2016 Postmortem

I mean I wasn't a "Bernie or Bust" guy, I mean I voted for Hillary in the general, but for me it wasn't about her policies.

I always loved Hillary. When she won that senate seat I was so happy. I always felt she was a democratic champion and she might be the next Teddy Kennedy or Robert Byrd. I certainly thought she would be somebody like Elizabeth Warren, somebody outspoken who would draw more people to the democrats.

But it seemed like she never caught fire in the senate. She played it safe and even cooperated with the hawks on stuff like the Iraq war. Yet I didn't see her being a big voice for paid vacation or sick leave or other worker rights.

Then when she ran against Obama I felt like she ran a crappy campaign. She never was able to articulate a clear message and she even attacked him in a way that was somewhat ham fisted and actually caused some voters she needed to circle the wagons around Obama.

Then when Obama appointed her SOS I was happy like I was when she was a senator again. With her experience what great things she could do. I mean she had met most world leaders. She is incredibly smart and has all sort of connections. However once again like as senator I felt she played it safe and was a bit more hawkish than I would have liked.

Then she ran against Bernie and I thought she ran an ok campaign but once again made a lot of mistakes that prevented her from putting him away early and she even helped him by making some too conservative statements that caused some liberals to circle the wagons around Bernie. Not enough to cause her to lose but still enough to keep them from going in totally with her when she won.

I voted for her in the general but I felt that she had the same problems she had had in every campaign and position. Plus by this time the GOP was totally ready for her because they had used the same playbook for 30 years. One of the other reasons Obama won was the GOP had been gearing up for attacking HER so they never fully developed a strategy to ruin him (till he was elected)

So you are right about me, not about agreeing with her policies but hating her. I like her and thing she would have been a good president. I agree with her policies but thought she was not able to be elected.

Now we can argue I'm wrong, because the majority of people DID vote for her, but I live in the rustbelt and I was sensing the weaknesses that did her in in those areas and ultimately led to her defeat.

So for me I don't want somebody like Manchin but I would be for somebody more liberal than Hillary, or more conservative to a point, as long as I felt they were able to win.

My point by posting the interview with Biden was to point out he was a better speaker on his feet that Clinton or Sanders. I'm not FOR him next time but somebody who is a better speaker. Like Bill Clinton was also. Obama.