A public option for health care. Universal pre-K. Free tuition at public universities. Living wage for the federal minimum wage.

See how it's done, Stranger? Hillary has policies that are really good! And really far left! Often to the left of Bernie, and no, not always a kneejerk reaction to Bernie! If only you would sell people on her policies (which are actually grand!) instead of letting Bernie-or-Busters make ludicrous claims about her being conservative, then not calling them on their bullshit.

And can you also stop calling it Bernie-or-Busters? Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton. He implored his followers to do the same, and we are. If that doesn't describe you as a Bernie supporter, you ain't a Bernie supporter and shouldn't falsely label yourself with it. Call 'em Stein-or-busters.

For fuck's sake, Trump's going to win because Hillary's press surrogates (aka the Stranger) can't be bothered to actually read her platform and talk wonkish policy. No, gender isn't why you should vote for her, and that argument has pissed off Sanders supporters since always. Know what DOES work? Universal Pre-K. Bring it up, and challenge Clinton's detractors to do gymnastics explaining how it's not liberal enough for them.

Stranger. Get. Your shit. Together. Talk policy, talk wonk, and do your goddamn job selling progressive policy to progressive voters. They're turning to Jill Stein because you're failing at that.

That was a good read. Contrary to the previous comment, I don't think policies and platforms matter all that much to most people, at least not after the last 8 years of obstruction. How many things did Obama promise, and fail to deliver on? Yes, I know he delivered on quite a bit, but me, like a ton of people out there, are sick of the fruitless promises. Frankly, Bernie had quite a few that were very improbable to ever become law.

Hilary can talk about universal pre-K all she wants, which will almost certainly be filibustered to death. I think it's much more important to portray this election as seismic, and possibly catastrophic to this country and the environment. People are going to be voting this one on their emotions, that's what Trump inspires.

Awesome essay.

I know you're mostly just trolling the resident CDS sufferers, but well done.

@4, if all of you idiots say to yourselves, "She'll win the state; I'll vote how I want", she won't. And there are plenty of idiots like you all over the country. That's how Trump will win.

One thing i really like about Hillary is the fact she's really not likable! and this ends up being her unique form of authenticity. I think people will start to recognize this in her, charm is just not her thing. Through her mostly stiff and canned speech last night i was also impressed with how she took on Trump by name. She seemed to really come alive and relish putting him in his place, i was really excited for her! Its not easy to call someone an insulting racist liar on national TV without looking somewhat disingenuous and PC, but she pulled it off. Fight on Hill! Keep this up in the debates!
Also agree with this author, anyone not with Hill needs to wake up. We already had 8 horrific years of GWB, a result of tragically close elections.

@1 Universal ore-K is nice and all, but I don't have kids and I couldn't give a flying fuck about it.

What's important to me is economics. And, on that, Hillary is conservative as fuck. Faking out on her rejection of TPP is a very dangerous thing. Her non-regulation of Wall Street is a hazard. Etc.

@9 gay rights isn't about you. Womens rights isn't about you. You're white and entitled. So. Hell. Vote for Trump. Quit pretending you give a shit at all about anybody but yourself.

@11 - so you would've voted against FDR and JFK because dynasty. Well huh.

Tell me again about being high IQ?

@11 - Nevermind, I looked at your comment history and realized you would've voted for Nixon because that's the type of guy who represents you.

That explains so much.

We seem to be back in the "which candidate would you have to have a beer with?" era which causes Bush II to win twice. I don't care if I don't like whoever the President is. I want them to be competent and rational and care about people besides themselves. Hillary fits all those requirements; Trump certainly doesn't.

@14 I'd love to have a beer with Hillary.

I liked this piece a lot, but I have to add re: point 3 that not all women have vaginas. Hillary is definitely the better candidate for trans women too, maybe don't exclude them.

@14 Would you seriously rather have a beer with Trump? Gross.

@15: Hillary prefers wine, would that work for you?

@16: I don't get that out of Sarah's comment, anyhow it's moot as Trump does not drink.

There is another choice. Jusy dont vote. If you happen to be a white male voter with 8 years of stagnated wages or making minimum wage you're screwed either way. George Carlin said it best, “I don't vote. Two reasons. First of all it's meaningless; this country was bought and sold a long time ago. The shit they shovel around every 4 years doesn't mean a fucking thing. Secondly, I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain', but where's the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.” Otherwise, I say vote your conscious, if you dont see the demogoguery of Trump and like him, vote for him. If you want to vote for Clinton and like her politics of "women, children and families" are the only people in this country, then vote for Hillary. Statically speaking Hillary is the most likely winner (as of today, barring unforeeseen variables) and Im ok by that. Women think that a a first woman president is breaking a glass ceiling and a novelty, much like the concept of an african american president, but as in the later, all it will prove is that for all the rhetoric and emotion the middle class will continue to shrink while our involvement in global affairs and populations will take presedence over those in this country. As first woman president in this country, if after 4 or 8 years its comes to pass that she cant deliver on her promises and we contine down a percieved "wrong path" as so many from both political parties believe ,then that glass ceiling will be replaced with steel and feminism wil be set back decades. Of course, I dont hope that, but true pure leaders are leaders who have first hand knowledge of their ccountry. Elizabeth I personally fought against Spain and saw war first hand. Margaret Thatcher lived and saw the blitzkrieg and the attempts of German takeover. Like most politicians leading this country at all levels, they lack the first hand experience that promotes three dimensional thinking and use two-dimensional thinking based on everyone elses experiences.

Wealthy psychopaths run the world and provide you smuggly cinceited miscreants with the illusion that you have a choice in the matter. Privately funded politics are an obviously laughable farce. Vote till your face turns blue, it will get you nowhere exept maybe called for jury duty where you might get the chance to throw some fellow human into the US meat grinder known as the penal system. Knock yourselves out.

I don't think it was really Bernie's choice to step out of the race. It appears he may have been physically assaulted and threatened to do so http://bit.ly/2ajHfmx

why keep voting for evil or the lesser of two evils? You only end up with Evil in the white house every time! Why not vote for or even consider the other 2 candidates who are GOOD options to this broken 2 party Dumbocracy? Stein (G) - Johnson (L) VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE! And maybe pick the BEST person you think should be trusted to defend and protect everyone not just their donors or 1%'ers who paid for their airtime! GO GREEN AND GO GOLD!

@10: I believe TheMisanthrope is gay but, in any case, and intractable Hillary-hater so don't waste your breath.
I too have started to push push back a bit against the "Hillary is the worst ever" GOP-propaganda swallowing "progressives" in my life. The most cringe-inducing is when they complain about her voice or general affect. Dude, she is well within the range of normal so I think you you need to check your misogyny.
I don't think there is much to hold against her in what she's actually done on record either. She voted for Iraq but so did the vast majority of Congress and most of the public was behind it at the time as well. Oh course it's easy to say you never would have done that if you weren't forced to go on public record at the time.
Anyway, nice post Megan.
P.S. SCOTUS people! Just think about how long the ghost of Reagan hung around to fuck with us in the form of Antonin Scalia. A full 30 years!

Yeah dunno. I am gonna make this kinda short cus I got paint on ma face+ coconut lemon grass curry cooking+hopefully a girl2 tie up later. I jus think the Stranger should stay tha hell outta politics sometimes. This whole 'a vote for any other is a vote 4 Trump' shit I think disrespects us. I mean our history is founded on 1vote/ 1person rite-whom u choose accordingly 2 stance. I never supported Bernie, but I am not gonna bend over each time 4the lesser of 2evil's thing either. I think it Keeps this synthetic ball rolling and it gotta stop sometimes or I will jus die trying.

'You see, lefties, there are times when saying "no" to war means saying "yes" to oppression'- 1 of Mr Savage's statements in support of the Iraq War. Always such clumsy, blanket, seemingly provocative stances (+cute- calling the admin The Bushies!). Oh, u also compared 'remaking Iraq' to that of Germany or Japan (see the history thing again).

Anyways, I have 2 say TY 4 helping me though, even if u failed to list ma art show 3 weeks in advance- ma floor is so much safer w/the Stranger underneath it. Ty!! Trixie

@22 - You can't afford in this election to confuse the remotely possible with the overwhelmingly improbable.

@10 I'm a Hispanic faggot. But at least you recognized I'm a dude, so I guess you have that going for you.

@23 It was so easy to see through the public record at the time. It's really easy to tell when you're being snowballed. That's also why I don't support Hillary. Her public record is far worse than you give her credit for: NAFTA, Hillarycare (and the rejection of single payer), 90s crime bill, 90s welfare gutting, 90s bank deregulation, bankruptcy bill, most free trade agreements (excluding CAFTA), PATRIOT Act (x2), Iraq, Libya, Syria, Honduras, TPP and TTIP (and her husband's signing of DOMA). Sure she has minor successes with CHIP and the transgender passport issue, but she has MAJOR failings with the above.

When Hillary is right, she's right on small scales that effect thousands. When she's wrong, she's wrong on a on a massive scale that effects millions. She tells the progressive movement to wait for small incremental change while bending over backwards to push through whatever they seem to want.

Why do you think Moody's, one of the finest of the Great Recession credit rating agencies, gave Hillary a triple-A rating? She's a bad deal set to crash the economy if we buy her. But, so is Trump.

@13 Based on the above, you're voting for Nixon in a pantsuit. This is a DNC that had the sixth richest (barely former Republicab) man in the world make a speech to their delegates while the masses clashed with police. Another True Red Republican got the DNC to cheer for Ronald fucking Reagan. This is a DNC that colluded with mainstream media to plant news stories against one of their own candidates in order to distract from their latest fuck-up (like the Hillary Victory Fund). You're voting for an old school Republican, so I wouldn't crack jokes about supporting Nixon.

We know Hillary manipulated the DNC. We know that Hillary is willing to lie to us boldface as she did about the email scandal. There is plenty of evidence to suspect that there was large scale voter suppression and vote tampering that went on during this election, like Bill Clinton in Mass. polling places, her campaign lawyers interfering in Nevada caucuses. We know that Hillary through state DNCs, the national DNC, and the Hillary Victory Fund, funded her campaign through $300,000 donations in a scheme akin to money laundering, and we know she also lied about this (claiming most of this fund raising was done through the general fund). We know she used some of these funds to bribe super delegates to declare for her. We know that Hillary used the carrot/stick promise and threat of access to manipulate the media to print the stories and talking points she want printed. We know her campaign even paid Internet Trolls to pretend to be Bernie supporters acting obnoxious to support her "Bernie Bro" attack.

Finally we know that despite all of this she will appoint better people for the SCOTUS.

So I might vote for HRC in the general election, but you can take that "Cheer Up" and shove it up your @ss.