To My Berner Friends

Since I have had to listen to a few insults directed my way because I am backing Buttigieg for President:

I will vote for Bernie Sanders if he is nominated as the candidate to go against Trump, without a fuss. I respect him and think he would make a fine President. He is just not my choice at the moment.

If you want to post nasty things online about Buttigieg supporters (or anyone voting for a different candidate other than Bernie), it's not a reflection on anyone but yourself, and it sure isn't going to bring people over to your "side."

I will not involve myself in name-calling, judging other people, etc. who will be voting differently than myself. I do not believe in joining cults of personality, for anyone, and most especially any politician, including the one I'm voting for. Fanaticism, both blue and red, is one reason our country is in this ruinous mess.

Many of my friends are voting for Sanders. We have had pleasant, insightful conversations in which we discuss the merits and deficits of our candidates-of-choice. Nobody is there to "convince" someone else to join their side. We agree in particular on one thing: whoever the Democratic candidate is, we will support them. Courteous discourse is constructive.

None of the Democratic candidates is the Messiah...even Sanders. The candidate who wins the nomination may not be the one you were rooting for in the primary. This is not a time to start pouting about "conspiracies" if your candidate doesn't win the nomination. This is not a time to sit home on Election Day or vote for Trump as a "protest vote."

In plain English, after we have a candidate, shut the fuck up if your candidate wasn't the one chosen, and turn your attention to getting our candidate in the White House. It's just a little over eight months to Election Day. That day will come up quicker than you think and there is no time spent bitching and moaning that your candidate did not "win."

Because the urgency now is this, and only this: if Trump is not unseated, we are lost as a country. And the only way to unseat him is to unite as Democrats and vote blue.