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BainsBane

(53,035 posts)
40. If people stopped fighting the primary
Thu Dec 1, 2016, 11:57 PM
Dec 2016

when people insist Bernie should have been the nominee and engage in bs about the primary being rigged against him, they make clear that the votes of the majority of women and people of color are not only dispensable but despised. Given that a segment of posters prioritize Bernie's career above the voting rights of the majority, it is impossible to claim they don't want to exclude when it is obvious they do. They make excuses for Trump voters while insulting the 16.5 million Democrats who voted for Clinton in the primary, insisting our votes amount to nothing but a DNC orchestration, because ultimately they refuse to see us as equal citizens with the same rights of political choice. During the primary they made no secret of their contempt for women, people of color, the elderly and disabled, and some went so far to argue that our votes shouldn't count, or the that caucuses that provided for absentee provisions for the elderly and disabled were illegitimate. That argument that the franchise should be restricted or that votes be overturned in favor of corporate polls has far more in common with GOP voter suppression than democratic or Democratic Party values.

Let's cut with the pretense that the concern is unity. The goal now as during the primary is to compel the subaltern to submit to the dominion of a vocal minority of voters insistent that their wishes should supplant the majority. The bizarre thing is that they seem to think an argument on DU can obviate those tens of millions of votes, votes they ultimately believe were illegitimate, just as our ideas and lives are illegitimate. That they insist we shouldn't alienate the ratfucking fascists who pretend to be progressives while voting for Trump, all while insulting Democratic voters, shows precisely where their allegiances lie.

I see people posting the same empty, contentless attacks against Clinton and the Democratic majority who supported her during the primary and the general election. After working for years to bury her candidacy and the party, they succeeded. The party is decimated, which is exactly what they wanted. (Posts at JPR explicitly say as much). The recent influx of people who didn't vote for our nominee in the GE rushing over to blame Democrats for daring to exercise their voting rights independent of their control has the intended consequence of deepening divisions to further weaken the party. Some who did vote for the nominee make similar arguments because ultimately they refuse to accept the Democratic majority's right to exercise the franchise as they see fit. They claim they despise the "corporatists, which are somehow limited to women and people of color, because the inherited wealth of male presidents is perfectly acceptable, to the point the aristocrats like JFK and LBJ are idolized. Whereas a female candidate who follows existing law and doesn't depart from the history or contemporary practice of the party is demonized. Even though her political career is over, they can't disguise their anger that she dared to exceed her place in life, just as they resent her Democratic majority for refusing to submit to their dominion. As long as they act like our votes are illegitimate, it is impossible to believe they don't seek to exclude, particularly since some particularly argued for restricting (and many more argued for overturning) our votes during the primary.

Perhaps, as you said, it requires abandoning attempts at blaming some Democrats, and candidates, guillaumeb Dec 2016 #1
Think carefully about who you want to target for votes bravenak Dec 2016 #2
I think this is absolutely correct. nt marybourg Dec 2016 #3
I think we need more outreach to those that did not vote... Raster Dec 2016 #4
Yep. We need to be smart, not sit around being sadface bravenak Dec 2016 #6
A combination of rage, defiant hope, and creativity would serve us well right now. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #18
I think tapping into the "rage" of new and uninformed voters backfired this time, and I'm not sure bettyellen Dec 2016 #37
We would have done worse running an "everything is fine" campaign. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #42
Hillary didn't lay a hand on Sanders. Some surrogate said he was "unfit" based on his limited bettyellen Dec 2016 #49
He didn't put down Planned Parenthood so much as disagree with its choice to intervene in the race Ken Burch Dec 2016 #59
He called PP a member of the establishment. boston bean Dec 2016 #61
He criticized PP in the heat of the campaign. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #62
He slimed PP, a nice dog whistle for the WWC voter I wonder? bettyellen Dec 2016 #92
No dog whistle at all. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #94
Insulting PP was a cheap shot at women's expense, period. Showed his commitment quite clearly. bettyellen Dec 2016 #96
The difference was Bernie's support was votes and Hillary's support was actions which PP articulated seaglass Dec 2016 #99
Yes NCTraveler Dec 2016 #24
Are you asking what would re-establish trust between DU members? n/t seaglass Dec 2016 #5
As a start, yes. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #7
I was mostly away from DU for a few months prior to the election. Crunchy Frog Dec 2016 #47
Yes, deviance from the approved narrative is being harshly punished. appal_jack Dec 2016 #50
Creative story, fella! LanternWaste Dec 2016 #69
I agree... Joe941 Dec 2016 #78
Me, too. mnhtnbb Dec 2016 #93
Stop thinking of the party as a club. It's not - it's a vehicle for imposing governance philosophy. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2016 #8
We don't actually bar gun owning white guys as it is. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #11
Stop bashing hillary. boston bean Dec 2016 #9
Is there any form of critique of Hillary's campaign you could accept as legitimate? Ken Burch Dec 2016 #12
Yes, cease saying she is corrupt wallstreet establishment candidate. boston bean Dec 2016 #15
OK. But would you at least agree that she probably shouldn't run again? Ken Burch Dec 2016 #16
She won't run again. boston bean Dec 2016 #20
Thanks for the response. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #22
Bernie for 2020! Joe941 Dec 2016 #79
There is no more value in bashing Hillary than there is Dukakis. And for the same reason. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2016 #31
Oh look, it's another jim jones radical. grossproffit Dec 2016 #34
Yup, that's me. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2016 #46
Well, the rules there prohibited supporting Hillary and the rules here require it. So who were you bettyellen Dec 2016 #51
You don't understand the rules of either place. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2016 #88
JPR let's you say c*nt and n@&$@r but not support the Dem candidate. bettyellen Dec 2016 #91
They are still fighting the primaries over there and screaming how they were rigged against Bernie. LonePirate Dec 2016 #57
Yup La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #71
Some real self-criticism. What do we get instead? Comey! Russia! Sexism! closeupready Dec 2016 #10
You can't dismiss those things.. JHan Dec 2016 #65
Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #82
I can't recall much dishonesty from her during campaigning.. JHan Dec 2016 #83
Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #85
You can't be for real. JHan Dec 2016 #86
Okay, done with you. Bye! closeupready Dec 2016 #87
"Bernie Bros"! "Bernie stayed in too long!" "He shouldn't've shown up her weaknesses!" JudyM Dec 2016 #100
PLAY IT FORWARD..nt asuhornets Dec 2016 #13
I couldn't agree more with you. One thing that might help mtnsnake Dec 2016 #14
A campaign that doesn't just talk about poverty(as this one did, to its credit)... Ken Burch Dec 2016 #17
Yeah, the sentence where you put the emphasis on the word "THEY" is vital mtnsnake Dec 2016 #28
Ultimately, it's about reconnecting the poor to those of us who AREN'T in the same condition. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #32
You betcha, and there is one word that pretty much sums up that emotion mtnsnake Dec 2016 #36
Thank you for this post ........ Yes there are some exceptions ( I think excptions can be Kathy M Dec 2016 #25
The point you touched upon concerning heroin is worth looking into mtnsnake Dec 2016 #27
Agree .... its the heroin.... Kathy M Dec 2016 #29
Yes and vice-versa. TrekLuver Dec 2016 #30
Remember It's The Economy, Stupid! Wolf Frankula Dec 2016 #19
I immediately heard these lines go through my head in response to your first paragraph: Ken Burch Dec 2016 #21
agree with the above Kathy M Dec 2016 #26
We promote the party platform. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #23
I was saying that throughout the fall campaign, and had been for years before that. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #33
Drain the swamp? NCTraveler Dec 2016 #35
Why are you equating what I posted there with Trumpism? Ken Burch Dec 2016 #44
I was going by your own words. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #67
I don't even THINK the DNC, the DSCC, or the DCCC are "swamps". Ken Burch Dec 2016 #97
Mostly agree. We also need to stop the BS rhetoric that our loss was Sanders/his supporters' fault. JudyM Dec 2016 #101
Agree. For most of them... NCTraveler Dec 2016 #104
Divisions in the party are good, if you want a big change. jake335544 Dec 2016 #38
We need to find a way to have debate without toxicity, though. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #45
We have a racial divide to heal within Democrats Dems to Win Dec 2016 #39
So the problem is black people were mean to Bernie BainsBane Dec 2016 #41
"Whats Millennials Support for Jill Stein and Gary Johnson All About?" BzaDem Dec 2016 #64
So true La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #74
Aww, black leaders and black activists were mean La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #73
If people stopped fighting the primary BainsBane Dec 2016 #40
That's not my goal at all. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #43
Sure seems like it has been your goal for days La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #75
Never has been. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #95
Many are. BainsBane Dec 2016 #102
You sound like you're much more interested in holding grudges than winning future elections. nt mtnsnake Dec 2016 #98
If winning elections is the goal BainsBane Dec 2016 #103
FFS DemonGoddess Dec 2016 #48
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #52
So did Bernie DemonGoddess Dec 2016 #53
Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #56
So how is the Canadian PM doing? CajunBlazer Dec 2016 #54
Yep. I'm sick of this shit, it's a ploy. They never appreciated the fact she deserved their support bettyellen Dec 2016 #55
I wasn't saying it was all her fault. Ken Burch Dec 2016 #63
Please try. NCTraveler Dec 2016 #77
I have a few ideas lapfog_1 Dec 2016 #58
The whole country has turned into tribes marlakay Dec 2016 #60
More outreach to rural Dems in purple states (like Obama did), and engage the disengaged. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #66
A common enemy (Trump), time and and the awareness of what is coming. jalan48 Dec 2016 #68
Maybe if some people stopped using right wing La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #70
Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #72
... La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #76
Carefully worded LOL betsuni Dec 2016 #80
Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #81
Actually, there is almost no one on DU that I actually mistrust DFW Dec 2016 #84
I think that is one of the best posts on this thread mtnsnake Dec 2016 #89
I have no illusions DFW Dec 2016 #90
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