Tuesday, April 19, 2016

New Yorkers Go to the Polls


On last night's "Full Frontal," Samantha Bee did what many of us have been too afraid to do -- she attempted to pick the brains of Bernie Sanders supporters, who are still convinced the nation is going to #FeelTheBern. (She's hilarious -- and has quickly become the go-to Jon Stewart replacement.)  Here's the thing about why people are starting to look at you like you're delusional: If there truly were this groundswell of support for Bernie Sanders that, according to his fans, would then carry through to Capitol Hill and completely start a revolution and change the status quo, then he would actually be winning. (I know surrounding yourself with 30,000 adoring fans can warp your view of reality, but you're totally not winning, by any measure.) You'd be winning and it wouldn't matter if Hillary Clinton had started out as the presumptive nominee. It wouldn't matter who the superdelegates wanted. It wouldn't matter who the DNC lined up to support from the get-go. You know who you can ask to see if what I'm saying is true? Hillary Clinton. 


Note that the guy who is asked what three things he'd like Sanders to do first if elected president names three things the president is not empowered to do!

2 comments:

Berned Out said...

I have to say that I have been watching boards and online discussions between so many Bernie supporters and Hilary supporters and I guess I'm just too tainted by all of it. I think Bernie has a lot of good points but no plans. He talks a lot like President Obama did in 2008 all of which led to mostly 8 years of gridlock. The most hard core Bernie supporters seem to think that the social issues and the way the Democrats talk about them leaves little more than that between the Democrats and the Republicans. But isn't that enough to say, you need a Democrat and not an Independent claiming to be a Democrat running and trying to hard force the party he was never part of to the far left? And on top of all that, National Security is still very important to me. I never liked that Hilary voted for the Iraq invasion. But it was GWB that ultimately made that blunder not her. I like that she is a bit of Hawk.

Am I wrong in thinking that so many of Bernies followers have never known a country with illegal abortion; with criminal laws that forbid contraception; sex that was anything but vaginal intercourse between married opposite sex couples; with obscenities laws; and liquor laws that let the police raid and imprison gay people at gay bars. Are they just concerned with big banks and wall street and stopping fossil fuels use? Maybe so.

I'm still going to support Hillary

Unknown said...

I still support Bernie. I like the vision-thing. Hillary thinks in increments; Bernie thinks big and grand. I like that. Sorry if that's too idealistic for you guys.

As for Obama and gridlock, I don't think you can blame him for that. So he couldn't get a lot done. But we now have the first draft of national healthcare. We have marriage equality. Unfortunately, we still have those wars plus drones which should scare the shit out of everybody. Because if we have them, guess who else will have them soon enough. And then there's the whole tax shelter scandal where tax dollars that could help people are hidden to help the 1%. And it's legal! Can't wait for both the Republicans and Democrats to take on that issue once Hillary is in the White House.

As someone who was born during the time of back alley abortions, I remember the America that was during the 50's and 60's. I also see the America today that Republican legislatures in the states want to hang onto, including control of a woman's body, getting rid of abortion and gay marriage, cutting programs and moving wealth to the 1%. I'm not blind or senile. I just like the fact that Bernie articulates beliefs I hold. I'm not sure Hillary would be talking about any of this (except the woman part which she pulls out at every debate)if Bernie wasn't there.

Plus, he's been in Congress for over 25 years. Do you think he hasn't learned a thing or two? I think he knows how that corrupt institution works. Will he get only a little bit of his ideas enacted? I think so like Obama did on healthcare. Will Hillary do any better with a Republican House and possibly a Republican Senate? I don't think so. They may despise Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. But they have absolutely no desire to see Hillary succeed any more than they wanted Obama to succeed.

So please stop bashing Bernie supporters and let us dream while we can. Come election time, whoever the Democratic nominee is will hopefully make it into the White House with all of our support.