Some of the reasons I support Bernie Sanders
Some supporters of Hillary Clinton for President are getting annoyed by supporters of Bernie Sanders, accusing Sanders supporters of “splitting the party” and trying to shame them into supporting Clinton. As a Sanders supporter, I’m tiring of this approach and tired of the insinuation that I’m not a true liberal if I don’t support a female candidate for President.
As a liberal who supports gender equality (though I maintain equal pay is fiction), I would be thrilled to vote for a female Presidential candidate but unfortunately Senator Elizabeth Warren opted not to run this year. Instead, I’m going with a candidate who had the courage and foresight to vote against the disasterous Iraq War, voted against the privacy-gutting PATRIOT Act, wants to decriminalize marijuana use, supports reinstanting the Glass-Steagall Act to rein in Wall Street abuses, opposed the Keystone XL pipeline, and opposed the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade treaty, among other differences.
To me, policy positions trump gender issues. Others may feel differently. No matter what, though, we have a primary process for a reason. There is no “chosen one” at this point (at least, there isn’t supposed to be). If you want me to support your candidate, convince me why she or he is worthy of my vote. Don’t try to shame me into it.
Regardless of whom you support now, pledge to support the primary winner once the people have spoken. The people, after all, are the only ones capable of determining the winner.