Barack Obama spoiled me. I'm sorry Nevada I quit KTHNKSBAI

[BobSmith4152]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by etherealtruth (a host of the General Discussion forum).

Yeah this will ramble a bit as you can tell from the lede

A quick take; I'm a San Franciscan so I don't bother GOTV my own nest, we're so safe Hillary and others only comes here for money. Instead I commute, in non-presidential years to congress-critters or a mayor once. But in presidential elections I drive to Nevada, my nearest red state. Gore, Kerry and then Obama. OFA is the campaign that ruined me.

With PBO I could knock on doors and say "Hope and Change" and "Yes we can!" instead of Kerry's "Let America be America again or Gore's who knows what anymore? (Jesus H. Christ how a straight man could run so hard from a blowjob still amazes me.) When I canvased for him it wasn't the "Hey look at who he's running against, we want the lesser of two evils here" It was as if I was campaigning for one of my primary challengers to CA's many crappy DINO House candidates (Yeah they never win Incumbency is a racket) PBO wasn't the "Hey look at who the Republicans are running" candidate

OK glad I was there, yeah we knew he was a center-right Democrat but hey, Sarah Palin. He didn't renegotiate NAFTA

instead we get to fight TPP. But ACA, and hey lot's more peace and jobs? I'm not complaining.

I consider myself a loyal Democratic footsoldier. I'll be out for some Democratic candidate to replace a Republican in the House or maybe Bob will try for mayor again. But I'm not driving to Nevada, presidential election year or not. After Saturday's Nevada "Democratic" Party convention I can't kid myself anymore. Hillary's going to be the nominee by hook or by crook and that's not just a cliche. And I just can't.

Working for Barack Obama meant to me working for not the best we could get this year but the best period. And I can't knock on some of the same doors in Nevada and say "Yeah I was Hoping for more Change too yeah that Political Revolution thing sounded pretty good, but HEY LOOK OVER THERE IT'S DONALD TRUMP! EEEK!"

Hope and change won last time for a reason. And I can't settle for second best this time.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

1. So go Drumpf?

[Hortensis]

4. BobSmith, are you trying to peel off the Obama voters

by any chance? A variation on the usual "can't-vote-Hillary theme" -- instead it's "Obama was the best and can't bear to settle?"

Well, as elections come nearer, don't more and more people become interested? No doubt we'll be seeing even more of these "personal testimonials," not that we've been lacking. Personally, my top vote still goes to the supposed Marine veteran, whose every sacred duty to god, country, etc., would be violated by voting for Hillary.

[Warpy]

2. It's really hard to drum up much enthusiasm for more "business as usual!"

which seems to be the only slogan the party power brokers will approve of. A lot of us are sour, dispirited, and essentially hopeless in the face of a right of center, Wall Street friendly party machine.

At least enough of us are awake and realize what that machine represents. That's a good first step.

Unfortunately, we also need to recognize that the most wrong thinking, conservative Democrat out there is still going to be light years ahead of some Republican nutcase. So yeah, there's still a little something to vote for and not simply against.

[highprincipleswork]

3. The folks who bet on Hillary being the "safe" choice are really barking up the wrong tree. She most

certainly is not that. Whether you like it or not, she is UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION, for goodness sakes. She also has horrible unfavorables. She inspires the Republicans to vote against her, no matter how divided they are. She admittedly is seen clearly as taking "the big money", so how does she make the case of getting money out of politics? It is also hard for her to pretend that receiving all that money lifeblood does not and will not influence her. It's not given for nothing. She has a clear pattern of flip-flopping, or if you were less charitable you would call it lying. She has backed off of Progressive stands many times before, when times got tough. She seems to have a real taste for war.

Wow, the list goes on and on. Perhaps most fatally, she's seen as an establishment candidate in a year when people are so hungry for something new and not establishment. She and her buddies at the top of the Democratic power pyramid seem to think we're still fighting Reagan, and so partially cozy to the nefarious point of view he put out, when it's clear by Obama's two elections, Occupy Wall Street, the numbers behind Bernie's campaign, and even Trump's win that the U.S. has moved beyond Reagan.

People do what they do for many reasons, but emotions are key. If you discourage people or piss them off, you can't expect them to vote for you, no matter how logical you think it all is. "But the other guy is worse" is just such a weak argument. Furthermore, it's been tried so many times. You also can't get them to work for you, volunteer for you, donate money to you if you don't treat them right and don't appear to be solidly on their time or to represent their point of view.

The Democratic Establishment is playing this all wrong. Perhaps they don't listen to folks like me, because I think Bernie is just a fine candidate for President. I can trust him to be Progressive, and that's what I want. I don't even care if he doesn't get all of it done, or even any of it done. He will not do the shit I don't want him to do, and that's a big start. Furthermore, he will try for the stuff that should happen, and that also is a good recipe for success, much, much better than if you don't try or do the reverse.

I wish Hillary supporters would get off the very weak arguments they come up with, and would start working in some positive ways for party unity. Like making sure Hillary and the inept people in charge of the DNC work towards inclusion of this energized base that the Democratic Party could have or adopt. I wish they would be gracious in victory, if they're so fucking sure that that's what they've got. I wish, if Hillary is really as Progressive as they say she is, they could get her to stay that way throughout the election season and beyond, instead of trotting out the same old bullshit move to the center. Really, who do they think is hanging out there anyway? Why do Democrats want to represent those people? Where are their true bona fides as Democrats anyway?

Furthermore, just quit thinking you've got this in the bag. All the Republicans thought that Donald would self-destruct also. He didn't, and he probably won't now. Join the Bernie Revolution, or find a way to take the best part of it for your own. That's the energy that will win this election. Tired old anti-Reagan/similar to Reagan triangulating politics simply isn't going to cut it anymore.

[rhett o rick]

5. Sanders and the idea of real change from the status quo brought out many people

that would not otherwise participate in the corrupt political process. Many of those people won't buy the crap about, "you lost" so you have to play our game. They wouldn't be in the process if it weren't for Sanders and the People's Movement.

And I find it kinda funny that the Clinton supporters are so audacious that they think they can tell you your a loser but now you have to back their candidate. They project their values of blindly following the tough authoritarian leader on those that abhor those values. I heard this the other day, "Give us liberty or give us death (Trump)."

The Clinton supporters had a choice, they could join the 99% and fight against the Oligarchy or they could side with the Oligarchy. They made the choice and now have to live with it. Sure, they will whine that it was all Ralph Nader's fault.

[Maedhros]

6. Whatever problem the country may be facing, they are not the least bit interested in solving it.

They are interested in two things, and two things only:

1. Making you afraid of it.

and

2. Telling you who's to blame for it.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.

[JDPriestly]

13. Well said.

[Tess49]

7. KTHNKSBAI?? What's this mean? n/t

[joeybee12]

8. Thanks for putting GDP crap in GD

FFS, doesn't anyone read anymore, especially haters like you...

[Andy823]

9. As long as they get away with it

It will continue to happen. Seems like more and more stuff that should be in GDP ends up here.

[joeybee12]

11. Especially now that the primary is over...

Oh, the Bernie Bros are flailing and the media needs a storyline so they're not admitting to the obvious, but since it is over and deep down they know it, it's getting more shrill and they can't help themselves.

[JDPriestly]

14. Ooh! The rules are always so important.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. IBTL

[Hoppy]

12. Its a simple question: Who da fuck really WANTS to vote for Hillary?

[JDPriestly]

15. Not me!

[etherealtruth]

16. I am sorry LOCKING; OPs about the Dem primary/ candidates must be posted in GDP