What I've learned this primary season. A lot.

[pinebox]

I was going to post this in GD- but this is a better place.

I was sitting here reading GD-P and drinking coffee when I got to thinking about all the things I've learned this primary season. It's a lot.

I wonder what happened to some folks who call themselves "Democrats" here on DU, yes that means some of you Hillary supporters. In the last few days I've seen comments made about how the Patriot Act is a good thing, how Bernie supporters are "Xbox wannabees", how Bernie supporters are all kids who don't have jobs, how Bernie supporters all want "free stuff", how Bernie is communist, how Bernie is socialist, how Bernie is too old, how Bernie's eyes sag, I've seen equations to liking Bernie to Hitler, I've seen people brush off the fact that Hillary is under an FBI criminal investigation, I've seen people say that the Judicial Watch and FBI investigations of Hillary are the same thing......

Yup, I've learned a lot.

WTF is going on people? We're supposedly "liberals", right? There seems to be a genuine disconnect between both camps and it's a massive divide and one that isn't good. I personally don't think that there will be no unity this year and that the damage has been done. I also firmly believe that should Hillary get the nomination, the wrong candidate is getting the nod. One can not deny the fact that Hillary's favorability numbers are some of the lowest in US history for a presidential candidate.

Issues are important, we all know this and there are certainly some big differences between Hillary and Bernie and that's why I support Bernie, he best represents me. Maybe what we need to do is re-examine how we're treating one another on here and what is actually being said because the stuff up above isn't kosher. Not even close. Personal attacks on supporters of candidates isn't cool, it's childish and I don't care what side you're on. This does nothing but help the other side and I'm sorry but the whole argument of how Bernie is helping Trump, I'm not buying it. This is an election cycle and genuine concerns about issues are important, especially when they involve integrity.

When did so called "Dems" start to sound like Rand Paul when it comes to social programs? When did they start to sound like Dick Cheney when it comes to national security issues?

If Bernie doesn't win the nomination, I know who I'm voting for and I also know that change is already beginning. we saw that with Cornel West. The times are changing, it's just that some don't want to accept change and failure to do so leaves you stuck in the 20th century, the same place where Hillary's political ideology is.

[LiberalArkie]

1. Well we are Democrats. I feel that there are more DixieCrats than Liberals here though.

[pinebox]

2. I'm an indy.

[Jack Bone]

3. I'm going to the race too ;)

tomorrow's carb day...prob'ly gonna rain so I won't go.

[pinebox]

5. I'm more in to salt flat racing :)

[LiberalArkie]

4. I think I am D here in Arkansas as we have open primaries. I signed up as D back in the 60's

back when it meant something.

[oldandhappy]

6. Been a D a long time and will remain so thru CA primary.

Then No Party which is independent here in CA. The DNC has horrified me -- well mostly DWS. I read that 31,000 people in Calif changed from American Independent. My guess is that most of them went No Party but I have not seen stats on that. There is a progressive party forming. Change is happening. And I am planning camping trip!

[Bernin4U]

7. Raises some interesting points

The past year really has been quite revealing. Sure, we knew already so much of the established system was questionable at best, but it took a strong challenge from an honest broker like Bernie to really push them into revealing their true colors. Still not blatantly enough for the true zealots -- they'll always see the emperor (empress?) as clothed -- but clear enough for the rest of us.

But it's not the backers that matter. It's the candidate, and what they represent, that matters.

My question is (maybe we should start a poll?), how many here might have been at least open to the option of "hold your nose and pull the lever" a year ago or so, but thanks to everything that's been revealed in this campaign, no longer can do so?

I'm certainly in that category.

[TBF]

8. The Clinton/Third Way/DLC

aka "centrism" was initial funded by the Koch Bros. and similar corporate sources. source: http://americablog.com/2010/08/koch-industries-gave-funding-to-the-dlc-and-served-on-its-executive-council.html

And for $25,000, 28 giant companies found their way onto the DLC’s executive council, including Aetna, AT&T;, American Airlines, AIG, BellSouth, Chevron, DuPont, Enron, IBM, Merck and Company, Microsoft, Philip Morris, Texaco, and Verizon Communications. Few, if any, of these corporations would be seen as leaning Democratic, of course, but here and there are some real surprises. One member of the DLC’s executive council is none other than Koch Industries, the privately held, Kansas-based oil company whose namesake family members are avatars of the far right, having helped to found archconservative institutions like the Cato Institute and Citizens for a Sound Economy. Not only that, but two Koch executives, Richard Fink and Robert P. Hall III, are listed as members of the board of trustees and the event committee, respectively–meaning that they gave significantly more than $25,000.

The DLC board of trustees is an elite body whose membership is reserved for major donors, and many of the trustees are financial wheeler-dealers who run investment companies and capital management firms–though senior executives from a handful of corporations, such as Koch, Aetna, and Coca-Cola, are included.

Pinebox, I am a Gex X'er who attended high school & college in the 80s. When I arrived in Wash Dc in the late '80s people were reeling from the Mondale loss in '84 (49 states - he only won Minnesota). The Democratic Leadership Council was formed, people like the Koch Bros. and similar contributed to it. Skinner, who started this website, had dealings with them if I'm remembering correctly. Here's the wiki on the formation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council.

Was it a deal with the devil? Well. They took corporate money and that has continued with many who are high up in its leadership - the Clintons and others. Did it make sense at the time? Maybe it did. They were successful at getting Bill Clinton into office. And the republicans were not kind - in those days (90s) I was working at the law firm where the Clinton's legal defense meetings were held. The republicans were throwing anything they could at the walls and hoping it would stick. Bernie Sanders didn't even get into the House until '91 - there really wasn't a strong opposition other than Ralph Nader. And I'm sure there were many early DU'ers who supported him. I was so disgusted with all of it that I ignored politics for quite some time. I didn't get involved again until 2008 (and that is when I found DU). Barack Obama down played his Third Way ties and certainly acted like he was a friend to the people. I thought perhaps he could be a turning point and I got involved in actively campaigning for him. And of course you saw how he was treated by the republicans. I think he handled it pretty well considering that he was fairly inexperienced in terms of Washington. At the beginning he had Ted Kennedy helping him (as Iching pointed out in another OP today) - and had Teddy lived longer I do believe Obama would have had more cooperation. So, he did what he could.

Now we are in 2016, we have technology we couldn't dream of in 1992, and all of these things are coming out. I have said over & over that Hillary Clinton is not the best candidate (and I have been saying that to whomever would listen since 2008). I was really hoping they'd go with one of the younger folks. Bernie Sanders, being intelligent, threw in his cap even though he's over 70. He knew how vulnerable she would be. And he acted quickly by raising money, hiring a good team, and following principles that have been around since before the technology - find the kids, talk to people face to face, and take the high road.

At this point with the State Dept & FBI on Hillary's heels we have 2 main obstacles: leadership at the DNC that is "helping" Hillary, and the press. Which is why some of us have turned much of our attention to social media and getting the stories disseminated as quickly as possible. I know we can beat Donald Trump, but Bernie is our candidate to do it and it is going to take all hands on deck to accomplish it.