Why I like Bernie Sanders
Earlier today, I wrote a post citing comments that Bernie Sanders made on Meet the Press about the data breach, and stated that I was disappointed in them because they appeared to be inaccurate. I was frustrated that the data breach kerfuffle was still alive after the debate Saturday night, and that it was still being used to attack Hillary Clinton, which I thought was unfair.
In any case, that post ended up getting roughly 250 responses and 3000 views, and has likely ended up adding to the acrimony here on GD-P. While I stand by the content of my post, I regret the negative consequences that followed in its wake, and half-wish I hadn't posted it, since it may have done more harm than good. After all, no matter who wins the primary, the purpose of this board is to elect Democratic candidates, and our shared goal is to elect a Democrat to the White House in November.
Primary season is always difficult on political sites-- it's when friends turn to foes, often over retrospectively minor issues. So to try and do my part to heal any divisions, I'm going to write my list of reasons I like Bernie Sanders. As a note, this is mostly a reminder to myself. Also, some of these reasons will be shared with Clinton and O'Malley, and indeed, almost all Democrats-- so if I say I like Sanders because he thinks the sky is blue, it doesn't mean that I think Clinton or O'Malley don't.
So... reasons I like Bernie Sanders:
1. He has been a forceful advocate for liberal values his entire political career.
2. Despite being a lifelong independent or third-party member, he is running in the Democratic primary, so as not to split the liberal vote in the general election and risk a repeat of the disaster of 2000.
3. He understands the real threat that climate change poses to the world.
4. He understands the corrosive influence that big money has on our elections, and has raised an impressive amount of money from small donors.
5. He has inspired a large number of youth to join the political process.
6. He is not afraid of describing himself as a democratic socialist (though I prefer the term social democrat myself).
7. He wants to raise the minimum wage.
8. He is a friend to organized labor.
9. He declined to use the GOP-manufactured email issue against Hillary Clinton.
10. He is in favor of universal health care.
11. He wants to make college more affordable.
12. He has spoken up against the GOP's outrageous comments about immigrants and Muslims.
13. He wants to raise taxes on the wealthy.
14. He almost certainly does not condone the actions of that jackass on his Facebook page who posted Star Wars spoilers. What a jerk.
15. He has raised the profile of the issue of wealth inequality in this country.
16. He takes a skeptical view of US military involvement overseas, but votes for it when he feels it is necessary.
17. He has run a generally positive campaign so far, which has made the Democratic race so much less rancorous than that of the Republicans.
18. He has shown that keeping one's voice raised most of the time can actually be kind of charming, in a way.
19. He supports a woman's right to choose.
20. I could actually go on for a while, but one has to stop at some point.
I may self-delete my other post in the morning, if it hasn't faded away to a natural resting place by then, in the spirit of the season.
Happy holidays, DU.
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for all these reasons and more. He is principled and is running a strong and classy campaign.
He is truly the candidate for change that this party has ignored at their peril for too long.