Support

I find it very unfair that Tulsi Gabbard gets so much criticism because a few right-wingers here and there have endorsed her. David Duke is the most notable of these. It is weird, because she’s not exactly pure white, and I suspect it’s just that she’s physically attractive (or else it’s deliberate shit-stirring on his part) but either way, it does not mean that Tulsi is a right winger, or condones those people.
On the other hand, I have noticed a tendency among Sanders supporters to reject any tainted support. The tl;dr version of this blog is that I think maybe we’re going a bit over the top. I love the purity of Sanders’ message, but politics is, indeed, messy.
Peter Daou is a former Hillary person who is now openly supportive of Bernie, and tweets brilliant tweets. A lot of Sanders supporters have trouble accepting this, and say things like ‘He’s still a piece of shit” which isn’t very nice, and certainly not very productive. If someone shows up late for the party, they should still be welcome to the party, especially if they bring wine.
You still see Sanders supporters talking shit about Sarah Silverman, which is, to use her own word, ridiculous. 2016 is over. This is the 2020 election.
And, I’ve seen plenty of skepticism on the left about Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian’s endorsement of Bernie. Lighten up, people. Watch their show, don’t watch their show, but an endorsement is an endorsement.
Today, in the news, there was a bit that actually came from the Sanders’ campaign. He’d been given a donation by a billionaire, and they (the campaign) sent the check back immediately.
On the one hand, the donation was only for $470 (no idea why she chose that amount), but it’s not the kind of billionaire donation that is an attempt to influence policy. Maybe she’s just a very rich lady who truly thinks Sanders is the best for the job. So, I kind of think the money should have been accepted. Yes, there is a class war going on. That doesn’t mean all billionaires are evil, that we shouldn’t ever try to deal with them as individuals.
Then I saw that she’d also donated to Harris and O’Rourke. O.K., that part I don’t understand, but it still doesn’t mean she expected any quid pro quo.
Don’t get me wrong. I feel Sanders is the best man for the job because he’s the candidate with the most comprehensive plan for saving the planet, with the best plan for creating jobs and eliminating homelessness. He’s the candidate who will work hardest for universal health care, legalize marijuana and close private prisons, clear student debt and make universities free, and much, much more.
And I agree with him that billionaires, by and large, are a blight on society. This is just a slight disagreement about tone and tactics.