General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: In 2016, I will support the DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, completely and without reservation, [View all]1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)May not be lost; but the election and all the things that come with the elections result, e.g., SCOTUS appointments, Congressional leadership and Chairs, etc., might be though.
So the question one must ask oneself is: Would I rather get some of what I want, or everything I dont want.
Now to make it real
I wanted a single payer healthcare system (or, failing that, a public option). If I had voted my principle, I could have gone to bed at night knowing that I had done the principled thing; but I would also would have had to try and sleep knowing that all the people that I know that had pre-existing conditions (that are now insurable) would have continued to be uninsurable; but Im sure my principles would have rocked me to sleep
I would have had to sleep with the knowledge that a 10 year old juvenile cancer surviving family aquaintence, that hit her life-time pay-out limit at age 4, would be looking at living another 70+ years without insurance coverage; but again, Im sure my principles would have rocked me to sleep. I can point to hundreds of instances where I have acted on my humanity and concern for others, rather than stood by my principles
. And each time, I slept well at night.