Bernie or Bust

If you are over 55 years old (like I am), and don't worry about a higher minimum wage, and don't need free college tuition, and already have adequate healthcare insurance, are White and don't fear racial injustice, is a man and doesn't worry about equal pay for women, is straight and doesn't worry about LGBT issues, is an American citizen and doesn't worry about immigration issues, and no longer works and doesn't fear bad trade deals — does it really matter who the next president is?

Personally, I would vote for Bernie Sanders, because he would expand Social Security — and because I feel empathy for all of the other aforementioned people. But...

If people were voting against YOUR best interests by voting for Hillary Clinton, and she became the Democratic nominee running against Donald Trump, should you feel obligated to vote for someone who lied about your candidate? Or should you vote against that person if the alternative candidate (Donald Trump, if elected) would have no affect on your life at all whatsoever (short of starting a nuclear war)?

If you're not from Mexico or are not an illegal immigrant or don't have relatives who are illegal immigrants, why should YOU care if Trump wants to build a wall? If you're not Muslim, why should YOU care if Trump wants to ban Muslims from coming here from Syria? If you didn't have a sex change, why should you care about "transgender" restrooms? If you're not a woman and Trump isn't seducing or disrespecting a woman in your family, why should YOU care if he was once a womanizer in his younger years? Bill Clinton was accused of sexual assault.

And nobody is suppressing MY vote.

Why should I vote for someone I can't stand or trust and reward her slimly and dishonest political surrogates and superdelegates with my vote to get her elected? Especially when her opponent represents no personal threat to me at all whatsoever? If I wanted to vote for an outsider (against the establishment that caused all the problems we currently have), why should I vote for someone who was part of the problem all along?

Donald Trump can start a war, but I won't be drafted to fight and die in any war. It would be his opponent (Clinton) who has an actual record of starting wars and getting people killed. Other than a war, what can Donald Trump do without the support of a majority in Congress? What damage can he do in 4 years as president that the Republicans said Obama would do? And Obama's been president for 8 years (and did very little to change the status quo).

I supported Bernie Sanders to make this country a much better place — and to help the people who need help the most. Hillary Clinton won't do that, and if Trump won't either, then what's the difference? If Trump becomes president, how would his presidency DIRECTLY AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY if you were an old, straight, White, retired American-born man?

Patriotism? No one can say I'm any more or less patriotic to a corrupt government than anybody else. Trump is no less patriotic than Clinton. They both used the system to profit from it at the expense of ordinary Americans. You can disparage Trump for making his ties in China or for union busting or for filing corporate bankruptcy four times, but he was only working within the current system. But Trump, unlike Clinton, didn't create the system. The corrupt political parties did that. Trump can't be blamed for that, but Clinton can. She took Trump's money.

I supported Bernie Sanders to change the system, but if the people voted against their own best interests (and voted against my own best interests), it's not my responsibility to vote for their best interests.

Me, I have no children or grandchildren. I'm the end of the line, so I don't worry about the future of any extended family. So if for no other reason, I would just enjoy watching Trump on TV a lot more than I would the Clintons for another 8 more years. 

The Clintons have done enough harm already. What's wrong with taking a chance on some fresh new blood in the White House? No risk, no reward. Bernie Sanders would be the perfect candidate. But if the only choice I have in November is Clinton or Trump, I choose bust. It doesn't mean I'll vote for Trump, it just means I won't vote for Clinton. That means, Bernie or Bust.