Endorse drinking.

Bernie has great ideas, but doesn't play well with others. He is also too far left. It will just add to the divisiveness in congress. He also has a history of not getting anything done. Hillary has much more experience and is more pragmatic. She will be a much more effective president. The SECB should endorse Hillary.

In other words, does the Stranger think Martha Coakley will do better this time?

You should endorse Bernie Sanders, even if HRC is more likely to win the nomination. The more important endorsements Sen. Sanders gets, the more apt, one would hope, HRC and her handlers will be open to adopting a more progressive platform for political, social, and economic change. Interesting articlele from blogger, Benjamin Studebaker: http://benjaminstudebaker.com/2016/02/05…

Sanders needs to stay in through NY at least. I think he'll win WA.

The Stranger's endorsement should be based on the views, values and history of each candidate. It shouldn't have anything to do with strategic electoral posturing.

@7 Having said that, the Stranger should totally endorse Hillary.

Hills. While Sanders polls well against Drumpf and his ilk now, just wait until the Rove/Priebus machine starts pumping out commercials explaining how much so-shulizm will raise Joe Sixpack's tax bill. Doesn't matter if it's true or not, the attacks will wither any advantage Sanders now has. And I don't trust Millenials to get off their asses and vote in the numbers needed on election day to elect Bernie.

I'm caucusing for Bernie not because I think he'll win, but because he's the candidate I feel most positive about in this primary. That's my right as a voter and I suggest, your right as endorsers. Also: Bernie's run has been the best the best thing to happen to politics in a LONG time. The better he does (even if he doesn't win), the better our country does; the better Bernie does, the more we shift the debate towards the fundamental issues of injustice and inequality (and even if you like her, you know that's not Hilary's primary concern).

Nothing would give me, my children, and my beautiful house any greater joy than Hillary 2016. If you nominate Card Carrying Communist Bernie Sanders for president than I am cancelling my subscription to your newspaper!

Seriously even the Seattle Times endorsed Bernie........

As one of the most progressive cities in the country, I believe it is of global / environmental / local importance that we stand in solidarity behind Bernie Sanders. We have all taking history classes and hopefully sociology. We know Bernie was on the right side of history and I believe it's our responsibility to the future inhabitants of earth to press transformational change, not incremental change.

"I am I plus my surroundings and if I don't preserve the latter, I don't preserve myself." - Jose Ortega Y Gassett

Why not endorse Bernie? If he wins Washington, great! Every state he gets makes Hillary have to acknowledge the seriousness of his priorities and ideas, assuming that she'll be the nominee. And if he doesn't win, no skin off y'all's collective nose. You're not in the business of prognosticating here, just recommending.

Endorser Bernie Sanders!

was the party ever not endorsing her? Good on him for getting this far but the entire thing was swung in her favor long before it even started.

Bernie. We need his issues and his straight talk in the national conversation as long as possible.

Endorse the candidate who did not vote for the Iraq War and is not completely owned by Wall Street.

As a Clinton supporter, I think you should go for Bernie for two reasons: 1) It's important that Bernie supporters, even if he ultimately loses, feels like he was given every chance to win, and that he wasn't pushed out of the process too early; 2) Hillary is a better candidate, substantively and presentation-wisedoes better when she's under pressure from the left, and I expect Bernie, as he has so far, to keep up that pressure without going nuclear.

Election 2016 is like Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Trump=scissors
Bernie=rock
Clinton=paper

For months now various polls have consistently shown that the candidate with the best chance to defeat Trump is Sanders! However, first he must get by the Clinton/DNC/Corporate media cabal.

Endorse Sanders. Help rock defeat paper in the primary so it can smash scissors in the general.

Sanders. Let's not endorse someone who was pro-DOMA, who basically endorsed a coup in Honduras, and would definitely be the one more likely to send us into another war. Sanders has all the Hope and Change we love about Obama.

Endorse Sanders. He's already had a huge impact on political discourse within the Democratic party and outside of it. I've always been interested in politics, but this is the first time I've actually felt like my interest and participation mattered. To the point someone else made, he actually has a record of getting things done - he's known as the Amendment King because he's been able to forge alliances no one even considered.

I honestly think that he would be the best choice for our country, another FDR. As a feminist, I also think that he would address more intersectional issues that impact women - poverty, education, health - than HRC would. Sure, she's a great woman and a feminist, but all political issues are women's issues, and we need to hit the hardest stuff.

At the end of the day, Sanders is a better candidate than Clinton. He has a better history on pro-environmental issues, he has a good voting record of being anti-war, he has a decent voting record of being pro-civil rights (even though he's long championed minority issues and LGBT issues, he still voted in favor of that crime reform bill that severely hurt people of color), he's got nearly unrivaled authenticity and integrity in regards to his anti-greed platform, and he has the issues of the future and of the young people at heart. Clinton is a good candidate, sure, but Sanders really does take the progressive cake.

If Obama's took his own advice during his campaign he never would have been elected.

While it may be a challenge, Bernie still has a shot considering all the most progressive States have yet to vote. We all expected her to lead the southern States.

The turning point starts now. Please stop feeding into the rhetoric that him continuing to run will get Trump eleceted. There is absolutely zero evidence to support that claim and fear tactics used by those in positions of power undermine the Democratic process.

Hmmmm, a choice between a war-monger, chameleon, and Goldman-SacksofMoney speaker or someone with a four-decades long consistent history of progressive values that recognizes the need to address income inequality, climate change, and approach to foreign relations dramatically and thoughtfully. Let me think.

You should totally endorse that pro-war, pro-wall street, anti-legalization, pro-DOMA, pro-prison, Nancy Reagan loving candidate.

I vividly recall Clinton’s campaign going full Hindenburg in 2008, and I’m stunned that otherwise reasonable people think that re-running the most openly corrupt, craven, duplicitous, and polarizing establishment candidate in a year in which voters are in all-out rebellion against the establishment is a great idea. She has zero public trust and integrity--she's on Wall Street's payroll.

Sanders is the antithesis of the kleptocratic Democratic establishment and has spent his entire career honestly advocating for democratic ideas and values. He's a solid ally who'll be there for us long after the votes are counted. Every one of his proposals has been the norm in Canada and Europe for decades, and he shows true leadership in standing by those proposals to rebuild the middle class and uplift the less fortunate. We need a candidate that inspires us; one whom we can trust. Endorse and vote Sanders.

Hillary is the candidate that can beat Trump and best deal with the shit-show that is the House of Representatives. Bernie is a great guy and I like his message but he has not gotten much done and I doubt he could get anything done in the House. Plus, we absofuckingluely must keep Trump out of the white house.

Bernie aligns better with the values of the Stranger.

Endorse Bernie because he's the most progressive candidate. He has the highest approval rating of anyone in congress. He also gets shit done in congress (VA reform is one of the few things that has passed since republicans gained control of congress). He also has been way more consistent over time with his policy position. He also responds to questions like a normal human being instead of calculating every political move and statement.

My point, Bernie will be much more energizing to young voters and will give us a better shot at doing well in congressional races. Also, let's be serious, Bernie is no less electable than Hillary in a general election against extremists like Trump and Cruz.

Senator Bernie Sanders will win the Washington Caucuses, but the SECB should still endorse Secretary Hillary Clinton. Senator Sanders has been instrumental in pulling Sec. Clinton and the party to the left, he should be commended for this. However, as we watch the ever-increasing dumpster fire on the GOP side, it is time to rally the party around one candidate and that candidate is Sec. Clinton. Sec. Clinton has a long record, so it is very easy to cherry-pick data points that support whatever views you hold of her, however, her life-long trend towards equality and human rights cannot be questioned. Yes, she did not come out for full marriage equality in 2013-- I believe President Obama did not until 2012. Yes, she has taken money from Wall Street to fund her campaign, as President Obama did. While we might hate it, the law of the land as defined by the Citizens United decision allows dark money to flood our electoral process. The ONLY way to get this money out of politics is to fundamentally reshape the Supreme Court with liberal justices. The next President may have the ability to choose up to three Justices, defining the lean of the court for a generation or more. Senator Sanders openly admits he needs a political revolution to sweep control of Congress that will give him the votes to secure his plans. Yet, aside from stadiums of people, we have no evidence this revolution exists. Sec. Clinton leads Sen. Sanders by over 2 million votes. His revolution is full of sound and fury, but ultimately, signifies nothing more than the disaffection of young and independent voters. To actually build on the progressive ideals the Democratic Party stands for, there is only one hope-- Secretary Clinton. We need an arm-twister in chief, someone who embodies President Lyndon Jonhson's win-at-all-costs methodology. Sec. Clinton's extensive network of friends and allies in the political sphere (on both sides of the aisle), while striking some as embodying what's wrong with America, is actually the only way to advance the ideals that we hold dear. From securing the legacy of Obamacare (and expanding it via a Public Option) to raising the minimum wage to enacting the Paris Climate Agreement, Sec. Clinton has the political know-how and grit to get results. Senator Sanders has many great amendments to his name during his 30+ years in Congress and zero major pieces of legislation. Sec. Clinton sponsored SCHIP which extended healthcare coverage to millions of American children and she did it under a Republican President. I want a President who will be ready on day one to handle the challenges we know about and the one's we haven't even imagined yet. The only person who fits that profile would just happen to be the first female President in our nation's history. I'm with Her. And the SECB should be as well.

As long as I am able, I'll be caucusing/voting for Bernie. In the event that HRC wins the nomination, I'll put my full support behind her camp.

I think HRC would make a fantastic President, but I like what Senator Sanders is bringing to the forefront of the debate. It affects me personally, and he has my vote.

Endorse Bernie Sanders. Congress isn't going to work with any other candidate any more than they will with him. Change isn't going to come from a timid approach to the problems. At least Bernie is coming to the table with the highest ideals. A caucus is exactly the right time to vote your conscience - otherwise what is the point of this process?

Endorse Bernie Sanders!

Bernie Sanders. Time for a shift to progressive politics, and if he doesn't get the nomination, we can always fall back to Clinton who, when I was a child, would have been a Republican.

Oh right...when I was a child she WAS a Republican.

Look, I don't think anyone's adolescent beliefs should define them forever, but honestly it's long past due that our country shifts left again, and even if Sanders doesn't get the nomination, a strong showing will help that process happen.

Please endorse Sanders, for our children's economic equality, for our environment, and for fairness. It's time the 99% got a break.

What's this? What am I reading? Is this "The Seattle Weekly" ..?
Of course The Stranger will endorse Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders is a wake-up call. Bernie Sanders is saying, "Aim high. Go far. Look ahead. Let's strive for these great things. Let's reverse the regulation of congress by big money corporation games. Let's have congress regulate wall street, instead of the other way around. We can do it. It's going to take a political revolution, but we can do it."
Whether Bernie wins or loses, it's important to keep broadcasting the message of hope, of the kind of society that we want to create. That's Bernie Sanders. Talk about Bernie Sanders.

Bernie will get our government, its international trade, and our state department out of the weapons biz.

Bernie Sanders is the only candidate fighting to make voting more accesible to all citizens. When Bernie says "When voter turnout is high we will win" he is not only talking about his campaign. Bernie sincerely means that WE the people win when everyone is brought into the political process. Something we should all be fighting for tooth and nail.

was the party ever not endorsing her? Good on him for getting this far but the entire thing was swung in her favor long before it even started.
Also - Endorse sanders. what kind of newspaper are you?

The Stranger should clearly endorse Bernie. He's the only candidate who wants to legalize marijuana across the country, the only candidate who hasn't taken money from shadowy SuperPACs -- he WALKS THE WALK when speaking of ending Citizens United, the only candidate to list racial justice as a major platform piece, the only candidate to list disability rights as a major platform piece, the only candidate who says the biggest threat to this country is climate change, the only candidate who says he will do everything to avoid war, the only candidate to say both Israel AND Palestine have a right to exist, the only candidate who wants a nation-wide LIVING wage starting at $15/hr, the only candidate who believes our people DESERVE single-payer healthcare and free public college, voted AGAINST the patriot act (and SOPA and PIPA) AND the re-authorization of the patriot act, voted AGAINST NAFTA and other garbage trade bills, and is 100% against the death penalty. He's also stood up for rights of LGBTQ and minorities his entire life, not just after March of 2013 when it became politically acceptable to do so (Arrested for protesting segregated housing in the 60s, Marched with Dr. King, Burlington Pride parade as mayor in 1983, voted against Don't Ask Don't Tell and DOMA, spoke out against attacks on gay soldiers in 1995).

If the SECB endorses Hillary, they've been smoking something crazy.

Not even Seattle Times would endorse Hillary. Like there is any chance The Stranger will.

Bernie Sanders is the only true progressive candidate with the following: unquestionable integrity, very sound judgment, compassion, full transparency, and a steadfast commitment to both social and economic justice as demonstrated by his lifetime of public service. Endorse Bernie Sanders.

Also, to those saying only Hillary can beat Trump, have you not seen every single poll that says otherwise??? Bernie beats Trump by double digits; Hillary loses or wins by 1%. Give me a break.

Bernie should get the endorsement. In this age of back door deal, zero transparency, bought and paid for journalism, and the refusal to stand up for constituents ; Bernie Sanders is the change that is needed in our political system. Someone that has stood for the same core values for decades without wavering or being sold to the highest bidder. If we ever want our democracy to be worth anything and our respect as a Nation rebuilt , he is the only chance we have. You need only to look at the outpouring of support in the grass roots not only in the U.S. , but world wide.

Please endorse Sanders. I'm in Hillary's key demographic, but still voting for Sanders. He's working for us and with us. He's challenging the status quo, and we need that. There's plenty of time to support Clinton later if need be.

Bernie, please! Why do you even need to ask?

Why on earth would you consider endorsing Clinton in a primary (caucus)? Both She and Bernie can beat whoever the GOP nominates in the general. Bernie is the progressive choice. Clinton is the "oh well, at least we can elect another Democrat" choice.

Look towards the youth vote. Who does the future generation of this country overwhelmingly support? Bernie wins by a landslide. As main stream media literally sign their own death warrant with future generations by following old tactics and patterns of behavior other media sources are able to learn from their mistakes and become beacons for the youth. There is only one hope for the future and that hope is Bernie Sanders. As a voter with an economics background and a love of Ayn Rand's writing all signs should point towards me supporting another candidate. But I don't and I never will support anyone other than Bernie Sanders.

Sanders!

Bernie Sanders is the only candidate I can see myself voting for. He's the only one that has a chance at turning our sold-out democracy around. He has a long history of accomplishing things by working both sides of the aisle, while standing for the purest of ideals. As long as he keeps going, I'm going with him - all the way to the White House, I sincerely believe.

Bernie Sanders.

He is more electable. Independents and swing-voters will not vote for Hillary.

Hillary is a more divisive character, and voted for the Iraq war.

Bernie gets it done:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/new…

"Sanders is the amendment king of the current House of Representative. Since the Republicans took over Congress in 1995, no other lawmaker – not Tom DeLay, not Nancy Pelosi – has passed more roll-call amendments (amendments that actually went to a vote on the floor) than Bernie Sanders. He accomplishes this on the one hand by being relentlessly active, and on the other by using his status as an Independent to form left-right coalitions."

https://theintercept.com/2015/07/06/gop-…

"Over the years, Sanders has tucked away funding for health centers in appropriation bills signed by George W. Bush, into Barack Obama’s stimulus program, and through the earmarking process. But his biggest achievement came in 2010 through the Affordable Care Act. In a series of high-stakes legislative maneuvers, Sanders struck a deal to include $11 billion for health clinics in the law."

http://observer.com/2015/10/john-mccain-…

“I will say Bernie Sanders worked very hard when he was chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he, he and I had many disagreements, but we were able to come together, finally, after very spirited discussions—I think my reward will be in heaven, not here on earth for that exercise,” he said. “But the fact is we were able to come together and come and pass legislation that was nearly unanimous in both House and Senate. So he does have a record of advocacy for our veterans.”

I'm voting for Bernie Sanders because he's a trustworthy man who has fought for equal rights his entire life. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and was arrested for protesting segregation in Chicago public schools. He's action oriented, will be the best broker of peace between the Democrats and Republicans in the Senate and House, and he stands for economic change, which we need to avoid economic ruin (and make no mistake, that's going to happen soon if nothing changes).

Reasons why we should support Bernie over Hillary:

Private prison lobbyists are top fundraisers for Hillary Clinton. (Bernie wants to end privatized prisons and I agree).

So are Wall Street and the banks. You don't take something for nothing - and she won't release her transcripts of her paid speeches to these lobbyist/PAC groups, so that sure says a lot. Bernie wants to break up the banks and curb Wall Street.

From the debates: she wants to "look at" medical marijuana instead of ending the drug war. Come. On. She's had 30+ years to have an opinion. She just won't because it might change her polling.

She and Bill flew down to Arkansas in the middle of a campaign just so they could preside over the execution of a mentally disabled black man in order to appeal to conservative voters.

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders wants to do great things to help out economy and our citizens. Yes, he's a democratic socialist, but do you know what that means? Many programs instituted by FDR and Lyndon Johnson are socialist - Medicare, a 40-hour work week, NASA, minimum wage, social security.

Yes, he wants taxes to go up - but mostly for the very very wealthy, and most Americans will see significant savings when factoring in tax and healthcare changes under his plans.

Bernie performs better than HRC in all theoretical match-ups against Republicans.

Bernie is actually well known for his ability to compromise to get things done without sacrificing his values. In the house, he was known as the Amendment King and passed more amendments, addressing exclusively progressive goals, than any other legislator, by forging cross-party coalitions. He has earned respect from Republicans ranging from John McCain to the ultra-conservative Jim Inhofe. If any Democratic president can reach across the aisle to work with a stubborn Republican Congress, it's Bernie Sanders.

Every dollar needed to fund his plans is matched by a corresponding dollar in tax and other revenue - it's all paid for. For example, the $100 billion/ year Rebuild America Act will be paid for by taxing corporate offshore income.

We deserve a president who cares about every American (not just when polls tell them to).

No more corporatists, please. Endorse Bernie Sanders.

Endorse Bernie Sanders. He is the only candidate who represents the people.

Endorse Bernie Sanders. He's authentic, true to his word, doesn't change platforms to get votes, and truly represents us. We. The. People.

Bernie Sanders without a doubt. Giving up because you think you might not win is unAmerican. We should shoot for the moon, not settle on Hillary.

The Problem With Hillary, Chez, Is I Don’t Vote Republican

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-belvi…

Sanders. The only one with high favorability and no flip flopping. Only candidate I can say definitively is a better person than I.

I grew up with every family dinner devolving into a bunch of elderly Jewish men hectoring everyone about how if we only understood the world their way, then all problems would be solved. And I was kinda stupid if I wasn't on board. Now my kid is hectoring me the same way.

Tradition!

It wasn't a helpful or productive way to win my heart and mind - even if I basically agreed - and it isn't now. I'm caucusing for Hillary Clinton, and encourage SECB to cancel out the Seattle Times with an endorsement of Clinton.

My view is that Bernie Sandwes is a good guy with good ideas, but without any evidence he can lead the kids of peaceful Progressive revolution he is arguing for. And which probably can't be run from the White House anyway. I've voted for the Democrat in this race, and that's Hillary.

As I wrote on my Obama London blog. http://obamalondon.blogspot.co.uk/2016/0…

I can only tell you why I'm voting for Bernie, and hope that you agree. Bernie has done something no other candidate has done before. No, it's not raising insane amounts of money from grassroots efforts, it's not a campaign that started with nothing and has won several states in major ways, and it's not the massive stadiums he's packing.

It was asking me to make a personal, and lifelong, commitment to the democratic process. It was showing me that there's a path to the future I know we can achieve. It's not about a single man, presidency, or election. It's about standing up for what we believe in and not just letting life pass us by. He's taught me the tenacity needed to make real change in our government, and that my vote must be given thoughtfully and with determination to someone who truly represents my values.

For all of his campaign promises (ones I truly believe are achievable), the idea I truly gravitate to is how he is jump-starting the heart of Democracy in the United States.

I know many feel exactly as I do and are now energized to continue on fighting- with our votes, ideals, and efforts- to create a modern democracy that serves all people, not just a handful of ruling elite.

This is why I am voting for Bernie Sanders. I just hope you agree.

Sanders. He has honesty, integrity, and heart. The Stranger is a progressive publication which pushes boundaries and ignores the status quo. Why would you not endorse the candidate who is doing the same things in his campaign? People keep talking about electability. If everyone who believes that Sanders is the best candidate stood up for that belief and voted for him, I think he would win both the primary and the general handily. Instead we have people saying "I like him, but I'll probably vote for H because she's more electable..." It's exactly what the establishment wants. I say DAMN THE MAN! Up with the only candidate who is raging against the machine. That's who I want for my president.

Bernie! Don't play the stupid game of who is more likely to win some hypothetical matchup. The only way for the people to take control of government is for the people to get involved. Bernie is getting people involved and will continue to do so from the bully pulpit of the white house. Obama totally dropped the ball on keeping his supporters engaged and Hillary truly inspires about 100 people across the country.

Endorse Bernie Sanders because the people of Seattle deserve to be represented, not just the corporations.

I won't believe it if The Stranger doesn't endorse Bernie…..anyone who can't see through Hillary and the DNC and the behemoth Clinton machine shouldn't be running a newspaper…..please do your homework on where Bernie stands on Climate Change, Fossil Fuel, Citizens United, animal rights, health care that works, education, the big trade deals, etc etc etc…..and where she stands…oh, with her you will have to look back through the years of flip flopping….she's adopted a lot of Bernie's policies lately but she won't support them if she's elected because all the big money interests are supporting her and not Bernie on keeping the status quo with all of the above, and they know she will say one thing and do another. Also, how about where they both stand re. Peace on Earth? Her judgment calls on foreign policy have been atrocious and have had horrendous costs in human life. Bernie believes and has believed in a sane compassionate way forever…..I trust him…if you've ever taken the time to listen to him or go see him in person (I have) then you will surely resonate with his truth and kind of back off from her lies….it's a matter of feeling as well as thinking.

Hills, because those of us liberals or progressives or leftists should stop believing in messiahs. Bernie is just another one on a long list of (present and) past delusions. Nothing will happen until we engage in the down and dirty business of democracy: regular voting and regular engagement.

The Stranger should endorse Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton has many faults, but in my view, her cardinal sin is the use of a private email server. Not for the national security-related reasons that she is currently under investigation and could be indicted for, but because it was an obvious attempt to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act (her rationale that she used it as a matter of convenience does not ring true). FOIA is a critical law, giving citizens the opportunity to learn about how government officials make decisions and comport themselves in office. Hillary Clinton has voted in favor of statutes like the PATRIOT Act that give the government broad powers to spy on its citizens. That she thinks she is above the people's scrutiny is utterly reprehensible and inappropriate for a government official, and should exclude her from holding office.

Bernie Sanders is the only one that will end up bringing the country back to a place we can all feel good about. Obama was great for stirring our hope and change ideologies, but there was so much divisiveness after his election. Hillary is an incredibly polarizing figure ... I've heard nothing but hateful comments about her for years (I live in a conservative rural area). Bernie, as an independent, has successfully worked to bring people together and find solutions for many years. No one else has his favorability ratings with the people who know them best. He can do it. I hope he gets a chance.

This is our chance to support the candidate who is proposing the most meaningful changes - changes that will greatly impact our lives for the better - since Franklin D Roosevelt enacted The New Deal reforms between 1933-38. You like your Social Security? Roosevelt is the guy who made that happen, and Bernie also has a plan to strengthen and expand Social Security.

I just can't say enough about Bernie Sanders. This is a rare chance to support a major political candidate who has not been corrupted by big money and corporate influence. He is standing up for regular people like us, and is proposing to lay a foundation that will impact our lives for the better. Please, PLEASE, please, endorse Bernie Sanders!

Bernie is more electable in the General election and is only 300 delegates behind (super delegates don't count yet and can flip flop as much as HRC herself does if they choose to). She is only winning big in red states where voter suppression and racism runs rampant. The blue states are yet to come. The more people get to know Bernie the better he does. He is the come from behind kid because of how much people endorse him as time goes on. He is not a great public speaker and he doesn't appeal to emotion like all other politicians he appeals to logic. And if we want logic to start running this land and not hormones and emotions of crazy people then we need to start voting that way. Why is it a question to even endorse him for people who say "I like him but..." I'll tell you why. Because the media has declared war on him (and he them) for not being a logical source of news but a propigater of emotional turmoil over celebrities and fluff. He is right and everyone knows it. This is an epic election and somewhere in this country the media needs to actually reflect its fathers values in standing up for what's right, not what's easy! Benjamin Franklin would have been a firm Bernie man and so should the stranger.

Bernie, please. Hillary has enough corporate and wealthy sponsors/endorsements. And he DOES play well with others - there's a reason he was known as the 'Amendment King' in Congress, and why even Republicans speak highly of him...i.e. his collaboration with Senator John McCain on that big Veterans bill. Also, he has more support from republicans AND independents than Hillary does. His leftist policies benefit everyone, his message reaches beyond party lines. Also. Integrity. Remember back when Hillary wasn't for marriage equality...then she was...when she supported the War on Drugs and private for profit prisons...and just now apologizing for it? The Stranger is not a publication that is afraid of upsetting the status quo, and the only reason for endorsing Hillary would be that fear. Bernie is the true progressive here, always has been. Unapologetically. Even Noam Chomsky says Bernie's policies are better than Hillary's.

SeattleKIM: Everything you said here is FACTUALLY inaccurate. He gets more of his sponsored legislation passed than you think. http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/be…
AND has a history of overcoming party lines. So, far from 'not playing well with others,' he's a unifier. Do your research.

2 Bernie has great ideas, but doesn't play well with others. He is also too far left. It will just add to the divisiveness in congress. He also has a history of not getting anything done. Hillary has much more experience and is more pragmatic. She will be a much more effective president. The SECB should endorse Hillary.
SeattleKim on March 17, 2016 at 11:59 AM · Report this

Please endorse Sanders. Hillary is bought and paid for by big business, and does not have our best interests at heart.

It's simple. If you want to maintain politics as usual, you endorse HRC. But if you think we are better than the status quo, if you maintain a vision for this country greater than the status quo, if you think the United States can once again be a country by and for the people rather than a country by and for corporate interests, a country that will be a leader in civil rights and civic engagement, then that is an endorsement for Bernie Sanders. His messaging isn't just learned for this election cycle. He has been fighting for income equality, civil rights, corporate accountability and the environment for since the 60's. Hillary started off as a conservative "Goldwater Girl" and has called conservatism the foundation of her political views. She has found that by being a Democrat she could usher in a neo-liberal moderatist position that sounded good in the 90's and worked out as planned superficially, but proved ultimately to be damaging to the long term economic sustainability of this country. Through huge tax breaks and free trade agreements for corporations that have failed the trickle down test, the Clinton administration perpetuated economic inequality in this country. You should expect nothing less from her administration. It's time to stop crossing our fingers and trusting that she will help the country. Since we know that politics follows the money, look at the top 10 contributors of each candidate and you will know who their administration will benefit when elected. Lastly Bernie Sanders has shown that he can draw independents in a way that Hillary cannot and in this election the independent vote is an especially potent and volatile vote that the progressive movement needs and it will be there for Sanders, but most likely will not. Consistency, integrity, honesty: Bernie Sanders. PS- Remember that Obama was trailing in the polls at this time in 2008 with less delegates than Sanders has and he was considered a lost cause at this point as well. Sanders isn't done and it's ridiculous to ask that he end his campaign at this point.

want someone who's going to fight for single-payer, not who's going to force everyone on crappy insurance. I want someone who'll keep us out of unnecessary wars. I want someone who makes moving away from fossil fuels a priority. I want someone who can call out people in the house and senate on their bullshit.

I remember a time when The Stranger would have been the paper that endorsed a candidate like Bernie from the get-go. I don't know what the fuck happened to you guys.

Absolutely you should endorse Bernie Sanders. He is a man that has stood by his policies for the last 30 years. He doesn't take money from big business and banks. He doesn't owe any favors. He truly believes that we as the people can make our country better. Wasinghton State has donated the most to his campaign. He is able to raise $5 million in 24 hours from normal people like you and me! He truly works for the people. He is such a positive person.

HTC on the other hand is being investigated by the FBI. She constantly lies in debates and says misleading things. She is taking Bernie's ideas as her own as the campaign wears on!

I know who I want my president to be. Please join us. #berniesanders #bernieforpresident

Bernie does play well with others. You know you have a winner when the criticisms are unfounded. Bernie has the highest approval rating in senate at a mind-blowing 83%: http://morningconsult.com/2015/11/bernie…

That's 83% of constitutes, R and D mixed.

Bernie has gotten an insane amount of funding for public health clinics and other things by being the most prolific rider-attacher: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/15/us/pol…

He was praised by John McCain who called him "honest" when he came together with Republicans to work on healthcare for vets. "Doesn't play well with others" -- pisshaw.

Bernie loves animals: https://medium.com/@yvonneclaes/bernie-s…

This is the kitten defense, your honor.

Bernie has a strong positive approval rating: http://www.salon.com/2016/03/08/hillarys…

Phonebanking, I've clearly seen that lots of people, both D and R, remember the deluge of Clinton scandals. Remember when Bill left office and pardoned 250 people, including convicted coke smugglers who turned around and made million dollar donations to the Clinton foundation? The Clintons burned bridges hard there and a lot of people still remember that. Remember when the Clintons sparked a national debate about foreign money in US politics when they accepted many millions of dollars in donations from foreign interests, apparently and obviously to buy votes?

Regardless, Clinton has a negative approval rating. The democratic party supporters might buy the line that she's inevitable, but do you know what normal people, the 42% of voters who call themselves "independent", are going to do? Stay home. "The lesser of two evils" makes perfect sense if you go cerebral on it, but the TV viewing audiance at home aren't going to go cerebral on it. They're going to hate everyone (as they should), and not give a fuck (which they probably should), and stay and home, and not vote. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=per…

Clinton does not do well with independent voters, and independent voters decide elections. If the democratic party can run someone who is both a staunch democrat and popular with independents, isn't that an enormous win? Like, way completely obvious no-brainer win?

Maybe Sanders will get attacked for wanting to take care of homeless vets and seniors (because socialism is bad), but Clinton has a heck of a lot of explaining to do about her lovefest with Nixon's genocidal psychopath, Kissinger, and the bankers that enjoy having the world by the balls, the Rothschilds: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016…, https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/ema…

Occupy Wallstreet has a presidential candidate that's polling better than Hillary when matched with Trump. Even if you're not ready to occupy Wallstreet, considering that they're too powerful to control right now, do we really want to give them the candidate that they're trying to buy? Hello, gifthorse for the biggest real threat facing America right now. Bernie. Stop looking in his mouth. Yes, those are dentures. Just stop. Yes, terrorism is a threat, but a pretty damn small one compared to the slow descent into poverty of the working class where most of us stand to lose our house if we ever need surgery. If you turn off CNN and talk to people, they kinda care about that. People are going to these rallies and barely letting the poor bastard talk (11,000 in a sea of people standing in a convention center hall in Phoenix the other day) for a reason -- they care about actual issues facing them.

Remember John Kerry? Yeah, neither do I. He was the secretary of state who crossed party lines to vote for No Child Left Behind (punish already underpaid and overworked school teachers in poorly performing schools because yeah that's goings to fix things), supported bans on gay marriage, helped perpetuate NAFTA, and generally distinguished himself as being a soulless politician, not a human being: http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_K…

The self-professed "Goldwater-girl" is giving me nausea inducing Kerry-deja vu.

The Clintons scandals were so numerous and bad (Hillary was convicted on a number of things, always taking lesser chargers, or she wouldn't even be eligible to vote) that the Democrats lost control of the Whitehouse to Bush Jr. Think about that... the mass of the American people deemed the Bush family less corrupt than the Clinton family.

Young people (<30) support Bernie 5:1: http://www.salon.com/2016/02/23/bernie_s…

But don't worry, they'll get old and cynical and selfish eventually. For the time being, I'm pleased as punch that the new generation managed to figure out what their parents couldn't: Hillary lies. A lot. In ways that betray us.

Stop looking at the Democratic party establishment (that fought Obama tooth and nail) as a font of anything useful at all and support Bernie already. The Dem party is not going to save our bacon. We have to save theirs.

Thank you. Bernie.

Bernie of course! Sheesh, what a silly question!

Given SECB's general truculence and obstreperousness (traits which I share), I have a hard time believing you give two shits in a bucket what some casual reader thinks about whom to endorse. That reality having been acknowledged, if you endorse a non-progressive candidate for President, we'll all witness you flushing your progressive cred down the same composting toilet currently macerating Sec. Clinton's formerly cherished ideals.

If you want to see who's rooting for Bernie, go visit his Cap Hill campaign office and have a talk with people young enough to be your kids. They're out there doing what our generation keeps telling them they can't do: bettering society with energy, focus, and an attention span more than five minutes long.

If you've got enough of one to remember what progressivism looks and sounds like, quit fucking around with tired cliches about "electability" and "pragmatism" and endorse the progressive.

This is the primary season, not the general. We aren't gonna judge you based on handicapping the White House. We're absolutely gonna judge you on your progressive integrity.

Bernie has 34 years of service (25 as senator in a state that voted so strongly for him HRC got shut out!). I think Bernie showed a LOT of intelligence and knowledge when he voted AGAINST the Iraq war and his reasoning turned out to be spot on
Bernie is against:
For profit prisons
The death penalty
Wall Street corruption and bribery
Super Pacs
Unlimited donations to politicians and is for government funded campaigns
Bernie is against fracking
Bernie is against the TPP and HRC has recently said it needs some "tweaking"

Sanders is well liked, trusted and has a reputation for "walking across the aisle" to "get things done!" See here: http://bit.ly/1Gjb17U or here: http://theatln.tc/1U9eqeU
Endorse Bernie because we need a political revolution to take back our democracy.

Please endorse Bernie Sanders. Comparing his track record to Clinton's, it's obvious that Sanders is more in alignment with the majority of Seattleites. Maybe we're going to have to settle for Clinton in the general election, but we're not there yet. If Sanders can battle for social justice all his life, I think it's not too much to ask that we keep it up for a few more months.

Why not a joint endorsement? Sure, the idiological purists in both camps will whinge about that being wishy-washy - but they'll whinge about anyone who isn't 100% in-line with their impossible-to-achieve litmus tests anyway. Truth is, both candidates have substantial depth, good ideas, and significant shortcomings, and most rational Democrats will be voting for whichever one of them wins the nomination.

I LOVE BERNIE for his big picture thinking, his tenacious commitment to nuance and complexity, his compassionate perspective on every issue he's faced with and his fierce integrity and solid good judgement in a swampy, swirling political world of ego and bullshit. He is a true patriot and progressive, a public servant of the people, by the people and for the people. I'm hoping SO HARD for this POLITICAL REVOLUTION right now it hurts! ‪#‎FEELTHEBERN‬!

Sanders. Definitely. He best represents the ideals of the progressive PNW. On climate change, human dignity and rights, and on the general grounds of his honesty and integrity.

Many of us in Seattle are increasingly coming face-to-face with income inequality, whether through rising rents forcing a flight from the city for longtime residents, or the "homeless problem" that we see every time we drive down I-5 or past the jungle, or just along any side street in Ballard. We face a world of haves and have nots on a daily basis, and this will only get worse as time goes on. Sanders' policies to provide healthcare, a living wage, and education would go a long way to provide class mobility to future generations that do not have it now, and also to help care for those who have slipped through society's cracks.

Without Bernie talking about these issues, they would have continued to be ignored on the national stage of election politic, preference being given to sensationalist headlines, soundbites and hairstyles.

In closing, I would feel that in a city that behaves the way we do politically - raising the minimum wage, electing socialist city council member, embarking on large, delayed payoff infrastructure projects - would do well to have its' preeminent arts and culture paper endorse Bernie Sanders - a public servant who so closely models the personal and political values important to the region.

Saying Bernie doesn't get things done is willfully ignoring the actual record of candidates. Here, from back in 2005, even, shortly after Hillary was still touting Marriage as being between a man and a woman, people were writing about Bernie getting things done: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/new…

It is great that in the last 15 years Hillary has started to come around to support progressive values, but this is Washington and we tend to stand for something. Specifically, the Seattle area ranks as the place where we give more to Bernie than any other large city. The people clearly support him, so if the paper doesn't... why the disconnect?
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news…

I have a hard time believing this is even a question. There is only one candidate who has stood up for black lives, the working poor, GLBTQ, the environment, the economy, over and over again with impeccable consistency. There is only one candidate who has actively worked on these issues for years, in congress, getting things done, working with both parties, being an active member of the political system and not just a poser/liar/flip-flopper. There is only one candidate who has worked out the math to make sure all of his proposed policy changes can actually happen. And there is only one candidate who describes a vision for this country that would finally make me proud to live here - free college education for everyone, health care for all, working towards income equality, breaking up the banks, making the 1% pay their fair share, ending institutionalized racism, and closing for-profit prisons. I would hope this is an easy decision for you to support Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders. If we are at a point in American politics where believers are discouraged to vote for their candidates based on other people's insistence that certain ideas are too idealistic or unattainable, then we have already given up our vote. I believe in Bernie Sanders because he believes in us.

You know, the truth is that there is one thing about Bernie Sanders that rises above his other characteristics in importance for his supporters, including myself, and that is his "integrity."

Experience is important for a presidential candidate; Bernie has plenty of this from his time as an elected official. But while experience is certainly an important quality for a leader, good judgment is equally, if not more important too. Bernie has consistently been on the right side of history on many major issues from voting against the Iraq War, supporting the civil rights movement in his youth, which included being arrested for protesting segregation, supporting gay rights and gay marriage decades before it became an official party platform, and even opposing disastrous trade deals that have cost millions of Americans jobs. And he has done so without changing his positions over time; Bernie Sanders doesn't take a stance on issues simply because they poll well with voters or because it's politically expedient to do so. He does so because he BELIEVES that they are the right thing to support, even if that may be the unpopular view at the time, and THAT shows true integrity and conviction.

But even more than any of these aspects, even more than any of the areas that differentiate him from the other candidates, there is one thing that truly separates Bernie Sanders from the rest of the field. He LEADS by example. Bernie Sanders doesn't promise to get money out of politics in one hand and then continue to take campaign contributions from Wall Street and major corporations in the other. Bernie Sanders doesn't advocate reforming our criminal justice system and then take donations from private prison institutions in the same breath. Bernie Sanders doesn't vow to fight the global threat climate change while also taking money from fracking companies at the same time.

A true leader does not use excuses like "well everybody else does it" when justifying why they take campaign contributions from these groups. Nor does a true leader refuse to be more transparent with voters until "everybody else does it first" before acting. That is not leadership, and Bernie Sanders' refusal to run the same type of campaign as everyone else has shown that he is the only candidate who will lead by example and by staying true to his principles.

It is Bernie Sanders' integrity that separates him from every other candidate, and it is his integrity that makes him a candidate of the PEOPLE, and not one that is beholden to donors or lobbyists or special interest groups. I want a President who will not only fight for MY beliefs, but will not change his own policies merely to suit what's politically convenient at the time. So if you believe as I do that experience, correct judgment, integrity, and trustworthiness, are the most important qualities for a president, than I urge to join me in supporting the only candidate who has demonstrated each of these characteristics unquestionably: Senator Bernie Sanders.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Wow out of the 59 that did express an opinion it is overwhelmingly Bernie Sanders. My count was 9 for HRC and 43 for Bernie Sanders. You must endorse Bernie Sanders, he is the only candidate that is not beholden to special interest groups and the big banks. His is a revolution that I truly want to be a part of. People talk about "free stuff", it's not free stuff! I finally got my school loan down to below $1000 and will pay it off this year after paying on it for 25 years! I have health insurance through my work. This is not for me, it is for my grand children!

Endorse Bernie Sanders please. And help end the media blackout on this amazing politician and person. You have to be part of the change. I am not a young disaffected young person; I'm 52 years old and I have four kids and all three of my voting age kids are voting for Bernie, I'm voting for Bernie, my husband is voting for Bernie and he is in the corporate world. We need Bernie!!!!!!!

Washington State is the biggest contributor to Bernie's Campaign and that is coming from small donations. Supporting Sawant for President is a useless guesture. Sanders seems like the obvious choice.

I LOVE BERNIE for his big picture thinking, his tenacious commitment to nuance and complexity, his compassionate perspective on every issue he's faced with and his fierce integrity and solid good judgement in a swampy, swirling political world of ego and bullshit. He is true public servant 'of the people, for the people, and by the people.' His campaign for President is our POLITICAL REVOLUTION. And I'm hoping SO HARD for this POLITICAL REVOLUTION right now it hurts! ‪#‎FEELTHEBERN‬!

Bernie Sanders is the only choice for a progressive publication like The Stranger. Honest, passionate and with the insight necessary to approach and solve complex problems, Bernie has built bridges and accomplished much, and he can do more as president. If you can't endorse a true progressive now, when can we trust your endorsements going forward?

Bernie Sanders is not afraid to confidently state his position on all issues. He has not flip flopped or back-pedaled. His aim has always been true and he has been there on the right side of history during the most critical times in our recent history. In spite of his many years as a civil servant he remains an idealist who believes integrity and character can persevere against an establishment that is obviously malfunctioning. Clinton is savvy but I'm not convinced she will always have our best interest at heart.

Hillary is so yesterday.

I believe you should endorse Bernie. The simple fact that he is the only honest canidate should be all you need. But incase you need more let's look at the facts, Bernie polls better against any GOP candidate than HRC. Bernie also has the vote of the independent voter. Bernie will get more disenfranchised GOP vote than HRC. The majority of independent vote won't vote for HRC and even the disenfranchised GOP will vote for the GOP just to not vote for HRC.

Decide would you rather have Trump or Bernie because HRC will lose if she is the nomination. Too much baggage whether it's justified or not for HRC.

I for one will vote Green if Bernie is not the nomination because Jill Stein aligns more with me than HRC.

Bernie Sanders.

Capitol Hill, Seattle is listed as #3 in national donations per capita to Bernie Sanders campaign. Seattle as a whole, is overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders. The Stranger should endorse Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders. It should be a no brainer, but one would think that Clinton's remarks last week about Nancy Reagan and AIDS would have finally revealed the way her mind works.

I am a 24 year old college student from Seattle and the only nominee I actually want to win the democratic nomination is Bernie Sanders. Looking at the red aisle is truly scary, Bernie polls better against frontrunner Donald Trump. Endorse Bernie, he resonates with younger voters. I am not sure I would support Hillary Clinton as she does not represent many of my views. This would be a larger issue in the presidential election because young voters may well not turn out to a "business as usual" Clinton campaign, myself included. So please endorse Bernie Sanders.
Posted by: Brian Baird