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Encouraged by a Young Bernie Sanders Supporter

bernie sanders 2016
Bernie Sanders for President Sign in Our Front Yard

A short while ago, someone pulled into our driveway and got out of their vehicle. I was busy writing when our early visitor detection system, also known as Breigh, the cocker spaniel, went off, alerting me that someone was in our driveway. Sure enough, seconds later someone knocked on our door.

As I looked out the window I saw a bearded young man wearing a ball cap in his late twenties standing on the porch. His vehicle was an old truck. I carefully opened the door, not knowing if there was a confederate-flag-waving redeck or an atheist hater standing on my doorstep. Imagine my surprise when I greeted a man who wanted to know where I got my Bernie Sanders sign.

As of today, I think our home sports the only Bernie Sanders sign in Defiance or Williams County. This man wanted to know if Sanders had a local office. I told him no and said I ordered the sign at Sanders’s website.

He said he wanted to get a sign because he was a big Bernie Sanders supporter, as was his girlfriend who sitting in the truck. I laughed and said, now there are two of us, and he replied that he had a number of friends who were Sanders supporters. At this moment, my heart flooded with joy, so much so that I wanted to shout PRAISE JESUS! Okay, just kidding a bit.

bernie sanders cartoon

When I look at the Republican debate lineup I want to gag and throw my hands up in despair. The candidates, all 17 of them, are a reminder of everything that is wrong with the United States. The young man on my porch reminded me that all is not lost. While President Obama failed to bring the hope and change I hoped he would, I know we are better off today than we were under the reign of King Bush. A better future awaits us if we can drive a stake in the heart of amoral capitalism and corporate greed. (I am not anti-capitalist as much as I am against capitalism as it is now practiced in the United States.)

There’s a restlessness brewing among young adults. Whether it will result in dramatic political change remains to be seen. For today, I am encouraged. If Sanders cannot win the nomination, then I will support whomever the Democratic candidate is. I hope, in the process, that Sanders can materially affect the Democratic party and force it to abandon the teat and bed of corporate America.

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6 Comments

  1. Avatar
    Erin

    And Portland can REPRESENT! I was so very proud of my city who came out in droves to hear him speak. 28K people, more than ANY candidate for the 2016 Presidency. And hey, there was Jimmy Carter, so I have hope. In any case, he’s changing the discourse in big ways.

  2. Avatar
    Kerry

    My dear dear friend Bruce. you knew I would need to comment. We are still at somewhat opposite ends of this particular debate and neither you nor I will be swayed I think. Like you I am socially liberal/libertarian on the social issues. We even largely agree on the abortion issue and I will comment on that post at a later time.

    I share the frustration felt by the majority of Americans even though I have not been in America for some years now. It is nice that you think Bernie is the man…but he will no more be the nominee of your party then Carly will be the nominee of the republican party. I think Carly is the most well spoken and sober, articulate candidate of the bunch. I hope your comment that you will support whomever is tongue-in-cheek. Really with what you know about Hillary you want 4 years of scandal, subterfuge and gaming the system. We deserve better. I would support Webb as your nominee against any number of the republicans, but alas he also does not have a chance.

    You surely understand that Bernie’s appeal, like Trump’s is pure angst. It is people that feel left behind buy the policies of Bush, Obama, and yes Hillary/Bill. The world is a much less safe place under the current occupant at 1600 then ever…even under the cold war where you at least had experienced sober, thoughtful guys in charge of each country. Today the minorities BHO pledged to lift up…he shut their legs off. he sold out to wall street as will Clinton, instead of 10 banks too big to fail…we now have 5 bigger banks too big to fail. It is f—king pathetic my friend.

    Capitalism as we practice today is also pathetic, but we should not throw the concept out the window with a guy like Bernie. I would love for him to name one country that he believes has demonstrated his philosophy on a large scale and has been successful. Be careful how you answer this because if you are going to use the Scandinavian countries I will have mush to say about those places. Yes. many are progressive in a socialist way but how they got to where they are today is the real story, and how they are positioned for the future is the rest of the story.

    At any rate, I am prepared to take my beating here. I cannot and will never support the likes of a Hillary “game the system” Clinton, or Bernie “Fee everything for everyone” Sanders. Sorry!

    • Avatar
      Bruce Gerencser

      Briefly, I would say capitalism has run its course and, as currently structured, is a predatory system that enriches the rich at the expense of the working class. Bernie Sanders is a better way forward and his appeal is that he is willing to speak to power and expose those forces that are destroying working class America. We won’t know if his policies will work until we try them. We do know what capitalism has given us, just look around.

    • Avatar
      Troy

      While I had a 90% agreement with Sanders on a website that compares your views with candidates, I have misgivings about him as well. I do like that he is a sincere man and I also think we should reel in the banks, but all the freebies bother me. Whenever I hear “free” I always think well ok, who is paying for it. For example the “free” health care in Canada should be taken in the context that Candians fund their healthcare through higher taxes, that pretty much everyone pays.
      Most people don’t understand that the presidency is a constitutionally weak office. The two exceptions are commander in chief and Supreme court nominations. So I look at potential candidates with that lens, and especially how they’d pick the supreme court…after all a president may only serve 8 years, but a supreme court justice serves a lifetime. And when I look at lemons like Scalia and Thomas it really should make you think. Keep in mind many of the victories for libertarian/liberals in the supreme court (such as gay marriage) would only have occured if Obama was elected (at least for his first term).
      So, as much as I dispise Hillary Clinton with her slickly, insincere, “produced” candidacy if she ultimately wins it will be tolerable to me. I think she will be a competent hard working president.
      (I suspect carly fiorina will be the V.P. nominee, though demographics and the poor crop of Republican candidates favor a democratic president)

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