What six Bernie die-hards think about Sanders, Clinton and Trump, in their own words.
Bernie or Bust.
It's the refrain of the fervent core of Bernie Sanders supporters who say they'll never back presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
The number of Sanders backers — many of whom are young, independent-minded voters — who say they plan to support someone else or stay home in November is high. That has become an acute concern for the Clinton campaign.
A recent Bloomberg poll found just 55% of Sanders voters are prepared to support the former secretary of state. Should they remain demoralized through the general election battle, Clinton's hopes of unifying the party will fade, and the once-unthinkable — a Donald Trump presidency — will become increasingly plausible.
Mic wanted to find out what will happen to the young people who fueled Sanders' improbable run once he inevitably exits the race. Do they disengage from politics? Will they vote third party? What can Clinton do to win their votes?
In a series of interviews over the past few weeks, we spoke to six Bernie or Bust supporters — three men and three women — from current or potential swing states, all ranging in age from 26 to 29. They gave us some valuable insight into what happens next.
All were adamant about why they supported Sanders in the primary, and eager to share their misgivings about both Trump and Clinton. Several said they plan to vote third party. Some could be persuaded to pull the lever for Clinton. They all hate Trump.
Over the course of the general election campaign, we'll keep taking their temperature on the state of the race. For now, here's a glimpse into the mind of six Bernie-or-Busters. — Luke Brinker
Interviews have been condensed and edited for space and clarity.
Brett Gerding
26, Pennsylvania, administrative assistant
Why did you support Sanders?
I'm a big fan of holding Wall Street accountable. To be as vocal and aggressive as Bernie has always been towards holding people accountable drew me in.
What do you think Sanders should do now?
Draw attention to the rules of the DNC and try to influence the platform as much as he can. I want to see the superdelegates go away. I want to see more open primaries. Those are really the biggest ones.
Are you worried about Trump becoming president?
That eats away at me all the time.
I don't feel comfortable voting for either candidate, but there is that tinge of, "What can I do to stop this maniac?" That's the most important thing — that he does not become president. He's so completely out of the realm of acceptable politics that I can't even fathom other people taking him seriously.
But I'd rather it not be Hillary either. It's difficult to reconcile my extreme opposition to Trump and my unwillingness to support Hillary.
"It's really a matter of how much he's going to be able to squeeze out of them."
Do you think there will come a time where you will reconcile that by supporting Hillary?
Based on where things stand at the moment, I still don't think that I could. I try to think who she could pick as vice president who would sway me. I can't really think of anyone.
So who will you vote for in the fall?
I'm just going to vote for Jill Stein from the Green Party. The conversation needs to be changed at the root.
— As told to Stefan Becket
Jess Mazour
29, Iowa, community organizer and activist
Do you think the primary process was fair to Sanders?
No. I think it shut out a lot of people who aren't involved and don't know the process. The whole thing was kind of rigged, and then superdelegates on top of that.
He ran a fantastic campaign. He figured out how to run a successful campaign without a lot of money, so he broke through a barrier.
What do you think Sanders should do now?
He should stay strong through the convention. We need to keep the momentum going. There's a movement happening across America, with people prioritizing issues rather than parties or candidates, and we have to build on that momentum.
What do you think of Clinton?
She flip-flops all the time and doesn't really reflect what people need right now. We can't keep fiddling around the edges. She does that. She's out of touch.
She really isn't working for the people. She's working for her donors, a lot of companies that are exploiting people. Big Pharma, corporate agriculture, big banks — the list goes on and on and on. That's who she really represents.
"Voting for Clinton is like selling my soul. I can't go against what I truly believe in."
Will you vote for Clinton in the fall?
No. I'll either write in Bernie or consider Jill Stein from the Green Party. Voting for Clinton is like selling my soul. I can't go against what I truly believe in. I would feel immoral.
Who should she pick as her vice president?
I don't know. I know everyone says Elizabeth Warren, but I don't want her corrupted, because she's so good right now. I don't know if it really matters, because I think Hillary's going to do what she wants to do.
Is there anything Clinton can do to win your vote?
No. I wouldn't vote for her if she were running for county supervisor.
— As told to Celeste Katz
Adam Griffin
28, North Carolina, unemployed
Do you think the primary process was fair to Sanders?
Definitely not. The coverage of superdelegates was a joke.
When you have the DNC telling you not to count them, and you continue to, it's about more than just landing a story. It's driving a narrative.
Will you vote for Clinton in the fall?
To be honest, no. I guess I can imagine it happening, but right now I still see myself siding with someone else. Not Trump, but another candidate.
What will you think if Sanders endorses Clinton?
It seems inevitable, doesn't it? I will probably think what I'm already thinking: This sucks. How could this have happened? This was our shot. This was my generation's chance (one of many already) squandered.
It's hard for most of us not to feel like this was a coronation. His endorsement will not change that. It will be a very sad day. I think it will deflate many spirits for some time.
"This sucks. How could this have happened? This was our shot. This was my generation's chance."
Who should Clinton pick as her vice president?
Bernie Sanders on the ticket would probably convince me to vote for Clinton. We all know that's next to impossible, but it would be a smart move. I think Clinton wouldn't consider him for prideful reasons.
Who are your friends voting for?
Sanders. People keep telling me they'll write him in. They don't seem to know our local write-in rules.
A few have started to give Dr. Stein a look. But I fear most of my friends will not vote, thinking there isn't a point.
Are you worried about Trump becoming president?
Absolutely. I have been so convinced that Trump will beat Hillary, for so long now, that I almost just expect him to win at this point. It's sad.
The only positive I can see coming from it is a progressive backlash that brings a Democratic president and Congress in 2020 for the next census and redistricting.
— As told to Luke Brinker
Maryon Rocha
29, Arizona, substitute teacher
Why did you support Sanders?
He was an independent forever, which really appealed to me since I've always been an independent. I liked that he thinks college should be free, and that he thinks war is the last resort.
I phone banked twice a week from November to March. I knocked on doors. I registered people Democrat if they were independents. I became part of a group called Latinas for Bernie. I went to events, giving out flyers, pamphlets, letting people know about Bernie. Just everything.
What do you think he should do now?
Sanders should tell his followers to keep working to change our two-party system. He should let it be known that with or without him, we as voters should change the way things are being run, not only by voting but by getting involved and representing our communities.
Will you vote for Clinton?
No. I definitely considered voting for her. I really liked Bill Clinton when I was a kid. I like the fact that as a woman she's been out there in politics and is a badass.
But even though I would love a woman president, it's not going to blind me to vote for someone that I disagree with politically. Voting for Hillary is kind of like voting for a Republican. I don't want to vote for her.
"I will keep doing my part to change things, but I refuse to worry about a Trump presidency."
Not voting is not an option for me. It took me 21 years to become a citizen. I'm not going to abstain. I fought a lot and paid a lot to become a citizen of this country and I'm not not voting.
Democrats say, "Well, you're giving your vote to Trump." But I'd also be giving my vote to a really bad person who's going to take us to another war. So I'm definitely voting third party.
I've looked into Gary Johnson, the Libertarian. He used to actually be a Republican, but is super socially liberal and is very much against war, which is a big, big issue for me.
Are you worried about Trump becoming president?
I was. Not anymore. Every country gets the leader it deserves — unless the CIA intervenes in your elections, but that's another topic. If this is the leader we deserve for not paying attention for so long, so be it. I will keep doing my part to change things, but I refuse to worry about a Trump presidency.
Who should Clinton pick as her vice president?
Tulsi Gabbard.
— As told to Celeste Katz
Adam Sparks
27, Ohio, post grad student
Why did you support Sanders?
My views have shifted in recent years. I was somewhat on the right, and a couple of years back I started to turn my views toward the left and now I'm very far on the left.
My education was telling me one thing, but I was the rebel in college who'd say, "No! Libertarianism is the route to go!" I just had a transition of thought, and my critique, which was toward the government, shifted toward those who run the government.
Do you think the primary process was fair to him?
I would not be surprised if it was rigged. There are people who are well-established in the Democratic Party who grew to love the Clintons in the '90s and they view her as a pragmatic person and they prefer her to Bernie Sanders. With those people running the party, would they run the process more favorably for Hillary? I don't know.
What do you think of Clinton?
At the beginning of the nomination process, I had more of a positive opinion. I still wasn't a fan of hers — she's a moderate. One thing Bernie Sanders has done is expose the neoliberalism that's within the Democratic Party.
Will you vote for her in the fall?
No, I cannot see myself voting for Clinton. The big nail in the coffin for Hillary Clinton were the Goldman Sachs transcripts. What is she trying to hide? Release the transcripts — it's not that hard.
"Trump may make things worse. But it's not going to sway my views on who I'm going to support in November."
Are you worried about Trump becoming president?
No. I don't think he has a shot.
It's easy to say that Trump is more evil than Clinton because his rhetoric is very dangerous. I see too many similarities between him and what happened in Germany in 1933. But at the same time, if we continue the path we're going, what's going to be the long-term change? I think Clinton would just continue what's going on, which still is not good. Trump may make things worse. But it's not going to sway my views on who I'm going to support in November. I still see the two as evil.
What will you think if Sanders endorses Clinton?
I would lose some respect for Bernie. Hillary is a corporatist and not a progressive. The DNC needs to crash — it cannot be saved. Vote Green!
— As told to Luke Brinker
Mailee Atlas-Laronde
29, Florida, student
Why did you support Sanders?
I supported him from the start because I come from a diverse background. My grandmother came over here from Argentina at a late age. My grandfather and his family fled from Hungary and Nazi Germany. I look at Bernie Sanders and I see my grandfather. The only difference is my grandfather has a tan and doesn't have such white hair.
Everything that he stands for, I see a lot of me in him. Before I heard about him I was thinking of voting for Hillary. Then I heard there was someone else and said, "OK, let me check into him."
Voting for Clinton is like when you go and buy a pair of shoes at the store. You know about this new brand that came out and they're nice, but you're going to go with what you know. Everyone was for Clinton and I believe everything was stacked against him, 100%.
Do you think the primary process was fair to Sanders?
No. Not at all.
What do you think he should do now?
He should keep going. The mainstream media tries to brainwash and use fear tactics on us.
"Donald Trump will crush her."
What do you think of Clinton?
Honestly, I don't like her at all. I don't like anything about her. She's not real. With all the bad things she has in her past, Donald Trump will crush her.
She does not know what it feels like to be a middle-class American. I know what it feels like to sleep on the street. I know what it feels like to take a shower in a gas station bathroom. She doesn't. I know how it feels to have a bill just come up out of nowhere, a $400 bill, and pray to God that he gives me a way to pay it.
She voted to invade Iraq and didn't really do her homework. My husband is a wounded Iraq War veteran — I see what he goes through. I know what it feels like to have to sit next to him when he's having an episode from his PTSD, to hold onto this man to tell him everything is going to be OK when I don't know what I'm doing.
Will you vote for Trump?
Hell no. I'm either going to write in Bernie Sanders or vote for Jill Stein.
— As told to Emily Cahn
