I find myself so disheartened and distraught

[Desert grandma]

that I am taking a break from all politics for a while. I am devastated because after his Nevada win, I feel very certain that with BS as the Democratic nominee, we will lose massively in November. I went through this in 1972 when I worked for our nominee, only to see him crushed. The stakes this November are so much higher than they were then.
It astonishes me that the blind loyalty of these younger Democrats prevents them from seeing the danger ahead with a Sanders nomination. I have been attacked on FB for giving my opinion with BS supporters telling me to "wake up" or "go extinct". In truth, as much as it pains me to say it, many Sanders supporters are the far left radical equivalents of the far right Trump supporters. This hateful rhetoric starts with those at the top of the Sanders campaign, including Bernie himself. If the prevailing wisdom is that we Democrats will unite before the GE, I see that as not necessarily happening.
If sanders is the nominee, I will vote for him only because the alternative is worse. However, I know other Democrats who tell me they will not vote at all if he is the nominee.
If, as I expect, we lose massively in November with a Sanders nomination, my family is going out of the country for an extended 4 year vacation. I have great concerns about an even more emboldened Trump administration. He is a dangerous man in my opinion, and so are the Republicans who enable him.

[wisteria]

1. This primary is far from over. We have to fight to change the current narrative

Sanders does not have to be inevitable. They simply want to create that illusion.
SC is really important to Biden. We have to fight for his ideals. We can’t allow SC to be fooled by Sanders Utopia of empty promises.

[Desert grandma]

8. I so hope that we can change the narrative.

I donate monthly to Biden, and I agree with your assessment.

[Blue_true]

18. South Carolina republicans are openly trying to ratfuck that race

by voting for Bernie. We are facing stiff headwinds.

[Cha]

42. That's an accurate way to put it.. ".. facing stiff headwinds.." :(

[bluewater]

2. "It astonishes me that the blind loyalty of these younger Democrats..."

Let's just stop right there.

Good Lord.

[Celerity]

34. [phone]

I get sooooooo tired of this tosh on here.

[Walleye]

3. I'm so tired of the politics of resentment, grievance, anger, and hatred.

We really don’t do it that way in my state. All our political opponents’ kids go to school and play sports together. We can’t afford to hate each other. It’s not feasible.

[Moderateguy]

9. I actually understand their point...

The politics of resentment, grievance, anger and hatred got the other side what they wanted. Why should that not drive our side to victory as well?

What people do not realize is two things:

1. Democratic voters are not like Republican voters--They do not think along the lines of whatever we need to do to win. We are kind, considerate and knowledgeable. We tend to follow our conscience-and if out conscience tells us something is not right, we don't blindly support it anyway.

2. How our government is set-up is not in our favor, necessitating a big tent approach:
I. In what other country can a candidate win by over 3+ million votes and still lose the Presidency?

II. Each state has two Senators elected statewide. This means that in order to control the Senate, we need to win in places where we have to field candidates, that might not be in lock-step with the majority of us, to win. These candidates and the people who vote for them are just as much part of the democratic party as the rest of us.

III. In the House, the districts are so gerrymandered that blue districts in the same state have millions of more voters than red districts-which means that we have to field candidates appealing to the voters in that district to win.

It is very hard to watch the politics of ideology and purity being successful on the other side, while we cannot afford to do so because we have to be the "big tent".

[Walleye]

12. My feeling is, in much of life, if you think you had a say in the the decision

You are more likely to accept the consequences. I think that is the theory behind democracy.

[Mad cow]

11. This is very inflammatory

To say that Sanders wants to destroy America is a bridge too far. Also, if I'm not mistaken, threatening to write-in a candidate instead of voting for the democratic nominee, should it be Sanders, violates the TOS of this site.

[Turin_C3PO]

14. Ridiculous.

Trump will destroy our country, Sanders will not. If you write in a candidate, you’re just as guilty as the deplorables and third party voters.

[KewlKat]

5. You've expressed our feelings in this house to a T

Like climate change I fear we’re beyond the tipping point for saving our democracy. The crooks, liars and thief’s are so strong that I can’t see our democracy surviving much longer.

[hay rick]

6. So get out and work for your candidate.

I manage a local Democratic Party office in Florida. Our primary is March 17, two weeks after Super Tuesday. We let volunteers for presidential candidates use our office for events on a scheduled basis. Warren volunteers have been using our office for months. Sanders volunteers have been using our office for several weeks. Bloomberg has paid staff at their own offices nearby. Volunteers for other presidential candidates are doing NOTHING in our area.

[Desert grandma]

7. I live in a very blue state .

We do not vote until June. Democratic officials here tell me that Biden folks are volunteering here. I will be helping with phone calls, so I plan on working for my nominee. I suspect though that we will already have a nominee by June.

[hay rick]

13. The Bernie people were calling Nevada from our office on Saturday.

Two new volunteers were a young couple who are new citizens- a man from Colombia and his wife from the Dominican Republic. The Nevada Hispanic results made a whole lot more sense to me Saturday evening.

I also notice that, as a group, the Bernie volunteers are much younger than almost all the volunteers that come through our office.

[hamsterjill]

10. I feel like Putin has succeeded in establishing chaos.

I’m not sure WHAT to believe or not believe. America needs some real leadership at this moment and we have none.

So, I’ll do the best I can to understand facts versus propaganda. I’ll make the best decisions that I can, and I’ll vote in the end for the Democratic candidate. I’m not sure (yet) that I think that candidate will be Bernie. We have a way to go.

[David__77]

15. I am glad that you would vote for Sanders in November...

Should he be the nominee.

I can understand taking a break from politics.

[barbtries]

16. i share your distress.

the republicans win when the Democrats give up. #Resist

[Blue_true]

17. The frustrating thing is the Bernie supporters appear to be immune from the

wisdom that those of us who were old enough in 72 gained from watching McGovern get hammered. I was not old enough to vote, but the bitter feeling is still in my gut now. If Bernie wins the nomination, I will support him, vote and try to convince as many as I can to vote for him, but I won't watch election returns and will bury myself in my business and will order everyone to not talk about elections or politics. It is going to be hard to live through what people like you and me who saw 72 see coming.

The Bernie supporters claim that things are different now, that if we can elect a Black man President, we can elect Bernie. They have no clue and when you try to debate them, they seem to claim that you don't care about people that are struggling. I see us rushing headfirst into a wall, the sight is depressing. I personally will be ok as long as I totally tune out of politics and what is happening to the world around me.

[Desert grandma]

19. Happy to see there is a kindred spirit here

that knows exactly what will happen. 1972 was my first Presidential election and I can understand the idealism and enthusiasm these younger Sanders supporters have. Many of us felt the same way back then. I agree that unless something changes, we are headed into a dark time in America. We will be OK too, but I don't think I can stay here and watch the consequences of another trump term play out. Panama and Belize look better than ever.

[Blue_true]

25. Because I own a technology business, I am looking at Canada and Europe.

What I do would be difficult to execute in Panama or Belize or a host of other South and Central American countries, even in Mexico, where the rule of law is shaky.

There are other people on DU who lived through 72, some, like you worked on the McGovern campaign.

If people our age leave, there is really no reason to consider returning, we are in the last 25%-30% of our lives, it will take at least that long for the damage that a two term Trump will wreak. Why bother looking back when you have left and got your family out?

[Desert grandma]

30. Exactly.

You might look at Portugal too. I understand that the best second passport to acquire is from Brussels, however, especially if you have a business. We are both retired, so no business to think about. Thus Canada is probably not a realistic option, although I wish it was. Thank goodness, however, we both have defined pensions as well as social security. Spouse is also a disabled vet and receives VA compensation for that. We will be OK. Obtaining dual citizenship in most other countries gives children automatic citizenship too, so there is that to consider as well.

[Bradshaw3]

33. I worked for the McGovern campaign and you are completely wrong

Check out this well-reasoned, factual counterpoint:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=568214

[Blue_true]

39. You give a string of opinions and call them facts.

All your words are saying is "it will be different this time", don't bet your house on that.

Already I see articles in that national press about Bernie writing rape fantasy to describe relationships with females, his honeymoon in the Soviet Union.

No, it is not different now. Republicans are simply going to "Willie Horton" Bernie. Last week I read about a State Senator in Georgia who flipped a republican seat being out of her wits about the possibility that Bernie could be our nominee, a lot of democrats in my Florida are petrified about that possibility, for the first time in decades we have a chance to take the Florida House or Senate or both, Bernie heading the ticket likely sets us way back.

[Bradshaw3]

44. I usually try to back them up

With a link or some other fact. Such as the post I linked to that pointed out several things that are factual and show why your position is not all that applicable today. None of which you responded to, making your charge about me ironical to say the least. Not to mention you do the thing you claim I do on a regular basis. BTW, "I read about" something or other is not a fact or a link to fact-based articles.

[Happy Hoosier]

20. I'm with you. We are facing electoral disaster, IMO. NT

[Demsrule86]

22. Yep...losing a general is what will happen if Sanders is the nominee...and more Trump judges,

God help us. I don't remember McGovern or Dukakis but I see the parallels after much research.

[Happy Hoosier]

23. Our country will be a husk of itself.

China and Russia will dominate global politics. Europe is fractured. American leadership destroyed. The bad guys will have won.

[Blue_true]

35. And a world war can't be used to reorder things, because we know how that will turn out.

Maybe climate change will be the threat that cause the world to come to it's senses.

[pistdem]

21. I feel the same way.

I too, feel disheartened and distraught that Bernie could win the nomination only to lose to Trump. I just keep reminding myself that only 4% of delegates are allocated and it could still be anybody's game to win. Who knows what will happen. I think the media has contributed, by acting like there is an air of inevitability around Bernie. Voting has been in only 3 states so far, it is far from over.

[Demsrule86]

24. We need people to drop out...those who can't win... if they don't, I will remember and will work

against them in any future primary especially Klobachar and Buttigieg. You would be spoilers and finished in Democratic presidential politics

[Blue_true]

36. I agree with you. After South Carolina, moderates that are lagging must drop out.

It is ridiculous for them to stay in until it is too late. Since California and Texas have been early voting for a while now, their results may be distorted. But Florida and Georgia have not voted, they have to power to return things to sanity if only one moderate is opposing Bernie.

[Demsrule86]

41. Exactly right taking names and I will remember.

[northoftheborder]

29. Speaking of the media,

I noticed last night that MSNBC played one or two minutes of most of the candidates' post election speeches, but Sanders speech droned on and on; finally stopped watching, guess all of it was broadcast. He said nothing new, but I suppose since he was the winner in Nevada, he deserved the whole time played.

[Hoyt]

26. Feel it will be devastating too, but don't think there is a way to convince fanatic voters

Last edited Sun Feb 23, 2020, 05:18 PM - Edit history (1)

of that short of getting slaughtered in general election, including down-ticket.

It will take a long time to dig out, but I'll vote for the ultimate nominee and won't join a "Jackpine Radicals" type group in protest.

Every generation needs a George McGovern.

[Blue_true]

37. The problem is.

After McGovern, republicans held office for 16 of the 28 years through 2000, and they did a lot of damage during that time.

[Bumperstickers]

27. This is not the 1970s

Where you had no internet and mainstream media could push a narrative without anyone vetting them or countering the narrative like is done today.

You had to send candidate checks in the mail which took weeks for them to get. Today we can send a donation every second of the day.

Sanders would have never gotten past 1 percent of the vote in Nevada in 1970 under those circumstances, the media would have squashed him before he got going. Now low income and people who work 2 jobs who were not involved at all in politics back then are a huge part of the voter block thanks to the internet.

Sanders will win all the usual blue states and it will come down to the several battleground states so hang in there and fight for the blue because 1970 was a entirely different era.

[4139]

28. 1972 House and Senate elections...

“In the House, the Republican Party picked up twelve seats, but Democrats easily retained a majority. In the Senate, the Democratic Party picked up two seats, increasing their majority.“

[Hortensis]

31. For a year Sanders was as far behind as he VERY suddenly leaped ahead.

In every poll for a full year.

I don't doubt for a second this is in large part Russia's doing or that, as our intellligence services repoprt, Russia's been working on reelecting Trump -- with second choice another disastrous, figure weaponized against Democrats and the stability and prosperity we bring -- without pause since 2016. We can blame stupid, gullible voter ignorance, but that's always with us and was greatly outweighed by smart voters in the 2018 midterms. I blame Repub-Russia and I blame Sanders. NO excuses for allowing himself to be used in warfare against the U.S.

I certainly understand how you feel. Life is suddenly eating up most of my free time, and I don't mind at all that that's keeping me away most of the time.

As for moving out of the country, some portable assets seem wise. But we'll stick. We'd only move to Denmark with our DIL and son if conditions became genuinely untenable. Of course, by then nations around the planet would be finding it necessary to slam the doors.

[Bradshaw3]

32. Oh Scarlett, whatever shall we do

[VarryOn]

38. I wouldnt move out of the country, but understand those who would...

But I did submit a vacation request to my VP last night for the week of the election and the following week. Not sure where we'll go, but somewhere off the grid.

[rockfordfile]

40. Trump is not going to win.

[myohmy2]

43. I'm sorry...

...you feel so distraught...

...it amazes me to see how we can view Bernie and his candidacy so differently...

...where you see devastation and ruin I see the unmitigated certainty of success...

...the choice between Bernie and trump is so dramatic, crystal clear and overwhelming...

...never in my 72 years has there been anything as dramatic and clear...a fundamental gut-check human choice between good and evil...

...I don't in anyway see the majority of American voters choosing trump over Bernie...

...now trump, putin and the corrupt pukes stealing this in some way, that I can imagine...

...I do hope you feel better, but rest assured, Bernie CAN do it...