So we lost. We really did. Baring some real earth shattering event, we lost. Its hard, its sad. It makes me doubt myself and others.
I was one of those “never voted before” people when Obama came on the scene, then I was all “leeeets go make some hope and change” I peddled it over hill and dale in Iowa. Oh yeah, IOWA! The place where corn, beans, pigs and presidential candidates are planted, grown, fed, chewed up and digested. We shit them out like nobody’s business. We hold our heads high and say “yeah we know about his stuff” “listen to us”. We have our “first in the nation” caucus. WE show up and hang our signs and bear down on our neighbors. Then the pomp and circumstance leaves and we go on our way. “Thank god those commercials are over Jerry, I was about to use the hammer on the damn TV”.
Off we go and watch those stuck up north easterners vote. They always have to be different than us. Who cares what they think! Before you know it the snow goes away and we are planting stuff and tending gardens and watching our children and grandchildren playing sports. Never before did we have to CONTINUE to watch the primaries. Who cares, right?
This year was different, especially for those pesky Bernie supporters like me. Every primary was a full blown nail biting event. Stomach cramps and mystery. We knew that something was going to happen, somehow young folk, Bernie bots and bros were getting “taken away” or “shut down”. “Fraud and suppression were everywhere” (snark) (although I really do think there was some funny business going on in many of these states. I think it hurt both candidates actually).
We saw a dirty underbelly of how voter suppression and disenfranchisement has been hurting voters all along. Poor people (of any color) AND especially those of any color but white have lived this reality for a very long time. We did not really care in any meaningful way because we just did not pay any attention. No candidate made us pay attention. I am still mad that Secretary Clinton and President Obama have not made a full statement on what happened since it effects their party voters the most.
BUT, what I wanted to say here is that most of us lovely Bernie supporters know it really is time for the curtains to close on this groundbreaking and astounding campaign. Please give us some time. Let us grieve for our guy. Let us expose things that went wrong and lets work together to make them right, for everyone! Do not discourage those who have not “always been democrats” all along from participating in the process of law making and grassroots efforts. We really are all in this together and I think referring to EVERYONE that supported Bernie as a “berniebot”, “Bernie bro”, “Idiot” or telling them that they need to “get a job” is so defeatist. We need these people, or at least a majority of them to win this November. Some of you say “Hell no, we don’t need those slobs”. But the reality is that we do. The reality is that most of us are not slobs either. Most of us are not Bernie or Bust either.
If you supported Hillary in the last campaign (I did not, I was an Obamagirl) You will remember the PUMA’s. The Party Unity My Ass people. All over social media calling the Obama supporters “obamabots” “we are voting for McCain”...you get the jest. But they came around, maybe that was you? Did it hurt when Hillary lost? Did you look at Obama stickers with pain? Did your OBama supporting friends and neighbors treat you like trash? Like you were not needed? I GET IT, this cycle has been much much more harsh. I worked with the Obama campaign and during that time we were told in no uncertain terms to not “trash Hillary” to anyone, I did not get that from the Bernie campaign so much. So I know it was much more heated.
Lets be nice, even to those who do not want to be nice to us. Even when I have posted nice things about Secretary Clinton, like the day after the last primary, I posted “congratulations” to her and asked for everyone to keep working to elect the down ticket to make easier for her to move things through. I got jumped on by both sides, “traitor” and “yeah, now you come around idiot” etc.
Please, accept those people who will come over to Hillary’s side, even if it is not for “all the right reasons” in your book. Please accept those people to your meetings and listen to what they have to say. We are not trying to fight for anything you don’t want as a progressive. Let us fight with you and listen, just listen. Remember we all want a better state, country and world.
That being said. Do I think that Hillary will save us? NO. But, I think we can if we work together, we will!!