This is something that drives me nuts. The young millennials who supported Bernie were supposedly so earnest, so interested in nothing but policy substance.
Bernie himself always says it's not about personalities. But for the Bernie or Busters, this is all about personality. How else do you explain them not throwing their support behind Hillary after the concessions she gave Bernie on the MW-$15 was in the Dem platform-and on student loans(she has agreed to the goal of making tuition free for those under a certain level of income)?
Still a large swatch of millennials are supporting Gary Johnson which makes zero sense if policy substance is what they care about.
(Happily, Jill Stein is not doing so hot).
Paul Krugman looks at this strange state of affairs:
"Does it make sense to vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president? Sure, as long as you believe two things. First, you have to believe that it makes no difference at all whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump moves into the White House — because one of them will. Second, you have to believe that America will be better off in the long run if we eliminate environmental regulation, abolish the income tax, do away with public schools, and dismantle Social Security and Medicare — which is what theLibertarian platform calls for."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/opinion/vote-as-if-it-matters.html
Evidently, many millennials think there's no difference between Hillary and Trump on environmental regulation!
https://twitter.com/williamjordann/status/777831684699983872
Back to Krugman:
"But do 29 percent of Americans between 18 and 34 believe these things? I doubt it. Yet that, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, is the share of millennial voters who say that they would vote for Mr. Johnson if the election took place now. And the preponderance of young Americans who say they’ll back Mr. Johnson or Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, appear to be citizens who would support Mrs. Clinton in a two-way race; including the minor party candidates cuts her margin among young voters from 21 points to just 5."
So I’d like to make a plea to young Americans: your vote matters, so please take it seriously.
"Why are minor candidates seemingly drawing so much support this year? Very little of it, I suspect, reflects support for their policy positions. How many people have actually read the Libertarian platform? But if you’re thinking of voting Johnson, you really should. It’s a remarkable document."
"As I said, it calls for abolition of the income tax and the privatization of almost everything the government does, including education. “We would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government.” And if parents don’t want their children educated, or want them indoctrinated in a cult, or put them to work in a sweatshop instead of learning to read? Not our problem."
"What really struck me, however, was what the platform says about the environment. It opposes any kind of regulation; instead, it argues that we can rely on the courts. Is a giant corporation poisoning the air you breathe or the water you drink? Just sue: “Where damages can be proven and quantified in a court of law, restitution to the injured parties must be required.” Ordinary citizens against teams of high-priced corporate lawyers — what could go wrong?"
"It’s really hard to believe that young voters who supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary think any of this is a good idea. But Mr. Johnson and Ms. Stein have received essentially no media scrutiny, so that voters have no idea what they stand for. And their parties’ names sound nice: who among us is against liberty? The truth, that the Libertarian Party essentially stands for a return to all the worst abuses of the Gilded Age, is not out there."
Bernie himself always says it's not about personalities. But for the Bernie or Busters, this is all about personality. How else do you explain them not throwing their support behind Hillary after the concessions she gave Bernie on the MW-$15 was in the Dem platform-and on student loans(she has agreed to the goal of making tuition free for those under a certain level of income)?
Still a large swatch of millennials are supporting Gary Johnson which makes zero sense if policy substance is what they care about.
(Happily, Jill Stein is not doing so hot).
Paul Krugman looks at this strange state of affairs:
"Does it make sense to vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president? Sure, as long as you believe two things. First, you have to believe that it makes no difference at all whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump moves into the White House — because one of them will. Second, you have to believe that America will be better off in the long run if we eliminate environmental regulation, abolish the income tax, do away with public schools, and dismantle Social Security and Medicare — which is what theLibertarian platform calls for."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/opinion/vote-as-if-it-matters.html
Evidently, many millennials think there's no difference between Hillary and Trump on environmental regulation!
https://twitter.com/williamjordann/status/777831684699983872
Back to Krugman:
"But do 29 percent of Americans between 18 and 34 believe these things? I doubt it. Yet that, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, is the share of millennial voters who say that they would vote for Mr. Johnson if the election took place now. And the preponderance of young Americans who say they’ll back Mr. Johnson or Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee, appear to be citizens who would support Mrs. Clinton in a two-way race; including the minor party candidates cuts her margin among young voters from 21 points to just 5."
So I’d like to make a plea to young Americans: your vote matters, so please take it seriously.
"Why are minor candidates seemingly drawing so much support this year? Very little of it, I suspect, reflects support for their policy positions. How many people have actually read the Libertarian platform? But if you’re thinking of voting Johnson, you really should. It’s a remarkable document."
"As I said, it calls for abolition of the income tax and the privatization of almost everything the government does, including education. “We would restore authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government.” And if parents don’t want their children educated, or want them indoctrinated in a cult, or put them to work in a sweatshop instead of learning to read? Not our problem."
"What really struck me, however, was what the platform says about the environment. It opposes any kind of regulation; instead, it argues that we can rely on the courts. Is a giant corporation poisoning the air you breathe or the water you drink? Just sue: “Where damages can be proven and quantified in a court of law, restitution to the injured parties must be required.” Ordinary citizens against teams of high-priced corporate lawyers — what could go wrong?"
"It’s really hard to believe that young voters who supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary think any of this is a good idea. But Mr. Johnson and Ms. Stein have received essentially no media scrutiny, so that voters have no idea what they stand for. And their parties’ names sound nice: who among us is against liberty? The truth, that the Libertarian Party essentially stands for a return to all the worst abuses of the Gilded Age, is not out there."
What motivates these voters is personalities not issues like they claimed. Some just hate Hillary.
Bernie himself warns against protest voting.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/09/bernie-sanders-warns-supporters-now-not
Note, he didn't vote for Nader either. But to vote protest-ie, not even realize you are voting for a candidate that wants to return us to the Gilded Age is truly shameful.
This is my new big word for those who fail to truly grapple with what a threat a President Trump is.
http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2016/09/if-donald-trump-wins-i-will-never.html
Remember what Jason Hahn, formerly of RedState says:
"Remember.... a non-vote for @HillaryClinton is a half vote for @realDonaldTrump."
https://twitter.com/HahnAmerica/status/777490045074870273
Many of the anti Trump conservatives understand this best like Jennifer Rubin also does.
https://twitter.com/HahnAmerica/status/777490045074870273
Many of the anti Trump conservatives understand this best like Jennifer Rubin also does.
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