No Regrets
The 2016 Democratic convention was meaningful, respectful, inspiring, and SO inclusive.
It did its jobs - not just one job, but many.
It appealed to Republicans.
It respected, included, and appreciated Bernie supporters.
It served as character witness and humanizer for Hillary.
It reinforced the readiness to be a strong commander in chief.
It firmed up strong commitments to advocate for police reform or justice, while not disrespecting police.
It cast off milquetoast halfhearted tiptoeing around the gun lobby, instead tackling it head-on.
It celebrated the success of the Obama presidency.
It introduced Tim Kaine.
It made chump change out of tRump, showing him for the simple minded, racist, unqualified and rash person that he is.
It gave memorable sound bytes.
It appealed to a sense of momentous history with the first female president, without ever implying that this fact was sufficient or even relevant reason to vote for her.
It was joyous, reflective, motivating and hopeful.
I personally have contributed about $1200 to Bernies campaign, and he lost. The "corporate flag" of the US doesn't inspire me as much as the earnest Stars and Stripes that was instilled in my heart as a child growing in the Sixties. And the economy reached a tipping point for a depleted middle class, whereby ordinary folks who work hard are at the mercy of luck and circumstance, in debt, with consequences to their health and security. Income and wealth inequality is a yuuuge reason why I supported Bernie. America can't be America when we have no middle class.
But i have no regrets, because these issues have been discussed and highlighted intensely in these primaries, and the momentum and the evidence presented by Bernie's massive fundraising success showed that there are millions of us out there, caring. Arguments and examples were presented throughout these months, awareness was raised, and the platform was shaped accordingly. My $1200 went to good purpose. I have no regrets. It was worth it to know that we tried -- tried to break the cycle of corporate sponsorships.
The convention answered some questions for me. The sincere affirmation of Hillary's core character or values by Biden and Obama, and the glimpses into pieces of her history (including her mother's difficult upbringing, which I imagine would have lasting consequences on a person's outlook and trust in the world), mean that I'm not looking backward either. I have always thought she was smart enough, and experienced enough. And TOUGH enough. But was she goodheqrted enough? Idealistic enough? Or too cynical? The convention gave me a few answers I didn't have.
I tend to prefer people who are very open and transparent. Hillary seems closed, controlled in her expressions, and protective. Of course there were good reasons, when she was First Lady. But for me, a public official with those traits arouses my suspicions. Are they sincere or disingenuous, caring or self-serving? It made me uneasy.
I expected to be bored by the convention, to be nauseated and made more cynical. That the inevitable shift to the right would happen right after the primaries were won, just like it always does. I expected to feel glummy, disillusioned, and resentful. I wanted to give up on politics. I figure I'd probably vote in November -- especially but not only because I owe it to someone who voted in the primaries for Bernie -- But instead, I feel encouraged and enthusiastic. I'm cautiously optimistic that she's going to be a great president, too. Maybe everything happens for a reason. Maybe Bernie was there to start a movement and to shift the platform. Maybe Barack came first because we needed someone completely new after 8 tiresome painful years of W. Maybe Hillary will be deeply motivated by her early ideals, and will want to leave a nice legacy written in history, not in ones and zeroes. I'm going to be optimistic. It's worth a shot, worth a little hope. Thanks to the obvious extraordinary efforts made to support her, by Biden, Obama and yes, Sanders too, and the rounded, diverse coalition presented there, I'm not second guessing. When I go to vote in November, I WON'T have any regrets.
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Thank you
..and why must she take a man's counsel to succeed? Why must a man's agenda be the focal point instead of the first WOMAN president?
ugh 
It's just weird. Don't we all have 14,000 thoughts about Hillary AND about Bernie that have nothing to do with men vs women?
