2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Why Hillary Clinton Supporters are Still So Angry at Bernie Sanders [View all]Skid Rogue
(711 posts)I think we can all agree that universal health care and a much higher minimum wage are our ultimate goals. Those are things us Democrats would love to see. What's the smartest way to achieve those goals is the crux of the matter.
Also, the issues surrounding "identity politics," (I hate that phrase) didn't totally come into play until the approach of Super Tuesday, when Sanders failed to make any real inroads with African American voters. Then, when other groups like LGBT folks, women and Latinos were also seen to be favoring Clinton, our support suddenly started being labeled as "identity politics." In fact, if you were not a white male and you supported Clinton it "had" to be "identity politics." So, that label started to sound like an excuse not to answer sincere questions, or deal with non-economic concerns.
The turning point for me during the campaign was when the oligarchy, third-way word salad was thrown at John Lewis. I didn't mind Sanders supporters disagreeing with his opinion, but they questioned his honesty and integrity. Give me a break.
Emma Goldman said, " If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution." Well, I don't want to join an American revolution where I'm not dancing alongside John Lewis. If one wants to label that as "identity politics," I couldn't care less.