Nah, sorry. I wasn’t trying to be patronizing. I was trying to illustrate the point that identity politics are dumb and backwards, even when they are justifiable.

I agree: there is nothing wrong with wanting leaders that are not white males. But that line of thinking doesn’t go on forever: you’d never encourage a woman to vote for Carly Fiorina, just because she’s a woman, would you? There comes a point where you have to take a hard look at whether that candidates policies will…

I don’t think that’s the only reason to support Clinton. If you like the existing system - if you think it works, for the most part - Clinton is a fine candidate. I don’t think the existing system works well for the most part. Sanders is the only candidate the represents a major break from that system.

Not at all, but if there was another candidate that would have done more for communities of color in 2008, I would have thought it was foolish to vote for Obama. But there wasn’t, so by all means, vote for Obama.

1. Sure, but it’s also worth noting (at least to some of us) that most of the primary reasons to back her over Sanders are not policy-related. It’s not that the other things don’t matter, but to many of us, policy is the most important.

Different roles? Lol, she wasn’t a Senator from fucking Mississippi. New York is not exactly a lion’s den to liberals. You can argue all you want that all the flip-flopping and backing whatever was politically convenient was a necessity for survival, but I think you’re only trying to convince yourself. I won’t vote…

Lol, but they DID involve the murder of half a million civilians on a total fucking lie. That, to me, is pretty bad. That’s ultimately the reason why I will never ever support her. She’s a hawk. It’s not even just Iraq either; take a look at Honduras. She is in favor of murdering people around the world when it suits…

1. Fair enough, but specifically I’m asking about policy here.

Okay, so that’s kind of real: she’s more effective than Sanders. She’ll accomplish more than Sanders will. But the only examples you sited were of things she “compromised” on to work with the GOP: Iraq and universal healthcare. Can you maybe give me an example of the kinds of things she accomplished while working with…

Seriously? It’s Kinja, friend.

Both of those articles you linked to could be summed up with one sentence: Both have solid political records on women’s issues, but Hillary Clinton talks about them more. A cynical person might call that lip service. Especially when you consider how it translates to practical issues: a majority of minimum wage earners…

But again, you’re not objecting to his actual policies, you’re saying the political environment will make it difficult (or impossible) to enact those policies. Here’s a protip: to change the political environment, you have to elect leaders that support the same policies you do. Not watered-down versions that cater to…

So what, exactly, do you think Clinton would do to expand women’s right to abortions? The restrictions all exist at the state level. Has she put forward some kind of federal legislation that would bar the states from restricting women’s access to abortions? Because if so, that’s news to me.

Right, and that’s the thing. Look, as with many Sanders supporters, I’m a white dude from a middle-class upbringing. When I see someone say that they want to vote for Clinton just because she’s a woman, it instinctively makes me want to mansplain the shit out of politics. I have to suppress that urge, which is a skill…

So this is a real question: are their any reasons that have to do with policy that would make you want to vote for Clinton over Sanders?

History echos itself: the parallels with the era of the Lincoln Douglas debates are uncanny.

This was me and Facebook. Don’t use Twitter much except to follow writers and other notable people I care about, I never tweet myself.

Whatever you say, “Breeanna”.

What the hell? We’re not talking about national security here... what possible reason - other than covering their asses - could they possibly have for all this redaction?

I don’t actually think that’s what he meant at all.