Demanding "unity" is a HUGE turnoff

I will vote for whoever gets the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. And it looks like that's going to be Joe Biden.

Am I disappointed that that's who I have to vote for? Hugely. Even more than I was when Hillary Clinton was the nominee.

Yes, Joe Biden, as President, will be a massive improvement over Trump. He will, I think, put together an amazing team in the White House. But I worry about Biden's regular confusion when giving public speeches, his insults when anyone asks him a tough question, his attitudes about women, and most of all, his dismissal that there are millions of people who need a LOT more than the Affordable Care Act - the ACA, Obamacare - in order to get the healthcare they need AND to avoid bankruptcy. I worry that, like Pete Buttigieg, he's more focused on "reaching out" to Trump supporters than to millions of Democrats like me, or reaching out to young people. He's so focused on appearing non-threatening that I doubt he'll champion any of the critical - CRITICAL - reforms this country DESPERATELY needs.

He keeps referring to his primary results as a "movement." Nope - it's millions of scared people who are so desperate to get rid of an aspiring despot, they've been convinced that the only person who can attract more votes is "the moderate."

I have gone to public meetings by US Senators and my US representative, as well as those by my state representative. I've gone to city council meetings and local election debates. I've worked some voter registration events. I've written my representatives about issues I think are important. I've gone to public events at the local cultural center for Latinos and the mosque a few towns over. I'll keep doing that, once the COVID19 drama abates - but honestly, I've scaled back quite a bit, long before any lockdown. Because I just feel so incredibly alone - I don't see you posting on social media about what YOU are doing. And I can't do this alone.

I went to three meetings of the local Democratic Party. It was horrifying: Clinton supporters spend most of the meetings trying to oppose anything the Bernie supporters are asking for, Bernie supporters want to hear that you are one too or they won't talk to you, and nothing gets done except a lot of shouting. I gave up.

Yes, I'll vote for Joe Biden. Yes, Biden as president will be an improvement over what we have now. But I am going to continue to criticize and push. I'm going to continue to try to amplify what Elizabeth Warren has been calling for in particular. Don't ask me for more unity than that.