For Sanders Supporters: I Have Been There

This is a good night. It may not feel that great for you now. I know. I was there once. In 2004, I penned what has to be, in retrospect, one of my worst rambles ever, and epically embarrassing 3000 or so words on what it felt like to be punched in the balls by a primary after Howard Dean lost Wisconsin.

Long story (seriously long!) short: It hurt.

But I mostly got over it. I rode the Kerry train pretty hard.

November was a different story. This post from the morning after W’s re-election is even more awful. I should have deleted it years ago.

That me, the me of November 2004, the me who got crushed by the primary and devastated by the general, that me would not have believed tonight possible. The 2004 me would not have believed that the 2016 me would be tearing up a bit as he watched the Democratic Party nominate a woman who will win, following on the heels of two terms of the first African American president ever, also a Democrat. That we’d have made massive strides forward on so many progressive issues and that we’d come close to nominating an honest-to-jebus self-described socialist. That we would nominate a real liberal who can continue the progress.

Hillary Clinton is a million miles to the left of 2004’s John Kerry and Howard Dean and even John Edwards, in no small part because Obama pushed the envelope and Sanders pushed Clinton.

This will be a clear-cut election. Not necessarily an easy one–Donald Trump may be a fucking clown but he has tapped into a dangerous vein, the last gasp of the straight white man who thought he would always come out on top. We have to beat that man (and those men). Even if you feel like penning a 3000-word apologia for Bernie Sanders right now, fine; but when you’re done, Hillary Clinton needs your help to take that bastard down.

Tonight is a good night.

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3 thoughts on “For Sanders Supporters: I Have Been There

  1. Seriously Jay?

    Obama has inspired more terrorists than would have ever existed with his drone kill programand his willingness to accept untold human deaths as, “collateral damage.” He’s deported record numbers of immigrants and refused to find a path to citizenship for many more, he bailed out wall street billionaires and his Ambassador to the Ukraine, Nuland, is posturing hard and we are backing her with troops and money to get us into a war with Russia. We’ve more than just stuck our militaristic nose under the tent with AFRICOM, a whole continent to muck up and you’re damn right Hillary will whole-heartedly follow Obama’s lead and doubling down on all of this and no thanks, buddy, this is not where this country needs to continue going.

    As you seemed to have totally missed it, Scott Walker was and is following the class war playbook penned by Obama (with the help of neo-liberal Democrats), positively reviewed and followed to the letter by the Clintons, and if you think for a second that Hillary will switch any of her well documented allegiances on the word of Sanders or his supporters, you’d better roll us all another one.

    Some of us rightly predicted where this race was going to end up and what would likely become of the issues Sanders brought to the forefront, based on the facts of what transpired prior to Bernie’s entering the primary race. Absolutely no one needs to be apologizing for, or making excuses for having supported ideas that are the moral imperative that, “liberals,” disguised as Democratic leadership, have buried in the dust for several decades.

    Vote down-ticket for the most local candidates that you still feel that you can trust and leave Hillary blowing in the wind. Enough of the failing imperialist’s empire of fascist conquest, there are other avenues to human survival on this planet. Hillary is the sure and certain road to further ruin.

  2. Folkbum, it seems to me your “confession” misses an important consideration.

    Does it really matter who is the President as long as Mitch and Paul supported by GOP gerrymandering of States are dictating the legislation and laws of the land?

    With such a state of affairs, a purist such as Sanders or a dictator such as Trump are too far removed from the realty of politics in the USA today.

    1. Thanks for the greeting a few comments ago.

      We’ve got good candidates in the WI US 8th Congressional and with Feingold and in the WI Assembly where I live.

      County Dems have nothing organized here, though a group of independents, progressives and “socialists,” and environmentalist/public trust doctrine types have come together to support an Assembly District candidate with very good chances despite gerrymandering.

      We are going to be introduced to the, “infiltrator,” /state coordinator from DPW or maybe from the DNC later this week, we’re not sure yet. My question will be what do you have to offer us that we don’t already have? 85% here will refuse to work for the queen, HRC. 15% of the group has official ties to the DPW.

      A few good links on this YTube page, Jill Stein has talking points the Dems threw away long ago but should be reinstated.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV_PLCC6jeI&list=PLNAlnQ4hvLtTAJcIEcfvfHbMv2omP_rHC

      Back to the garden…

      Peace and Resolve – No War but Class War

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