I'm writing a book about healthier and more effective ways to frame politics. This page is my suggestions for Bernie supporters. It's not aimed at Bernie Sanders, or really at his campaign that knows what it's doing trying to get people to the polls, but for the grassroots.
Why are so many people voting for a candidate they believe is part of the political machine, instead of an idealist?
Talking with people who plan to vote for Hillary Clinton, I'm finding two consistent reasons. The first step in any conversation is to figure out why people don't agree with you (the first step is not flooding them with your reasons.)
- Sanders can't win in November, or can't get things done after he is elected.
- Hillary Clinton will crack the glass ceiling. America is still a sexist nation, especially about accepting women in leadership roles. Hillary Clinton has worked incredibly hard, she deserves this, and if we don't elect her it could easily be another generation until a women is President of the United States.
Hillary Clinton will crack the glass ceiling. America is still a sexist nation, especially about accepting women in leadership roles. Hillary Clinton has worked incredibly hard, she deserves this, and if we don't elect her it could easily be another generation until a women is President of the United States.<.h3>
The first thing Bernie fans need to realize is: everything in that statement is true, and important. Hillary Clinton might be a machine candidate, representing so much of what is wrong about our politics, much more likely to lose to Trump, etc., etc., etc. It would still be very good for A large portion of Sander's supporters are in their 20s: you probably aren't in management yet, your friends aren't in management, and your generation is less sexist. Spend time listening. If you agree with this positive point, how much it would help for Americans to look up to a woman President, how hard Hillary Clinton has had to work to get through the sexism, it opens a conversation. You can move from having arguments to exchanges.
I think the best tactic is to go to older voters and ask them who they are voting for and why. Ask women what sexism they've faced and appreciate that Hillary Clinton putting a crack in the glass ceiling would be an amazing thing. Then, THEN, you can blast all your idealism, that Sanders would be amazing for this country, he'll mobilize another generation to compassionate politics. Listen first and people will listen to you. Don't focus on the negative: give Hillary Clinton credit that she would do important work breaking the glass ceiling and Sanders can support even more progressive policies that will help more women, but he can't do that. Don't ask them to agree with you, to let you win the argument, which makes it a kindof pissing contest. But if you listen to them, they'll listen to you. A week later they'll likely feel the Bern. Bernie is an amazing, inspiration speaker, but people are feeling isolated -- we need a couple million amazing listeners, and we'll win the primary, and we better get really good at listening for November, since the Republicans are probably electing a candidate whose campaign is built around people's feelings of powerlessness and being unheard.