2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Peacelover Hillary voted for an insane war that killed hundreds of thousands, but Bernie [View all]Martin Eden
(12,859 posts)Any politician who knew our country was being misled into a war based on LIES -- and did nothing to dispell those lies but instead jumped on the war wagon because polls indicated people believed the lies -- betrayed the trust placed in them by their constituents.
It's as simple as that.
If Hillary didn't realize the case for war was the product of lying warmongers then she's not as smart as she appears to be, and lacks the competency for high government office. But we both know she's not that dumb.
Therefore it was a betrayal of trust in the most critically important and consequential of decisions, as well as a failure of leadership when needed the most.
I do not forgive Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry or any politician for the IWR vote, because it is inherently and justifiably unforgiveable. None of them should occupy the Oval Office, ever.
You have been trying to justify (or excuse) Hillary's vote throughout this thread. Understanding the vote and excusing it are two very different things. I understand why Wall Street finances politicians who oppose regulations that would have prevented the fraud that crashed our economy; it's called greed. I understand why a politician would go along with a war based on lies; it's called political ambition and putting personal career above the good of the country.
If your understanding of Hillary's vote is as you described -- she knew it was a LIE but went along with the polls without making an effort to dispell the lies -- that is a very a damning accusation. What I find very difficult to understand is how any Democratic voter can come to that realization and still want that politician to be president.
Yes, the Republicans are worse. I have never forgiven John Kerry, but I nevertheless travelled to Ohio to GOTV for him in the 2004 general election because GW Bush had to be stopped.
GOTV is the real key to winning elections, and the effort to GOTV will fail if we don't have a candidate who generates enthusiasm among voting demographics (like young people) who have a poor record of showing up at the polls. That's how Barack Obama won, and that is how Hillary Clinton will lose the general election in 2016. She generates far more antipathy (and motivation) on the right than enthusiasm on the left. Just spending some time in DU reveals many passionate progressives who will find it very difficult to hold their noses and vote for the lesser evil.
Keeping things in perspective, America can do better. America HAS to do better.