Oh boy, I have one hell of a headache

[FormerRepublicanNow]

Last edited Sat Oct 3, 2015, 03:58 AM - Edit history (1)

I left the Republican party because they became crazy. I planned on voting for Hillary because she is the most experienced candidate to ever run and she would break the glass ceiling. Besides, I agreed with 90% of her policy positions. I too, supported the war in Iraq, support a strong national defense, and slowly evolved to accepting the right of gay people to marry. She was seen as the favorite to win the GE in 2016 and would appoint liberal judges to the SCOTUS who would overturn Citizens United. It was good that she was being challenged in the primary by Bernie Sanders, since it would demonstrate that she was no Socialist.

But since I have been here on DU, I have met the real Bernie. He has done something that Hillary never did, he gave me hope and faith that things could change in this country for the better. My vote for Hillary was to prevent things from becoming worse, my vote for Bernie would be so that things become better.

Bernie and his movement fuse Tom Joad from the Grapes of Wrath

and Jefferson Smith from Mr Smith goes to Washington.

He is exactly what this country needs now. I am tired of being a cynic and I want to believe in my country and its government. Bernie can do that. Hillary has my head, but Bernie has my heart.

I am well on my way of changing my mind and supporting Bernie, especially after the speech he gave at Liberty University, it took real courage to go into the lion's den and it brought tears to my eyes. Logically I know I should not support him and stick with Hillary, His calling himself a Socialist may be an anchor that drags him down in the GE and can not be overcome.

But I seem to not be the only one who is going thru this process. The more people know Bernie the stronger he becomes, even if they doubt he can win. I for one, am willing to take a chance and vote for a possible dream, but I risk my former party of crazies taking over the WH. How do you end a impractical love affair, when you know it might not come this way again. What should I do, go with my head, or go with my heart?

[Old Crow]

1. Interesting post...

... thanks for taking us inside your head for a bit. Whichever candidate you settle on, I wish you good luck!

[Bubzer]

57. +1

[MyNameGoesHere]

2. OMG I am so sceeeeered now

I am very sceeeeered!

[demwing]

33. It's OK, don't be sceeeered, maybe Bernie

will let Hillary have a seat in his cabinet.

[MyNameGoesHere]

63. Yes women do well

in subservient roles.

[demwing]

71. If you say so

but I was thinking that Bernie has always shown great respect for Hillary as a person, and -- like Obama before him -- might offer a position of leadership to a highly qualified associate.

Interesting framing, though...

[FormerRepublicanNow]

39. "be afraid, be very afraid" was hyperbolic

what I really meant was that they should be concerned. As I indicate in my first paragraph, I agreed with Hillary and was a strong supporter of her when I first Joined DU. But I knew nothing about Bernie Sanders, until I read and watched his videos here. Did I change my policy views? No, I am still closer to Hillary then I am to Bernie. But he is closer to the American Political Dream, as illustrated by the 2 videos in my OP, then is any other politician today. That is the key to the support he gets, not policy but what the man represents. That is why the MSM is so baffled by the success of his campaign, which was suppose to go nowhere.

You can defeat a person on policy issues, but how do you fight and defeat a dream? That is what supporters of Hillary should be afraid or concerned about.

[FormerRepublicanNow]

80. Because my headline seemed to be distracting

and prevent people from getting into the meat of my OP, I have changed it

[Baltimore18]

3. I don't agree that Hillary supporters need to be afraid.

And I really like both of them.

[Hortensis]

6. Same here, Baltimore. FormerRep, you may have left the GOP, now you need to leave

behind right-wing modes. Telling people to be afraid works on conservatives because they have a naturally darker view of humanity and an inborn negativity bias that causes quicker and stronger physiological reactions to what they perceive as threats. They're constantly expecting trouble and looking for threats, so they're especially receptive to being emotionally manipulated through this weakness.

You're on the liberal side now, though, and attempts at "be very afraid" manipulations just irritate and turn off over here. We're wired differently. Thank goodness.

[Fearless]

8. I hope this isn't a case of concern trolling, we liberals hate that too.

[demwing]

34. I just checked the official Liberal Handbook

I didn't see that requirement.

[Maedhros]

54. I disagree.

Liberals are constantly being manipulated by fear. We're told over and over again that we have to hold our noses and vote for horrible candidates because otherwise we would have Republican Armageddon. Having expectations from our politicians, and holding them accountable for falling short of those expectations, is something for which we are excoriated.

[Bubzer]

58. +1

Unfortunate but true. In my short stay here, I've noticed quite a bit of playing to/on emotions.

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

4. They should not be afraid, embarrassed but not afraid

They are free to be wrong and free to vote for whom they choose even free to call them selves democrats too.

If anything her supporters will become even more visicous as reality sets in as she slowly slides down the polls in popularity.

[Baltimore18]

7. Your post sounds kinda vicious.

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

11. Just calling it like I see it and the way things have been playing out over the last 30 years

we are headed for a major change with conflict within the party and America.

[Baltimore18]

13. I'm referring to you calling Hillary supporters vicious right after you

attack them.

Calling it like I see it, too.

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

19. Ok IDC

[ish of the hammer]

30. Didn't he/she mean "viscous"

as in liquid and slippery? Clinton's supporters are becoming viscous, ie liquid and slippery and not as firm as it once appeared?

[Maedhros]

55. "Viscous" means "thick and sticky," not slippery.

Think 'maple syrup,' not 'glycerine'.

[sabrina 1]

36. Most of Hillary's supporters are good people. However the poster is no doubt referring to the

ones who are working hard to smear Sanders with the race card, the red card etc which we've here daily for several months now, not to mention her Super Pac, Brock spreading lies about him.

Unfortunately those are the people who represent her here, so it's no surprise when people respond negatively to these nasty tactics. She could follow O'Malley's and Sanders' examples and condemn this kind so negative campaigning. So far however, she hasn't. Sanders eg, has repeatedly defendedI Hillary from media attempts to get him to join in attacks on HER. I admire him greatly for refusing to get into that particular gutter and for refusing to run a negative campaign against her.

I hope she steps up the plate and condemns those who are doing all of this on her behalf. We could use a more positive campaign for a change.

[Baltimore18]

41. I disagree. I was reading here when Bernie's supporters accused Hillary

of being behind the BLM disruption during Bernie's SS speech.

Just now, there's a thread that Kim Davis will vote for Hillary.

And I was finally prompted to join by a thread title yesterday claiming that The Hill said something about "Clinton surrogates" smearing Bernie when it was actually just some poster and the link clearly said that these are not the views of The Hill.

I like both of them.

I wanted to post in his forum, but unless I'm willing to trash Hillary, it looks pointless.

[sabrina 1]

43. That is the smear campaign I am talking about, and if you're referring to NRN as any kind of

credible organization on the Left, then you are too unfamiliar with the history of the org to be able to make an assessment of what happened there. However, since the whole thing backfired, and only helped Sanders with AAs, who were opposed to such tactics AND the claims that it was on THEIR behalf, who was behind it is irrelevant. We've all moved on from that.

People who know the history of NRN will continue to form their own opinions. Put it this way, it was a bad venue to use for the purpose for which it was supposedly used. Too much negative history there for thousands of Progressives.

Interesting that this is what you focus on, though. It is over, gone, it has benefited Sanders, I know for a fact that Sanders never had a 'minority problem' and now AAs themselves are stepping up on his behalf, getting to know him and his record, and SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES.

What caused people to wonder about all this, was the loudest voices shouting 'racist' at a man who dedicated his life to Civil Rights, were nowhere to be found last year when WE were trying to keep the Ferguson protesters in the news, but THEY had no interest, never saw them anywhere.

We are not fools here. We've all been around these 'liberal' blogs for a long time and can generally see what is really going on.

Clinton surrogates HAVE smeared Bernie. Brock, McCaskill, Gutierrez, Brown among others. And negative, red baitning, race card playing WILL be exposed and corrected.

THAT of course is not BASHING, there's that word being used incorrectly again. It is called, ironically, CORRECTING THE RECORD.

So if you are opposed to that, we can't help you.

Rapid responses to LIES, such as Hillary's Super Pac attempted to spread around, WILL happen.

I would think you would support that.

[Baltimore18]

44. Bernie's supporters lied about Hillary being behind the disruption.

I gave three examples, don't particularly focus on any and I don't know what NRN means.

Disagreeing with Bernie is not smearing him.

[sabrina 1]

47. If you don't know what it means, then you clearly don't have enough information to comment

on why the smear campaign using the Race Card, which thankfully failed mainly due to the fact that most Progressives DO know what it means, was used to try to influence minorities to believe he and his supporters were 'white supremecists'.

Do you agree with that last part, that Bernie's supporters are 'white supremicists' and that Bernie himself, that was one of the most vile smears btw, considering he is Jewish, is their leader?

I hardly think you could say 'I like both of them' if you missed the despicable race based smears against him and his supporters, because no one imo, could possible 'like' anyone who would allow their campaign to conduct such dirty politics on their behalf without coming out and publicly condemn it.

I don't pretend to 'like' people who are running for office. They are not my friends or family.

I look at their records, period, and if the candidate I support ever allowed such vile tactics to be used against the supporters of another candidate, remaining silent and not publicly condemning it, s/he would not be my candidate anymore. To remain silent about these vile tactics using AAs to do so, means either you have no clue what is going on, or you own it.

[Baltimore18]

65. Wasn't it vile of Bernie's supporters to accuse Hillary of being behind the BLM

disruption of his speech?

Not sure why you keep wanting to make general claims when you have not even acknowledged this specific claim.

[sheshe2]

75. Holy...........

: blush:

[Maedhros]

56. Here, I'll fix this for you:

Disagreeing with Bernie Hillary is not smearing him her.

[Baltimore18]

66. Kinda arrogant, don't you think?

Fix yourself.

[Maedhros]

67. Your post was a pot v. kettle situation.

I assume you are unaware of the hordes of people shouting down Sanders supporters because they are "bashing" or "smearing" Hillary by criticizing her policies.

You're just here to troll. Bye.

[Lunabell]

5. Congrats on leaving the party of crazy.

I was never a registered rethuglican, but leaned that way until I went to college and had my mind opened back in 1980. Been a liberal lefty ever since. Welcome to sanity.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. "how do you end a crazy love affair."

Some of them transferred it to Obama.

[leftofcool]

10. Another "everybody's afraid of bernie" post

Newsflash: Bernie is irrelevant which is why he has no media attention and no one is afraid of him.

[NorthCarolina]

22. Bernie is irrelevant you say? Are you for real?

I can easily think of at least 26 $million$ reasons your claim is nothing more than sour grapes. Perhaps there is some reason your vision is impaired...

[pinebox]

26. Bernie's irrelevant?

If he's so irrelevant then can you please tell us about his cash haul from small donations and why there are so many people showing up to his rally's? Can you then explain why he is gaining on Hillary at a pace faster than Obama was in 2007?

That's not really happening is it?

[hootinholler]

28. Damn straight skippy!

By gum, Bernie is irrelevant and will continue to be irrelevant until he takes the oath of office.

Even then you might still call him irrelevant.

[sabrina 1]

37. Lol, you mean from the Corporate Media? That is a PLUS for any Democratic candidate. I thought

we all knew that. Rupert Murdoch and his imitators on the rest of the Corp media isn't someone whose attention we would regard as positive in any way, even if it was positive. THAT would scare me, if the Corp Media began covering Bernie in a positive way, which they haven't of course as you point out, thankfully.

[reformist2]

12. Indeed. The question is this: Will we dare to dream, or will we settle for less?

[NorthCarolina]

23. Settling for less? Screw that....

been there, done that, not gonna happen again.

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Bernie is a DEMOCRATIC socialist and there is a difference.

His supporters know the difference and they know him. They know he's not a Russian communist/socialist. That is just a canard the Hillary supporters use to scare people into not voting for Bernie.

He won his last election in Vermont with 71% of the vote! That's unprecedented. Do you honestly think Vermonters would vote for a communist? Do you honestly believe the Establishment would allow a communist to serve in Congress for 25 years? Do you honestly believe the Democrats in Congress would caucus with a communist for 25 years? No. They would not and that's why the old "Socialist" attack is not going to mean squat in this election. People are smart enough to ask themselves those questions and know Bernie is no communist.

Most people, old and young, now know how to use a computer and are online. They can do their own research. Just spend one day on YouTube watching Bernie's speeches and your mind and heart will tell you he's the person you should vote for.

Bernie CAN and WILL win the GE. He is exactly what this country needs and he is the only person running who will stop the government from selling out to corporations and the wealthy. The Oligarchy will end. Our government will, once again, work for WE THE PEOPLE. We ARE their bosses, you know. The taxes WE pay pay their wages (that they don't deserve), they are supposed to work for us - it's in the Constitution they like to ignore.

Just ignore the "Red Scare" meme. It's ignorant and NO ONE believes it.

[energy_model]

15. Why do you say "fellow' Hillary supporters, when you are not one?

Explain.

[Metric System]

29. +1

[Left Ear]

31. Reread the post again.

He is still in the Clinton camp but leaning towards Bernie.

That's why he said "fellow Hillary supporters"

[JTFrog]

32. Doubtful. n/t

[DisgustipatedinCA]

70. For clarity, are you accusing the poster of lying?

you seem to be, but I wanted to explicitly check.

[JTFrog]

72. Thanks so much for checking up on me.

Because what you want is so very important to me.

...

I'm saying I doubt it.

I doubt many things I read on the internet.

So what.

Just for clarity.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

73. I was checking to see if you had the courage of your convictions. You do not.

[JTFrog]

74. I said I doubt it. I again state I doubt it.

It's not my convictions in question here.

[energy_model]

59. He is not in the Clinton camp

He said he switched.

[ColesCountyDem]

61. "He said he switched." . Link? n/t

[energy_model]

62. He's closer to Bernie than he is to her

What does "well on my way" mean to you?

[FormerRepublicanNow]

42. I am now undecided, I used to support Hillary

That is what my OP was all about. If I am changing my mind, what about the 40% of voters who know nothing about him. How will they react as they get to know him. I still support Hillary with my head, but my heart says Bernie is the One. The new FDR, TR, Abe Lincoln, the person this nation needs now. Not his policies but the man.

[Enthusiast]

16. Enough is enough!

We must transform American politics. It's that or allow the nation to slide fully into a corporatocracy. We are going downhill in a runaway train and the bridge is out.

In case you haven't noticed this is a fucking emergency. You know, "In case of emergency, break glass." This is when you break the glass.

Without Bernie this nation is totally fucked.

Examine any facet of the nation. Education is a good one. Both parties are clearly bent on doing away with public education. They want to do to public education what is already wrong with heath care—profitize it.

War, homeland security or national security, whichever way you wish to describe it, it is no longer really about actual security. Since 9/11 and the Iraq War it has morphed mostly into a profit consideration. This is just a fact whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.

You can go on and on. The nation is no longer working for We the People, not even close.

[FloridaBlues]

17. This Hillary supporter isn't afraid of any candidate and neither is Hillary !

[Metric System]

18. Riiiight.

[kelliekat44]

20. Obama also gave us hope...you do see what has happened to him. And the turning was pretty quick

from this side. I'll go with the one who has my head. My heart is vulnerable to the whims and actions of too many outsiders. Hoards of evil can stop a good man with the best of intentions. Bernie may have an advantage being a white male but the ignorant will wail on the socialism and as their wail turned into 'communism' that would be enough to defeat him in the end.

[sabrina 1]

38. They've already tried red baiting, see Brock, it helped raise over one million dollars for Bernie's

campaign because we are now living in the 21st Century where old historical smears against the Left do not resonate, all they do is dredge up that horrible history, if anyone even remembers them. To today's voters, Democratic Socialist means a Government that is answerable to the PEOPLE as in most of the First World Norther European countries where the people have the best HC, Education, Social programs etc.

So not at all worried about them playing the 'Red Card', and shame on Hillary's surrogates for doing so btw, she needs to openly condemn such tactics. As you said we can expect that from the Right, it's disturbing to see it from within our own party.

[Dawson Leery]

51. Difficult decisions will have be made

and deals too. Hillary is the one to deal with the far right.

Bernie does not have this experience. He will be in for much hurt when the right goes after him for his claim that he is a socialist. He is not one, but calling himself one in America is not going to help him in a national election.

[Maedhros]

68. So you advocate making deals with the far right?

Even after Obama demonstrated that trying to do so ends only in tears?

I'd rather have a President that opposes the far right. That ain't Hillary.

[hrmjustin]

21. You will forgive me for not being afraid.

[NuclearDem]

24. Thumb drives full of liberty!

[Bobbie Jo]

40. This!

[treestar]

25. cool story bro

Hope and Faith are a religion. Policy positions are what matter.

[Boomer]

27. The "safe" choice just delays the inevitable

I'm willing to take a chance on Bernie because it's now or never for changing the course of corporatism in this country.

If we lose that fight, at least we go down knowing we tried to do the right thing.

[MineralMan]

35. Well, OK, then...

I'll keep what you wrote in mind.

[ismnotwasm]

45. Interesting. My experience is exactly opposite

The more I got to know Sanders the less I liked him, and the stronger my support for Hillary became. To my surprise, I found this is an on-going process. This is the first primary I have ever committed --after 2000, I just wanted a Democrat. Prior to that, I voted for Democrats or Socialists (Never voted for Bill Clinton, for instance)

It's been an facinating, and unsettling experience to say the least.

[FormerRepublicanNow]

46. Ok, what am I missing about Bernie

This is the help I am looking for

[Blus4u]

52. Wrong person to ask

Eom

Peace

[sabrina 1]

49. Fortunately you are in the minority.

[Uncle Joe]

48. I'm of the belief that my head and my heart are synchronized in supporting Bernie

other than that I agree with your post.

Intellectually I believe Bernie will stand the best chance of beating the Republicans in the general election.

Intellectually and emotionally I believe Bernie's messages are the best solution to our nation's many ills.

Welcome to D.U. FormerRepublicanNow.

[McCamy Taylor]

50. So you are voting for two films? Seriously?

[FormerRepublicanNow]

60. The films are a fantasy, presenting an ideal

Tom Joad in the Grapes of Wrath represented someone who would fight for the little. downtrodden, average guy; Jefferson Smith in Mr Smith goes to Washington represented the uncorrupted, true Representative of the people who will fight for the right, no matter the odds.

To me Bernie is the closest we come to these ideals in real life. This influences my vote, but I know I must also deal with the real world, so I am not sure who I support. Heart vs head.

[Ken Burch]

64. It's a metaphor.

What it says is that there is passion and truth in Bernie's campaign. All there is in HRC's is cynicism and a sense of entitlement.

[Armstead]

85. Its amazing how timely Mr Smith Goes to Washington still is

Yeah hokey and corny....But in many ways captures the same problems as today. And one would like to believe there are still Smiths today

[azmom]

53. I was ready for Hillary until Bernie

Decided to run. I'm ashamed to admit that because I never liked her positions on many issues. She was just the one. Didn't have a choice. Until, Bernie..

I like Bernie's vision for America which must mean I am a democratic socialist too. His vision combined with the fact that his donors are from average Americans and not bankers and Wall Street is a winning combo for me. His agenda and what he will be fighting for, tooth and nail, are issues that will benefit me and my community.

Latinos for Bernie.

[taught_me_patience]

76. I'm not afraid at all

Bernie Sanders has almost no chance to win the primary. Hell, I'm more afraid of Biden beating Hillary than Bernie. Bernie supporters are in for a shocker when he doesn't cross 35% in Iowa and is out after super tuesday.

[LuvLoogie]

77. All in for Hillary, here. No fear.

So, I don't think that I can serve as any barometer or reference.

[betsuni]

78. CliffsNotes version of the OP: Clinton is a Republican. nt

[betsuni]

79. Why the edit?

These two sentences were my favorites: "Fellow [heh] supporters of Hillary, be afraid, be very afraid"; "Hillary's supporters should be afraid, for how do you end a crazy love affair." You get us all worked up with fear and talk of our hot hot hot crazy love affair and now, suddenly, it's "Not tonight, I have a headache"? Come on, man.

[sheshe2]

82. Hey, betsuni...

I am very curious about the edit too.

[betsuni]

87. Yeah, what a tease FormerRepublicanNowHeadache is! nt

[Sunlei]

81. when did you notice the Republican party, "became crazy"?

[Samantha]

83. Hey, I was a Republican in another life

Last edited Sun Oct 4, 2015, 12:01 AM - Edit history (1)

The Republican party today is not the same as what it was when I was in my 20s and 30s. I have always been interested in government and politics, and when it came time to decide which party to register with, I actually read the platforms. I chose the Republican party because it had limited goals (basically 3 things): the government should provide for the common defense, especially protecting the borders, collect revenue to run the country, and to stay out of people's personal lives. I am a private person, and I really, really liked that last part.

But by the time the 90s rolled around, I became ashamed and embarrassed to be connected to the Republican party. So I moved on over and became a Dem. Once I made this move, I realized this is where I should have always been. I kept moving left to help offset those on the right chronically moving more to the right. I was hoping more and more Dems would do this and turned out, they did. So when Liberal became a dirty word, I started telling people I was a liberal.

I have always admired Sanders. He used to appear on Keith Olbermann's show quite a bit. I started thinking I wished he would run for President, but he probably never would consider it because it would be too grueling at his age to make it through a campaign, grinding as they are. When he announced he was running, I started telling people I had decided to become a socialist. I was just preparing myself for the onslaught of harassment wearing that label was going to be thrown at me.

Bernie Sanders is the only hope this Country has for making a U turn into the correct direction it should be moving.

I already knew the answer to your question before you posted that last sentence in your thread. I had to ask myself that same question. Elections in this Country are totally unpredictable. Beyond that, people's attitudes are quickly changing. Their minds are clearing and their eyes are opening. Many see that the only chance we have of correcting the great deficiencies we deal with everyday is to make a dramatic change in who we elect.

So I think you should not go with your head because of the volatility now in place. No rational experienced political expert can tell you what is going to happen (they can pretend but truthfully, it is a charade). So take a deep breath and vote with your gut.

Just thought I would toss this out to you because I have been where you are now.

Sam

[sabrina 1]

84. Great post!

Lots of Repubs are doing now what you did then. They are listening to Bernie and realizing, he speaks for them. I see them all the time, on Social media and in RL.

An amazing thing is happening. The PEOPLE are uniting, rejecting the dividers, putting their country first. We are living in an historical time. Emerging from a time of division.

Those in power don't understand it. They thought they had succeeded in dividing us with their Faux News, partisan 'team' sports.

But the people have awakened and there is only one team now, the American People who are seeing clearly for the first time in a long time, that we are all in this together, and a small group of wealthy manipulators has kept us divided because that is the only way they can control us.

[Samantha]

86. and WELCOME TO THE DEMOCRATICUNDERGROUND, FormerRepublicanNow!

Forgot my manners there for a moment!

Sam

[CreekDog]

88. I love Bernie, but I can't get past what you wrote

not long ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7145374

[McCamy Taylor]

89. "Grapes of Wrath" Meets "Mr. Smith" Are you voting for a script pitch or a candidate?

[ohheckyeah]

90. A politician gives

people, including the Op, hope and faith for real change. When and where did I hear that before?

"We are the ones we've been waiting for" - I guess not, it was Bernie.

Naivety reigns.

[Blue_In_AK]

91. This is why we have primaries.

Heart in the primary, head in the general. Hopefully, the two are one.