Being pressured to support Sanders by my son

[Joe Nation]

My oldest son and I talk politics on a regular basis. We're fairly similar politically but we have had a rough time settling on one of the democrats throughout the primary process. Or should I say I have had a rough time, he has been locked into Sanders the entire time. I have to admit that my son does his homework. He can talk at length about any of the candidate's positions on just about any policy proposal they have.

After the debate last night, I started to see the wisdom of his arguments. Sanders has the passion, the ideas, the right focus, and he doesn't waffle in the face of criticisms. I don't get the feeling that he is simply listening to political polls and changes his stances weekly like some of the other candidates.

Could my son have been right all along while I was hiding behind open-mind wait and see who survives the vetting process indecisiveness?

Damn! I must have been a good parent or something.

[brutus smith]

1. +

[Moderateguy]

2. Bernie may has the passion and the ideas

But those ideas do not resonate with a majority of the democratic electorate, let alone the general electorate

[helpisontheway]

16. Exactly. Nt

[juliuswest]

18. This is blantaly false

He is the most popular senator and has some of the most popular policies. You can say they are freebies and he'll never get them done, but that doesn't change the fact that they are inherently popular. Let's take, Raise the minimum wage to $15 bucks an hour, think that's unpopular with a majority? Medicare for All, popular, implementation is where you get the division. Public colleges tuition free, that's unpopular? Not sure what you're basing your comment on.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/majority-of-americans-support-progressive-policies-such-as-paid-maternity-leave-free-college.html

[Demsrule86]

19. No he doesn't doesn't have a lead in delegates and hasn't gone over 30% support...he won't be the

nominee.

[juliuswest]

20. Pretty sure Biden won't be the nominee at this point

[DavidDvorkin]

23. He is not the most popular senator

He is the most popular among his own constituents. Given the small size and homogeneity of his state, that's meaningless.

[aikoaiko]

3. Bernie is a good choice.

I've been sitting on the fence between Bernie and Warren, but decided for Warren after watching her bern Bloomberg.

[CalFione]

4. Your son, like most young people, is idealistic and naive

We were all there.

A couple generations ago, your son would have been a McGovern devotee.

Or like me, a Dukakis supporter when I was 21.

They haven't lived through watching returns come in and seeing that most of the country doesn't agree with them and share their passion for their candidate.

They think and vote with their hearts and not their heads.


If Bernie gets the nomination, your son is in for a soul-crushing election night where everything he believes about what the rest of the country is like turns out to be a lie.

And if the country survives another Trump term, 20 years from now your son will be warning the next young batch of idealists how their candidate is a sure-fire general election loser. And they will ignore your son. Just like he's ignore us now.

[PubliusEnigma]

5. Temper your son's idealism with your experience of what is really achievable in one election.

Dreams are great, but not at the cost of 4 more years of Donald Trump.

We need realism now if we want to keep our Republic.

[Steven Maurer]

6. Funny enough, my son is the reverse

He tells me we're rich. And I suppose we are compared to his working class friends. His experience with them causes him to go to the absolutely other conclusion. None are Democrats or are planning to vote in the primary. But picking a Sanders or Warren will be seen by them as a "raise my taxes for nothing" candidates, and cause at least one to vote for Trump. He couldn't tell me why (this was second hand) but I get the impression that there are a lot of low-info voters who think better the the angry grievance candidate you know than the one you don't.

It's a sample size of one of course, but it's not nearly as unthinkable as a lot of Democrats imagine.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for sharing Joe Nation.

[marlakay]

8. Be happy he is involved

I was for Bernie in 2016 and got my 18 yr old grandson, daughter and older mom to vote for him.

Grandson got upset about primary didn’t vote in general, daughter didn’t vote said she was busy at work, mom and I voted for Hillary. And military kids Hillary too they hate Trump.

My point is encourage him. This time my younger military kids are thinking of Pete as Biden first choice doesn’t look as good to them.

My mom Biden and grandkids and other daughter I doubt will vote, maybe because I push to the left and her boyfriend and all the republicans she works with like Trump.

[Basic LA]

9. My son, too, is for Bernie.

He mentioned it during a rare phone call the other day when conversation turned to the primaries. Whoever he backs is fine, but he lost me when he ridiculed the concept of Vote Blue No Matter Who.

[mike_c]

10. I start Medicare in two months...

...and have supported Senator Sanders since 2016. I'll be 65 in a couple of months and I'm pretty cynical and jaded about politics after a lifetime of watching the sausage making. Many of my friends and colleagues also support Bernie Sanders. Sanders supporters are not all youthful idealists. Sanders is the candidate I have waited many years for-- a presidential candidate who brings a fresh vision of real alternatives for the status quo, and a candidate who represents working people first and foremost, who proposes policies that will make most Americans' lives significantly better, and a candidate who works on behalf of the 99% with open disdain for the 1% oligarchs.

Bernie Sanders, 2020!

[Nanjeanne]

11. Just be glad you are able to talk politics with your son. You will both make

the right decisions for yourself when it comes time. Just keep talking to each other.

[MFM008]

12. Im worried

He doesnt have the life span.

[HarlanPepper]

13. Explain to him how super majorities in the senate work

And that Bernie won’t have one so he won’t get free college or anything else. That would be a good reality check for him. I guess they don’t teach kids about basic things like how our government works in school anymore. That’s where thoughtful, well informed parents come in. I wish you luck. It’s no picnic raising kids.

[W_HAMILTON]

14. Be sure you factcheck that homework of his!

Sanders supporters aren't exactly world renowned for their embrace of the truth (e.g., just look at BrieBrie's lie about Bloomberg having heart attacks yesterday).

[eissa]

15. Both my kids adore Bernie

They’re in their early 20s and are passionate about his candidacy. They know I love Warren, but I haven’t been able to break it to them that I’ll be voting for her — I think they’d totally lose it!

I love Bernie, but Warren combines his idealism with a record of accomplishments. She can implement policies, whereas he seems to struggle in that arena.

[Blue_true]

17. Ask your son to provide details on how each of Sanders proposals will work.

Details should include expected costs, exact funding, implementation dates and durations. I bet your son goes silent if he doesn't resort to spouting fact-free bullshit.

[UniteFightBack]

21. Did he mention anything about beating dump? nt

[msongs]

22. if he offers u kool aid, politely decline :-) nt