2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumIf Hillary wins the nomination, what should Bernie do?
Should he fall in line and sing her praises? NO, he should be faithful to his message.
No doubt he should and would endorse her because she is far better than the alternative, but he should also continue to make it clear that real change will require something that no President can achieve by him or herself: a revolution.
And what is that revolution?
It is nothing more and nothing less than enough people agreeing that power must be taken away from the few and given to the many, that adequate healthcare is a right, that a worker deserves a living wage, that immigrants have the right to be with their families and feed their families, that climate change needs to be at the top of our political priorities and not the bottom, that the government should not deprive millions of their liberty through incarceration, that war with its attendant slaughter and misery is almost always the wrong option, and that all of these revolutionary ideals must be transformed into practice because justice demands that transformation and well-being requires it.
To quote Bernie:
livetohike
(22,145 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)And he was the tiebreaking vote.
Why just retire? Clearly he's guilty of the "crime" of posing a challenge to the preordained inevitable one, whose TURN it is.
Why not send him to Gitmo? It's what he deserves, right?
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)Unlike too damned many of his supporters.
I am a Bernie supporter and I will do like Bernie because I care that my country's government not fall into utter madness and mayhem, or worse, theocracy.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)zappaman
(20,606 posts)So what's the problem?
Vattel
(9,289 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)longship
(40,416 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)TDale313
(7,820 posts)Not the end. The issues Bernie's giving voice to- they have been building for decades and the need to fix a broken system won't disappear even if the oligarchs win this cycle. Younger people get it, and eventually they will begin to flex their political muscle.
w0nderer
(1,937 posts)so...
IF Hillary wins
Bernie has 2 jobs
1 get Hillary elected..much as i dislike her, she's better than Trump
2 KEEP Hillary on the LEFT side of center or at least from jumping into the RIGHT
immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)immoderate
(20,885 posts)But he should not just be suborned.
--imm
Buzz cook
(2,472 posts)If he doesn't toe whatever line you have set.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)if that's what you mean.
I set a line? What might that be? There's a bus?
--imm
dragonfly301
(399 posts)but returns to the Senate and continues to be the biggest thorn in the side of establishment politics - the revolution is not just about Bernie's presidential campaign but of giving a voice to the disenfranchised 99%. He's been fighting the good fight for decades, his presidential campaign is shining a spotlight on what he wants us to accomplish together.
*It's really not Bernie's job to get Hillary elected - that's what Goldman Sachs is for. She is not owed Bernie's soul - he should not have to say anything he doesn't believe. I think he believes she is better than any Republican candidate.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Hint: you can count them on one hand.
Not exactly a glorious, productive career.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)correctly predicting the bad consequences of such an invasion, he didn't get much help from Democrats like Hillary, who was aping all of Bush's talking points about weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons programs and ties between Hussein and Al Qaeda.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Vattel
(9,289 posts)She's been out of the Senate for seven years....
Vattel
(9,289 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)That's something.
Kentonio
(4,377 posts)Have fun with your slander of a good hardworking man though, I'm sure you'll be delighted when the underhand tactics lead to a GOP thug in the White House.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)... is who should lead the attack. Period.
immoderate
(20,885 posts)--imm
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)I appreciate the sentiment in your post, but he's made it fairly clear that he plans to throw all his support behind Hillary. I doubt it will be uncritical, but it will be otherwise-enthusiastic. I honestly don't get why we keep seeing threads about this from both sides on DU day after day.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)That's the main point of my OP. He should continue to focus on the revolution.
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)But in that scenario (which I hope to God doesn't come to pass), I think he will likely put a pin in it until after the GE, unless he can find a way that does not draw too much negative attention to Clinton while she is running. I wouldn't expect him to run a pro-Clinton campaign, I would expect him to run an anti-GOP campaign.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)SheilaT
(23,156 posts)He'll probably support her and campaign some for her.
I don't care at all. I'll be more engaged with trying to figure out what I will do. And Hillary and the DNC should be very concerned about what millions of now angry Bernie supporters will do.
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)And that's just what he'll do.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)real progressives elected.
whatchamacallit
(15,558 posts)There will be no exuberance or rallies or parades... because Bernie doesn't change his stripes for political expedience. It's not a revelation that she's better than Donald Trump. That said, it's obvious he doesn't believe the direction she represents is what's best for the country. After that, in keeping with the spirit of democracy, I'm sure he believes it's up to you to decide what to do.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)whatchamacallit
(15,558 posts)We must.
LonePirate
(13,424 posts)Just my observation.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)Ronald = 6, Wilson = 6, Reagan = 6
666 = devil, 767 = hawkish dishonest democrat.
PatrickforO
(14,576 posts)1. Endorse and ask his supporters to vote for her, and
2. Continue to lead the political revolution.
We have yet to be mobilized, and it will be interesting if/how Bernie does that.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)But I really hope he finds a way to effectively pursue number 2.
Ron Green
(9,822 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)Not a necessarily a political party but an organized force that helps elect progressives and democratic leftists at the local and state level.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)Samantha
(9,314 posts)Just as the Third Way as an independent organization yet has an "infiltration" actively going on within the Democratic Party, we could have an organization which all of his supporters are invited to join, all of the planks in his platform would be preserved as goals for this Country, and we would have our own database of supporters and other important contacts (not to be shared with the DNC). Bernie with the advice of some people he trusts could start seeking proteges to join the movement. These would be people who undoubtedly would promote the planks in the platform, while keeping abreast of ongoing changes in the Congress and suggesting position papers on those changes. They would be contemplating future political runs for office. Hey, and maybe we should have a couple of lobbyists for our organization!
People could contribute a monthly membership fee (optional) but those who want to remain involved but cannot afford to contribute should be allowed to join.
Just a few initial thoughts on the subject.
Sam
Vinca
(50,278 posts)Bernie is the kind of person who will be working for social justice until he draws his last breath.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)If he just goes back to being a Senator and a voice of reason in the Senate, that seems to fall short of what he has done effectively even as a candidate for the nomination, namely, inspire millions to seek real change.
imagine2015
(2,054 posts)Something that Hillary would have a big problem doing.
aspirant
(3,533 posts)so if he endorses Hills and her policies, that's his choice but the Revolution will move forward without him.
pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)Ha!
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)Stumping for her would just ruin his credibility.
Autumn
(45,106 posts)craigmatic
(4,510 posts)immoderate
(20,885 posts)There would be too many 'irreconcilable differences.'
--imm
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Onlooker
(5,636 posts)... by offering Hillary a ringing endorsement provided the DNC make structural and platform changes that favor the progressive millenials who backed him. He should also be given the keynote address.