Why Bernie Sanders Supporters Won’t Back Clinton: Part One
The campaign rivalry started out friendly enough. Bernie Sanders was committed to running a clean campaign devoid of negativity. The tone changed in December when the Democratic National Committee locked the Sanders campaign out of its own database for a breach that affected both sides.
That incident was a turning point for some who were on the fence because the DNC broke its own rules and did not give the Sanders campaign 10 days to fix and address the issue. Instead, with little notice, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Co. cut off Bernie Sanders for several days.
Even then, Sanders apologized for his campaign staffer’s breach (due to a third-party provider’s software glitch) and fired him. Still, Wasserman-Schultz accused the Sanders campaign of not responding to inquiries regarding the breach. As previously reported in Inquisitr, that claim was proven false when Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver gave proof that they had, indeed, responded to the DNC’s request.
That’s not the only reason so many Sanders supporters find the thought of voting for Hillary so distasteful. Many have already vowed to vote for Jill Stein of the Green Party or to write Sanders in if he does not get the nomination.
How are you lighting the fire of the revolution? https://t.co/LmFnNsKmfO #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/lJTzYDAaBp
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) March 27, 2016
A History of Lies and Attacks
In January, Hillary Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, used a tired scare tactic, and claimed Bernie Sanders would strip people of their health care if he were elected. On the contrary, Sanders would expand existing health care programs and create a Medicare-for-all program. In fact, Chelsea’s claim was so far out, even former Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod pushed back against it.
Clinton surrogate David Brock — whose original claim to fame was smearing Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ Supreme Court nomination — accused Sanders of not caring about black lives after Bernie released a new ad. Brock also cast doubt about Sanders regarding his age, despite the fact that Clinton is a mere five years younger and has experienced many more health issues.
Clinton surrogates Gloria Steinem and Madeleine Albright both criticized female Sanders supporters as being boy chasers and traitors to their gender.
And remember the time when Hillary tried to convince us that Bernie Sanders was nowhere to be found during the 1990s healthcare fight? Many of his supporters responded with photos and videos of Sanders right there with her all those years ago.
She has a history of laughing at others’ adversity. In the 1980s, Hillary spoke to a journalist in an interview that was never released. During that interview, she laughed about getting a pedophile off the hook. She seemed pleased with herself that the 12-year-old victim was dragged through the mud. The 1975 case was just a warm-up for her years of taking pleasure in other peoples’ pain.
When a male supporter joked about wanting to strangle Carly Fiorina, Hillary Clinton didn’t criticize him. She laughed at the joke.
In 2011, she appeared gleeful and laughed about Muammar Qaddafi’s death.
“We came. We saw. He died!”
Sanders supporters take issue with her alleged hypocrisy for criticizing Sanders for his opinion that gun manufacturers shouldn’t be held responsible for the crimes gun buyers commit.
During her time with the State Department, Clinton approved the sale of $165 billion in arms to several Middle East nations after they had made donations to the Clinton Foundation. David Sirota and Andrew Perez of IB Times reported that a deal with Saudi Arabia alone amounted to $29 billion.
Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights violations record of any nation in the region. The government has ramped up executions, sent its military to interfere in Yemen, and arrests and prosecutes activists.
Only one Democratic candidate takes gun lobby money to fund her campaign. https://t.co/rWaWG2Rfun
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 6, 2016
After bashing Bernie Sanders about his record on guns, she attended a campaign fundraiser on March 21 co-hosted by Jeff Forbes, a lobbyist whose clients include the National Rifle Association. Forbes is also a former member of the Bill Clinton administration.
After having sold guns to oppressive regimes, and after attending a pro-gun lobbyist’s fundraiser, Hillary Clinton then implied that Sanders was responsible for the Sandy Hook massacre.
As Sanders retorted, Hillary should apologize to families of victims and soldiers killed during the ill-advised Iraq war, which she voted for.
Sanders supporters frown upon such hypocrisy.
Supporters of Sanders value honesty and consistency, something Clinton seems to lack. In 2008 during her primary race against Barack Obama, the then-Illinois senator called her Annie Oakley for her staunch pro-gun stance. As mentioned above, she now claims to be less gun friendly, despite her closeness to NRA lobbyists.
Sanders supporters are appalled to see Hillary laugh about the deaths of world leaders, women or children. They don’t appreciate it when she attacks Bernie for his gun stance, and with lies that Vermont is a leading supplier for illegal firearms in the New York.
Clinton holds herself up as a bastion of feminism and women’s rights, but that’s hardly the case. Despite gaining the endorsements of NARAL and Planned Parenthood, Clinton is more than willing to throw women’s reproductive rights under the bus for political expediency.
During an interview with MSNBC, Clinton expressed her willingness to compromise on the issue of abortion.
“…if there’s a way to structure some kind of constitutional restriction that takes into account the life of the mother and her health, then I’m open to that.”
For Sanders supporters, such flip-flopping indicates mere pandering, not sincerity.
#HillarySoQualified she makes campaign staffers out of ? lobbyists & encouraged me to leave the DNC #indies4bernie pic.twitter.com/WNr0kDhimI
— New Earth Jedi?????? (@Jedi4Revolution) April 7, 2016
A Post-Primary Personal Attack
The straw that broke the camel’s back occurred when Politico‘s Glenn Thrush spoke to a senior Clinton campaign aide on the night of the chaotic New York primary. The aide had some harsh words for Sanders and his supporters.
“We kicked his a** tonight. I hope this convinces Bernie to tone it down. If not, f**** him.”
*Part Two will discuss Sanders supporters’ issues with Clinton’s hawkish foreign policy, the email server scandal, primary voting irregularities, and other important issues. Visit Revolt Against Plutocracy for more information about Sanders supporters can sign the Bernie or Bust Pledge.
[Photo by Jessica Hill/AP Images]
