I got a fundraising thank you from Bernie a little while ago, and I just have to say how wonderful it feels to see his name in my inbox rather than the name of someone who wants my money and support, on the side, while being ashamed to admit that they need me publicly and refusing to accept my views as legitimate. As a progressive, I realized that it is like being in a mutually supportive, public, proudly declared relationship, on both sides, versus being on the secret end of an affair with someone who is actually in a different world.... and married to Citigroup, or Nike, or Goldman Sachs, or Walmart, or whatever. It carries the same sort of feeling. Supporting Obama or Clinton, in this case, feels like accepting less than who I really am... it means hoping that they'll give me just enough to keep me there. I would never dream of more than that, from them.... or, rather, I did dream, once, but now I know that I was naive. Now, I'll accept whatever they can give while not looking elsewhere. That's what they want, right? Bernie is not a viable candidate, he's not of the class that can get elected, he's not this, he's not that.
It's just like a person involved in an affair with you, someone who is married while you are not, telling you not to look for another who is there 100%, someone more like you. It's just like someone in that position saying you really can't do any better. Someone saying, "I need you, baby, but let's just keep it on the side, ok? And don't show up when I'm with my real friends...... I'll swing by your place around midnight."
That's what it feels like, to me, getting emails from candidates who scoff at people like Bernie and Elizabeth Warren in public. I am happy to finally see a name in my inbox that actually fits among all the other names of friends and family there.
And yes, to continue my metaphor, I will go back to that kind of situation with Clinton if I have to. "You can't do any better than her, accept that your views make your choices limited, do the best you can, you won't get anyone better." Yeah. It's the same kind of acceptance that comes with having an affair. And, yes, if it comes to that, I will do it, and I will hope that just maybe she'll change. Maybe she will stand up against the TPP. How depressing. And yet, I do hope that just maybe she will..... and that's exactly what someone locked into an affair does.
I am in it with Bernie, someone who is proud to have me and who I am proud to support. Keep sending me emails, Bernie. I'm so glad to see your name in my inbox.