#FeelTheBern <---- Do you feel it?       There's a lot of vitriol in American politics right now. Our sitting president has served two terms and won't be eligible to run again, so there will be a new president inaugurated January 2017. That means that the Republicans and the Democrats are fighting both within their parties for dominance, and then also against each other to win the votes of the American people (okay, the Electoral College, in truth).
      Presently (and admittedly, I’m writing this a few days before the 17th, so things could change drastically by then), the Republican “front runner” is the millionaire d-bag, Donald Trump. He of the much-maligned business empire-bankrupcies-empire-again. He of the terrible comb-over. He of the reality tv show that occasionally features celebrities bickering. He who divorced Ivana, sired Ivanka, married Marla Maples, then married Melania (a *gasp* immigrant!), and had other children along the way including a “Junior” and a “Baron”.
      That asshat thinks he is qualified to run our country.
      And lots of asshats agree with him.
      He’s not the only Republican candidate, of course, but because he is such a spectator sport – an entertaining wreck you just can’t look away from, he’s getting all the press and most of the serious attention as a contender. *shudder*
      Most of the others are almost as bigoted, ignorant, and shitty as he is. Ben Carson. Jeb Bush (another Bush? FFS, no thank you). Ted Cruz. Ugh.
      No, just no.
      The democratic “legacy” candidate is Hilary Clinton. There are others. The feminist in me would love to see her elected just to get a woman in there. But the part of me that knows just because she has a vadge, doesn’t mean she’s good for the country, would prefer not to have to vote for her.
      The democratic candidate that I’m hoping to win the primaries and absolutely slaughter whichever disgusting, backwards, right-wing fucktard (sorry, sorry… I should not use any word including “-tard” but sometimes I can’t help myself, it fits them) the GOP runs against us – is Bernie Sanders. I never would have thought I’d pick an old white dude over a woman.
      But he’s got so many of the hot button issues that affect my life on lockdown, I can’t help it. He wants to change things to better the American people, not just push ever more money into the pockets of the already wealthy.
      His stance on most issues mirrors my own. Not all, mind you, but many. Most. A lot. Enough.
      Yeah, people call him a “socialist” like it is a bad thing, but many of the liberties we enjoy in this country are innately socialist. Public transportation, roads at all, libraries, police stations. And a democratic socialist is not some fascist or communist looking to gather up all of everything and then dole it out in precise, equal amounts to everyone in some faux-Utopia. He’s got real ideas, real solutions for the problems we face, and he’s got one helluva grass-roots campaign going.
      Not even the DNC’s attempts to fuck him over so that their crony, Hilary, could sweep the nomination without an iota of competition (yeah, I said it) could keep a good man down.
      Check out his website for more info about where he stands on the issues. College debt. Racial inequality. Wall Street gone wild. Climate Change. International politics. Abortion. Rape Culture.
      Really read it. Read some opposition, read some supporters. Make your own choices. But for the love of God, use your brain. This race is really heating up fast and it might get ugly before November comes around.
      I’m sure I’ll have more to rant about eventually, but for now…
      #FeelTheBern

Note: Image is “dices” by (tijmen) from SXC.hu