BERNIE: Only way to go

I went to the Democratic caucus at the fairgrounds. I went early but the line was still long. Listening to the people next to me enthusiastically talk about the Spokane Bernie rally made the wait short.

We sat according to our preference, with Bernie supporters on the left, uncommitted in the middle and Hillary on the right. Bernie supporters were in the majority.

I have been to several county fairs and a hog calling contest, but this was much more fun. The cheer for Bernie startled me, but I quickly joined in. The enthusiasm was electric. I had never experienced anything like this in politics. It was like a football game with cheers on both sides, with “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie,” the loudest. Most of the Bernie supporters were not Democrats, at least those I spoke with. Our caucus was not like the Iowa caucus with a coin toss deciding who gets what. Idaho and the other states are selecting Bernie by huge margins. (Boise Democratic Caucus is the largest in U.S. history.) It’s because non-Democrats are overwhelming the short-sighted Democrats who are still supporting one of the three most disliked presidential candidates: Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, in that order.

Sixty-five percent of all Americans approve of Bernie, Donald 43 percent and Hillary 40 percent. “Seven dollars” was another chant — that is the average Bernie donation. I decided to run for a delegate position but when handed a ballot, I realized I was going to get a vote of one. A man came up to me and asked my name, and then wrote it on his ballot form, so I did likewise for him, and then everyone was putting each other’s names on ballots. We were all competing for delegate positions, but we were helping one another. It was both amazing and uplifting.

I then learned that politics, can be something other than smarmy. If Jesus were running for president on the Democratic ticket he would be considered by Hillary and her gang as an unelectable, unrealistic dreamer, preaching love, tolerance, sharing and peace, not to mention that he is Jewish, and a carpenter. Oh, wait: That is Bernie. I just found out he was a carpenter.

TERRANCE J. WOLFERMAN

Coeur d’Alene