2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSalon - "Why can’t Sanders admit defeat? He’s looking more and more foolish"
Even though she was in a stronger position back in 2008, Hillary ultimately conceded and congratulated Barack Obama. But for Hillary, she has to meet a much higher threshold. Well, I guess this happens often enough in the workplace, so why not politics?
http://www.salon.com/2016/06/06/why_cant_sanders_admit_defeat_hes_looking_more_and_more_foolish_as_he_denies_hillarys_victory/
In colloquial terms, a woman has to be twice as good to be taken half as seriously. Which is why Sanderssbehavior in recent weeks is so troubling. Clinton has won, fair and square. She has more votes. She has more pledged delegates. She has more superdelegates. She has more voters. Even if you tweaked the rules, she is the winner. Every what if scenario what if we got rid of the superdelegates? what if the Democrats used Republican rules? what if there were more open primaries? Clinton still wins. There is no rational reason for Sanders and his supporters to act like he is somehow more deserving of this than Clinton.
And yet, Sanders is carrying on as if its obvious that he deserves to win, and just a little more pressure will cause everyone to finally see it and give him what he clearly believes is his due. Thus all the chatter about how the system is rigged.
Whatever is in his heart, Sanders is coasting on male privilege right now, namely the male privilege of being assumed to be more competent and more worthy than a female competitor, even if she has demonstrated her value by all objective measures.
This problem isnt unique to Sanders. On the contrary, its common as dirt. When a woman or person of color has shown great success, people in the dominant group often argue that they cant have done this on their own, but had to have gotten there by cheating. You see that every time conservatives gripe about affirmative action, assuming that people of color who get into college somehow are edging out more deserving white people by doing so. You see it with Donald Trump arguing that Clinton is only winning by playing the woman card, a blatant expression of the belief that women can only win by cheating.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Help Sanders and his folks see past the current situation rather than rubbing salt in the wound.
Response to geek tragedy (Reply #1)
artislife This message was self-deleted by its author.
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)Corporate666
(587 posts)The magnanimous course of action would have been to get in touch with HRC after New York and work out a plan where he concedes and supports here.
It's obvious it was over after NY. His only point in continuing was ego, narcissism and being perfectly willing to be a spoiler if it furthered his own cause.
So it's not surprising he is reaping what he sowed.
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)to see this through given the effort his supporters put forth. That is an admirable quality. We have succeeded in attaining our goal tonight. Trump and his supporters are officially now our foe. Continued attacks on Senator Sanders serves no legitimate purpose at this point. I remember how I felt 8 years ago. I will not attack my fellow Democrats tonight. I will show compassion for the year long effort that Senator Sanders and his supporters have invested.
puffy socks
(1,473 posts)that and the fact his worshipers will crucify him if he drops out before the convention.
tandot
(6,671 posts)We need all the support we can get and the gloating doesn't help.
Sanders has energized a lot of voters and we have to get them on our side. They can really help working on a future thT is good for all of us
TomCADem
(17,390 posts)...he is still pursuing his plan to steal the nomination with Superdelegates. That is the antithesis of what he claimed he was for.
Hiraeth
(4,805 posts)emulatorloo
(44,257 posts)TomCADem
(17,390 posts)If he wants a contest convention and continue to tag team with Trump against the presumptive Democratic nominee, then he is the reason why Trump will win.