● Progressives: Right in the Primaries, Wrong on the 8th

Yes democratic progressives, you were right during the primaries. You were right to vote for Bernie Sanders, both on the issues and strategically. We know now and we knew at the time, that the polls showed that Bernie would do better than Hillary in the general election against Trump. If independents could’ve voted, Bernie would’ve won. If Bernie had gotten half the media time as Hillary or Trump, Bernie would’ve won. If the democratic party didn’t funnel money and resources (designated for both campaigns) to Hillary, Bernie would’ve won. If the democratic party didn’t sabotage Bernie’s campaign, he would’ve won. I agree with Jill Stein on practically every issue. I voted for her (in a non-swing-state) in 2012. Yes, you were right to vote for Bernie in the primaries! It’s true that the corporate centrist democrats and the racist republicans put us in this horrible position.

If you wanted to have hope months ago that Jill Stein had a chance, that’s fine and even good, but not now. Polls are not 100% right, but they can be trusted to a degree, and Jill Stein will NOT win this election. There are the issues and there is strategy. Now is the time for strategy. If you’re serious about supporting the Green Party, make a vow for the next 4 years, and start on November 9th.

Hillary is a corporatist, but Trump is a new level of danger to our democracy. He talks like every dictator rising to power. So, don’t be surprised when he starts arresting journalists, because he said he would. He will resort to violence. He said he would. Dictators are idiots, who don’t know how to govern rationally. They are good at rallying crowds and rolling back rights, but not even Trump understands how bad he will be in office. But, those of us who know what dictators sound like, are fully aware of the danger. The famous last words of people who elect tyrants, “We never thought it could get that bad.”

So, if you are in anything remotely resembling a swing state, and you don’t vote against Trump by voting for Hillary, you are flirting with the worst case scenario. Progressives, we have to be humble. We lost this one. The question on the 8th is, how badly do we want to lose. Trump is a loss we may never come back from. You can disagree with Jill Stein on one thing. Make sure Trump doesn’t win. Join Jill Stein and the Green Party on the 9th and do the hard work of fighting for the next four years, or hopefully, for the rest of our lives, in an environment in which we are able to fight.


Post by: Kurt Riebel: artist, activist

[BLOG HOME | SITE MENU]

● Hillary Will Lose!

● Hillary Will Lose!
     . . .  
Hillary Clinton will lose in November, if the DNC continues to dismiss progressives.

Jill Stein vs. Ben Jealous: . . . 

Democracy Now! https://democracynow.org
Hillary Will Lose!

Hillary Clinton will lose in November, if the DNC continues to dismiss progressives.  In light of the 20,000 emails released Friday, July 22nd, by WikiLeaks, it’s clear that the Democratic Party worked behind the scenes to give Hillary an unfair advantage by fabricating lies in an attempt to discredit and defeat Bernie Sanders.  The Democratic Party was perfectly aware of all the polls showing that Bernie Sanders was their best chance at beating Trump, and still they worked to sabotage the Sanders campaign.  They decided that corporate interests are more important than winning the presidency and reforming the party. 

So, when she loses, don’t blame progressives, the very people she and the party have worked to undermine.  Don’t blame Bernie, when he was the party’s best chance of winning.  Blame the DNC for their poor judgement, deceitful actions, and for refusing to support real democratic policies.  If you have to blame a segment of the population, blame the centrists she’s pandering towards, for not being swayed.  It makes little sense to blame those who she and the party have continually dismissed.  If she wanted Bernie supporters, she could’ve picked him as her running mate.  If she wanted progressive votes, she could’ve at least picked Elizabeth Warren.  But, she went the other way, despite all the polling and all the momentum of the movement. 

It’s incredibly naive to think that Hillary will deviate from her warmongering, climate-devastating, anti-labor, pro-corporate-welfare agenda.  It’s a fantasy to think that centrists will put any pressure on her.  Therefore, it’s solely up to progressives, knowing she won’t budge if she thinks she has our vote.  So, she doesn’t have our vote.  The ball's in her court, but she seems to not want to serve. 

Bernie Sanders didn’t go too long, he gave up too soon.  He could have, and should have taken Jill Stein’s offer to continue the movement with the Green Party.  This is a movement, not of a person, but of the public, driven by principled policy positions.  As Sanders steps down, Stein steps up.  Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party are splitting the vote on the right.  With still months to go, this is not the time to ask the Green Party (the only real opposition party) to back down.  Al Gore lost in 2000 because he refused to work with Ralph Nader and the Green Party.  Gore pandered to the right, took on a conservative running mate, and refused to take on progressive policies that poll well with the public.  We have to stop blaming people with principled positions.  Nader was not a spoiler, he offered to work with Gore, and Gore refused.  Democrats have to learn that opposing progressives is a losing strategy.  And, they have to learn that before November, or they will lose.
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Post by: Kurt Riebel: artist, activist


 

 - - - Draw The Line - - -

[BLOG HOME | SITE MENU]