough people left the D's for a more liberal alternative, Democrats would be forced to move to the left in order to stay politically relevant. Again, I think we disagree on tactics. The R's will always shit out a worthless, "imminent threat" type candidate. If you are waiting for a convenient time for political action, you'll be waiting a long time.
7/27/2016 12:00:00 PM
If you supported Bernie for his policies, please explain the rational upside and downside of not voting for Hillary
7/27/2016 1:29:41 PM
Upside: She doesn't actually support Bernie's policiesDownside: President Donald TrumpAlthough not supporting his policies may not qualify as an upside.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 1:38 PM. Reason : ]
7/27/2016 1:36:36 PM
Midterms usually go to the opposite party, and given how Hillary is hated by Republicans, and incapable of exciting Dems, It seems almost guaranteed there would be a Republican supermajority. On the flip side, maybe Trump would ensure a Dem supermajority.On top of that, I don't want to continue the trend of allowing Dems to prop up establishment candidates because "the other side is worse". It's their way of removing accountability.Ultimately, it might be a shitty 4 years if Trump wins, but at some point, progressives need to put their foot down and make a real statement. It's good for the long term.
7/27/2016 1:41:03 PM
^^^^ this is not how you play the long game in politics. Allowing your vote to let a madman win doesn't help anyone.Look at the 2000 election with Gore/Bush. Bush, for completely idiotic reasons that had nothing to do with national security or 9/11 pre emptively attacked Iraq, leading to trillions of wasted dollars, a complete destabilization of the middle east, the rise of ISIS, the growth of the Tea Party, all because a few hundred votes in Florida. This was 16 years ago now, and we're still deep in the shadows of the Buch era policies, trying to claw our way out.Trump wants to use ISIS, which is plaguing Europe, but has been losing territory and has a minimal impact on the US itself, to push similarly drastic, sweeping changes to our policies, including ditching long-standing close allies, using torture, targeting civilians, ditching the 5th amendment, etc., etc..If you're in a state that Trump is on the brink of losing/winning, and you don't use your vote to stop trump, youre complicit in whatever tragic policies we have to deal with for probably another 2 decades or more.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 1:45 PM. Reason : ]
7/27/2016 1:45:25 PM
So is the argument that the tiny potential that the Democratic Party would recognize Bernie supporters didn't vote for Hillary as protest they would no longer prop up unpopular candidates that were "elected" with a majority of votes outweighs all of the potential damage Trump could do?
7/27/2016 1:49:07 PM
^^Naw. We are perpetually trapped in the back and forth. Clinton wins this time, another variation of Bush or Trump wins next time. A Clinton presidency has no chance of changing that.^I think it would be plainly obvious if she doesn't even garner 40% of the vote, as recent polls are showing.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 1:54 PM. Reason : .]
7/27/2016 1:51:27 PM
So nothing ever changes? Parties never drop certain platforms after losing election after election and finally determine that some of their beliefs need to change?I didn't ask whether they would recognize the reason why or not, I'm asking whether the potential that they actually do something about that and use their power to block someone like Hillary outweighs the potential catastrophe of a Trump presidency[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 1:56 PM. Reason : asdf]
7/27/2016 1:55:20 PM
The Democratic party appears to be shifting more to the left, so it's possible that Hillary may be more centrist than future Democratic candidates.That being said, the Democratic voters who prefer centrist candidates will continue to vote for centrist candidates, regardless of whether a protest vote is successful or not.
7/27/2016 1:59:04 PM
^^That wasnt my only point.^If this had been a fair fight, progressives might have won the primary. 5% is not much.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 2:01 PM. Reason : .]
7/27/2016 2:00:03 PM
So the other potential positive is that Democrats win the midterms? And that's worth a Trump presidency? I feel like I'm missing something
7/27/2016 2:04:29 PM
I'm trying to explain why Clinton losing isn't the end of the world.
7/27/2016 2:10:07 PM
I feel like the candidates' potential Supreme Court nominations should be a significant factor.I wouldn't be surprised to see three justices retire in the next four years.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 2:20 PM. Reason : ]
7/27/2016 2:19:53 PM
Let me just start over. Please give a best case and worst case scenario for Clinton losing, keeping in mind that a best case scenario for her willing is that we get another 4-8 years of somewhat progressive policies, 1 or 2 (or 3) liberal leaning Supreme Court justices, and the republican party realizing they can no longer win elections while continuing to support all their ridiculous social and racial policies, so they drop or soften them.Will all that happen? Probably not, but it could, and we'd most likely get at least some of it. I'm failing to see the major likely positive in Clinton losing compared to this[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 2:23 PM. Reason : a]
7/27/2016 2:23:05 PM
7/27/2016 2:36:36 PM
7/27/2016 2:41:34 PM
I don't blame Ralph Nader, but the reality is that had he not run and a decent chunk of those people not had the option Al Gore been a better candidate (or George W. Bush been a worse candidate?), Bush wouldn't have won. End of storyBut a Donald Trump Supreme Court though.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 2:44 PM. Reason : ]
7/27/2016 2:41:36 PM
7/27/2016 2:48:52 PM
7/27/2016 2:56:42 PM
7/27/2016 3:03:25 PM
Once again, you demonstrate that you don't actually give a shit about policy.You just blamed 90% of today's issues on the decision to go to war almost two decades ago. Yet, you completely give the person who agreed with that decision a total pass.Pick one. Either it was a horrible decision and those responsible should not be allowed in the white house. Or you don't really care about that decision as much as you're pretending to.Don't come at me like you're the only adult in the room.
7/27/2016 3:04:57 PM
7/27/2016 5:50:18 PM
7/27/2016 7:52:41 PM
^^ FYI, you're a fraud.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 7:54 PM. Reason : Wtf, did you just call trump straight forward without irony? I hope I misread that]
7/27/2016 7:53:56 PM
7/27/2016 8:26:04 PM
^The only conservative in the race is gary johnson. End of story. You may have been able to argue about paul a year ago but not anymore.^^His major positions have not really shifted and they are why people are voting for himIts not like he is secretly against islam or immigrantion or trade and his voters don't know. It all seems pretty straight forward to me. Its the people who want this that you should be angry towards. If he gets in office and starts saying things that are worse, then fine, its not their fault for those things but they are electing these policies just like you are electing fraud. [Edited on July 27, 2016 at 8:34 PM. Reason : i][Edited on July 27, 2016 at 8:58 PM. Reason : l][Edited on July 27, 2016 at 8:59 PM. Reason : koch can't stand him]
7/27/2016 8:34:29 PM
7/27/2016 8:53:56 PM
you people are getting Earl'd
7/27/2016 8:59:27 PM
7/27/2016 9:02:26 PM
Earl and the rest of the Bernie Bros have given a master class in why the far left never gets taken seriously. It's not just the narcissism or infantile reactions to anything that doesn't kowtow to their demands. They simply can not grasp the fact that all of politics...ALL OF IT...is a compromise.FFS you had a former head of the CIA on stage demolishing Trump for his traitorous call for Russia to conduct cyber attacks against the United States and the fucking Bernie Bros were booing through it.Fart-in's. Heckling Elizabeth Warren. Grow the fuck up.[Edited on July 27, 2016 at 9:12 PM. Reason : .]
7/27/2016 9:12:11 PM
Pannetta isn't a saint and probably deserves some flak. Hutson didn't and they showed their ass.And a fart in? That isn't a real thing..
7/27/2016 9:15:27 PM
7/27/2016 9:16:29 PM
he didn't deserve flak during that speech, especially while talking about how dangerous the things that Trump talked about today areshit's just childish and an awful, awful look
7/27/2016 9:17:45 PM
7/27/2016 9:18:53 PM
7/27/2016 9:22:50 PM