This Hillary supporter just wanted to say congrats! At least we're all voting, that's what's important! My best to you!

To think my father who was part of the greatest generation, sacrificed everything for the future of America. The selfishness and greed, the lack of intellect or worry about the climate, is so sad and pathetic. It's still really difficult to wrap my mind around it.

How were the lines? The turnout? Rural, suburban, or urban area?

your registration wasn't missing...

you weren't changed to an Independent or Republican...

The voting machine didn't change your vote to Clinton...

YOu did your civic duty...and so did your wife.

In my household it was a split too, with my husband voting for Bernie. I'm much more political than he is though. He watches Netflix when I have politics on TV

As everyone here knows, I am a Hillary supporter. When I read your post I cannot help thinking how I might handle the situation if I were in your wife's shoes. When I read your OP stating that she does not state specifics or details for why she likes Hillary Clinton, I can't help thinking that you might be getting the wrong idea from her failure to engage in discussion on this topic.

Now, I understand that it is totally not cool for me to claim any insight into your marriage. I do not know you or your wife. It is certainly possible that she is unable to explain her support for Hillary Clinton. But being a Hillary Supporter myself, and (like your wife) having the privilege of hearing Bernie supporters talk constantly, I can imagine myself in her situation. I can imagine myself in her situation because here on Democratic Underground I face a similar situation.

I have imagined in my head, again and again, a long and thoughtful post which is intended to explain why I support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. Not to persuade anyone else. But to simply state my own point of view as clearly and respectfully as I possibly can, in hopes that perhaps some other people will respect the thought and effort that went into it, and more importantly that they might better understand where I am coming from.

I have not done so, and probably will not ever do so, because I know EXACTLY how it will be received. I know EXACTLY what will be said in response to every single point I make. Because I have heard the same arguments again and again and again. (And that's just from the people who would make an effort to address or refute the points I make -- there are plenty of people who would not bother and would go straight to insults, but I don't think they are relevant to this discussion.)

So, when I read your OP, I can't help thinking that maybe your wife is imagining in her head exactly how you would respond to every possible thing she might say, and has concluded that it is not worth the effort. It is easier to tell you, "I just like her."

Because there really isn't anything you can say in response to "I just like her." And frankly, no response is much easier to deal with than being told over an over again that your reasons for supporting a candidate are not valid (or worse, evidence of a character flaw, which is what happens here on DU all the time).

You are correct in your OP that "you can't make other people passionate about those same things. You just can't." We cannot make other people care about the same things we care about. We cannot force other people see things in the same way we do. That much is true.

But remember that this goes both ways. You can't force me to see this primary election the same way you do. And I can't force you to see this primary election the same way I do. You may not be persuaded when you hear my reasons for supporting Hillary Clinton, but my reasons are very persuasive to me.

Or put another way: I believe I have an important perspective to add to this discussion, but I have chosen not to share it. And I think when anyone on Democratic Underground -- whether it's me or anyone else -- chooses NOT to share their thoughtful and respectful point of view, the entire community is worse off.

Maybe you should simply accept that your wife has a different opinion, and be thankful that you don't have to listen to her "talk constantly" about why she supports Hillary. Or maybe you shouldn't be thankful, because you are missing out on an opportunity to understand another human being a little bit better than you do now.

(Apologies for making assumptions about your wife. If I could have made my point without doing so I would have.)

I don't know if you'll find it a satisfactory answer but I'll give it a shot.

First of all, I've been married 29 years. We kind of know each other pretty well by now. When it comes to politics my wife has and has had for many years mostly a superficial interest. Don't get me wrong--it doesn't mean she doesn't get passionate about subjects--she does. She is certainly a Democrat. She hates Trump and his racist xenophobic dog whistles. She is less interested in politics than, how to work all the features on her smartphone, for example. She's more interested in practical, everyday--how can I use it knowledge. Got a new recipe? She is interested. Should we go with electric company A or B? She's invested in finding out the best one.

For interests outside the practical she loved "The Walking Dead" , "Game of Thrones", reality television. She traces her genealogy as a hobby. Loves crafts.

Have I ever seen her pick up a book on anything to do with politics?

Never.

Does she read those articles if they come across Facebook?

She might scan one but seldom really reads them.

If the news is on about politics she may pay half attention while playing with her phone.

I have tried to engage her in issues. But issues important to me in regard to the mechanism behind candidates, or congress---the lobbyists, the money, the details of single payer vs. ACA; these issues just don't seem to resonate with her. She hears Hillary make a speech and she sees a very professional and knowledgeable candidate-- and likes what she says.

Does she check voting history or donors or anything of the sort? No.

I mentioned to her today that she could have voted Bernie in the primary if only to send a message about some of the things Bernie supporters obviously care about--and her response was, "But then she might not win."

She has no idea about delegate counts.

My wife will agree with me on many of these issues. She knows there are problems.

But her response is sort of maddening to me. There's always this corrupt money in politics., she says. That's just how it is.

There is an acceptance of that. And that is where I am disappointed the most. Many people--most people feel the same way.

That's just the way it is.

We have to have trade deals because, "that's just the way it is."

We can't possibly have single payer because, "that's just the way it is".

We have to pay for weapons systems we don't want or need because of a congressman trying to buy votes in his district because: "that's just the way it is."

We can't make the choice to invest in infrastructure over military spending because "that's just the way it is."

We can't go after tax shelters for billionaires because, "that's just the way it is."

And on and on.

Where does that mindset get us? If that were the mindset years ago we would not have social security or medicare or the EPA.

So yes--I am frustrated with answers like that. I'm disappointed that I don't get better, deeper reasons for those things. And this is about the overall picture obviously--bigger than one candidate.

Beyond Hillary--I know Trump supporters, and Cruz supporters. I'm sure that at least some of them have their own reasons and would easily tell me that I just don't get it but they care about different things. I get all of that. But none of that changes how depressing it is to me, as someone who does believe in Bernie, and who believes in certain things that have to be fixed if the middle class is not going to be wiped out.

Yes--my wife knows I am passionate about politics. She knows if she starts giving me reasons she likes Hillary I would press her on them and she knows that she would not be able to give detailed responses. Her comfort is derived less from details than how she feels about Hillary--how she presents herself, things she says.

But my wife also know that I love her. She knows that politics would never divide us. She knows that she can be comfortable telling me who she voted for honestly. Yes--I'm disappointed. But not in her personally.

And also--my son and daughter.....they voted for Bernie.

We win anyway.