First of all, please forgive me for posting two political posts in a row, but politics has been on my mind lately.
I know a lot of people are major Bernie Sanders supporters. I am not one of them. Yes, he may be a senator from my adopted state of Vermont, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him. I was a bit more pro Bernie in the last election because quite honestly, I’ve never liked Hillary Clinton, and I believe that in 2016 Bernie could have beat Donald Trump. However, I don’t think Sanders can beaten Trump in 2020. Bernie will never get crossover votes this time around. He’s just too far left for most Americans.
That’s not the only reason I do not support Bernie. First, Bernie is an angry old man, and it just turns me off of him. Second, he’s done nothing for Vermont in the past six years or so because he’s done nothing but campaign for president. Third, the so-called “Bernie Bros” are no better than all those MAGA fools. Both groups will do anything for their candidate, including being disruptive and spreading lies about opponents. They are not nice people and are fanatics. Furthermore, like Trump, Bernie won’t compromise. It always has to only be his way.
As for Bernie being an LGBTQ ally, just look at the lengths one of his staffers (a gay man, I might add) went to slander Pete Buttigieg and his husband because of their homosexuality. He created a fake Twitter account to spread disgusting lies. Of course when he was caught, the Sanders campaign disassociated with him, but it’s apparent that the atmosphere for dirty and despicable politics is there and will be tolerated as long as it’s in secret. Bernie has turned a blind eye to his fanatical followers that act like thugs at opponent’s rallies. He does what will help him until it doesn’t anymore.
I may not like that Bernie is a Democratic Socialist, but that’s is because if he’s not a real Democrat, he should not be running as one. If he was a Democrat, he’d be listed as one in the Senate instead of as an Independent. Also, his socialist ideals will find it hard to be enacted in the United States. The word socialist is a misunderstood word in the US. Most Americans don’t know the difference among Democratic Socialists, socialists, or communists, and they aren’t going to learn between now and November.
I think support for Sanders is a major mistake. I don’t think those outside the USA can understand while we might like some of his policies, his politics and political strategies scare us. The US is becoming more egalitarian but it’s a slow process, and quite honestly, capitalism is a way of life in the United States and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. We may get some income equality, but until poor and middle class Republicans figure out that their party is destroying them financially, it’s probably not going to be soon enough.
The United States has a lot of problems. It’s going to take a long time to undo Trump’s damage, but we can do it. However, we need a candidate who can not only unite the Democratic Party but can also appeal to a wide constituency.
Joe
