“PJ, reading you in this thread the last year has been beyond nauseating. No matter how many times this woman has been on the wrong side of issues you overlook it. Should we make a list where she's been wrong and Sanders has been wrong in the last 25 years, do you really want to go there? Challenge me to start.
“
I have sometimes found it uncomfortable to participate in this thread because when I have tried to talk about issues I have been met with ad hominem arguments or emotionality (that said, you can be a bit antagonizing SF).
But yes, if we talk about this point, it does seem a bit odd to me that Hillary seems to often be let ‘off the hook’ for previous policy positions she has held. She can say that she has ‘evolved’ or made a mistake but at the end of the day, wouldn’t we prefer a decision maker who is more likely to make the right decisions the first time or sooner than a decision maker who has to frequently learn from their mistakes?
For example, I find it incredibly sad that Hillary has only supported gay marriage for about 3 years, and for years has publicly expressed that she does not support gay marriage. Look at how quick she is to say “no” – there is absolutely no hesitation and no sensitivity about the issue. It’s incredibly cold and sad. It makes my blood boil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZkK2_6H9MM
What is even worse, is this video here, where she makes it clear she has had occasion to “defend marriage, to stand up for marriage”. In other words, she defends her DOMA decision. Yet, in the recent presidential campaign she tried to rewrite history/spin her decision as if it was actually in fact supportive of the gay movement by preventing the constitution from being amended. This position is inconsistent with her words below, clearly showing that she has been dishonest either then or now (either way, it doesn’t matter!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I1-r1YgK9I
Now, Bernie Sanders may not have been ejected from the womb championing gay rights. However, the "don't ask don't tell" speech is highly compelling. There is some debate about how long exactly he has supported gay marriage. He voted against DOMA, suggesting support. However, critics have claimed this decision was not made in support of gay marriage but rather his belief that it should be a decision for the states. As far as I know, he has never publicly advocated for traditional marriage or trotted out a deeply hurting line that "marriage is between a man and a woman", often evading the question when asked to make a public comment. This might mean he has personally supported gay marriage for a very long time. In the absolute worst and most conservative case, Bernie has supported gay marriage for 4 years longer than Hillary Clinton. This is an entire presidential term and most importantly, it was less popular to support gay marriage in 2009 than in 2013. At the end of the day though, as far as I am aware Bernie Sanders has never ever said that marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman, where as Hillary Clinton has.
Let’s now turn to the Iraq War. Look at Bernie Sanders’ speech advocating against the Iraq War. Many of his predictions and issues related to the Iraq War were accurate. Hillary Clinton may in hindsight describe her vote as a mistake. This mistake was absolutely devastating for the lives of many Americans and Iraqians (both directly through injuries, deaths and indirectly through economic impacts). The impact of this war is still lingering around today, being partly responsible for the rise of ISIS and Islamic terrorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdFw1btbkLM
Similarly, her support of various trade agreements such as TPP, NAFTA while Sanders has been against them all.
Of course, Hillary and Sanders’ positions are more often aligned than not. Apparently they voted the same way 93% of the time when they were both in the Sentate. But when it comes down to some of the key issues, Bernie Sanders has been on the right side of history and Hillary Clinton simply hasn’t. When the president takes office, surely the better decision is to elect the person who you can be confident has a history of better judgment when it comes to the critical issues based on their previous judgement. Even right now, Bernie Sanders’ policies are on the right side of history. As America’s younger population begin to rise up and take the reigns, I have no doubt Bernie Sanders’ policies will finally be implemented given 1. They already exist in many other progressive nations and 2. The almost unanimous support of his policies by young people.
Just as Hillary Clinton has been on the wrong side of history about gay marriage, trade deals and the Iraq war, she is going to be on the wrong side of history about healthcare, the minimum wage and education. Bernie Sanders will likely be on the wrong side of gun control, I admit.
Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.
Updated On: 4/16/16 at 11:35 PM
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