Progressives storm Democratic primaries

[Sophia4]

235. I live in California. When Democrats dare to stand up for the right of Californians

to equality in voting for president, then Democrats can complain about our voting.

California went strongly and decisively for Hillary. But our big margin for Hillary that put her over the top in terms of the popular vote (along maybe with some voters in other states) did not allow her to make it to the White House.

Dissension and disagreement are a part of the political process in a democracy.

We do not have to disagree about everything in order to be basically, profoundly on the same side politically.

We may even on occasion disagree about a particular candidate, but we are still in the same party and on the same side.

To exclude others because they did not agree with you about the candidate in a PAST ELECTION which is over and gone and will not be repeated is to make the political future and growth of your political party impossible.

Many people did not like Hillary. Are Democrats wanting to exclude all of them from the discourse, from the political conversation?

Because if so, that predicts a very dark and dismal future for the Democratic Party.

I know how it hurts to lose a political campaign. I was very, very active in the Kerry campaign as well as in the Obama campaigns and prior campaigns including those of Bill Clinton. When Kerry lost, I was devastated as were those who worked on that campaign with me. But we sought to include those who maybe supported another candidate. I also remember the loss of Howard Dean in the primary.

Losing is a part of politics. We cannot blame others who agree with us on most issues or maybe even all issues when our candidate loses or when one of the Democratic candidates loses.

Miring oneself in bitterness and hatred against those who mostly agree with us but did not vote for a candidate we really cared for is self-defeating in politics. It just does not work.

I sympathize with your hurt and even with your anger. But this is politics. Losing is a part of it. And allowing others to vote as their consciences and understanding demands is also part of it.

Shutting the door of DU to people who did not vote for Hillary may seem like a good idea. It may make Hillary supporters feel really good. But it will not build a strong Democratic base.

I did not vote for Trump. But what if I had? And what if I had and now regretted it. Would that mean that I could not join DU? That's absurd. We want people who voted for Trump to become Democrats and vote for our candidates. It's our job to select candidates that people will vote for. If different points of view within the Democratic broad group are excluded completely just because in one election they didn't vote as you or others on DU did, then how in the world are people who are Democrats but didn't vote for Hillary to communicate with those who did and heal the hurt and the anger about the lost election?

I will not ask you to step into the shoes of others. That may just be too much.

But please understand that setting up a Hillary club that no one else is allowed to join on DU is not going to lead to a strong Democratic Party.

I'm sorry that you are so hurt about Hillary's loss. The solution is to get rid of the electoral college, not to blame people in California who, knowing Hillary would win (you have no idea how Democratic California is after the Republicans nearly bankrupted us) did not vote for her but followed their conscience to vote for another candidate.

There are lots of people in California who did not vote for Hillary even though they were Democrats. And they did that knowing that Hillary would win anyway. I have urged everyone in swing states to vote for Hillary, and as I said, on another website, I got into trouble for that.