I’m going to keep this short. I am not in the Bernie Camp. I’ve posted some pretty critical accounts of Sanders supporters and the arguments they use and the way they portray both Hillary Clinton and the progressives like myself who support her (some who, like myself, are supporting her for the first time). And I have another, longer post in the works talking about how the recommended diaries looked last week that is not going to be favorable to Sanders supporters.
That all being said, I have a simple message to Hillary supporters: Quit being such prancing assholes. It’s like just 15 minutes in a few of the comments sections and I’m seeing exactly why so many Sanders’ supporters are completely fed up. I tell Hillary Supporters: have some class. Why all the visceral glee? Yeah, I support Hillary Clinton strongly, I am on the record with that, and I was very happy by her larger than expected margin, but I’m not going to jump around and then mock Sanders supporters and indeed mock their very efforts to create change and vision they believe in. Stop it. Just stop it. The primary is still far from over, and even though Super Tuesday strongly favors Hillary Clinton, Sanders still has plenty of opportunities to fight for delegates and get his message out.
But forgetting all that, you don’t mock progressives like this. I’ve been pissed off at being mocked or derided for supporting Hillary, and I can’t abide by double standards that then say “go mock Sanders supporters.” We are on the same team. Sanders is someone who I love listening to and love to death even if I don’t think he’s really suited for the Presidency, which as Obama found out, is a kind of shitty place to try and effect change. Sanders supporters are so important to us. And even if Sanders’ supporters have often not treated the Clinton camp with that same recognition (that Clinton supporters are absolutely vital to their candidate succeeding in November), Clinton supporters should acknowledge the things they’ve done. We need to, if we consider ourselves progressives, thankful for everything Bernie has done so far, continuing a fight I’ve had personally to push the party leftwards and create more bold leadership, and to make Hillary face and figure out how to deal with some of the anti-establishment arguments she’ll face in November if she ends up the nominee. Same with Sanders; both sides are just getting the other ready for November one way or the other, even if we don’t act like it.
And one thing that is important is to treat Sanders’ supporters with respect that they deserve as an integral part of the party and the movement, rather than proving to be insipid hacks, prancing assholes who treat polls, margins, and winning and the opportunity to mock others for having ever tried to do something different. For both sides, its never too early to start acknowledging how the left needs unity and civility. Nor can either Hillary supporters or Bernie supporters be silly enough to think that Sanders revolution and ideas die with one lost political campaign, should he eventually lose the Democratic primary Sanders will still be an instrumental part of the party and a leading watchdog, and his supporters will have many more chances to effect change on the grassroots levels that many of us in the Hillary camp probably will and should help in organizing, funding, and seconding.
So lets be nice. My post is a place for respectful conversation, and for reapproachment, apologies from Hillary people that would like to show a better side to our camp and not confirm the worst resentments and impressions of fellow supporters.