Today I read an article on this site about how Democrats must stop rehashing the primary battles. I’m not so sure we should.
I have considered myself solidly liberal for as long as I can remember. I will admit, I voted for George W. Bush during the first election I was eligible to vote in back in 2004, but I also voted for Russ Feingold. Over the next couple of years I would gradually go from labeling myself a “left libertarian” to eventually just a solid lefty. I found libertarians to be hypocritical: how could people who claim to be opposed to the War on Drugs and militarization generally favor Republicans over Democrats? This seemed entirely nonsensical to me.
I remember voting for Democrats across the board in 2006: to atone for my vote for President Bush I promised I would never vote for another Republican again. I was happy as the election results rolled in. That was the night I first remember hearing about Bernie Sanders. I was excited to hear that an independent Democratic Socialist had won a Senate seat. I was bewildered and delighted that someone who had labeled themselves as such could win such a high office in the United States. I wanted to learn more about him, and whenever I got a chance to hear him speak, I liked hearing what he had to say. I agreed with him most of the time, more than I have with most politicians.
When he ran his quixotic campaign this election cycle, I knew it was doomed from the beginning: he had entered the race too late with too little name recognition. I was resigned to the fact that Bernie was NEVER going to win the nomination, but I wanted him to push Hillary and the Democratic Party to the left. I was on the Bernie bandwagon early. I would promote him to anyone I knew that would reveal their liberal bent to me. I was so happy to see his impact on the primary race.
But then his supporters ruined it for me. I have NEVER disliked Hillary Clinton. Maybe it’s because my mother has always liked her. And my aunts. And my grandmother and her sisters. She has never inspired me, and while I respect her work ethic and expertise, I’ve never considered her to be an elite politician. Surely she has always been a capable politician, but she’s never been an elite one on the level of Obama or her husband Bill. She was ALWAYS my second choice. However, here on DailyKos, saying nice things about Hillary Clinton was often met with revulsion and derision. Sure, there were some vocal Hillary fans who would rile people up, but mostly Hillary fans were on defense at this place. And while I realize most Kossacks voted for Hillary, I can’t help but tell you how hurt and angry I am with liberals for not working harder to battle the inane bull crap that Hillary has had to deal with. The lies and the slander were constant. Instead of defending her, she was attacked even harder. I wrote a diary describing how I was excited for Hillary if for no other reason than that I wanted to defeat Trump. I was told I was appealing to fear. Well, newflash: Trump is president and the fear was real. And in my opinion Bernie supporters were worse to Hillary supporters than the other way around. AND I SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO WAS EXCITED FOR BERNIE!!!
I have MANY reasons to be upset, just as everyone else does, at the fact that Trump is president. But in my estimation progressives failed people who truly needed them. Perhaps I am off base here, I know I’m going to probably get lambasted and destroyed. I don’t care, because I have a message for anyone who took this battle waaaaay beyond the point it needed to go: from now on I will only support the most conservative Democratic candidates. I don’t care if you think it’s petty or not. Show me that progressives can win. You will have to do it without my vote. I am so appalled at the behavior exhibited by Bernie fans that I am unwilling to let this go. People can tell me about how Bernie has created a movement. My only response is: I’ll believe it when I see it. Personally, as the campaign wore on Bernie became merely a one note candidate. He kept hammering an important point of inequality, but he was never a complete candidate. He did have a cult of personality though, but I believe that is a mirage.
People can also go on about how people are protesting Trump. I personally don’t think he’s going to suffer any repercussions. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t trust the American voter or their memories. For Christ’s sake, this country barely survived George Bush II and the country was all too willing to give the country right back to Republicans DURING Obama’s tenure in office.
From this day forward I will identify as a conservative Democrat, a liberal, but NEVER a progressive. Because progressives are unfortunately the most fickle allies one can have.