I was trying to be polite and statesman like, but I can address what you brought up, while hopefully still being both.
My life is complex, and I wouldn't want you to over simplify it by attempting to Bernsplain to me what would be best for me. Like I said, I appreciate your passion but, believe me, I'm a moderately intelligent person. If I thought Bernie was best, I would definitely 100% support him. I do not.
I do not trust Bernie Sanders on foreign policy. He has not shown an ability to do anything with topics related to it other than shake his head sadly, mention Turkey and the Mooslim countries and pivot back to why the millionaire and billionaires are evil, evil people. That's not policy. That's pandering to his base. There is no one in this race who has a better grasp of foreign policy than Hillary Clinton. No one has the experience she's had as First Lady, SoS and Senator. Bernie's entire foreign policy platform is that he didn't vote for the Iraq War. That's it.
Bernie is calling for a tax raise on everyone. Yes, we would get more services for it, but you do not win a general election by telling everyone "I'm going to raise your taxes." It's just not done. I know you'll argue we'll explain it to them. But, again, when you're explaining you're not winning. You are never, ever going to sell that to Main Street. It just won't be done. It's too complex a policy issue to boil down into what the average voter can understand. "Candidate A is going to lower my taxes." "Candidate B is going to raise my taxes" That's the extent of what they will understand. When you have to say "Yes...but..." No. You're losing that argument.
Also, Bernie's most recent proposal turns the entire healthcare system into an individually state run thing. Each state would have to manage their own plans. We've seen what a horrible, horrible idea this is. Any single payer system must be top down. And, by the way, even the bill he submitted doesn't entirely say how he's going to pay for this. It nicely mentions that the details will come later. He may have a new plan, and if he does, that's great. However, he's been vague on the details.
I do believe in polls. I believe that GE polls are useless right now. I also believe that Bernie is running as Generic Democrat at the moment. The minute people get a look at him, he's not going to be this shinning bastion of hope and freedom that he is to you. We heard this would happen with the debates. Once Democrats saw him, they'd love him. We haven't. Not even remotely. The minute the GOP would actually see him as a threat, they would shred him. My mother, an intelligent woman, a life long Democrat, said she has misgivings about him. There are things about him that make her uncomfortable. She's hardly an independent, but her second choice is my future husband O'Malley.
Finally, Bernie's campaign is trash. Period. Full stop. I judge a candidate on how they run a campaign. He wants to lead this country, his campaign needs to be working. It isn't. They're never on the same page. They contradict themselves. They seem unable to deal with anything outside the narrative they've decided to create. They're inept. I do not want that inept campaign having to fight off a Billion Dollar GOP Machine. Hell, I wouldn't want it since he's decided to handicap himself out of the gates.
That doesn't even add to the fact that Bernie's votes (or non-votes) on guns automatically disqualifies him from my consideration. I would not support a candidate who has taken the positions he has. I am not a single issue voter, but that is an issue that IS important to me. He's wrong on it. So wrong, I wouldn't vote for him.
Again, Daniel, please do not think this is an attack against you. It's not. It's an explanation as to why I will not support Bernie Sanders unless I am forced to do so by the Democratic electorate. If that happens, then, yes, I'll vote for him. But I think nominating him would be a HUGE mistake. I legitimately respect your passion and conviction, though.
