A few words on the ‘Bernie or Bust’ movement:

On the eve of Bernie Sander’s reported endorsement of Hillary Clinton, I am reading many articles and opinions describing how “immature, unrealistic, and cult-like” the Bernie supporters are who refuse to support Clinton and get on board the inevitable ‘I’m with her’ train.  Insults notwithstanding, count me among them.

I’m not one to crumble over a bit of name calling or a difference of opinion, and I’ve never been one to follow the crowd; but I will say that I think those people are missing the point.  I do feel that Bernie endorsing Clinton is selling out his core principles, and that it will be a huge mistake on his part.  It may very well be true that most of his supporters won’t care and were planning to support the Democratic nominee anyway, but there were a portion of his supporters (myself included) for whom blind allegiance to the Democratic Party has never been a consideration.

My enthusiasm for Bernie was based on what I perceived as his core principles of not selling out to the moneyed elites for his own self-interest and for his commitment to the poor and middle class people who have lost their voice in the oligarchy we now live in.  People like me have waited a long time for a true leader to emerge and begin the revolutionary movement toward the democracy that has gradually been stolen from us these past several decades.  Bernie appeared to be that person.  But if Bernie endorses Clinton and urges his supporters to do the same, then he is most assuredly not the leader I had believed him to be and I don’t think that makes me petulant or immature; it’s simply what I think and how I feel.

Despite the FBI Director choosing to allow her to skate away from her outrageously illegal behavior without consequence, Hillary Clinton’s arrogance and absolute disregard for anyone but herself is stunningly apparent in the statements the Director made prior to letting her off the hook.  The blatant lies and utter disregard for our National Security is a very big deal, and presumably illegal for everyone but the Clintons.  The unapologetic cronyism and unqualified appointments/special favors for donors of the Clinton Foundation is appalling and deeply disturbing.  The Wall Street speeches are pathetically self-serving.  The blatant coziness of the Clintons with the Attorney General and the conflict of interest displayed in that relationship cannot be over-stated.  President Obama trotting her out on Air Force One, then putting her behind the ‘Presidential Seal’ podium, on the morning when the FBI Director had just pulled the rug out from under any resemblance of justice only hours earlier, was nauseating.  The media’s coronation of her is infuriating, and it’s amazing to me just how much they are willing to continually overlook and ignore.

Three decades of Clinton fatigue, and scandal, after scandal, after self-inflicted scandal, and I’m done.  She’s not the “inevitable” nominee to me.  Clearly she is motivated by greed and power, and corrupt to the core;  not to mention brutally incompetent.  Holding a job, and performing it well, is not the same thing.  I believe that Bernie knows that and plenty more.  To endorse her is to relinquish any higher ground he held and to sink to becoming a token advocate for someone who stands for everything he supposedly stands against.  Not cool, Bernie.  Not cool.  What in the world are you thinking?

I have read that to appease the Bernie supporters, the Democratic Platform has moved to the left, in favor of many of Bernie’s positions.  They do realize that the Platform is non-binding, don’t they?  Anyone want to bet on how quickly all of that is left in the dust after she gets what she wants?

Sure, I’d like to see  a woman President someday, if and only if someone worthy is nominated.  Character means far more to me than gender, race, or political party.  I guess the wait for a truly principled leader of the 98% continues…