February 23, 2016 5:45 AM

An open letter to Democrats: Get over yourselves...and think about the big picture

Dear Democratic Voters:

It’s come to my attention that some among us are so inflexibly and unreasonable partisan, so devoted to their candidate- Bernie or Hillary- that they’ve made it clear they won’t vote for a Democrat who isn’t their preferred choice. While I understand- and in some cases even admire- devotion and commitment, this is an instance in which I feel compelled to make a very clear and undeniable request:

GET OVER YOURSELVES.

Before those who’d take offense at this go off on my “heresy,” consider this: Your refusal to vote for the Democratic nominee if it’s not “your” candidate is the equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face. By refusing to vote for the Democratic nominee, you only make it easier for Republicans to take control of the White House. My fellow Sanders partisans who’ve stated unequivocally that they’re won’t vote for Sec. Clinton should listen to their own candidate, who says that even on her worst day, Sec. Clinton is an “infinitely better candidate” than any Republican. If Sen. Sanders can display that sort of equanimity and selfless devotion to the greater good, if he can show he understands the bigger picture, shouldn’t we be able to do the same?

Think about that for a moment. Are you so inflexibly married to your principles that you’d prefer to see a Republican taking the Oath of Office next February? Are you really willing to stand your ground…even if it means four (or perhaps eight) years of a President Trump, Cruz, or Rubio? Do you not understand what having a Republican in the White House (along with what may well still be a Republican Congress) will mean to not only our future but that of our children? Are you so blinded by your dogmatic devotion to “your” candidate that you’d ignore the greater threat?

If you answer “YES” to these questions, I’d have to argue that the greater threat to America isn’t from Republicans. It’s from YOU.

I’ve made no secret of my support for Sen. Sanders. I believe…and will continue to believe…that he’s the best candidate for America at this point in our history. That doesn’t make Sec. Clinton a bad candidate- far from it. I have nothing but admiration for the things she’s accomplished over the course of her career. While I’ve not always supported her positions, on balance she’s been a net positive for our country and the cause of equality…and yes, an “infinitely better candidate” than ANY of the Republicans competing to carry their party’s banner.

Beyond my endorsement of Sen. Sanders is the unshakeable conviction that EITHER Democrat is infinitely preferable to ANY Republican candidate. The idea of a President Trump, Cruz, or Rubio should scare the Hell out of any American who values their freedom and their rights under the Constitution. All of the Republicans currently running for their party’s nomination stand for an America in which “small government” means “small enough to force our pet agenda on all Americans.” They stand for an America in which income inequality isn’t an issue, in which the rich get richer, and the 98% occupy a second-class status and are expected to tend to the interests of the wealthiest among us.

Republicans stand for the perpetuation of an oligarchy whose interests override those of an unpredictable and difficult to control democracy. They stand for a regulatory environment in which the health and well-being of Americans are held to be of far less importance than the bottom line of Big Business. Worst of all, they stand for a system of governance in which the wall separating Church and State is demolished, allowing for the imposition of the dictates of the majority religion (as interpreted by a self-interested, power-hungry few) upon all Americans.

If you can’t understand the very real and significant threat Republicans pose to the future of our country, you might as well be a Republican. I have to think that, as a Democrat, you still believe in America in which freedom matters, in which the separation of Church and State is held to be sacrosanct. I remain convinced that Democrats see income inequality as a grave threat to our collective future, and that the oligarchy is and remains a clear and present danger to American democracy.

I am and will remain very upset and disappointed by the open corruption of the Democratic nomination process represented by allowing “superdelegates”- Democratic Party elites- to ensure the “right” candidate (in this case, Sec. Clinton) wins the nomination.

As strong as my support for Sen. Sanders is, I understand the big picture, which is the paramount importance of keeping the White House in Democratic hands. Will I be disappointed if Sec. Clinton prevails? Of course I will. While I consider her to be in many ways little more than a Liberal Republican, she is and will remain infinitely preferable to whoever the eventual GOP nominee is. I can channel my disappoint in a direction that shows my devotion to my country is far greater than my own narrow interests.

Can you? More importantly, WILL you?

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 23, 2016 5:45 AM.

You have to know you have a problem when this seems like a great idea was the previous entry in this blog.

Why allowing guns on college campuses is a terrible and dangerous idea is the next entry in this blog.

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