Saturday, February 20, 2016

And they told me the reason to vote for Hilary was electability

There is a sea change in the polls. Sanders has taken the lead in 3 national polls. He is closing gaps in the states where the primaries are getting close. Clinton and her buds are getting nervous. They would like her to win it without a big fight. If Sanders were not there, we'd have to accept her. But Sanders is not only crashing the party. He's standing on a chair giving a speech. Sanders polls far better against all Republicans than Clinton does. In some polls he wins where Hilary loses.

What we're seeing is nothing short of astonishing.

I also see that he's running ads in Nevada with Latino endorsements from ordinary people who just want to live and work in peace. For those who say he has no appeal to anyone but white guys, watch the ad. You just can't fake that kind of expression from people who are not actors.



All Latinos (who says he only appeals to older white males?), most female, but the expressions, the words, the feelings displayed in the ad are quite genuine. It's all positive. It's a great example of a positive ad that says nothing about the opponent and everything about this candidate and his desire to work for the rest of us. The 1%? They already have their candidates.

When we started out, they told us that as much as we might agree with Sanders, Hilary has the name recognition, she has the experience and she has the money to win the election. At the start, Sanders had virtually none of this. Now he has erased much of her lead, since, winning one primary and tying another. The big liberal states will try to play it like Hilary still has a strong lead. But Sanders got 85,000 signatures when they only required 5,000 in New York. He'll be on the ballot there, won't he?

Now I see that there is something even worse than being a socialist (which Sanders is not). Being untrustworthy. At least, as far as the electorate is concerned. I remember a rather visceral debate I had with someone a few months ago on this very point. He said that the Republicans are not going to be nice if he wins the nomination and will be calling him a socialist anywhere and anytime they can (like that has ever worked in 14 elections won by Sanders so far). My opponent in that debate sent me a link to a poll to show that socialists finish dead last among the heap of other types of people. Faring worse than Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish and even atheist. 

But there is one thing missing from that poll. Trust. Hilary has flopped so many times that no one really knows what she stands for anymore. She seems willing to say anything to get elected, and she has even tried to co-opt some of the outrage and pain that Sanders can easily tap into – honestly. Sanders has walked our walk. He flies coach. He drives his own car (well, maybe not so much now with Secret Service protection). He's not a millionaire living high on the hog like nearly ever other senator in Congress.

Clinton? Her family foundation has taken in $3 billion over 40 years. The Clintons have made more than $153 million in speaking fees alone. They have it made in many ways that have passed by the middle class. They really don't seem at all in touch with the middle class. With all that money, it's hard for them to know our pain. Our struggle. We're not asking for much, Hilary. We want to enjoy the prosperity that comes with the wealth we create, too.

That's what Bernie Sanders represents to us.

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