Are we determined to constantly eat our own? The vitriol coming from Sanders supporters towards Hillary Clinton sounds like its coming from the base of the Republican party, not Democrats who have chosen to back a different candidate. I don’t understand it. Why the hatred for a smart, accomplished woman who has spent her entire life working to lift people up, advance rights for women and children, promote social and economic equality and who was the first person in decades to advocate for universal healthcare 22 years ago.
Can this actually be about the fear of elevating a woman to the office of president? How else do you explain the comments in the media and on progressive blogs that Hillary’s disqualifying herself because she’s so strident as opposed to Bernie who is simply passionate? That’s the same argument that’s been used against Barbara Boxer every time she’s run for the Senate in California and not just by her Republican opponents.
Is there sexism in all the nastiness that’s coming out of progressive purists as they hurl accusations that Hillary’s really a conservative in liberal clothing, or that she’s on the take from Wall Street, or that she’s the Democrat version of Dick Cheney, or that every time she opens her mouth she’s lying. Is it sexism? You tell me. Today Salon has 4 front page stories on last night’s debate each with a nasty critical headline about Hillary Clinton. Maybe the fact that they were all written by men is just a coincidence and that the only positive headline accompanies a story written by a woman, but I doubt it.
Here is the unvarnished truth. When Clinton and Sanders were in congress together they voted the same 93% of the time. The other 7% wasn’t just because Hillary voted for Iraq, it was because Bernie voted wrong on guns, immigration, and a critical financial reform bill. When Hillary was in the senate with President Obama, she actually had a more progressive rating than he did.
But these seem to be facts that progressives for Bernie don’t want to acknowledge let alone accept. As someone who feels lucky to have them both as candidates, especially when you look at the Republican clown show that is running against them, I would just like everyone to get a grip. By all means, support Bernie with all your heart and passion, but for heaven’s sake stop denigrating and defaming Hillary. If she’s elected president, we’ll be damn lucky to get her!!!