Three principles I would hope Bernie's supporters would follow and a corollary for Clinton supporter

[onenote]

I have supported Bernie both financially and with my vote in the Virginia primary. I gave money early when no one thought the Sanders campaign had a snowball's chance in hell and many Clinton supporters were predicting he would have to drop out of the race after Super Tuesday. I voted for Bernie in Virginia even though the polls said he wasn't going to win.

At the same time, however, I have tried to remain grounded in reality and have little patience for pie in the sky predictions that Bernie has the nomination in the bag (of which there are a diminishing number, thankfully) and I have little patience for Sanders supporters that assert Clinton has no chance of winning if she gets the nomination or that they will not support Clinton if she gets the nomination, a position that I feel throws a lot of valued portions of the Democratic party base under the bus.

With that introduction, here are three principles I wish my fellow Sanders supporters will consider following:

1. Acknowledge, as the Sanders campaign itself has done all along, that the path to the nomination is uphill.
2. Use that acknowledgement not as an excuse to be defeatist, but as a motivating factor to get out and vote and encourage others to do the same. I was pretty certain that Bernie couldn't win Virginia, but instead of staying at home and sulking about it, I got out and voted.
3. If, despite everything, Bernie cannot climb the mountain, do not sink into despair. Take some time to heal and then turn you energies to getting Clinton elected -- something that I'm certain Bernie will be urging us to do. Bernie's stature and influence going forward will be dependent on his being able to marshal his supporters to help elect the Democratic nominee, just as Clinton's stature and influence after the 2008 primary campaign was enhanced by her throwing her support to Obama and bringing along a lot of her supporters.

Finally, a corollary for Clinton supporters: Accept and even support the idea that Bernie is in the race until the convention (or shortly before the convention if he is mathematically eliminated). Stop calling for him to drop out -- event Clinton has not made such a demand. In the long run it will be better for the party and for unity if folks stop telling the other side what they should or shouldn't do.

[peacebird]

1. Sorry. there is no way I will ever work for, donate to, or vote for Hillary.

none. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

[onenote]

3. do you expect Clinton supporters, particularly minority Clinton supporters to vote for Bernie?

Presumably they will because they know that they will suffer immediately and directly under any repub administration.

But if you expect their support for Bernie, why would you throw them under the bus if Bernie doesn't get the nomination. Saying that you will sends exactly the wrong message, imo.

[peacebird]

7. Bernie is an honest, honorable man with integrity whose positions align with mine.

Hillary is a dishonest untrustworthy politician whose positions on fracking, gmos, monsanto, income inequality, wall street, too big to fail do NOT align with mine.

His judgement has been proven to be sound regarding IWR, her vote was BOUGHT by GWB for $$$ pork for New York.

Her disastrous record in Hondouras and Libya and Syria speaks for itself.

So yes, I believe her supporters should back Bernie, but then I cannot for the life of me see why anyone would back HER.

[onenote]

8. so you think African Americans and other minorities should also withhold support from Clinton if she

gets the nomination, even if it means the election of a bigoted, misogynistic repub candidate who will stack the Supreme Court with justices that will attack the rights of women and minorities and the elderly at every turn and, in particular, will do whatever they can to uphold repub efforts at vote suppression (which in the long run will make it harder for progressives going forward).

[riderinthestorm]

10. Her supporters tell us over and over that she can win without us

that she's such the superior candidate our support is irrelevant.

[onenote]

12. I think they're wrong.

And I also think defeating the repub nominee, no matter who it is, is of paramount importance.

[riderinthestorm]

16. Well then, take it up with them. They're pretty adamant

they don't even want us in the party really. After months of calling Sanders and his supporters racist, sexist, unicorn chasing idiots who can't even do "math", I think they've made their point fairly strongly actually.

The Greens, Independents etc who've crossed over to vote in this Dem primary? Pffft, "fuck 'em" seems to be the message other than the few begging posts here in GDP.

[PowerToThePeople]

6. This

[upaloopa]

2. Stay in Bernie! There I said it.

I don't care what he does except to recognize our enemy is Trump not each other.

[riderinthestorm]

4. How did Hillary Clinton gain any "stature and influence" by helping Obama

exactly what do you mean by that?

[onenote]

5. If she hadn't supported Obama

she wouldn't have ended up as Secretary of State. She also wouldn't have redeemed herself with major portions of the Democratic base that enthusiastically supported Obama, including African Americans.

[riderinthestorm]

9. She gave her delegates to Obama in a deal that gave her the SOS spot

I think there's little doubt of that when Obama disappeared that day during the end days of the campaign for a (still) unaccounted for few hours.

So you believe Sanders will win cred with the AA community by supporting Hillary? After months of being told he's a racist, tone deaf, and oblivious to their needs I'm not certain how he "wins" their support then, if ever. We've heard that on this board over and over and in RL. Supposedly it takes years if not decades to build that "relationship" and frankly 4 months campaigning with Hillary won't change much for him in the AA community as far as I can see.

[onenote]

11. No. African Americans and other minorities will end up supporting Bernie

because they understand what's at stake. How enthusiastic they will be is another question, particularly when the message that is sent by Bernie's supporters is that they don't care if a repub gets elected or what that might mean for some of the most at risk but loyal segments of the Democratic base.

[riderinthestorm]

14. Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear.

I thought I was addressing your point that Sanders and his supporters need to campaign for, and "support", Hillary to win power and influence, if she's the Dem nominee. I disagree with that premise for reasons already outlined above.

I believe many Sanders supporters will vote for Hillary, many say so here and in RL, but I'm not sure any of them will do more than simply cast that vote.

The point your making now in this post is very different.

If Sanders is the nominee, I'd figure it would work the same. They'd cast their vote and that's it. I actually wouldn't expect much more than that, especially amongst the majority in the AA community who already apparently strongly dislike him.

[Hiraeth]

13. oh my.

wish in one hand brother.

[djean111]

15. Oh. Sigh. Another Pledge-y Thing.

No sale.

[basselope]

17. There is no world in which I could cast a vote for Clinton.. let alone encourage others to do so.

[SamKnause]

18. No.

I don't give a damn about the 'party'.

The party is the problem.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. No sale. No more Clintons.

[Jim Lane]

20. I'm with you on two and a half out of three.

I agree with your first two points. As to the third, if Clinton is the nominee then I expect I'll vote for her, but I won't otherwise turn my energies toward supporting her. There are better uses for my energies, such as downticket races and nonelectoral work. Let her draw her volunteers from the ranks of the people who think she's the most qualified person ever to run for President, because I certainly don't share that opinion.

She's better than Trump or Cruz or Kasich. That's about as glowing as I'll get in praising her.