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Snarkoleptic

(5,998 posts)
Sat May 28, 2016, 08:48 AM May 2016

Robert Reich: It’s time for Clinton and Sanders supporters to swallow some tough medicine.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/robert-reich-its-time-for-clinton-and-sanders-supporters-to-swallow-some-tough-medicine/

Sanders should stay in the race also because he has attracted a large number of young people and independents. Their passion, excitement, and enthusiasm are critically important to Hillary Clinton’s success, if she’s the nominee, as well the success of other Democrats this year, and, more fundamentally, to the future of American politics.

Finally and not the least, Sanders has been telling a basic truth about the American political economic system—that growing inequality of income and wealth has led inexorably to the increasing political power of those at the top, including big corporations and Wall Street banks. And that political power has stacked the deck in their favor, leading to still wider inequality.


--snip--

Hillary may not possess Bernie Sanders’s indignation about the rigging of our economy and democracy, or be willing to go as far in remedying it, but she’s shown herself a capable and responsible leader.

Some of you agree a Trump presidency would be a disaster but claim it would galvanize a forceful progressive movement in response.

That’s unlikely. Rarely if ever in history has a sharp swing to the right moved the political pendulum further back in the opposite direction. Instead, it tends to move the “center” rightward, as did Ronald Reagan’s presidency.


--snip--

I can’t criticize anyone for voting their conscience, of course. But your conscience should know that a decision not to vote for Hillary, should she become the Democratic nominee, is a de facto decision to help Donald Trump.
23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Robert Reich: It’s time for Clinton and Sanders supporters to swallow some tough medicine. (Original Post) Snarkoleptic May 2016 OP
how depressing historian May 2016 #1
How Can This Gent ll Hillary A "Responsible And Capable Leader?" Is GHe Out Of His Mind? CorporatistNation May 2016 #7
whats the alternative? historian May 2016 #9
For me it's like choosing between two sandwiches... Snarkoleptic May 2016 #10
Don't always agree with Reich, but he's right on this. Hoyt May 2016 #2
Great points oberliner May 2016 #3
This is the same theory behind the push for a military draft. stone space May 2016 #4
So true. One of the 99 May 2016 #19
I think for many it is much too late for that. -nt- NorthCarolina May 2016 #5
Much too late is right. yourpaljoey May 2016 #8
If she is the nominee I will hold my nose and vote for her, but I will not take responsibility Dustlawyer May 2016 #6
You take responsibility WHEN you vote demwing May 2016 #11
Oh I voted for Bernie in the Primary. If I am left with this Faustian choice between Hillary and Dustlawyer May 2016 #13
Here's the thing. When you vote for a person you are responsible for them being in office Autumn May 2016 #15
I seem to recall doing just that, for the last 40 years! Gregorian May 2016 #12
All the election fraud felix_numinous May 2016 #14
No. Katashi_itto May 2016 #16
Reich lives in California, I think he should wait until we vote here before telling us to capitulate Todays_Illusion May 2016 #17
Uniting is HER responsibility, not mine. If she doesn't want my vote, closeupready May 2016 #18
Floridians; vote for Clinton. Texans; vote Green party or write-in Bernie jg10003 May 2016 #20
If she appoints judges like Ginsberg and Breyer to replace them then she is doing StevieM May 2016 #22
No sale Bob BernieforPres2016 May 2016 #21
The Clinton Foundation is a charitable organization which has done much good around the world. StevieM May 2016 #23

CorporatistNation

(2,546 posts)
7. How Can This Gent ll Hillary A "Responsible And Capable Leader?" Is GHe Out Of His Mind?
Sat May 28, 2016, 09:03 AM
May 2016

Heer history is entirely one of poor judgements mostly because she was trying to improve her political standing in order to get her to this point of realizing her life long DREAM of being President! Time and again she has made poor decisions... Bosnia, (Sniper Fire)... Libya, Benghazi, Honduras... emails/server... Clinton Foundation... The list of PROBLEMS is beyond FORMIDABLE! Reich is being PUSHED by his puppeteers!

Snarkoleptic

(5,998 posts)
10. For me it's like choosing between two sandwiches...
Sat May 28, 2016, 09:19 AM
May 2016

One is liverwurst, which I dislike.
The other is dogshit, which is not even up for consideration.

Some may wish to stay home in November, but this is much like forcing others to eat the dogshit sandwich, no?

 

stone space

(6,498 posts)
4. This is the same theory behind the push for a military draft.
Sat May 28, 2016, 08:59 AM
May 2016
Some of you agree a Trump presidency would be a disaster but claim it would galvanize a forceful progressive movement in response.

That’s unlikely.


At least when such support is claimed as an anti-war position.

We have to make things worse to incentivize folks to help us make things better.

We have to burn the village to save the village.

Hoping for a Trump Presidency, and doing so under the banner of "progressivism" or "revolution", basically amounts to using innocent people as cannon fodder for a revolution you are unable or unwilling to achieve on your own.





One of the 99

(2,280 posts)
19. So true.
Sat May 28, 2016, 12:13 PM
May 2016
Rarely if ever in history has a sharp swing to the right moved the political pendulum further back in the opposite direction. Instead, it tends to move the “center” rightward, as did Ronald Reagan’s presidency.


This is what happened in the '80s when the GOP won 3 presidential elections in a row. That's what created the DLC and made the Clintons possible. It the same thing that happens in midterm elections when the left fails to come out.

Dustlawyer

(10,495 posts)
6. If she is the nominee I will hold my nose and vote for her, but I will not take responsibility
Sat May 28, 2016, 09:01 AM
May 2016

for her actions once in. I know it's a cop out to some extent, but I see my choice between competent but corrupt vs. incompetent and corrupt.

I will however keep supporting the movement for political revolution. I will support national fundraising for House races for the slate of candidates being asked to run on Bernie's/our platform of getting the money out of politics, climate change, infrastructure, racial justice, legalizing marijuana, economic justice...

 

demwing

(16,916 posts)
11. You take responsibility WHEN you vote
Sat May 28, 2016, 09:25 AM
May 2016

After you vote, attempts to shrug off responsibility are in vain

Dustlawyer

(10,495 posts)
13. Oh I voted for Bernie in the Primary. If I am left with this Faustian choice between Hillary and
Sat May 28, 2016, 10:09 AM
May 2016

Trump, it's not by my actions. I have worked and lobbied hard for Bernie, still don't understand Hillary's supporter's attraction to her. But between those two, Hillary is slightly less worse than Trump.

Autumn

(45,109 posts)
15. Here's the thing. When you vote for a person you are responsible for them being in office
Sat May 28, 2016, 11:44 AM
May 2016

and though they decide what they will do part of that responsibility falls on the voters who vote for them That's just the way it is.

Gregorian

(23,867 posts)
12. I seem to recall doing just that, for the last 40 years!
Sat May 28, 2016, 09:41 AM
May 2016

I respect Reich, but no. Can't vote for a candidate who makes Bush look normal.

felix_numinous

(5,198 posts)
14. All the election fraud
Sat May 28, 2016, 11:38 AM
May 2016

lying and investigations are very real to millions of people who do not want to enable or support it. Looking forward to the convention.

 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
18. Uniting is HER responsibility, not mine. If she doesn't want my vote,
Sat May 28, 2016, 12:04 PM
May 2016

then I guess she feels confident that she's got it under control, and that it doesn't matter who I vote for.

jg10003

(976 posts)
20. Floridians; vote for Clinton. Texans; vote Green party or write-in Bernie
Sat May 28, 2016, 07:10 PM
May 2016

Remember it's not a national election, it's 50 state elections. If you live in a swing state (FL, OH, MI, etc.) then definitely vote for Clinton if she is the nominee. Let us not have a repeat of the 2000 election. But if you are a democrat in a solid red state (TX, AL, MS, etc.) then your vote is meaningless, so send a message to the DNC by writing in Sanders or voting for the Green party. If Sanders and the Green party can get a combined 5% of the vote, without hurting Clinton’s chances, it will let the DNC know that they cannot continue to take the progressive vote for granted.

I live in Florida, so I will hold my nose and vote for Clinton. She won't make things any better but at least she is not Mussolini.

StevieM

(10,500 posts)
22. If she appoints judges like Ginsberg and Breyer to replace them then she is doing
Sat May 28, 2016, 07:40 PM
May 2016

something to make things better. And if her election prompts Republicans to confirm Merrick Garland then she is making things better.

And if we can take back the congress then we can have a minimum wage increase and efforts ease the debt burden on college students. We can also scrap some corporate welfare programs and use the money to pay for day care and universal pre-K.

At the end of the day both Clinton and Sanders will need a Democratic congress to make improvements. Unfortunately the GOP gerrymandered the hell out of the House districts so it won't be easy. But we should do our best to take back the House and Senate.

BernieforPres2016

(3,017 posts)
21. No sale Bob
Sat May 28, 2016, 07:37 PM
May 2016

It will take Trump a while to figure out how to work the system. Hillary will hit the ground running with the Clinton Foundation already in place.

StevieM

(10,500 posts)
23. The Clinton Foundation is a charitable organization which has done much good around the world.
Sat May 28, 2016, 07:49 PM
May 2016

President Clinton should be proud of all that he has been able to accomplish through the foundation. The rest of the world certainly looks to it with respect and gratitude.

Edit: don't rush to respond to my post until after you have written and posted your 3000th post in a separate independent thread. You are at 2999. And you have certainly earned a special post for your big 3-0-0-0 discussing whatever you want to say about any subject.

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