[Peace] Ask a Libertarian to “Pass for Democrat” for a Day to Vote for Peace

[Robert Naiman]

https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158946423672656


Ask a Libertarian to “Pass for Democrat” for a Day to Vote for Peace



A door in Iowa, 2016. I’m in uniform: Bernie hat, Bernie hoodie. There’s no
need to introduce myself when the door opens; everybody understands
immediately who I am and what I’m doing on their doorstep. “I like Bernie,”
the guy says. So, you’ll caucus for Bernie? “Nope,” the guy says. “I’m an
Independent.” But, Bernie’s an Independent! “I know,” the guy says. “I like
Bernie. But I’m not going to caucus as a Democrat.” There was nothing I
could do. Just like a tree that was standing by the water, he would not be
moved. We shook hands and parted friends. I admired his stubbornness, even
if I didn’t like the result.



A door in Minnesota, 2016. I’m in uniform: Bernie hat, Bernie hoodie. “I
like Bernie,” the guy says. “But I don’t want to caucus as a Democrat.”
Listen, I say conspiratorially. They call it a “caucus” in Minnesota, _*but
you don’t have to stay for the meeting*_. You go in, you vote, you turn
around, you leave. “Really??” the guy says. *Hook! Reel!* I lower my voice
to a whisper. _*Listen*_, I say. _*Nobody needs to know you voted Democrat.
Your secret is safe with me. I promise not to write anything down.*_ He
laughs nervously. _*Nailed it!*_ That’s what’s holding him back. He’s
afraid someone’s going to find out he voted “Democrat” to vote for Bernie.
Maybe he’s afraid his drinking buddies will razz him if they find out he
voted Democrat.



_*Listen*_, Independents and Libertarians and Republicans of America who
hate war. _You can’t get Democratic Cooties from voting Democrat one time._
Me and my Democrat friends vote Republican all the time when that’s the
best way for us to have influence to get what we want. I would have voted
for Ron Paul in the Illinois primary in 2012 if my mother hadn’t interfered
by choosing that week to die. There was no primary on the Democratic side,
nobody was running against Obama, it would have cost me nothing to vote for
Ron Paul, and even now I regret that I didn’t have the opportunity to do
so. That’s exactly the situation that Libertarians and Independents and
Republicans who hate war and the National Security State face now.
Regardless of how you feel about Trump now, he has no race in the
Republican primary. There’s nothing you can meaningfully do to stop him
from becoming or help him become the Republican nominee. That’s baked into
the cake now. Whereas, the race on the Democratic side is _*very*_ fluid
right now. _*Bernie can beat Biden*_. _*Biden is a War Criminal*._ America
will be a different country on war and peace if Bernie beats Biden in the
Democratic primary, regardless of what happens in November. And if Bernie
becomes POTUS, America will be _*very*_ different on war and peace. _*There
will be no more unconstitutional war on behalf of the Saudi regime when
Bernie is POTUS.*_



Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina are key. Bernie’s a little ahead
in New Hampshire, a little behind in Iowa, a little behind in South
Carolina. He could win all three. If he wins all three, it’s a whole new
ballgame. If he wins all three, he’s the frontrunner, he can stomp War
Criminal Biden all the way to the nomination.



Here’s how contingent this is, how close it is, how much the outcome
depends on the actions of a small number of people. I was in the Waterloo
office in Iowa. The night of the caucus, we had a “victory party” at a
nearby bar, except that it wasn’t a real victory party, because we didn’t
win. But we came very close. I walked into the bar, saw the young
African-American student who ran the Waterloo office, and sat down next to
her. “*Martin O’Malley*,” was all she said. She spat the words. There was
no subject, no verb. Only an object of pure hate. She blamed Martin
O’Malley for the fact that we lost Iowa. Do you even know who Martin
O’Malley is? Does anybody care now who Martin O’Malley is? That guy’s not a
comma in the history of the United States now. But the young woman who ran
the Waterloo office blamed Martin O’Malley for the fact that we didn’t win
Iowa. How might history be different if we had won Iowa in 2016?



Imagine if half of the Independents and Libertarians and Republicans in
America who hate unconstitutional war would suck it up for one day and
“pass for Democrat” to vote for Bernie. Imagine how we could change
history. Imagine how much unconstitutional war we could prevent, how many
innocent human beings wouldn’t have to cruelly and stupidly and uselessly
die, how much of our tax dollars we could save, how we could spend that
money on useful stuff in America, or even on useless stuff in America that
doesn’t kill people. Wouldn’t it be worth “passing as a Democrat” for _*one
single day*_ to see that dawn?
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