Voting third party is irredeemably hopeless.

[graham4anything]

78. I voted for Jesse twice, Jerry twice, Al Sharpton once, and as for 1980

Ended up having two equal sides of two of the best liberal idealists for the times
And the two sides could not come together.

In a perfect world, Jimmy would have ditched Mondale and Teddy would have hopped aboard as VP (like LBJ did in 1960) and the two together would have mended their differences and won against Reagan.

Reagan was beatable. It was closer than it looked.

And I love Teddy.

If only Teddy remained vital and alive througouht the Obama presidency, he would have been able to ram more things through. We needed Kennedy off camera on the phone, in the backrooms pressing people.
Teddy was quite happy with the healthcare bill, because it was something.
It was not perfect, but it got the foot in the door which starts the long process toward perfect, whereas those that wanted it all get nothing time and again.

Teddy knew how to play the game, except in 1980 when it got too personal.
Just like in 1968.
Just like 2000.

Which is why none of those years should ever happen again.

I will stick with moving forward at any speed.
Because the other way cannnot ever be attained quick enough for the ones that want it all.

Jerry Brown and Ted Kennedy both did not have to be officeholders at all.
They could have both retired in their youth.
But both dedicated their entire life.
And Jerry got his redemption coming back.
I would have loved him as President in 1992.
His 1-800 campaign was the single closest to winning grassroots pre-computer age model.
But a smear (in liberal NYC) ended that dream.
And a racist smear at that.

But we still won in 1992 in the general.
The difference between the other fracture years and that one is, we still won.

And because Jerry and Jesse did NOT leave the arena railing against the Clintons.
They stayed and continued playing the game
Much like Hillary in 2008.
working with and for something, anything instead of the Nader-like cottage whine industry.

Summer of 1980, Paul Simon's "Late in the Evening" was the hit of the time.
I was about to get married.
Furnishing and painting my apartment in Brooklyn.
Watching the convention live time.
Loving Teddy. Loving Jimmy.
and wishing there could have been unity.

Seque to 2016 and I long ago put any past negative of Hillary to rest, and want no fracture, no major primary and the Five most popular democratic people
President Obama, Michelle Obama, President Bill and President to Be Hillary Clinton, and VP Joe Biden all together the entire next 4 years, and all the other good democratic people in the house and senate, and the governors, all on stage at the 2016 convention holding hands or all having their fists in the air victory style.
That is winning.(and as said, some of the names mentioned of other people, most of them will be on that same stage in unity. People should stop trying to divide Hillary Clinton and Sen. Warren. Both are on the same team at the end of the day.
And I want Sen. Warren to be the new Ted Kennedy as Senator. Not the one who wouldn't shake Jimmy Carter's hand at the convention in a momentary mistake in a long glorious career.
Because electing Ronald Reagan then was no option, and electing Jeb Bush in 2016 is NO option.

The others can stop ruining the party.