This Christmas I received a “Feel the Bern” sticker from my uncle and aunt and had the chance to chat with them as well as my cousin about some things that make them Sanders supporters. I say now, along with millions of others, that I “feel the Bern.” I have always loved Bernie, but now I understand him. He appeals to hardworking Americans who are so clearly sick of the system working against them. The unbridled optimism that he inspires is remarkable. This is why it is so painful to say that despite my love for him, he does not have my vote.
This may seem like a contradiction as we tend to vote with what we agree with. It is sort of how our democracy works. The problem is that the way politics in America works today – the partisanship, the gridlock and the downright hatred coming out of both parties makes it borderline impossible to implement meaningful reform. Sanders has logical policy proposals that he believes will correct inequality all over the United States, from a single-payer federal healthcare system to a reformed tax code that eases up on the middle class and raises rates on the extremely wealthy and corporations.
He wants to invest more than a trillion dollars in infrastructure and federal spending to lower unemployment and build a stronger, more participatory workforce. His policy proposal I identify most with is finding a way to overturn Citizens United and reform campaign spending. These are not what one would call “bipartisan” proposals. As economist Paul Krugman states, the chances of this sort of reform in the next eight years is almost zero.
Bernie supporters will tell me that I am part of the problem – that if people like me let go of my reservations and wholeheartedly embraced Sanders that this issue would be inconsequential. But the political landscape means that it is an issue. Barack Obama himself said that gridlock and partisanship have gotten worse under his tenure and that only presidents such as Lincoln could have repaired it.
The right certainly does not like Hillary Clinton – they hate her even more than they hate Bernie. The reason for this is because they do not consider Sanders a real threat, not because they embrace his policies. Clinton’s moderation, political gamesmanship and foreign policy experience under the Obama administration makes her a more viable candidate in this political climate. She is not perfect.
In fact, she has flaws that some liberals consider unforgivable, like her coziness to Wall Street and somewhat hawkish foreign policy. I don’t love her like I love Bernie Sanders. It is also clear that she molds her policy based on the political pressure, not on a genuine steadfast belief in it. She voted for the Iraq War, takes massive donations from the world’s biggest banks and was First Lady during the Clinton presidency that created the prison system that both parties now want to reform. Today she speaks out against Republican military hawks, wants to impose Wall Street reform and agrees that our prison system needs a do-over. Needless to say, she has wavered during her political career.
Despite all of this, I will probably vote for Hillary Clinton because I think that she will get things done. They will not be perfect, and may not be anywhere close to Sanders’ proposed policies. But I believe that she has the tools to navigate today’s terse political stage and through compromise and deal making, and enact some meaningful reform that can help our country.
It is sad that it has to be this way, that my hopes and desires of a president like Bernie Sanders are dashed by childish, divisive politics. However, modern politics have broken me. I want to see change, but not just in theory. I also think that getting past theoretical reform could be tough for Senator Sanders. I am sorry Bernie. It’s not you, it’s Congress.
