Last night Hillary Clinton surpassed the 2383 that she needed to become the first female nominee for President for a major party -EVER. It was announced as a quick note and MSNBC went on to Donald Trump. Then there were a lot of questions on how if happened and then Hillary went on to downplay it for fear of offending Bernie or his supporters. Bernie Sanders continues to question Hillary being selected as the nominee. He wants to wait for every vote to be cast and then he wants the super delegates to over-ride the people’s votes because of polls. He still tells the people who show up at his rallies and I’m sure his online fans that he can win. He tells them that the process is rigged, he would have won if Hillary just wasn’t so well known, or if the voters weren’t so poor, or from the south.
As a woman, as someone who spent many years not being acknowledged for my own accomplishments, and having to filter many of my suggestions through a man to have them considered, I am ready to scream when I hear another reason why Hillary should step back and wait. Heaven forbid that Bernie or his supporters should be offended. There is no such consideration for Hillary’s supporters. We aren’t a worry evidently. In fact, Bernie thinks that we should just step aside and let HIM take the role because he gets big crowds and he thinks his ideas should take precedent because he – lost?
It makes me sick. Jeff weaver is on the TV now saying that once the “people” have finished voting they can start trying to get super delegates to flip because HE should win. That Hillary’s campaign is expected to step back and still give so much “deference” to Bernie Sanders makes me furious. I finally just heard Robby Mook say that they won because the math is clear. But it was still so muted. I hope that we get a celebration today but that isn’t going to change the underlying sexism.
I watch it every day. Hillary Clinton operates under a different set of expectations and the rules are harder. Donald Trump lies by the minute. Bernie Sanders tells fewer lies than Trump but like Trump he does not apologize for lies or actions. Her words require an apology while his votes on the same issue had a “reasoning” and he refuses to apologize. I could go on. All I know is that this primary season reinforced that a woman isn’t supposed to proudly proclaim her achievements. We are held to a higher standard. The math isn’t enough. The contrast between Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump is stark. I can only see one that I want to represent my country.
Will she be strong enough – the question asked by Patricia Schroeder today in talking about worries women may feel when thinking about a woman as President. We know the answer. We always have. Of course she is.
When women succeed the world succeeds. We are strong and competent and we should be able to celebrate. There may come a day when every person is equal. That is how it should be. We aren’t there yet.
I don’t want to be sad, or angry, or frustrated. I want to celebrate. I want the men to celebrate us. I want to see the first female President. I want my nieces to see it. I want them to know they can do anything. I don’t want them to struggle because of their gender. They deserve equal pay. They should not have to be better, work harder, be judged differently. Today that is all true. Hillary will be a huge step, shattering the marble ceiling, but she is a step. Watch how badly she is tree, how differently she is judged. It won’t stop her but she will face barriers she shouldn’t have to -that men don’t face.
Let us celebrate. Bernie please don’t be a sore loser. Take this moment to be who you say you want to be. Listen to the majority of the voters. We know what we want. We want Hillary’s policies. We want her approach. We want HER!!!
Nataya's Worlds 
It’s great that she will be the nominee, and I supported Sanders, and still support his policies. There are things the party did that were missteps and could be corrected in future. 400+ superdelegates came out in support of HRC before O’Malley and Sanders ever joined the race. This insults and denigrates anyone who initially supports other candidates, making them resent having to switch. Superdelegates should keep their mouths shut until the convention. Likewise, there was no reason for the media to call the race “over” one day before today’s primaries. It’s a way of saying to impassioned voters, “You don’t matter.” Some will stay home as a result, and we DO want to know where all Democrats are on issues and candidates, and send the message that every vote counts, in every state. Party unity depends on having empathy for those who don’t agree with you at first. In a close election it makes even more of a difference.
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Thank you so much for being part of the conversation. I appreciate your perspective and really hope that you will take a look at Hillary’s policies. They are not very different then Bernie’s. I couldn’t find the article so I’m going off memory. I believe that the candidates had announced before the media first surveyed the super delegates. Can you help me understand how having the super delegates say who they intend to support insults and denigrates the supporters of other candidates.
I don’t know if having super delegates is the best approach or not but they are part of the process as it is now.
I don’t think either Hillary or Bernie wanted that announcement but the math had been clear for a while. This kind of “unfairness” is fairly standard with the primaries. The only way to stop that would be to have all of the primaries on one day. Every one should have a vote to express their opinions heard.
What has frustrated me is that the party unity seems to go one way. Hillary has more votes and it really feels like her voters don’t matter. The empathy must go both ways and its not fair for the majority to be ignored. It also seems wrong for Bernie to continue to say he can win when he can’t.
As a woman it feels familiar- the woman has to do more, be better, to get anywhere and even then its not good enough. Bernie did not call Hillary to congratulate her even just for the night much less the historic win.
I used to admire Bernie that is gone now.
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The original purpose of establishing superdelegates, and I began voting before they existed, was to prevent nominating candidates who might win primaries, but who would also be likely to lose the general election due to low polling or other external factors. If they had been in place per the convention rules of 1968 and 1972, it would have solved the deadlock that resulted in Hubert Humphrey’s nomination – who had not run in the primaries, and would have allowed a reconsideration of nominating George McGovern, who won the primaries, but always polled lower than other Democrats. They were supposed to be a Plan B safety committee, there to advise and if necessary overrule at the convention, not before.
For the first time this year, the majority of the 712 superdelegates publicly declared who they would back at the convention within a week after HRC declared her candidacy.on April 12th of last year. Sanders declared he would run on May 26th. O’Malley declared on May 30th. That’s the basis for my objection, and why Sanders called the situation “rigged”. If the superdelegates had followed the rules of past elections, they would still have backed Clinton once she gained the majority of pledged delegates, but it would have prevented a great deal of resentment that Sanders voters have felt.
I agree that most policy positions are similar between Clinton and Sanders. Their differences are mostly a matter of degree, so I will have no serious reservations about voting for her. As a pacifist, I dislike the fact that she’s the most “hawkish” candidate (by past behavior) in the race, but at least our military is all-volunteer now. If she pushes for excessive military interventions, no one can be compelled to participate, though we will still all be paying for it. I do trust her judgment about Supreme Court picks, and Trump is dangerous in a dozen different ways, so he must be stopped.
Overall, I think you and I agree more than disagree. Thanks for the opportunity to discuss it!
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Thanks for the explanation of the super delegate origination. It’s the most concise explanation I’ve heard.
The discussion is very appreciated!!
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