A lot of people have taken issue with Sanders for reasons I plainly view to be invalid and overall idiotic. I'm going to go through those reasons right now ( and at the end I'll talk about legitimate reasons for going against him).
1. Sanders is almost the same as Hillary- This is just untrue. His socialist title is not only for show, but is reflected in his policy suggestions. He is suggesting reforms that have not been suggested in decades. Using anti-trust laws to bust big banks is something that hasn't been suggested in decades. This differs from what many democrats have said on the issue, which often can be reduced to "too big to fail is bad."
2. Sanders is unrealistic- This is a confusing and vacuous phrase, so let me explain all the facets of it
A. Socialism can't be implemented- false, plenty of modern countries do it besides American just fine
B. It could never pass Congress- Ok, that argument can easily be applied to most democratic aspirations. Compromises are made. Still doesn't change that the starting point of the negotiation will be closer to a desired outcome than if Clinton was setting it.
C. Sanders isn't electable- How about you wait and see? If you're right, then your vote for Sanders will mean nothing and Hillary will win regardless. If you aren't right then your electability argument was wrong.
C1. Sanders isn't electable in a general election- I would consider this salient if it didn't seem that the Republican party is manning equally ridiculous candidates, making it uncertain if the American public will vote the way they typically do. Anyways if we're going by rules of thumb, after an eight year term, we typically see a switch in the white house anyways, so might as well send a candidate we actually believe in.
3. He hates black people- All candidates hate black people to some degree
4. He hates minorities- Refer to point 3
Note: I know people are going to point out his tremendous record in civil rights, which I definitely believe in. In no way do I mean he actually harbors some some sort of hatred toward minorities. I just don't fully trust white political leaders in general. But that's not unique to him, so moving along.
5. He's lying or I don't trust him- And you trust Clinton? I trust Clinton being consistent with her fiscal and international policy, but her domestic policy aside from the work she has done with women's rights has been incredibly inconsistent. The only inconsistency Sanders has is in Gun control. Other than that the dude seems to have been saying the same shit for a long time.
So now that I've gotten the nonsense out of the way, let's talk about why you're really voting the way you are.
1. You're a woman- I think it's perfectly valid for a woman to feel more comfortable in a woman. Solidarity is important and it'd be hypocritical of me to criticize women who have been supporting her under the banner of mutual womanhood.
2. You're wealthy but kind of care about the poor- Sanders isn't looking to treat wealthy people nicely. Clinton will be far more gentle. So if you're rich or you think you will be and the thought of a Republican sounds unpalatable, then Hillary is definitely the best option.
1. Sanders is almost the same as Hillary- This is just untrue. His socialist title is not only for show, but is reflected in his policy suggestions. He is suggesting reforms that have not been suggested in decades. Using anti-trust laws to bust big banks is something that hasn't been suggested in decades. This differs from what many democrats have said on the issue, which often can be reduced to "too big to fail is bad."
2. Sanders is unrealistic- This is a confusing and vacuous phrase, so let me explain all the facets of it
A. Socialism can't be implemented- false, plenty of modern countries do it besides American just fine
B. It could never pass Congress- Ok, that argument can easily be applied to most democratic aspirations. Compromises are made. Still doesn't change that the starting point of the negotiation will be closer to a desired outcome than if Clinton was setting it.
C. Sanders isn't electable- How about you wait and see? If you're right, then your vote for Sanders will mean nothing and Hillary will win regardless. If you aren't right then your electability argument was wrong.
C1. Sanders isn't electable in a general election- I would consider this salient if it didn't seem that the Republican party is manning equally ridiculous candidates, making it uncertain if the American public will vote the way they typically do. Anyways if we're going by rules of thumb, after an eight year term, we typically see a switch in the white house anyways, so might as well send a candidate we actually believe in.
3. He hates black people- All candidates hate black people to some degree
4. He hates minorities- Refer to point 3
Note: I know people are going to point out his tremendous record in civil rights, which I definitely believe in. In no way do I mean he actually harbors some some sort of hatred toward minorities. I just don't fully trust white political leaders in general. But that's not unique to him, so moving along.
5. He's lying or I don't trust him- And you trust Clinton? I trust Clinton being consistent with her fiscal and international policy, but her domestic policy aside from the work she has done with women's rights has been incredibly inconsistent. The only inconsistency Sanders has is in Gun control. Other than that the dude seems to have been saying the same shit for a long time.
So now that I've gotten the nonsense out of the way, let's talk about why you're really voting the way you are.
1. You're a woman- I think it's perfectly valid for a woman to feel more comfortable in a woman. Solidarity is important and it'd be hypocritical of me to criticize women who have been supporting her under the banner of mutual womanhood.
2. You're wealthy but kind of care about the poor- Sanders isn't looking to treat wealthy people nicely. Clinton will be far more gentle. So if you're rich or you think you will be and the thought of a Republican sounds unpalatable, then Hillary is definitely the best option.
