Your vote in the General Election should be based on who's better for your fellow American, not you.

[Yavin4]

You should vote your conscience in the primaries, but when it comes to the General Election, your vote should be based on who, in the best position to win the presidency, would govern best for your fellow Americans, particularly those at the margins, the elderly, the poor, our service men and women, the undocumented, racial and ethnic minorities, the GBLT, the working class, etc.

What you want individually should not matter. What you expect should not matter. Why? A President Gore would not abandon New Orleans in 2005. A President Gore would not have been asleep at the switch before 9/11. A President Gore would not have invaded Iraq. A President Gore would not have used bigotry on marriage equality to win OH.

The lives of people here in the U.S. and abroad are at stake here. Your vote or non-vote is literally life or death.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. I always vote. And, I vote my conscience.

Don't you? Doesn't everybody?

My conscience tells me that a progressive is better for America than a lunatic or a "moderate" and I will vote accordingly.

[Lizzie Poppet]

2. So do I. That's why I vote for progressives...

...and only progressives.

[Bjornsdotter]

3. My vote is my vote

....and your vote is yours. You don't get to mandate how someone else makes their decision regarding their vote.

[dana_b]

44. +1

There are no rules or "shoulds". We vote what we feel is right for many, MANY different reasons. No one should tell someone else how to vote.

[artislife]

4. So who gets to decide what or who is better for my fellow Americans?

Is it better that we don't go to war?

Is it better that we don't allow fracking?

Is it better that we educate without enslaving students to massive debt?

Who decides the ultimate "better for your fellow Americans"?

[ThePhilosopher04]

5. I agree. That's why I will vote for Bernie Sanders as either the nominee or as a write-in

The future of America depends on it.

[onenote]

9. How, exactly, does writing in Bernie help the future of America?

I'm a Bernie supporter. I gave money early in his campaign. I voted for him in Virginia.

But if he doesn't get the nomination, I will vote for the Democratic nominee, presumably CLinton.

Why? Because writing in Bernie or voting for Jill Stein or the man in the moon doesn't help anything or anyone other than the republican candidate. It certainly doesn't help those portions of the Democratic base that are most at risk from a repub presidency, namely ethnic and religious minorities and women. And I won't throw them under the bus because the candidate I preferred didn't get the nomination.

[Lizzie Poppet]

10. For the majority of us, our GE votes don't mean a damn thing.

I don't know about you, but my state's electors (all 7 of them...LOL) aren't remotely in play.

[onenote]

11. Well, mine are (Virginia).

And I will work as hard as I can to make sure the Democratic candidate wins my state.

[Lizzie Poppet]

12. Good on ya!

[Contrary1]

15. Disheartening isn't it?

When we trudge to the polls for every election, knowing it won't make a difference.

I'll keep doing it, though. If nothing else, it serves as notice that not everyone living here is bat shit crazy.

[Lizzie Poppet]

19. I've come close to just giving up a time or two.

Yet here I am...planning on watching my mailbox for my primary ballot in May. More hope than any time since my first naive vote at 18...although it's faded to a dull ember at this point.

No point in giving up now, I guess. =)

[ThePhilosopher04]

23. Because both Trump or Hillary will do major damage

to the middle class and the environment. I trust neither. If you are truly a Bernie supporter as you claim, you would write his name in ad well.

[onenote]

24. Not a fucking chance

I will not throw my brothers and sisters under the bus to make an essentially pointless statement.

You would have to be delusional to think Bernie can win the presidency with a write in campaign so writing in his name doesn't prevent whatever damage Clinton or Trump might do. And I'm very certain that the damage to my gay friends and relatives, my friends who are not part of the religious majority in this country, my friends that are African American and Hispanic and Asian, and my friends and family that are women will be far greater under a Trump presidency.

Moreover, under a Trump presidency its all but certain we'd get a supreme court that will further roll back voting rights, which means the opportunity for progressive gains in the future will be even more limited.

There are African Americans getting punched in the face by Trump supporters and you want me to leave them to a Trump presidency?

As I said, not a fucking chance.

PS Who the fuck are you to question whether I really am Bernie supporter.

[ThePhilosopher04]

25. You don't fucking get it

Hillary and any Republican are one in the same - two sides of the same coin. Bernie is our only hope.

[onenote]

28. Grow up.

If Bernie gets the nomination, something I have supported with my checkbook and my vote, terrific. But if he doesn't, I will regard anyone who doesn't work to prevent the repub from getting nominated as a collaborator with right wing fascism.

No they are not the same. I dare you to tell one of the people assaulted at a Trump rally that Clinton and Trump are the same. I dare you to walk into a mosque and tell the people there that Trump and Clinton are the same. I dare you to walk into a Planned Parenthood office and tell the people there that Trump and Clinton are the same.

And I thought all the low information voters were on the repub side.

[dchill]

31. Hillary Clinton has done NOTHING that would indicate...

that she wants or needs my vote. Incrementalism, in the wrong direction, is not progressive. War is not peace. Corporations are not people. Lies are not truth.

[onenote]

35. Maybe voting for her won't get you what you want.

But not voting for her will threaten harm to others who are important parts of the Democratic base. I will continue to work for Sanders for as long as he is in the race, but if he doesn't get the nomination I will work against the repub nomination in the most effective way possible, by voting for the Democratic nominee.

As they say, in the end if we don't hang together, we shall hang separately.

[dchill]

37. Either way, we hang.

[onenote]

39. Oh, I imagine you'll survive

My gay family members and African American and Muslim friends? I think they have a shitload more to worry about than you do.

[dchill]

41. You don't know me.

You should, however know Hillary Clinton's track record. That is why I say either way, we hang. I MAY survive, but basic survival is not supposed to be the American Dream. I have 3 children, and 3 grandchildren. I cannot support HRC with a clear conscience - but I respect your position.

[onenote]

42. I'd like to say I respect your position, but the truth is I don't

I don't respect the repubs who think my gay family members should be treated as second class citizens, who think African Americans are thugs and layabouts, who think women's bodies shouldn't be controlled by women, who think Muslims are all terrorists, who think atheists have something wrong with them, who think voting should be made harder for those who don't agree with them.

And I don't respect anyone who won't do everything in their power to ensure those people don't end up in control of the government.

[dchill]

43. OK

[Broward]

6. Are you supporting Bernie in the primary?

If not, I don't think you're in a position to lecture about voting for who is best for your fellow Americans.

[JaneyVee]

18. I dont think supporting Bernie puts you in a position to...

Lecture anyone about who is best for America.

[Broward]

21. I get it. Some right-wingers may disagree.

[hellofromreddit]

27. Please explain

[AgingAmerican]

36. Does Hillary? Cuz you sure do it a lot

[ibegurpard]

7. it is

And that person is Bernie Sanders.

[PowerToThePeople]

8. Bernie is better for my fellow American.

Thanks for your help!

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Sorry my vote is sacred and secret

you do not get to tell me how to cast it, How political machine of you

[bigwillq]

16. My vote is mine.

I vote for the candidate most similar to my beliefs. Which I'm sure are similar to the beliefs of many Americans, especially democrats.

[JaneyVee]

17. Evidenced within this thread will be...

People admitting they only care about themselves and not who would be best to lead our nation. Count on it.

[AgingAmerican]

38. Hillary supporters are the ones endlessly complaining about taxes and their 401k's being affected

By Sanders policies.

[Karmadillo]

20. One can hope the Clinton supporters will read your post and change their ways.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. My vote in the General election will be in November, long after the primary which is still weeks

away. So the first thing I'm doing is voting for Bernie Sanders for what I hope will be the first of two times. You should too, you are very prone to swift and total changes of views so you are obviously constantly undecided and a vote in play.

[LonePirate]

29. Seems like we have several people trying to dodge a vote for the Dem in November.

[Hoyt]

30. Tend to agree. This selfish "vote/act in your self-interest" is how we got in this mess.

[think]

33. ...

[DJ13]

32. Can I exclude fellow Americans that are in the top 10% of income?

They dont need any further help, nor do they deserve my consideration.

[revbones]

34. Throw your future-guilt around elsewhere please.

I'll vote for someone and not against someone else.

You can feel free to compromise your principles and support the lesser of two evils, but don't presume to tell others to suck it up and vote for the crook and not the racist.



For the inevitable jurors, once the alerting Hillary supporter wakes from their fainting:
The Terms of Service clearly state "But that does not mean that DU members are required to always be completely supportive of Democrats. During the ups-and-downs of politics and policy-making, it is perfectly normal to have mixed feelings about the Democratic officials we worked hard to help elect."

[Kaleva]

40. Thinking about what's best for the nation is why I voted for HRC...

in the primary and will vote for her again in the GE.