2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: There is a 99.99% chance that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Nominee. [View all]highprincipleswork
(3,111 posts)I don't know if that's a foreign concept around here, but there were golden ages of Democrats, around people like FDR and the Kennedys, when being a Democrat meant fighting for something profound for the average person.
Bobby Kennedy's death made me feel awful, because he was attracting so many people to his cause. And he had it all. He had the compassion and authenticity that I believe Bernie has. He had the toughness, and Bernie has shown himself to be pretty tough in his own way. But he also had the Kennedy name and more than a little touch of his own charisma.
But since Bobby, nobody has ignited a certain part of the Democratic base like Bernie Sanders. I'm not letting go of that excitement and that spirit and that feeling of going for what is right, not until and unless I have to.
And I hate to say it, if Hillary does not live up to enough of those more idealistic principles I'm talking about (much as Bill has failed to do so in the last years of his presidency and since), then I'm going to have a hard time voting for her. Not saying I won't. But I just hate voting against many of my best interests and for someone or something I don't believe in. Don't you?
I wish those in the Hillary camp could convince her and those of us who support Bernie that she will run anything like a Progressive campaign and run anything like a Progressive presidency.