Whether you support Bernie or Hillary

[Red Knight]

You have to admire and respect how Bernie is running his campaign, financing it by the people he will truly work for and not taking essentially what amounts to bribes to do the bidding of the very wealthy elites or corporations. It is an example of how all campaigns should be financed and essential to restoring integrity to the political process which is now corrupt.

He is showing that you CAN do it this way. You CAN run a campaign this way. You CAN win this way.

If you can't respect that and appreciate that and demand that THIS is how the political system should work going forward than frankly, you don't belong on the Democratic party--a party I have always considered "the people's party". That's what this party means to me and what I will fight for it to be, now and forever.

Thank you, Bernie.

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Both Hillary and Bernie can be admired and respected. nt

[Betty Karlson]

6. No, she lost my admiration when she spoke against my marriage rights, years ago.

As for my respect, she lost it when she failed to explain why she changed her position on gay rights, on TPP, of anything, for reasons other than a poll or a focus group.

[bigwillq]

15. Great post.

[hopeforchange2008]

9. Limited admiration and respect for Hillary

It's hard to respect someone who engages in the number of 'artful smears' that she does.

She tried it in 2008 with Obama and she's trying it now with Bernie. Waiting to see what she tries after Michigan. Is she going to continue with the anti-auto-bailout crap or conjure up some other misrepresentation of Bernie's record?

[Coincidence]

11. Like FoxNews, Hillary's entire arsenal is based on misinformation and deception...

Neither should be admired and respected.

[Buzz Clik]

2. I have little problem with Sanders.

His DU fan base?

[kenfrequed]

7. How lovely of you.

I'm glad you can put that in the form of some kind of emoji to avoid being seen as attacking people.

Good for you, you lovely positive person!

[Buzz Clik]

10. You're so sweet.

[Armstead]

3. K&R - Nail on the head

[litlbilly]

4. that's really the elephant in the room, we are funding Bernies campaign and its working.

[peacebird]

5. Exactly, Bernie is for We, The People & we are the ones funding his campaign! Hillary is for those

Funding her campaign as well, WallStreet, too big to fail banks, and greedy corporatists.

[Hortensis]

8. I do admire Bernie for funding his campaign relatively

free from the insidious influence of special interests.

Regarding "bribes," that is partially true of a lot of people elected to lower offices who wouldn't make it in these corrupt days without getting themselves some sugar daddies. Notably, a major complaint of all but the largest funders is that their crooks won't stay bought but keep hitting them up for more.

This does not hold true for the major players for president, of whom we started with two. Hillary and Trump. Their personae gave them power the others don't have. Only being able to be president for two terms is also liberating. Trump didn't need their money. Hillary did, but she has a very long-established record, and people know what they will get if she is elected. Most donations from the wealthy are from those who want to see her elected, instead of a Republican, and donations from those trying to elect Republicans are a way of keeping a foot in the door.

[corkhead]

12. I fully expect our republicon congress to enact a law setting the minimum campaign donation at $2000

that would teach us ingrates. What good is it to be filthy rich if you can't buy things that the little people can't afford.

[pat_k]

13. kick'n'rec!

[democrattotheend]

14. I am a Bernie supporter so I am biased, but I totally agree

To be honest, when I first decided to support him, I did not expect him to get this far. I donated to him primarily to support his effort to raise money this way and show that it could be done, not because I expected to get a return on the investment in terms of financing a viable candidate.

Win or lose the nomination, the fact that he has come this far is a game-changing accomplishment, and will hopefully send the message to other Democrats that it is not necessary to get in bed with corporate fatcats to be able to raise money and be a serious candidate.

[politicaljunkie41910]

16. Yes, and all the Free Stuff has nothing to do with it. Keep telling yourself that.

Somehow I don't believe that Bernie would be drawing the numbers of college kids he is, if his campaign was simply about Wall St contributions and the fact that he didn't support the War in Iraq. Creating jobs programs by rebuilding our nation's infrastructure isn't exactly new either. President Obama has been trying to do that but has been blocked by the same obstructionist GOP Congress Bernie would face. Without the promise of Free College, Free Healthcare, 12 Free weeks of Maternity/Paternity Care, a doubling of Social Security benefit payments, and an increase in the minimum wage, I don't think Bernie could fill a Volkswagen.

[Red Knight]

17. You kinda miss the whole point

And if you think that Bernie's funding comes mostly from broke college kids I don't know what to tell you. Clearly you don't understand Bernie or his supporters. You don't seem to get it at all. And I don't have the time or interest to explain it. So think what you will. It doesn't change reality.

[politicaljunkie41910]

18. Everyone has their own definition of reality, I guess. Personally, I see little difference

between the fake promises Trump is making and the soon to be unfulfilled promises that Bernie is making. Running for office takes money. Until Citizens United is overturned by the SCOTUS or by an amendment to the Constitution (fat chance of that in my lifetime), elections will continue to be expensive and the need to raise sufficient funds to compete will remain a problem for all but a few of the vast majority of candidates, whether you or I like it or not.

I see little difference in Wall St donors who give large donations in exchange for favors, than Sanders who proposes a host of Free Stuff in exchange for their contributions and their votes. Only Sanders will take their money, and then tell his voters they now need to start their own revolution to get what he has promised them. Something they will never see in a Sander's Administration, Sander's lifetime and mine either.

[Red Knight]

19. Sounds like right wing meme

He isn't saying these things will cost no money. It's about but priorities. If you can't see the difference between Bernie and Trump or if you want to accept the current financing of campaigns when Bernie has proven it doesn't have to be that way I don't know what to tell you.