I do adore the OPs that start out with "I support Bernie, BUT".

Why not just cut to the chase and support Hillary? Also, who isn't an observer?

the candidate I like the best. So that's what I'll do. That's what I always do. Why wouldn't I?

I was thinking of starting a thread here that I am neutral so far. I tend to avoid the candidate forums as well as this one. It really seems like they are a waste of space as nothing anyone writes is changing the minds of anyone in the other camp. They certainly don't do it for me and I am undecided. I will probably make up my mind in the week before the primary.

I, too, see a lot of wishful thinking based on very little to no evidence. I try not to get in back-and-forths about it because I do admire the passion, and I love Bernie. I simply see another candidate as better qualified.

Unless things get really wierd, I agree that the primary campaign will be decided by March.

In California, the primaries for state and federal offics are critical.

We need to elect a President to stop the most egrigous legislative policy initiatives that Republicans will pass.

We need to retake House and Seante Seats or, even with the best possible candiate, 2017 - 2020 will just replay of the last six years.

I don't think Jeb Bush will be the repub nominee. If you look at most polls recently, Scott Walker usually comes in 2nd to the Donald. Once Trump is out of the running, i think Scott Walker will end up being the nominee. He is the darling of the Koch Bros., who have pledged to spend almost a Billion dollars of their own money buying the election. Regarding Bernie, i think that the next few months will give us a better idea of his chances. He is only just starting to build up an organizing infrastructure, and there is a lot of enthusiasm among his supporters, particularly young people who haven't really had a reason to get involved since Obama in '08. I think those young folks are being overlooked and underrepresented in polls. But we will see.

other forces in the GOP. Walker has no chance whatever of winning in November. Bush might have a chance, so he'll be the nominee. The Koch Bros. will be wasting their money on that choice. Walker has screwed WI over just too damned far. He's a guaranteed loser.

I think the data backs you up on the primaries. We'll have to see how the general goes, though I think Jeb is pretty beatable.

I sincerely hope we're both wrong and Sanders pulls a magic trick.

I also think that if she wins the nomination she's not going to face a cakewalk into the White House. She's still going to be carrying a lot of unsavory baggage in that campaign.

I will wait for any prediction for the debates.
I also think that Jeb may not be her opponent,
but rather Walker, who plays the fiddle for the
religious right as well as for the Koch brothers
financial interests.
If I am right in that then HRC will have a much
more difficult time.
Trump is in this to make Walker tolerable.
Just my opinion.

I will be leaving DU march 1.I will not support useless corporate dems anymore.I will stay home in november for first time since i become registed to vote in 1992.It doesn't matter to me if hillary or any republican wins on trade,keystone,war,and social safety net
there is no difference.

A sensible OP.

Vote in the Primary for the candidate they prefer. But, they should do so with the recognition that that candidate may well not prevail. In November, voting is really a binary choice. I am a Democrat. That's my choice, and I will vote for the Democrat. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

I've lived through several Republican administrations. I don't want another, thanks.

if my general election ballot only gives me the choice between Clinton or Bush. I will happily vote for Clinton if it come to that (and I suspect that it likely will).

As I mentioned in another thread, I am a big fan of Elizabeth Warren; I hoped she would run.

I am a big fan of Bernie Sanders; after my disappointment that Warren chose not to run, I was very relieved that Sanders decided to run.

If there was a candidate to the left of Sanders or Warren, I'd jump ship from the Sanders campaign to climb on board with the more liberal campaign.

The fact that I am a Warren-Sanders-and-Leftward type Democrat should tell you that my political views are not only left of the US mainstream, but left of the mainstream within the Democratic Party.

I accept this fact. I'm even proud of this fact.

One consequence of this fact, however, is the reality that my preferred candidate rarely wins the nomination.

I wish this were not true, but it is.

The second consequence is that I am usually voting in the general election for a less liberal Democratic nominee than the candidate who I supported in the primary.

I did not support President Obama in the early stages of the 2008 primary, or Kerry in the early stages of the 2004 primary, or Gore in the early stages of the 2000 primary, or Clinton in the early stages of 1992 primary.

In each election, our Party's nominee was less liberal than I would have preferred, but I was proud to work for (and vote for) each of our nominees.

This is not surprising because you cannot hold out-of-the-mainstream values (I like to think "better-than-mainstream" values) and then be shocked when the party's mainstream votes for a candidate whose views are more mainstream than the candidate who shares your "better-of-the mainstream" views.

Let's fight to get Sanders nominated. If those of us who share Sanders' values are disappointed in that goal and Clinton gets nominated, let's not pretend that we are willing to stand by while Walker or Bush or whatever charlatan the Republicans nominate gets elected.

Instead, let's fight for the most liberal nominee and then for the best President. Hopefully, we'll get to vote for Sanders twice, but even if not, we'll still get to vote for the best candidate on the ballot twice.

Nothing to add. Just enjoyed reading it. Keep pulling us left. I have been on a leftward trend my whole life.

...., and my gut-sense...."

Your gut-sense is deeply rooted in common sense. Appreciate your thought sharing posts.

I respect your choice of candidate and your decision to caucus for him. I also agree with your assessment of the reality of the political situation. This has been refreshing hearing a genuine voice on the primaries and the eventual likely outcome.

Given your Age Group I wonder why you never mention the Tumult of that Time in our History?

Anyway....just passing this along not only for the OP but for someone who is close enough in age to you to wonder why you leave out so much of that time and how it might have affected you:

Bernie Sanders, Dr. King, and the Triple Evils

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016129217

That I paid $100 for from California to Alabama, arriving just in time to stand and listen to Dr. King give the "How long?" speech. I had just dropped out of college, so I decided to do that. I was a 19 year old white kid, far out of my comfort zone. I learned a great deal on that journey.

I've mentioned that here before, and saw no reason to bring it up in this thread. That I do not provide my life history in every post does not mean I don't have a relevant one.

All I know is that you went into the Military...and worked in intelligence or related? Was it the Navy?

I think it would be interesting to know--your personal journey.

But, still, a synopsis of your journey could still be valuable to post here.

and would take far more space than there is here. I have a book length manuscript of that long story. I'll probably finish it in the next couple of years. I'll let you know when it's available. It's full of history, people you'd recognize by name, and covers territory in every state and many countries.

It'll be done one day, before I'm done. You might find it interesting. I know I did while living it.

I'm not off the mark...Navy...intelligence?

If that is what it is...it should be a fascinating read.

They sent me off to a total immersion Russian Language school, then put me to work. That was interesting, but still classified. Late 1965-69. One small segment of my life. How I got there and where I went from there are other small segments, too. Everything connects in some way to everything else.

During that four year period, I met both Richard Nixon and Abby Hoffman, lived in Turkey, protested at the Pentagon and did many other strange things. Everything connects to everything else.

Life's interesting. Not always significant, by interesting.

Retrospection of this is important....and what we do with it as we move forward..hopefully with Wisdom..imho...

As you say and I reflect myself --how interesting that is to live long enough to "connect the dots" and also look for the missing pieces that maybe don't connect but "guided." It can become quite spiritual looking back. As you say:

I'm fortunate enough to have been born with an almost eidetic memory, and can replay incidents and conversations from the past almost verbatim. It's a blessing and a curse. It's given me many opportunities, but also means remembering unpleasant things in vivid detail, too.

My life has been eventful, but insignificant as well. I've done a lot, but have made no history. I've simply observed and participated as things presented themselves. I'm happy with my life, because it was what I chose it to be. I might have chosen different paths many times, but took the ones I wanted to take.

I suppose I should tie it all together and see what I conclude from that. If it becomes public, others will make their own assessments, I suppose.

In the end, it was my life to live, and I lived it. Fun times.

I did nothing of any significance there. I did get to observe a lot, though. Then I left when my enlistment ended. I've mentioned that before, too. During that time, I was also active in anti-war activities in the DC area. Very active.

At first I was going to op on this..but probably one a day from me is more than enough .. so reading what you had to say.. I think I will put it in here..

MM.. Bernie Sanders has a lot of wonderful ideas.. I am supporting Martin O'Malley..because basically that is where my heart is..in the more liberal wings..

But I have been a Democrat all my life.. and Democrats are all over the place.. unified by our party platform..

Being a Democrat is like being in a union.. There is good and bad and you don't walk away from it, but try to improve it, because in the end we are all better for being unified as Democrats.

Bernie Sanders is an Independent, and I think if he would embrace the party he is running to try and head up, his chances would be a lot better..

We need a New Direction. We gave Obama his chance and he couldn't do it....Maybe the Democratically leaning Socialist can finally PRY THE DEM PARTY from it's CORPORATISTS/WALL STREET...the MIC?

Give BERNIE a CHANCE! Because if Hillary's "Joyless Campaign" (according to one of her insiders) FAILS.... then we end up with BUSH III or Worse. And, I'm not fond of Clinton III considering what I know that Clinton didn't VETO while he was fighting off the RW Monica Stuff whose perpetrators he gave a EULOGY for at HIS FUNERAL! Richard Mellon Scaife!

He's the only Republican who has one foot in the GOP "crazy" and "not crazy" camp.

if he's on the GOP ticket, it will result in a much higher turnout on our side. Don't piss off the unions!

That being said I still like our hand better.

Sitting in Iowa.. I have seen how he can manipulate people and the press.. and he has the huge backing of the Kochs..It will be very scary if he gets the republican nod

She has worked hard in her life advocating for civil rights, women's rights, children's rights and equality in pay. She has foreign experience and judging from her past she will work hard as president.

It appears that the inside the beltway crowd thinks Clinton is somehow vulnerable.

Getting scorched by a lot of African Americans right now after saying "I just don't see space for him (Joe) in our party" (referring to primaries)