Presumptuous Reporter Wants to Ask Bernie Sanders Supporter Ten Questions

I ran into this article from Cara Harris, a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton. In it, she asks ten questions that she presumes will stump Bernie Sanders supporters. She makes a lot of assumptions and betrays a sense of entitlement as a Hillary supporter, yet she truly does not seem to see the irony of this, and why this kind of mindset actually feeds into the anger that many voters have towards mainstream and moneyed candidates like Hillary. According to her, Hillary has already won the Democratic nomination, and we should all get behind her to rally against the Republicans.

She apparently does not understand how anyone can be skeptical of Republicans and mainstream Democrats like Hillary. She tries to simultaneously answer and diminish reports that Sanders is gaining on Hillary in a big way by posing these ten questions towards Bernie supporters, and she clearly seems to think that they are so daunting, as to be unanswerable.

So, I decided to give it a shot. Let me try to answer those questions here (her questions are in red, and my answers are directly below:



1. If Elizabeth Warren were in the race, most of you would be supporting her instead. If neither Warren nor Bernie were in the race, most of you would be supporting Martin O’Malley despite knowing nothing about him. How are we supposed to take your endorsement of Bernie seriously when you appear to be simply backing him because he’s not Hillary?

1. If Elizabeth Warren were in the race, I personally would not support her if Bernie Sanders were still in the race, because Warren, for all of her strengths, is and always has been a Democrat, one of the two major parties, and that is part of the problem. This country needs more than two options, politically. You are right, I do not know Martin O'Malley. But presumably, if he ran, I would get to know him, and yes, if his ideas were more in line with what I trust and feel would be best for the country, he would receive my support, even if mainstream people, such as yourself, feel that I am "wasting my vote" by not endorsing the corporate sponsored heir to the throne that you support. I support Sanders, in large part, not only because he is not Hillary, but because he actively fights against what she and other corporate candidates represent. Apparently, you are fine with the idea of big money in politics, but I think big money is what is wrong with American politics. Sanders understands this, and is trying to do something about it.





2. Do you honestly believe that Bernie would do well with foreign policy? Do you think he’d really be able to get congressmen of either party to vote for any of his initiatives once they see that he’s not willing to compromise even a little? Are you envisioning a scenario in which President Bernie would be able to get anything accomplished at all? Even his most prominent supporters like Noam Chomsky have acknowledged he would get nothing done in office. Are you so enamored with the very idea of a protest candidate winning, you wouldn’t care that he’d be ineffective?

2. I am not entirely certain how Sanders would do in foreign policy, because he has not been elected, and nobody, not even you, could possibly know what his foreign policy would actually look like. However, I have witnessed the sitting president have similar difficulties with an obstructionist Congress, and he has been able to get things done without Congress at times. And by the way, many of the same criticisms you are leveling at Sanders were aimed at Obama when he was running, that he lacked experience, etc.. As for Hillary, maybe she has more connections, and would have more of an impact on foreign policy. But again, she is part of the corporate state, and surely, her foreign policy would reflect corporate interest first and foremost. I think Sanders would take a more honest approach, and yes, I think that this could be better for the country, even in the face of strong opposition. Also, the fact that other corporate politicians are standing in the way of this would bring me back to the point that this is the problem with American politics today, and why we need something different. Speaking of foreign policy, Hillary and Bill both supported the invasion of Iraq, did they not? Is this what we can expect from Hillary? I'd rather go with the guy you claim will accomplish nothing, than the one who helps to accomplish disasters like the Iraq quagmire.







3. Are you unable to understand national polls, or do you just like to ignore them because they reveal that your guy is losing by thirty-eight points within his own party?

3. Actually, the polls that I saw recently showed Hillary's support waning considerably, while Sanders is on the rise, and actually took the lead in New Hampshire (according to no less an authority than CNN, by the way), while he is gaining and coming on strong in Iowa. Are you sure that you understand the polls? Sanders cut Hillary's lead substantially, and in very little time. Perhaps voters are getting tired of these unofficial coronations of prominent political figures like the Clintons and Bushes. Also, I might ask in turn whether you are perhaps ignoring the hugely popular shows of public support that Sanders is routinely getting during his appearances? Is there something about that which perhaps makes you uncomfortable?





4. Are you under the impression that the people showing up to Bernie’s rallies each get more than one vote? Is that how you think he closes the gap? Or have you intentionally saturated yourself so thoroughly with people voting for your guy that you’ve honestly forgotten the vast majority of the nation says they favor someone else?

4. Again, the vast majority of voters are dissatisfied, and want something new. The same old same old is not working, and the status quo is what a mainstream candidate like Hillary represents. Sanders is coming on strong, despite being an outside candidate. And Trump, for all of his idiocies, is leading on the Republican side, even though he also is considered an outsider. Do you think there is something to that, or will you conveniently ignore this and continue on with your belief that Hillary, and only Hillary, is the viable option you and your kind have carefully handpicked for the nation? If Sanders starts to rise in the polls, as he is doing now, he will inevitably get more exposure. If that happens, his message will reach more people, and yes, I think there will be added support for this, regardless of whether or not you like that. If he actually pulls it off (which he might, despite your reluctance to admit this possibility), he will likely pull more Democrats, even Hillary Democrats, to his cause. Oh, and by the way, numerous polls showed that the strong lead that Hillary enjoyed for so long over top Republican contenders has already shrunk, and that she is actually trailing them now in some key states. Are you even sure she would win, assuming that she can get the nomination?





5. Do you understand that Bernie’s refusal to take traditional SuperPAC money means that even if he did get the nomination, he’d be outspent ten to one by his republican opponent? Are you aware that moderates and undecideds make their decisions based primarily on television ads, which are the most expensive part of any campaign? Do you get that nearly every ad would be for the republican? Do you get that he’d almost certainly lose? Would you really rather Bernie get the nomination and lose, than Hillary get the nomination and win? Because that’s how it looks to the rest of us. 

5. Again, the de facto argument that you are making is that the reality of big money polluting politics is acceptable to you, and that you would do absolutely nothing to change it. You seem to take pride in Hillary's ability to rake huge sums of money from corporate sponsors like Goldman Sachs, and other arms of the billionaire class, You almost seem to fear the possibility of Hillary losing, even to someone who specifically rejects the notion that candidates should cater to huge corporations for their money, even if that means that they will surely put the interests of the corporations that sponsored them well ahead of what is in the best interests of the American people, much like has been the case for decades now, with national prominent politicians of both parties. Bernie Sanders, if he wins the Democratic nomination, would have managed to defeat Hillary despite all of her huge funds and her war chest, against all odds, because of his message, and not because of his money. He has always opposed big money in politics. Can your candidate say the same? The only way that this is ever going to change is if we fight the system when that system fails us. And big money in politics is what is failing us. Maybe you feel comfortable with Hillary being the lesser of two evils, but I think that our country deserves better. But that begins with having the guys to fight big money and Super PACS to begin with. Sanders has never shied from that fight, while I think it is fair to say that Hillary has become part of the problem in that sense.




6. Why do you spend more time pushing crazy lies about Hillary than you do talking up Bernie’s ideas? Bernie himself has made it clear that he thinks highly of Hillary, and he scolds any reporters who try to get him to trash her. If you’re primarily supporting him because you think lowly of her, have you considered the extent of the disconnect between you and your candidate? Has it occurred to you that if Bernie heard you talking about Hillary the way you talk about her, he’d angrily tell you off?

6. What I personally don't like about Hillary, or as you put it, what I might "trash" her about, has nothing to do with her personal life, and everything to do with her record. Why should I be displeased about it? Because she has a proven record of catering to the big corporations, to big money. Back in the 1990's, when she was the First Lady, she led the charge for healthcare reform, fighting the big corporate entities that stood in the way. That was a fight which she lost, but which she at least fought. Now, decades later, she has long remained silent and complicit when it comes to the topic of healthcare reform, and has taken large sums of money from the very same healthcare industry that she used to fight so fiercely against. That suggests a compromise in values, and not simply a change of opinion or heart. In other words, she was bought and sold, and no longer fights for what is in the best interests of the American people. Plus, she has now taken money from many huge corporate sponsors, and I do not see why we should not expect the exact same thing to happen again, where corporate interests come before the interests of everyone else. I personally do not dislike Hillary, and agree with what she says often times. However, like with her husband, and like with the sitting president now, we have found that speeches are not enough. After all, despite not coming from a rich family himself, and despite being labeled as nearly a socialist by the Republicans back then, Clinton himself was often derisively referred to as "Republican light" during his presidency. He also repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, which is yet another example of putting corporations ans big money ahead of the American people. I see no evidence suggesting that we should not expect the exact same kind of presidency from Hillary. That is the best example that I can think of for why we should not trust Hillary.




7. Do you really think that Bernie’s strong showing in New Hampshire, a tiny state five minutes from where he lives, where he’s been locally popular for decades, is representative of the nation? Do you really think that New Hampshire’s four electoral votes will make a difference in this primary? And again, do you not know how to read national polls, or do you just like ignoring them because those polls reveal that your guy’s candidacy is already finished?

7. Trashing New Hampshire as a state does not invalidate the results. Fact is, Sanders is pulling closer in Iowa, and pulled ahead in New Hampshire, even if you clearly do not like the fact. And here is the strange thing about polls that you do not seem to grasp: poll numbers change. I am a bit surprised that you do not seem to comprehend this, since Hillary's own strong poll numbers have gone down consistently in recent weeks. And if, as you suggest, the Sanders campaign is "finished," then why do you seem worried enough about it to write ten lengthy questions to supporters? Why is his campaign picking up steam, while Hillary's campaign appears to be stagnating? If Sanders was to win New Hampshire and Iowa, would not the numbers in those polls change, as he increasingly has to be viewed as a "serious candidate," something that the mainstream media and mainstream politicians desperately are trying to prevent? No, Sanders right now is not bogged down by his record the way that Hillary is by hers, and if anything, the momentum Sanders has enjoyed has injected new life into the campaign, even if you obviously are trying to diminish that fact.





8. Do you get that you’re supporting Bernie for essentially the same reason that conservatives are supporting Donald Trump? Do you realize that both men are basing their campaigns entirely on “government sucks, the system sucks, both parties suck, politicians are idiots and a trained rat could do better, and I’m just that trained rat.” Do you not understand the parallels between your desire to stomp your feet at Bernie’s generic indignance, and conservatives’s desire to stomp their feet at Trump’s generic indignance? Does that not embarrass you?

8. Donald Trump is a moron, and the only positive, if it can be seen as such, is that he is an outsider. But he is like a rebel without a clue. Sanders, by contrast, is and always has been a man on a mission, an independent from Vermont who consistently fought against corporate and billionaire special interests, and tried to restore democracy and opportunity back to the average people. And that, whether you like it or not, is in stark contrast to the Trump campaign, who represents the worst of what is wrong with America. Trump is arrogant, loud, ignorant, and elitist. Bernie Sanders is smart, serious, and a man on a mission. I do not care to stomp my feet at a Bernie Sanders rally, because that would drown out his message, which all of America should hear. No embarrassment with comparisons to the Trump campaign, since you are pretty much the only one insinuating them.




9. Most of you supporting Bernie are also fans of Obama. Seeing how Obama has all but endorsed Hillary, and how Obama sees her as his natural successor, don’t you find it odd that you’re instead rooting against her – even as you still try to take credit for supporting Obama? How does that make you any different from the republicans who try to take credit for Obama’s accomplishments while insisting he should be replaced by republican?

9. Well, I cannot honestly answer this one, since I am not a supporter of President Obama. He has done some good and admirable things in office, but he was also hugely disappointing at other points. For much of his first term, there hardly seemed to be any difference between him and his predecessor, and that was scary. I support Bernie Sanders, but that does not mean that, if he were to be elected, I would not closely scrutinize him. After all, politicians are supposed to be our public servants, and it seems ridiculous to me that people seem to withdraw any and all skepticism and scrutiny in order to support their party. How is that any different from fans of spots teams? It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between football pregame shows on Sunday afternoons, and the political shows that come before them, because it is all about what strategy needs to employ in order to win.  I was not one of those people who voted for Obama, and then conveniently looked the other way when he did things that displeased me, and then cheered whenever he did things that the Democrats like to boast about. I do not feel beholden to any party or individual, but want serious candidates who will work for what is best for the country. In that regard, Sanders easily outperforms Clinton. After all, he has served admirably as a public servant simply by keeping in mind that, indeed, he is a public servant.






10. And the only question that truly matters: when Hillary becomes the democratic party nominee, will you pout and stay home on election day and hand the nation back to the republicans? Or will you show up and vote for Hillary because you know she’s the far better of the two candidates? While none of us understand why you’re supporting a less-qualified protest candidate whose ideas aren’t realistic and who can’t win anyway, we’re really only going to judge you based on what you do on election day. So when it’s Hillary vs Jeb TrumpCruz, what’s it going to be?

10. The only question that matters? So, you were simply wasting your energies with the previous questions? Much like you suggested the Sanders campaign is already finished, even though the polls suggest something much different? Even as Hillary's campaign seems to be losing steam, you still maintain that those trusty polls will always favor your candidate, even though many of those same polls suggest that Hillary's once secure lead over prominent Republicans has all but evaporated? Let me put it this way: I simply do not believe that line of logic. You wrote this piece specifically because you know that this race is far from over, and that Hillary's nomination is far from a foregone conclusion. You and other Hillary supporters are worried, and you are right to be worried. Bernie is coming on strong, and even if she manages to win the Democratic nomination, as so many expect her to do, she hardly seems like the automatic winner come November any more, does she? But you go on and keep speaking as if the election is a certainty, and then blast supporters of Bernie Sanders for talking about Hillary's coronation, specifically because of people like you who act like that is what it is. That kind of doublespeak is the reason why Hillary and her supporters are not trusted. That sense of entitlement has been Hillary's undoing thus far, and if you continue along like that, always assuming that America owes your candidate the presidency, I am willing to bet that she will lose, even if she manages to win the Democratic nomination. It is a disservice to assume that some prominent politician automatically should get the presidency, and what Bernie Sanders is managing to do, slowly but surely, is wake people up to this fact. So keep on being haughty, and keep marveling at the rest of us insects who prefer a candidate who is real.

Ten honest questions I’d like every Bernie Sanders supporter to answer By Cara Harris | August 12, 2015:

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/ten-honest-questions-id-like-every-bernie-sanders-supporter-to-answer/21570/