Why I'm Done Slamming Bernie Sanders, But Not Done With the "Bust" Crowd

It hit me during a conversation this weekend with a local Bernie volunteer leader- this primary doesn't need to be a contentious event. Back a year ago, when Bernie Sanders was entering the Presidential race a country mile behind, I was a fan. I also predicted he would sell well to the Democratic base, and be a factor in this race. I wasn't going to vote for Sanders, I backed Clinton, but I liked him. I thought the Ben N' Jerry's angle was cool, and I admired his clarity in a political world defined by grey areas. At different points, I flirted with even backing Bernie, but I never did. Now things have become quite nasty

Things have become nasty, and to be sure, I'm not excited about him running a hopeless campaign all the way to the convention in late July. Math is math, and Bernie will not win the pledged delegate count at the end of this process, which means there is zero chance the "super-delegates" overturn the results of the popular vote and delegate count to make Bernie the nominee. While Sanders supporters have convinced themselves that the super-delegates will view him as more electable and change their mind, that's not going to happen. As a 2008 Clinton supporter, I can guarantee you of that. The super-delegates have rightly concluded that current polling is not indicative of how a November race would look, at least with Bernie. This argument is not going to sell.

Beyond that though, I do prefer Clinton to Sanders on the issues. I don't believe we should scrap the Affordable Care Act at this time to move to "Medicare for all" Single-Payer health care, as Bernie Sanders does. I don't believe in making all college education free, and flooding the market with degrees as a result. While I agree with regulating Wall Street, I don't agree that we need to bust up the banking industry beyond recognition to do that. I'm more in tune with her positions, in the current day. I also think there's a better chance of her positions becoming law. I do agree that we will move towards Bernie Sanders' positions, in time, and that the Democratic Party would be well advised to move left on issues such as trade, to Bernie's positions. I also think the party would be smart to use his positions as cover to move left on student loans, tougher regulation of Wall Street, and access to health care. I just don't want to go where he's gone.

I step back though from all of this and remind myself of something- Bernie Sanders isn't the enemy. He's not even bad, and if he somehow did wrestle the nomination away from Clinton, i'd probably even vote for him, even if not enthusiastically at this point. The guy wants to move America to the left economically, and frankly, that's a good thing. The corporations have moved us to the right for decades, and a bit of push back against that is a good thing. Wages should rise, health care should be easily accessed, trade deals shouldn't kill American jobs, and college shouldn't leave us in deep debt. I like Bernie Sanders. I should like Bernie Sanders.

Beyond that, I should stop beating on Bernie for another reason- there's no point. If I actually believe Hillary Clinton is on her way to the nomination, I have no reason to beat up on a U.S. Senator who caucuses with my party and usually votes the way I like. Sure, I didn't like his votes on gun-manufacturer immunity and immigration reform, and I don't like his wife trying to fool people into believing Hillary Clinton will get indicted, but this is a campaign. It's hardball. If my candidate is ahead though, and likely to win, there's no reason to kick Bernie anymore.

With that said, the tone of this campaign has gone down a rabbit-hole that elicits emotional responses. For his part, Bernie Sanders has largely avoided labeling Hillary Clinton a criminal, corrupt, or many of the other negative adjectives that some of his supporters have. He has never entered into the misogynistic territory, calling Hillary a "bitch" or any other negative term. His campaign has largely avoided that talk too. Bernie has largely been decent in this race, but some of his supporters have not. As I watched the protests in California at the Clinton rally, and heard some of the terms being hurled at her supporters from Bernie supporters, I realized something- this is out of control.

As with any campaign, there are good and bad supporters. There are realists and people living in another reality. There are people who are responsible and able to view the election reasonably, and those who aren't. You may agree with Bernie more than Hillary, and therefore support him, and that's fine. If you think that Donald Trump is a better option than Hillary, you're not being motivated by an honest look at the candidates, but something less reasonable. You're also not being truthful about what Bernie is all about.

I'll be honest at this point, and they can tweet at me or comment here all they'd like- I have no use for the "Bernie Bros" or the "Bernie or Bust" crowd. They are taking a position their candidate is not (Senator Sanders has called Hillary a better option than Trump already), and that is not grounded in reality. As President Obama said the other night, your options are steak or fish- there is no third way. Someone will win the Democratic nomination, and it appears clear at this point that someone is Hillary Clinton will be it. If you choose to make her earn your vote, that is perfectly reasonable and fine. If you reflexively say "no" to her candidacy, you are effectively helping Donald Trump without any further thought. In America, there are two real political parties, and you get two real choices- steak or fish. Voting in a primary, then stamping your feet and demanding you get your way after losing, is not something reasonable people do. It's not how our political system works. If that's how you wish to behave, you'll probably not really ever be an effective political actor.

Beyond that though, I guess this comes down to how you view the stakes in this election. I believe President Obama has been a historic and game-changing progressive President. I believe his achievements are generational, and that he will go down as one of the most consequential President of my lifetime. If you think he sold you out, or moderated too much, or wasn't really a progressive, I guess this is the part where we part ways, and I disagree with your position, but I understand that it's your view. I believe it's crucial that we protect his legacy. I think it's crucial that his replacement be someone who will protect his achievements and expand on them. I think Hillary is obviously the closest candidate to him on policy, and so I prefer her. I think that regardless, we must elect a Democratic nominee and fight to cement his achievements and continue his direction for America. It is absolutely crucial to me that we elect a President who will defend the ACA and Dodd-Frank bill, and continue to enforce the many laws and executive orders that this President has put in place.

I also think that it's crucial that we elect a Democratic President if we want to continue making progress. If you want Citizens United overturned, the Voting Rights Act protected, labor rights secured, or any of the contentious issues that will face the Supreme Court in coming years to go our way, it's crucial that we win this election, and put a Democratic President in a position to appoint future judges. I think it's crucial that we put a person in place that can force the issue on immigration, student loans, guns, and a whole host of other issues that will come before this nation in the coming years. This is not an abstract thing. The next President will appoint judges to the Supreme Court, our cabinet, and many other crucial positions. Throwing away one's vote on Jill Stein or writing in Bernie after the fact has no utilitarian value at all. It will not move the political system, in fact we have seen before that defeat generally drives the Democratic Party back towards the center, and victory pulls it left.

I am generally annoyed that Bernie Sanders is going to keep running. For the record, Hillary did finish out the primaries in 2008, but was much closer than Sanders is in the delegate count, and did drop out after that. I also did not support a floor-fight then. In the end though, if the worst thing that Sanders does is force some floor votes in Philadelphia, that will not end up being the end of the world. Knowing that, i'm done slamming Bernie. Bernie is not the enemy. In fact, at some point in the not-so-distant future, I'll like Bernie Sanders again. Bernie is an ally in the fight, long term.

I'm not done with the "or Bust" crowd though. It's irresponsible. It doesn't show core values, it shows stupidity. If that's where you want to go with things, fine. I'm not with you, and you're not with me either. The line drawing in the sand is a two way thing, and while I think Bernie deserves say in the platform, and an increased profile in the Senate for running a fine campaign, i'm prepared to offer absolutely nothing to those who think Hillary Clinton is a "bitch," "corrupt," or a "criminal." For you, I quote the classic movie Willy Wonka- You get nothing, you lose.