We're talking 9 months from now, 8 months from then, 2+ months for people to get used to the candidates. That's 6 months of campaigning before the primaries start. If he chooses not to run I don't think there is any legitimately more progressive candidate (please fucking don't tell me Chafee or O'Malley are more progressive than Clinton, fucking please; O'Malley in particular has literally not taken a position that the 2016 platform won't require, minimum wage, marijuana legalization, those are required by the platform).

Well golly gee: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/03/omalley-says-opposition-tpp-differentiates-hillary-clinton-supported-deal/

If Sanders doesn't run it'll be Clinton.

Unless Warren or someone else runs of course.

But Sanders is the top position at this point, he's willing to run.

It stands to reason to clear up a big one, TPP. To me, HRC's saving grace is she has Howard Dean's support, so I reserve judgement even though I'm not happy with another Clinton/Bush dynasty race.

You can't fault progressives for not accepting status quo as reasonable. It doesn't bode well to attack those who have not been won over or aren't swooning about HRC's candidacy at this point. She's no progressive, she centrist through and through.

I agree there's no one more progressive than Sanders, none.

yet. "we're all a part of a global economy" We were a global economy before 1980 but the difference was that we were the ones exporting our products not our companies. "is a benefit to us" Who is us, the workers or the corporations?

It doesn't matter where she stands in an argument about who would be more progressive if Sanders chose not to run.

I have been curious as to how Clinton would address a newly enlivened Liberal/Progressive base that doesn't much care for her right leaning politics. After listening to her and her spokespersons over the past few days I believe that the game plan will be to court women and the Latino vote, allowing them sufficient numbers to more or less ignore the Democratic base. There will be specifics on equal pay for equal work, and paths to legal immigration, but issues like reigning in Wall Street, strengthening Social Security, unfair trade agreements, will only get an honorary mention with NO specifics. The Clintons aren't stupid, they know their center right views will never appeal to a base that already looks at them with some measure of disdain.

It's going to take a different approach to get us out of it.

One can't claim poverty is the issue of our times while they enable an oligarchy. A candidate can't claim to fight for Main St. without taking some very progressive stances & so far only Bernie & Warren have done so.

Warren and Bernie have done so because, quite obviously, they are the only ones truly working to change the dynamic.

...which I have no problem with. But millions of other voters (like from the Delaware River west to the Rocky Mountains) would never consider voting for a "socialist", especially once the republicans start falsely equating "socialism" to "communism".

He isn't one. He does not support public ownership of the means of production. So why give himself this label, which freaks a lot of people out?

Here's what he means by "socialism":

It's when you can finally reduce the government to a minimum, because people will contribute to society voluntarily and take whatever they need. Socialism is a kind of preparatory step toward this end because socialism encourages a spirit of sharing. That's my brief take on the Marxist idea of communism.

There has never been a modern industrialized communist society in this world. Countries that call themselves communist probably mean that they are dedicated to this ideal, not that they have achieved it.

that somehow any Oligarchy is "democracy".

running third party or not. Perhaps he has clarified that later. Thanks.

HC will only lose if she is physically unable to run entire campaign. What Sanders intends is probably to be able to shift the conversation to the left by being part of that conversation in the primary. Lets see how far left we can pull HC before the primary where she logically will go for the center. Going to be an exciting upcoming 18 months.

election.

That's a game changer, and there will be a reaction. Hillary is avoiding the topic at all costs, there is REASON for that, and there's a reason for the fast track.

Warren is calling for HRC to declare her stance on TPP, nothing but crickets....in response. It is quite revealing to say the least.

I'm thinking they underestimate the masses on this one, imo, but time will tell.

Hope you are right about people getting smarter. I believe human awareness has reached a new level and we will learn how to live with one another and the earth, but not right now. We are not able to critically think about our political economic future when we are bombarded with emotional issues that cause us to react with emotion, and not think.

Remember they are going for the independents in the middle and the voters aren't going to feel the screw from TPP all of a sudden so it will be but a blip. I think many people believe this change to economics based only on whats best for the company, screw the worker they are just a number is inevitable so are not concerned with TPP.

time will tell

it won't sit well with the public. How will either party's candidate address a trade agreement that's another bigger and better giveaway to the corporate masters? With everything that's playing out in Europe, there just might be a storm brewing at home. But, then I could be completely wrong.

Welcome to DU.

been appointed the Democratic nominee by the PTB.
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A professional musician won $100,000,000 in the lottery. A reporter asked her what she was going to do with her life now that she had all that money.

She replied, "Oh, I dunno. I suppose I'll just keep on playing music until the money runs out".

But he has my repect and admiration no matter what he does.