Thank you all.

[qwlauren35]

So many of you made an effort to civilly discourse with me over my question. Even Magistrate!

I want to tell you all how much I appreciate all that you shared, all of the perspectives, all of the reasons, all of the feelings, all of the memories, all of the history, all of the statistics. ALL OF IT.

As I said a few times. I am NOT a Bernie supporter. I just like his efforts to give money to COVID-19 charities. However, my husband is a *rabid* Bernie supporter. My cousins are. I'm trying to hear and understand them. Because I believe that every vote counts, I want to convince them to support Biden in November. I believe that to do that, I need to be able to show that there are elements of Bernie's platform in Biden's platform. That is why I asked if Bernie *voters* (I know that some supporters don't vote.) matter. I think of 25% as a pretty big minority, and worthy of "being heard" when it comes to shaping the platform.

There are some pathetically ugly Bernie supporters. Some pathetically ugly Bernie campaign strategies. A lot of it is ugly. MAYBE the Democratic Party should ignore Bernie supporters, and just throw away those votes as unattainable. Some of them definitely are. My husband will not vote for Biden in November. He didn't vote for Hillary in 2016. We had a lot of fights about it. Still do. He's still convinced that Hillary would not have been any better. I get ill listening to him, and have to call truce.

All this to say, I believe in inclusion, I believe in collaboration, I believe in win-win. I want to win as many Bernie supporters as I can. Some cannot be won. But some can. The question is whether it is worth the effort. I think so.

I appreciate all of you who listened to me, dialogued with me, heard me.

I needed that.

Thank you again.

-Lauren (decidedly female! )

[William769]

1. If it walks like a duck & quacks like a duck...

[DonaldsRump]

2. "I am NOT a Bernie supporter"

Why would you say this when your Democratic Primaries avatar says you support Bernie Sanders?

You lose me somewhere...

[qwlauren35]

4. It's complicated.

A few weeks ago, someone posted a note that Bernie's campaign was taking up collections to help COVID-19 charities. I got super excited about it, and wanted to donate. But I didn't know how to access the donation site. So I switched my avatar so I could go to the Bernie group and ask for a link.

I also donated $2 to the campaign. Voila, they sent me a donation request for the charities. I happily gave.

I could change my avatar back to undecided, but I have a strong desire to go to the Bernie group and ask questions. I want to get past the hatred and vitriol and talk about the issues.

Bernie supporters are not willing to talk much out here. There are many sane ones here and they get shat upon. There is ugliness on both sides, and this is not a safe place. I want to talk in safe space.

Let me know if that is not clear.

[DonaldsRump]

8. Thanks, Lauren

You gave a more detailed response to me than I deserved.

In another world, time, or place, I might consider voting for Bernie Sanders. However, he is not a Democrat, and Trump, the Russians, and the Rus-publicans are chomping at the bit for him to be the nominee. Why do you think that is?

Bernie wants the equivalent of the French Revolution, and this is neither the time or the place.

The very fact that Joe seemingly came out of nowhere is testament that most people want a return to some semblance of normalcy, not a revolution.

There IS one revolution: to get rid of Trump and then make change incrementally. It is too bad that folks like your husband etc would either not vote or vote for someone else if (when) Biden gets the nomination. That tells me EVERYTHING. That means they support Trump, and there is no other way around that.

[qwlauren35]

9. Yes I know.

He's essentially voting for Trump. It hurts real deep. I barely have words for it. If we were in a swing state, my marriage would be very strained. Maryland will go for Biden, so I accept what I consider his "temper tantrum".

I am trying to talk to my cousins now, but it's as if they speak a different language. It's a big divide.

[DonaldsRump]

10. You're a really good person, Lauren

It's sad that life has become like this. I am one who always believe that you should listen to all aspects of the party, but that, at some stage, you have to make a decision and move.

Thank you for your honesty. Please keep on keeping the good fight. In another day and time, BS might be right, but he is not the answer now. For any truly open-minded person, there is NO WAY that the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is definitive.

[elleng]

3. Thank YOU, Lauren.

[qwlauren35]

5. It is for you

and people like you that I want Bernie voters to be heard.

You have always struck me as a sane, civilized, warm and loving person. You have your reasons for being undecided, and they are valid. I want to make sure that you feel good about voting for Biden in November.

Thanks for hanging out with me.

[elleng]

7. Always hanging with you!

[guillaumeb]

6. Recommended, and well said Lauren.

Having been here in 2016, I know emotions are strong, as they were then. And the fact that the country is essentially being misruled by an incompetent tool does not help things.

I was a Sanders supporter in the 2016 primaries, but in 2020 I worked and advocated for Warren. I will work for Biden this fall.

But like you, I feel we need to listen to every segment of the Democratic crowd, and we need to acknowledge that no candidate is correct on all of the issues. So we compromise, but we still work for those policies we feel are in the best interests of the country.

Thank you for your earlier post,

Guillaume (not female)

[The Magistrate]

11. A Pleasure To Make Your Acquaintance, Ma'am

Here's hoping you can get your hubby in line.

Be well, and stay safe!






"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[qwlauren35]

12. The best I can do

is cancel him out.

We each get one vote...

I would like to campaign but it triggers my bipolar mania, and I have come to accept that it's not a good thing.

However, I'm definitely going to write postcards!