2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Sanders Supporters Overly Zealous and Divisive [View all]frazzled
(18,402 posts)ends up ... generating anger. Why this is appealing to anyone is beyond me, but it's obviously appealing to a great many people (as it is in the other party). This anger and and retributive behavior is not accidental. A real leader generates a constituency that is inspired to work constructively and positively. Finger wagging and sloganeering and promoting ideological fervor generates a constituency that becomes a cult of personality devoted to destroying anyone who doesn't drink the Leader's Kool-Aid hook line and sinker.
I find the conspiratorial, angry behavior, frankly scary. It's one thing to criticize the political opponent. Have at it. That's politics, childish as it is. It's another thing to vilify honest, thinking, experienced people (such as Franken or Krugman) in the process for their beliefs, and to accuse them of all kinds of ridiculous perfidy. I don't want to live in a country where a leader tolerates this kind of behavior on the part of his acolytes. I believe Senator Sanders, unwittingly or not, has created a monster. He needs to find a way to rein in this nonsense. If he can't inspire that kind of respect in his followers, he's not a leader.
So don't respond with the tired old "Oh, there they go again, attacking the supporters" business. It's way beyond that. It's a real issue. And it's beyond depressing.