Sanders Lowballs Vermont Gun Deaths by an Order of Magnitude

[summer_in_TX]

97. We used to give the benefit of the doubt to others.

Since the rise of demagoguery filling the airwaves and creating a meaner atmosphere, the willingness to suspend judgment until we know more has eroded and our society is much the worse for it.

Many of us believe it is important to still start off giving others the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming the worst. But what seems to happen when they do here on DU often is they are accused of "making excuses for Bernie," and so forth. That's a hell of a way to run a community. Not much feeling of community can remain when one is being attacked or one is looking at what others say critically to shoot it down, either one.

The recent news about bots and sockpuppet accounts being used to attack Bernie makes me wonder if some of us haven't allowed the deliberate stirring up of animus towards him and never letting it subside infect our own thinking here.

If folks are trying to make any potential Bernie future run for president less likely to succeed, why bother? The American people are not going to elect someone to a four year term of office who will be about 80 years old in 2020. He's not a threat. He can safely be treated that way.

As I see it, Bernie caucuses with the Democrats and most often votes along the same lines as Dems do. So he's an ally at times, and an adversary at other times. But there's room for criticism of our leadership sometimes, and besides, I cannot imagine him being a serious threat in 2020 as an octogenarian.