2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Lets be clear about Bernie vs Hillary [View all]Dustlawyer
(10,536 posts)been bought with campaign money. He doesn't owe anyone but us! Nader and Sanders are two different people, with different agendas. Sanders has worked within the system, but has not been corrupted by it. He has worked with Democrats and Republicans and knows compromise is appropriate and necessary at times, but he also knows when we are getting the shaft and he has our back. I don't have to worry that Wall Street, the MIC, Big Pharma, NRA, or any of the other usual suspects got to him to screw me over. He is running as a Democrat to avoid a Nader situation since he knows it would put a Republican in the White House.
I do not believe Hillary is evil or bad, but I believe that she has played this game far too long and has too many wealthy, powerful friends that she will take care of before us. This is how our political system has operated since before she and Bill came along. She has learned the game and played it masterfully. She too has worked both sides of the aisle and accomplished a great deal. But, she has divided loyalties. Like Obama, she will throw us a few bones with some meat on them, but the real dinner is at the table where we are not allowed. Will I vote for her if she wins the Primary, of course. Am I tired of picking from Wall Street approved candidates, you bet your ass I am!
The root problem that has caused, or at least made substantially worse, most of this country's problems is the legalized bribery that SCOTUS has put on steroids. Bernie, with a whole lot of us behind him, wants to get rid of campaign contributions and have Publicly Funded Elections. If that were the only thing I agreed with him on I would still vote for him.
Hillary doesn't want to change the system, she is a creature of it. She is its champion actually. She can raise more bribe money than any other candidate this time around because she knows and is friends with all of the most wealthy, powerful elite this world has. She has proven she can deliver their bacon almost every time. They know that with her they will have access. Hillary is not doing anything different than all of the others except Bernie, she just does it better!
I view this election as a rare opportunity to level the playing field and return Representative Democracy back to We the People. Corporations and the very wealthy control all aspects of our society, from Washington politicians, much of the Judicial branch, the media, and most of the money. I want a return of the power to the people where it belongs, that's what this election means to me and my fellow Bernie supporters!