Another said, "I can't believe you would want to disenfranchise the majority of Democratic primary voters who voted for Hillary. This was a primary election and Hillary won. There is no evidence of a stolen vote." This, even though I posted multiple links that documented evidence of election fraud in the same conversation thread. What about MY disenfranchisement from a party that intentionally cheated my chosen candidate out of the nomination? It's my duty as a responsible voter and citizen to bring attention to improprieties when I see them. To turn a blind eye and say nothing is a disservice to those who clearly don't understand the extent of the corruption in our electoral system.
These comments came not from Republicans or Trump supporters, but from fellow Democrats. I have actually received more support, consensus and intelligent response from Republicans for pointing out these disturbing election irregularities.
A friend in California (who was handed a provisional ballot instead of a standard ballot when she voted in the primary), regarded my posts about election irregularities in that state as patently false, even though it was well documented in the LA Times and other reputable news sources (http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-voting-problems-20160607-snap-htmlstory.html). When I asked my friend if she knew if her provisional ballot had been counted, she didn't seem to know, or care. "Her" candidate won; that's all that mattered.
According to polls, Bernie and Hillary were in a virtual tie going into the California primary, with Bernie still gaining momentum. There ended up being a 13-point discrepancy between exit polls and the official results--a discrepancy that favored Hillary. More than a few percentage points of variance is statistically regarded as a clear sign of fraud. Noted investigative journalist Greg Palast further details the stolen California election here: http://www.gregpalast.com/california-stolen-sanders-right-nowspecial-bulletin-greg-palast/. Instead of being appropriately alarmed by this, my California friend just brushed me off as a sore loser, completely discounting my concerns over fraud as bogus.
Bernie supporters are regularly told that they are dividing the party and setting up the possibility of a Trump presidency. In my experience, it's the Hillary supporters who are divisive. Instead of acknowledging that there are serious issues of accountability in the Democratic party, they are blind to Hillary's enormous flaws, including her deep unpopularity and questionable electability. It's the Hillary supporters who have engaged with me in name calling, derogatory commentary, and dismissing any facts or opinions that don't match their own. This behavior is historically more typical of Republicans, and only serves to further alienate those of us away from the Democratic party.
Beyond the fact that Hillary bought most of the superdelegates over a year ago, and cheated her way through the primaries with rampant and well-documented election fraud, it's the collective denial and apathy on the part of most Americans that's even more disturbing and dangerous. By ignoring the gross improprieties that took place in the primaries, election fraud will certainly occur again in the general election, and on a much greater scale. This time, it may not tip the scales in Hillary's favor. And these fraudulent tactics will continue on in future elections, growing ever larger, as long as they go unchecked. The real threat to our democracy, and our nation, is that most Americans, particularly fellow Democrats, fail to acknowledge or understand the seriousness and urgency of this problem.
If Hillary loses the general election, it won't be the fault of Bernie supporters. The blame will lie squarely on the back of the DNC, which shoved a highly disliked and ethically compromised candidate down our throats. Wasserman Schultz made no secret of her favoritism towards Hillary, when it was her job to be impartial to the candidates. Bernie polls far better against Trump than does Hillary, and Bernie has energized a political movement that has not been seen in this country in at least a generation.
Hillary supporters are so blinded by their outsized fear of a Trump presidency that they can't see that their own voting rights are being usurped. They can't see the missed opportunity of supporting a candidate who has championed fundamental changes that are so desperately needed in our broken political system--a system that disproportionately favors the one percent at the expense of everyone else. They ignore the collective frustration of millions who are fed up with the status quo that leaves them further and further behind--the same deep-seated discontent that is largely responsible for the unlikely rise of Trump. Hillary supporters fail to understand that if Hillary can steal the Democratic primary, there's no reason why Trump can't steal the Presidency, as George W. Bush did in 2000 and 2004. Hillary supporters will certainly care if that happens, but by then, it will be too late.
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