Can we please just stop it?

[Sylvarose]

With all that's gone on this this week...please can we just stop?

Look, I voted for Bernie in the primaries. I'm thrilled at what he's done and I want him to continue his influence at the Convention. I want that energy. I want his input. I want the issues he believes in upfront.

However, I'm voting for Hillary. I don't think she's the devil incarnate. Is she flawed, yes. Is she better than Trump? IMHO, Hell yes!

As far as who fellow Bernie supporter should vote for...that's for their conscience to decide. Can't vote for Hillary, then don't. Vote for Jill. Vote another party. I would pray you don't vote, Trump but again that's for you to decide.

I hope though that whatever you do, you vote. Even if all you do is vote for local offices because that's where real change happens. That's a real revolution. You want to change the system? You want to change thing? Show up EVERY election, get involved in the process and vote a progressive from school board member to dog catcher to local party chairman.

Also, can we stop sniping at each other? Can we stop falling into the trap of "us" vs "them"..here? If nothing else, stop all this trying to prove how "corrupt" or "evil" or "bad" so and so is. For every article and spin someone throws out about Hillary someone's got a counter. For every article and spin someone throws out about Bernie...someone's got a counter. If this was all *healthy* debate I would be cheering. However, it just seems anymore it's about how nasty can it get.

Politics is passionate. It's just please, can we remember that many of us here want many of the same things; maybe not always exactly...but in general we have common interests.

I'm looking toward November...and it's not Bernie I'm worried about. It's the GOP. It's Trump. I thought the lowest this country could go was George W. Bush. I can't even conceive of the nightmare of a Pres. Trump. So, that's where my energy will be focused, defeating the GOP. The way I'm going to do it, is support Hillary. Doesn't mean I'm going to demonize Bernie, because why would I? He represents so much good that needs to be done. We need that balance, that counter weight to keep pulling us to the left.

I hope those who move forward who can't support Hillary will at least turn their energy towards the GOP.

Overall though, I hope we can stop going at each other.

SR

[Happyhippychick]

1. +1

[Hortensis]

2. +1. Good post, Sylvarose.

[Ino]

3. Oh don't worry...

Censorship goes into effect Monday, and it will be nothing but Hillary love here.

[Happyhippychick]

4. Censorship is in effect now. Always has been. That's why it's a safe place.

[SFnomad]

5. There are lots of places you can get your Hillary hate fix at ... it just won't be here anymore n/t

[Sylvarose]

8. I'm sorry you missed the point..

....I wasn't talking about "Hillary love". I was calling out for us to have constructive dialogue instead of sniping at each other.

Maybe I just didn't phrase it right.

[djean111]

16. All calls of "constructive dialogue" here invariably turn into "vote for Hillary".

The sniping? That will go away on Monday. Along with a bunch of Bernie's supporters.
Actually, there is not any "constructive dialogue" that could get me to support war and fracking and the TPP, etc., so no point in it.

[Sylvarose]

19. :)

...I'll continue to oppose war...fracking and TPP, as well. As I said, I know Hillary is flawed and I gotta believe we can influence her.

I also know I oppose a ban on Muslims..punishing women who've had abortions..building a wall...etc.

I hope Bernie people don't leave. I really do. We need progressive voices. I know I'll still be here.

[litlbilly]

25. I had you blocked, no way you voted for Bernie. Have fun in the Hillary echo chamber come

Monday. This place will end up in the dustbin after that.

[Ino]

27. The only way to influence Hillary...

is to stop announcing that you will support her even though you __________ (voted for Sanders, oppose her position on whatever, etc.) because _________ ("we all want the same things" {we don't}, she's better than Trump, SCOTUS, blahblah).

Even then, you will influence her only until the voting is done. After that, she will gleefully point to YOUR vote as proof of how popular she is, that she has a mandate, that you WANT her policies.

It's like Cenk Uygur declaring he'll vote for Hillary, "but I'll oppose her every step of the way!!!" She doesn't care if you oppose her! She doesn't care if there are millions of progressive voices clamoring for change. She cares only that you VOTE for her. She will say anything to get that vote. Then like her close ally Rahm Emanuel she'll consider you "fucking retarded".

[Lazy Daisy]

30. Rahm is turning out to be a nightmare

He's union busting and privatizing. His police force is out of hand.
He's governing straight out of the Republican play book.

[Ino]

32. But it's OK...

he has a (D) after his name, and he endorses Hillary.

[bigtree]

6. every time I look at the Sanders campaign, he's posturing against the party

...and, by extension, Democrats.

It's mostly his fault that Democrats are still at odds with his campaign.

[cwydro]

7. Exactly.

Well said.

[workinclasszero]

9. Tell it to Bernie

He refuses to concede so his followers fight on against Hillary and her supporters.

The marching orders are coming from the top IOW.

[Sylvarose]

10. I am a Bernie supporter

...I voted for him in the primary here in Indiana. I can't speak to him though, but I can speak to everyone here.

I'm not going to demonize people who voted for Bernie and are still feeling passionate about him (heck that would still include my brother).

However, I am asking them - just like I'm asking the Hillary folks who I'm joining, to let's stop fighting each other.

Maybe I'm being too Pollyanna. Or maybe it's just I'm still feeling the after effects of attending a vigil for Orlando last night. Either way, I'm hoping we can get back to finding common ground and work together.

[workinclasszero]

12. I will stop defending Hillary and her supporters

as soon as the attacks against them stop on DU..

But sadly I just learned its still open season on Hillary till next Monday.

And seeing as how Sanders refuses to do the right thing...the war continues.

[bvf]

23. Keeping one's word

is the right thing.

Sorry if that comes as a surprise to you.

[geek tragedy]

11. it would help enormously if both candidates were able to agree that the primary is over

one of them, unfortunately, is refusing to acknowledge that the other has won, and furthermore is refusing to endorse before the convention

people take their cues from the top. and Team Sanders is still focused on fighting Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Barney Frank, not Donald Trump.

[randome]

13. Agreed. It's time to let it go, from both sides.

Besides, being passive-aggressively kind is the ultimate revenge! {Crap. Sorry. I dropped the ball on that one, didn't I?}

[Sylvarose]

14. OK...I have to LOL on that one

...reminds me back in the day when I worked for Kmart during the holidays. People were the WORST. I survived by..the more belligerent and rude they were...the nicer I got. LOL'd.

[randome]

21. You were reaching down to your inner Zen!

It's just a bonus that it pisses some people off even more.

[msongs]

15. trump AND sanders are trying to block hillary clinton as we speak. when THEY stop

many other things will stop

[Avalux]

18. It's really appalling you equate Trump to Sanders.

The inability of Hillary faithful to understand the difference makes me sick. Bernie has NEVER said anything derogatory about Hillary. He's stayed away from the email situation and would never try to tear her down by bringing up Bill's personal history.

Just stop it.

[Sylvarose]

22. Yeah...

I'm pretty sure Bernie wouldn't like that equation.

SR

[BobbyDrake]

31. Bernie tried to go around Clinton and the entire Democratic primary itself to debate Trump.

PURE EGO MOVE. Even as he was trailing and losing, he still thought enough of himself to begin acting like the Democratic nominee. He's acting like a damn fool.

He and Trump deserve each other, as sadly desperate for airtime and attention as they both are.

[Sylvarose]

20. I don't see Bernie trying to block Hillary

...I see him making good on his promise to his supporters to go to the convention. I see him still fighting to affect the platform.

I don't agree with his attacks on Barney Frank.

However, removing the DNC chair? Not of fan of what Debbie Wasserman Schultz has done. Can see why politically you wouldn't remove her mid-election year, but going forward she needs to go - IMHO.

[randome]

24. But Sanders has already lost. "We" were right when we predicted Clinton would come out on top.

And we're right that he's pissing away his leverage even now. That's enough for me. I'll even stop posting snarky pics.

[tallahasseedem]

36. +1

[MFM008]

17. +1

..

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Thank you! The ongoing snark and back-and-forth insults

are a complete waste of time at this point. Actually, they were always a waste of time and did nothing but piss people off. But now that the nomination is decided (even Bernie knows he won't be the nominee; he's staying in until the convention in order to try to influence the platform; and what the hell is wrong with that?) - can we all please just quit taking pot shots at the other "side"? Seems like people want to have the last word, or get one last dig in, but why? What good will that do?

Trump's spectacular awfulness is where all that rage needs to be directed. Democrats have always been inclined toward circular firing squads but let's not do that any more. Let the GOPers tear each other apart while we concentrate on bringing down Trump and electing good down-ticket candidates.

[Maru Kitteh]

28. Great post!

[Pastiche423]

29. It may not have been a problem if the election had not been

rigged.

I do have a question for you, though. After supporting Bernie and his issues, how can you turn around and vote for the exact opposite of him?

Was it all a game for you?

[athena]

34. If Hillary is "the exact opposite of" Bernie,

then that means you should be voting for Trump, right? After all, if Hillary is the exact opposite of Bernie, Trump can't be the exact opposite of Bernie and must therefore be closer to Bernie than Hillary.

[Sylvarose]

37. Wow...

....I'm so glad I did not read this yesterday, was really having a crappy one and your comment would have just made it that much more craptastic.

Today, feeling a little bit more my normal self so I'm just going to let your snippy comment roll off my back, but I will answer your question.

No. The future of my country? The next president of the United States...not a game to me.

I like Bernie. I stand for much of what he believes. We need to get money out of the political process. We need to have a minimum wage that lifts people out of poverty, we need reproductive rights for women, we need to stop trade deals that hurt our jobs at home, we need to invest in our infrastructures, we need to stop using violence and war as a vehicle for foreign policy, we need to fight for protections of the LGBTQ community, we need to have sensible gun control, we need a universal healthcare, etc...

Now, Hillary may not get money out of the political process, I may have STRONG reservations about any trade policies she'll enact, and I have reservations about her foreign policy. I do believe though she'll raise the minimum wage..maybe not as Bernie..but sure as hell more than Trump. Will she protect the reproductive rights of women, Trump won't. She'll fight for the LGBTQ community. Trump won't. She'll fight for sensible gun control, Trump won't. She'll fight for more access to healthcare, Trump won't.

I could go on, but I think you get my point.

It's not a game to me. I have my reasons for supporting Hillary. They may not be reasons why you would and I don't condemn you nor do I belittle for not choosing to support her. I do you the courtesy of recognizing you have to vote your conscience that you can do so as a descent human being who wants the BEST for this country. I'm not so sure by your comment you have afforded me the same courtesy.

Either way..I hope you have a good day.

SR

[jzodda]

33. Great Post!

n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

35. No one has any counters about HRC.

All they have is "you support Trump" bullshite.