First of all, I dont support Hillarytm. I find her absolutely repulsive. I just dont think you can pretend there is literally no reason a leftist might support her.
Its as if not a single Hillary supporter has done any critical thinking beyond "she's a woman" or "she has experience and respect".
I agree with the sentiments, but you have to refute these before you dismiss them. Why are neither a reasonable cause for support? What if you believe having a female President today is good for the political culture? What if that opens the way for more females to run for office earlier, potentially benefiting elections over a decade from now?
No one can seem to point to a single policy of hers that would be better to the country than those of Sanders.
This is very subjective. It doesnt matter though, Im not going to argue the nuance of their specific policies, because you dont have to in order to support Clinton's. Since when do you expect to get everything a politician promises on the campaign trail? Remember: you arent voting for an idea, youre voting for a person.
Even if you agree with every single one of Bernie's ideas, you have to admit that many are completely unreasonable- if not because they are incompatible with the current system, then because they will never pass congress. Whether or not you think this outweighs the value of voting for Bernie does not matter. That wasnt your argument. Youre argument was that there is no reason to support Hillary. This is just one rational argument for a leftist to support Hillary.
She's hated far more by independents and conservatives meaning she's not even a better choice to beat Trump/Cruz in a general election.
This is entirely based on hypotheticals, another reason some voters support Clinton. Her resiliency is tested and known, she has been under attack for over 4 years. Despite being hated, she is winning. Many people doubt Bernie can handle the gauntlet that is US politics.
He doesnt have the same political cut-throat instinct Hillary has- this is why so many people like him. Its great for grassroots campaigning, but is useful in the generals. Bernie is objectively less able to handle the attacks that would come. He hasnt had to deal with them yet. He is less prepared to deal with them. He doesnt have an entire team feeding him effective talking points. He cant personally consult a former two-term President. His flaws require too much nuance to defend, and many Americans wouldnt think about voting for a (democratic) socialist regardless. These are the reasons most people consider Hillary more electable, and unless you can explain why they are all unreasonable, they are more reasons people support Hillary.