Cornell West endorses Jill Stein [Click] This November, we need change. Yet we are tied in a choice between Trump, who would be a neo-fascist catastrophe, and Clinton, a neo-liberal disaster. That’s why I am supporting Jill Stein. I am with her – the only progressive woman in the race – because we’ve got to get beyond this lock-jaw situation. I have a deep love for my brother Bernie Sanders, but I disagree with him on Hillary Clinton. I don’t think she would be an “outstanding president”. Her militarism makes the world a less safe place.
If you listen to her AIPAC speech that will tell you all you need to know about the level of her lust for war. People worry about Trump with the nuclear codes, but Hillary is no less dangerous.
The roll call is underway right now and it looks like Hillary may end up with one and half times as many votes as Bernie. NPR is saying that, at the end of the voting, the DNC may have Bernie speak the words making Hillary the official nominee. Gee, nothing like twisting the knife, eh?
Dear Catreona, Please know you are not alone in having mixed feelings about how to vote. Twice Bernie has gotten me to the point of seriously considering how I could possibly vote for Hillary, because I deeply trust his wisdom and I suspect he is two or three chess moves ahead of most others. But even so, I know I just can't give her my vote. When push comes to shove, I have to be able to sleep at night.
In a bid to show party unity, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the runner-up for the nomination, appeared on the convention floor at the end of the process and made a motion to suspend the rules and declare Clinton the nominee by acclamation. The hall erupted in applause.
I don't know why he did that, what pressure he felt, but it made the last year and all his speeches seem hollow and meaningless. Rip the cover off the unscrupulous and downright criminal behavior and then ask us to ignore it and support the perpetrator? No. Not logical. Does not compute. And this Mama don't play that. No way will I vote for Hillary.
Susan, I am quite unsettled by all that has taken place over the past months, but especially this past week and day. [Sarah Silverman was wayyy out of line, saying to Bernie or Bust people, from the podium, "You're being ridiculous." !!!] But Bernie saw this coming long before we did because he saw the corruption moment by moment. He is two or three chess moves ahead of the rest of us. His choices are: (1) to fight against the tide and run third party or (2.) to work to get the Dem Party in power. Why, you ask, would he do the latter? Well, if the Dems are in office, Bernie will have more power in the Senate than if the Republicans are in. Bernie will have more power to help the new Berniecrat Congress members pass progressive legislation. And having gotten the Dems to accept his progressive ideas into their platform, it will be easier to hold their feet to the fire. Of course, if he were to run third party, he just might win. But given that the Dems would throw everything at him to stop him, he just might not, too. Worth the risk? Maybe. Maybe not. But the bottom line is that Bernie ran as a Dem because he didn't want to be seen as a spoiler. In fact, he said that he would back the nominee, and he is a man of his word. Of course, when he said that, he had no idear how powerful his campaign would prove! I wonder if he regrets saying it so early in the campaign. He did it to be honourable, which he remained, despite the fact that the DNC was not.
Tonight he did something unbelievably difficult and really pretty brave. But I think the underlying reason is that he is looking beyond this election and even beyond the coming Administration, to the basic health of our nation, which can only come about by making sure the Berniecrats coming into office are able to get legislation passed. Congress has been mired for too long!! Zephyr Teachout recently reported that new Congress members are actually told they need to spend 4-5 hours per day fund-raising for their campaigns and 2-3 hours serving the people..!!! Not much can happen until we have campaign finance reform. Etc. etc.. If Bernie cannot be the nominee, he is determined to give power and leverage to the Berniecrats coming into office this year and in two years' time. If he were fighting the Dems, they would fight Berniecrats all the more.
But, in the words of Rainer Maria Rilke: "You see, I want it all." I want Bernie now more than ever! Several hundred Bernie delegates walked out of the Convention after the nomination was made official. My heart goes out to them. The Dems HAVE TO acknowledge that you can't lie and cheat and suffer NO consequences. We lost the race, but we haven't lost all the battles and we haven't lost the long term outcome. Bernie took the high road, fell on his sword in our best interest and showed by example how a REAL statesman behaves.
Mind you. I still plan to vote for him. But I'm not planning to fuss about it any more, out of respect for Bernie.
a href=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-national-convention-supporters-hope-to-reintroduce-clinton-to-skeptical-voters/2016/07/26/6e8d244a-52ec-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html
Very touching. Larry sounds just like Bernie. He offered their parents' names, saying they were great believers in the New Deal and they would be very proud of Bernie. Here's the link to the video. Unfortunately, no transcript.
Vermont had 26 votes. Four votes went to Hillary, cast by Sen. Patrick Leahy and the last three Democrat governors: Peter Shumlin, Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. Rep. Peter Welch and all of our 21 regular citizens voted for Bernie Sanders!!!
Dean is scheduled to speak this hour at the Convention. Argh.
Here's something I posted a little while ago on Facebook. It's been niggling at me for weeks and I finally had to say something. No doubt people will tell me I'm a self-righteous prig, but so be it. --
Over the course of the primary campaign and even during the Convention, it has repeatedly come to my attention that Bernie supporters have used obscenity and otherwise spoken disrespectfully of Mrs. Clinton in public fora. No one could accuse me of being a fan of Mrs. Clinton. Still, such behavior is unacceptable and I have spoken out strongly against it whenever I've witnessed it.
Yes, politics is a blood sport. Yes, feelings run high on all sides. But Sen. Bernie Sanders is a gentleman and a man of dignity. He deserves better than to be demeaned by supporters who behave like crude hooligans.
Never more strongly have I felt this than while listening to Rep. Gabbard's nomination speech. Brothers and sisters, this movement is a movement of love! Hate speech has no place in it! Whether you approve of Bernie's endorsement of Hillary Clinton or not, whether you heed his call to vote for her or choose to cast your vote for Jill Stein or elsewhere, hate has no place in the movement Bernie started. Such speech makes you small and vicious, no better in fact than Trump supporters.
More importantly, such behavior reflects badly on Bernie. If you can't muster the decency to treat our party's nominee with respect, at least show some respect and consideration for Bernie!
To be blunt, I'm tired of being ashamed of the bad behavior of my fellow Sanders supporters. Grow up, people! Follow the example of Bernie who, on the convention floor, personified graciousness and generosity when he moved that Mrs. Clinton be nominated by acclamation. Politeness will get you a whole lot further than childish snark.
"This, my friends, is a movement of love... This movement of love and compassion, my friends, is bigger than any one of us. It speaks to our nation's conscience and to our hearts... It is when we truly care for each other, choosing inclusion and love over division and hatred, that this great country is truly at its greatest... Now my friends, because this is a movement fueled by love, it can never be stopped or defeated."
Well, I understand what you mean. But I also think there is a time and a place for stronger than ordinary language. Mind you, I prefer the British way of saying something nasty in a very decorous manner. But such fine creativity doesn't always accompany passionate heartbreak.
A woman who knows she will not live to see the America she dreams of has a right to speak out like this. Of course, Bernie won't love to see it either. That's what makes his sacrifice so profound.
Yes, she is a woman after my own heart, and the F word is my favorite. I use it like punctuation and at my age I don't care who does or doesn't like it.
The morning I learned that George Bush had been elected over Gore I actually cried, and I'm a super-stoic and very rarely cry. I feel that same sick nauseated feeling now. I have no intention of being polite or using sanitized language when we are presented with two equally horrible unscrupulous people. The people who think Hillary would be better than Trump are in for a horrendous awakening if she manages to win. I think the Bernie supporters were absolutely entitled to their rage and their "bad behavior". The DNC people were actually going around taking Bernie signs out of people's hands. They act like bouncers from some low-class bar. Bernie did what he had to do, or felt he had to do, and we will never know what it cost him personally. Fortunately I don't owe the Democratic Party anything at all, and that's just what they'll get from me......Nothing.
Oh, and I still think we're going to get stuck with Trump. The Republicans already hated Hillary with the fire of a thousand suns, and now she's managed (with her unethical behavior) to add to that number with all the Independents, the Greens and almost half of the Democrats. Maybe she's already got the machines rigged, because that's the only way she's going to win.
Thank you all for reports on the DNC; I don't think I have it in me to watch; too disappointed. But it sure does sound like Bernie was a class act; I should be surprised if he were not. I think the party elitists and their buddies in the commentariat still think Bernie's supporters are some sort of cult followers--that it is all about Bernie. WRONG. He simply understood the public mood and spoke up for it--as Trump has, to some degree, in his way. I think Bernie could have made some inroads with Trump supporters--HRC doesn't stand a chance with them. I had an interesting e-mail from Brand New Congress today. I now have four targets for donations, but will have to triage them: Jill Stein (particularly after she is nominated, assuming she is), Tim Canova, Zephyr Teachout, and Brand New Congress. I need to get my checkbook up to date--intended to do so this past weekend.
Cornell West endorses Jill Stein [Click] This November, we need change. Yet we are tied in a choice between Trump, who would be a neo-fascist catastrophe, and Clinton, a neo-liberal disaster. That’s why I am supporting Jill Stein. I am with her – the only progressive woman in the race – because we’ve got to get beyond this lock-jaw situation. I have a deep love for my brother Bernie Sanders, but I disagree with him on Hillary Clinton. I don’t think she would be an “outstanding president”. Her militarism makes the world a less safe place.
ReplyDelete--Alan
If you listen to her AIPAC speech that will tell you all you need to know about the level of her lust for war. People worry about Trump with the nuclear codes, but Hillary is no less dangerous.
DeleteGreat article. Thanks, Alan.
DeleteThanks, Alan and Bill. Your comments help.
ReplyDeleteAlan, indeed, Trump makes one long for Nixon! Hell, I doubt even Reagan wuld own Trump.
Glad you liked the Cornell West column, Cat. And I have no doubts whatsoever that Reagan would have Trump given the bum's rush.
Delete--Alan
The roll call is underway right now and it looks like Hillary may end up with one and half times as many votes as Bernie. NPR is saying that, at the end of the voting, the DNC may have Bernie speak the words making Hillary the official nominee. Gee, nothing like twisting the knife, eh?
ReplyDeleteDear Catreona, Please know you are not alone in having mixed feelings about how to vote. Twice Bernie has gotten me to the point of seriously considering how I could possibly vote for Hillary, because I deeply trust his wisdom and I suspect he is two or three chess moves ahead of most others. But even so, I know I just can't give her my vote. When push comes to shove, I have to be able to sleep at night.
ReplyDeleteBernie is a class act!
ReplyDeleteIn a bid to show party unity, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the runner-up for the nomination, appeared on the convention floor at the end of the process and made a motion to suspend the rules and declare Clinton the nominee by acclamation. The hall erupted in applause.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-national-convention-supporters-hope-to-reintroduce-clinton-to-skeptical-voters/2016/07/26/6e8d244a-52ec-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html
He was very emotional, which made what he did all the more gallant.
I don't know why he did that, what pressure he felt, but it made the last year and all his speeches seem hollow and meaningless. Rip the cover off the unscrupulous and downright criminal behavior and then ask us to ignore it and support the perpetrator? No. Not logical. Does not compute. And this Mama don't play that. No way will I vote for Hillary.
DeleteOops, this ought to be clickable:
Deletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-national-convention-supporters-hope-to-reintroduce-clinton-to-skeptical-voters/2016/07/26/6e8d244a-52ec-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html
Susan, I am quite unsettled by all that has taken place over the past months, but especially this past week and day. [Sarah Silverman was wayyy out of line, saying to Bernie or Bust people, from the podium, "You're being ridiculous." !!!] But Bernie saw this coming long before we did because he saw the corruption moment by moment. He is two or three chess moves ahead of the rest of us. His choices are: (1) to fight against the tide and run third party or (2.) to work to get the Dem Party in power. Why, you ask, would he do the latter? Well, if the Dems are in office, Bernie will have more power in the Senate than if the Republicans are in. Bernie will have more power to help the new Berniecrat Congress members pass progressive legislation. And having gotten the Dems to accept his progressive ideas into their platform, it will be easier to hold their feet to the fire. Of course, if he were to run third party, he just might win. But given that the Dems would throw everything at him to stop him, he just might not, too. Worth the risk? Maybe. Maybe not. But the bottom line is that Bernie ran as a Dem because he didn't want to be seen as a spoiler. In fact, he said that he would back the nominee, and he is a man of his word. Of course, when he said that, he had no idear how powerful his campaign would prove! I wonder if he regrets saying it so early in the campaign. He did it to be honourable, which he remained, despite the fact that the DNC was not.
DeleteTonight he did something unbelievably difficult and really pretty brave. But I think the underlying reason is that he is looking beyond this election and even beyond the coming Administration, to the basic health of our nation, which can only come about by making sure the Berniecrats coming into office are able to get legislation passed. Congress has been mired for too long!! Zephyr Teachout recently reported that new Congress members are actually told they need to spend 4-5 hours per day fund-raising for their campaigns and 2-3 hours serving the people..!!! Not much can happen until we have campaign finance reform. Etc. etc.. If Bernie cannot be the nominee, he is determined to give power and leverage to the Berniecrats coming into office this year and in two years' time. If he were fighting the Dems, they would fight Berniecrats all the more.
But, in the words of Rainer Maria Rilke: "You see, I want it all." I want Bernie now more than ever!
Several hundred Bernie delegates walked out of the Convention after the nomination was made official. My heart goes out to them. The Dems HAVE TO acknowledge that you can't lie and cheat and suffer NO consequences. We lost the race, but we haven't lost all the battles and we haven't lost the long term outcome. Bernie took the high road, fell on his sword in our best interest and showed by example how a REAL statesman behaves.
Mind you. I still plan to vote for him. But I'm not planning to fuss about it any more, out of respect for Bernie.
a href=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-national-convention-supporters-hope-to-reintroduce-clinton-to-skeptical-voters/2016/07/26/6e8d244a-52ec-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html
Saw this on the CSPAN web page. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteJuly 26, 2016
Larry Sanders announces the Democrats Abroad delegation's five votes for his brother Bernie Sanders and says their parents would be proud.
Very touching. Larry sounds just like Bernie. He offered their parents' names, saying they were great believers in the New Deal and they would be very proud of Bernie. Here's the link to the video. Unfortunately, no transcript.
Deletehttps://www.c-span.org/video/?c4615241/larry-sanders-casts-delegates-abroad-vote-brother
Vermont had 26 votes. Four votes went to Hillary, cast by Sen. Patrick Leahy and the last three Democrat governors: Peter Shumlin, Howard Dean and Madeleine Kunin. Rep. Peter Welch and all of our 21 regular citizens voted for Bernie Sanders!!!
ReplyDeleteDean is scheduled to speak this hour at the Convention. Argh.
Oh, it's heartbreaking to think I wouldn't want to hear Howard! But, I guess things change over time.
DeleteI certainly have no interest in listening to HRC's speech! *barf*
Here's something I posted a little while ago on Facebook. It's been niggling at me for weeks and I finally had to say something. No doubt people will tell me I'm a self-righteous prig, but so be it.
ReplyDelete--
Over the course of the primary campaign and even during the Convention, it has repeatedly come to my attention that Bernie supporters have used obscenity and otherwise spoken disrespectfully of Mrs. Clinton in public fora. No one could accuse me of being a fan of Mrs. Clinton. Still, such behavior is unacceptable and I have spoken out strongly against it whenever I've witnessed it.
Yes, politics is a blood sport. Yes, feelings run high on all sides. But Sen. Bernie Sanders is a gentleman and a man of dignity. He deserves better than to be demeaned by supporters who behave like crude hooligans.
Never more strongly have I felt this than while listening to Rep. Gabbard's nomination speech. Brothers and sisters, this movement is a movement of love! Hate speech has no place in it! Whether you approve of Bernie's endorsement of Hillary Clinton or not, whether you heed his call to vote for her or choose to cast your vote for Jill Stein or elsewhere, hate has no place in the movement Bernie started. Such speech makes you small and vicious, no better in fact than Trump supporters.
More importantly, such behavior reflects badly on Bernie. If you can't muster the decency to treat our party's nominee with respect, at least show some respect and consideration for Bernie!
To be blunt, I'm tired of being ashamed of the bad behavior of my fellow Sanders supporters. Grow up, people! Follow the example of Bernie who, on the convention floor, personified graciousness and generosity when he moved that Mrs. Clinton be nominated by acclamation. Politeness will get you a whole lot further than childish snark.
"This, my friends, is a movement of love... This movement of love and compassion, my friends, is bigger than any one of us. It speaks to our nation's conscience and to our hearts... It is when we truly care for each other, choosing inclusion and love over division and hatred, that this great country is truly at its greatest... Now my friends, because this is a movement fueled by love, it can never be stopped or defeated."
Representative Tulsi Gabbard Nominates Bernie Sanders - Click
Well, I understand what you mean. But I also think there is a time and a place for stronger than ordinary language. Mind you, I prefer the British way of saying something nasty in a very decorous manner. But such fine creativity doesn't always accompany passionate heartbreak.
DeleteSusan, here's a woman after your own heart!
http://usuncut.com/politics/portia-boulger-video-sanders/
A woman who knows she will not live to see the America she dreams of has a right to speak out like this. Of course, Bernie won't love to see it either. That's what makes his sacrifice so profound.
DeleteYes, she is a woman after my own heart, and the F word is my favorite. I use it like punctuation and at my age I don't care who does or doesn't like it.
DeleteThe morning I learned that George Bush had been elected over Gore I actually cried, and I'm a super-stoic and very rarely cry. I feel that same sick nauseated feeling now. I have no intention of being polite or using sanitized language when we are presented with two equally horrible unscrupulous people. The people who think Hillary would be better than Trump are in for a horrendous awakening if she manages to win. I think the Bernie supporters were absolutely entitled to their rage and their "bad behavior". The DNC people were actually going around taking Bernie signs out of people's hands. They act like bouncers from some low-class bar. Bernie did what he had to do, or felt he had to do, and we will never know what it cost him personally. Fortunately I don't owe the Democratic Party anything at all, and that's just what they'll get from me......Nothing.
Oh, and I still think we're going to get stuck with Trump. The Republicans already hated Hillary with the fire of a thousand suns, and now she's managed (with her unethical behavior) to add to that number with all the Independents, the Greens and almost half of the Democrats. Maybe she's already got the machines rigged, because that's the only way she's going to win.
Well said.
DeleteTypo in my post above. "Bernie won't *live* to see it either." (Most likely.)
Thank you all for reports on the DNC; I don't think I have it in me to watch; too disappointed. But it sure does sound like Bernie was a class act; I should be surprised if he were not. I think the party elitists and their buddies in the commentariat still think Bernie's supporters are some sort of cult followers--that it is all about Bernie. WRONG. He simply understood the public mood and spoke up for it--as Trump has, to some degree, in his way. I think Bernie could have made some inroads with Trump supporters--HRC doesn't stand a chance with them. I had an interesting e-mail from Brand New Congress today. I now have four targets for donations, but will have to triage them: Jill Stein (particularly after she is nominated, assuming she is), Tim Canova, Zephyr Teachout, and Brand New Congress. I need to get my checkbook up to date--intended to do so this past weekend.
ReplyDelete--Alan
Bernie Sanders: Is his 'revolution' now beyond his control? [Click]
ReplyDeleteAuntie Beeb doing a good job, IMO--Alan
Oh, wow! I just looked at my records and Portia was one of the delegates I donated to in order to help get her to Philly.
ReplyDelete