Amidst all the mistakes and casting blame, there were some things done well this election. During the general election, I heard one big ask over and over:
Hey, you Sanders voters lost, and many of you actively dislike Clinton & the neoliberal Third Way politics they've championed in the Democratic Party, but please we need you. Please don't vote Green and wake up on Wednesday with President Trump!
And Sanders answered. He stumped for Clinton for months after a primary designed to keep out his outsider run. The number of people on the left who held their noses and did what Clinton needed dwarfs the number who voted Green — it's surprising how much dislike was answered with so little defection.
I expect for every Sanders support who voted for the Green Party, you could find ten who liked the Green Party but stuck with Clinton. But I've read at least ten posts attacking people who voted Green, and not one post thanking Sanders and others for tirelessly campaigning for their second (or even second-to-last) choice. By that math there should be one hundred thank-you posts to Bernie, but here's one:
Thank you Bernie Sanders, and all the people who quietly stuck clothespins on their noses, doing what they thought needed to be done — most especially the ones who were quiet about it, trying not to interfere with Clinton's last stand.
Obviously many things went wrong this election. What went right? Who else deserves thanks?