This Hillary supporter is here to praise Bernie and the best contribution that he's made to America

[Yavin4]

On the eve of the Iowa caucus, I want to post this. I support Hillary because I am pragmatic, and I'm not convinced that Bernie can the presidency nor the nomination, but if he is nominated by the party, I will wholeheartedly support him in every way possible.

And, I want to congratulate him and his supporters for a very important and significant contribution to American politics. He has introduced a new, powerful phrase to the common lexicon, "Democratic Socialist", just like Occupy Wall Street introduce the phrase, "income Inequality" to the lexicon. Language matters. They change focus. They give voice to a cause. Conservatives built an entire movement on short-handed phrases.

Win or lose, going forward, politics in America has changed forever. Right now, there's a candidate out there seeing Bernie's support and his supporters and will pick up the mantle and carry his message forward. They won't be cowed by the current status quo. They will be emboldened to build a movement around what Bernie has said.

I'm not saying this sarcastically nor ironically, and i want to post this before the results so as to not come off as insincere. I do believe that Bernie and his campaign show that politics as usual in America are over. A new political movement is here and is not going away.

And for that, I congratulate Bernie and his supporters. You have already won an important victory.

[Matariki]

1. Thank you Yavin4

So, how do we convince you to vote for Bernie?

[Yavin4]

5. I'm going to avoid your question

The purpose of my post is not about voting for one candidate over another. The purpose of my post is to congratulate Bernie for showing that a progressive candidate with a definitive message can draw support and win.

His support and his message are not going to go away. The Dems have a fired up progressive base that will be heard, and that's good for the party.

[Armstead]

2. Good on you

[grntuscarora]

3. And I'd like to say,

if Hillary goes to the general, she will have my full support.

Thanks for your post!

[beam me up scottie]

4. Thank you, very classy.

[Yavin4]

6. Bernie is drawing support purely based on his message

Not to insult him, but his support is not coming from his looks and charisma like John Edwards or Obama. Nor his personality like Trump. It's 100% from what he is saying, and that is powerful.

[beam me up scottie]

10. Oh, I know.

I'm a native Vermonter so I know he's not a rock star the same way those guys are, I'm just thrilled that the rest of the country finally sees what we see in Bernie.

Not a rock star but rock solid.

[saltpoint]

7. This Bernie Sanders supporter would say

thank you and add that were she elected president, the internal dialogue for girls and young women would be changed.

Whether every single Democrat voting in the 2008 primaries wanted Obama as a first choice or not was secondary in a way to a 4-year old or 11-year old or 19-year old person of color, whose internal dialogue of selfhood was greatly changed, even as American history was greatly changed.

Success must include everybody, health care the same, educational opportunities the same, and dignity in work and citizenship the same. Obama's presidency passed this debate threshold. If someone named 'Barack Hussein Obama' can be the President of the United States, and if Hillary Clinton is elected as President of the United States, then a girl in Baltimore or San Antonio or a boy in Dayton or Albuquerque can reassess their career trajectories. They can reach as far as they want. They can dream big. They can feel far more included in the process of citizenship.

There remains also the Republican Party, who intends to deaden that girl's and that boy's arc of citizenship.

Let's not let the Republican Party do any such thing. I'm voting blue in the general, for that girl and that boy and my own best hopes for our country.

[bvar22]

8. Thank You.

Bernie didn't start The Movement, but he picked up the Democratic Party fumble, and is carrying it toward the goal. I've got his back.

[randr]

9. I share your sentiment but from the Bernie side

You are right that politics in America are over. We now have two candidates, Trump and Bernie, who are addressing this reality from two perspectives.
If by going forward you express a desire to see America changed forever. We are on the verge of this actually occurring in this election.
It will come down to a battle between the rights or the lefts vision of what that new movement means. Anyone connected to the established status quo had better get out of the way "cause the times are a changin".
I look forward to your support once Bernie has secured the nomination and we move on to bigger game.