2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie will never get anything done as President!
But as the underdog candidate he sure seems to be dictating the terms of the primary. He wanted more debates, he got them. He wanted one in New York, again Clinton capitulated. You'd think the front runner would have some leverage, but even with the system gamed in her favor, Bernie is still able to get shit done.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)firebrand80
(2,760 posts)Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)which Bernie won 69-31%
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)pinebox
(5,761 posts)apnu
(8,758 posts)Just like Obama has. The same is true for Hillary.
That is because the Republicans have no interest in governing.
RampageSnipa586
(25 posts)The only way anything will get done in this country is if something changes with congress. You can't blame Obama for repubs in congress saying no all the damn time.
pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)He had worked with Bernie on a bill for the VA. He said Bernie said he didn't need to have his name on it if that helped get it passed, the important thing was for the bill to be passed.
He talked about how effective Bernie was and also how selfless.
Bernie was known as the amendment king, because he got so many amendments passed.
He know how to get 'er done.
apnu
(8,758 posts)That works as an obscure independent senator. But has President and leader of the Democratic party, the Republicans will go into obstruction mode instantly. Republicans have no interest in compromise. Bernie got that done simply because by hiding his name from the bill, the other side can take full credit and still strut around as a non-compromising jerk-off. Can't do that as a President who's supposed to project leadership and vision.
Everybody's lining up behind Bernie mostly because of his economic message. But, and we know this very well from Obama, what's said and done on the campaign trail is not what is said and done in office. But if Bernie does keep to his guns and dismantles Wall Street and corporate America as he says he will, the opposition will be probably worse than it is with Obama now.
Its easy to oppose Obama, its a comfortable place for Republicans. They can be front porch racists, comfortable and secure from what's really going on. But to mess with their gravy train? No way, we'll see a new side of hate and vigor form Republicans. Many Democrats too.
Which comes back to my point: taking back Congress. Bernie will need long coat tails if he wants to see actual results.
Gwhittey
(1,377 posts)Clinton Does not get it at all. The Internet killed her in 2008 and it is doing the same thing now. As me move into states where more people are informed by something other than Cable TV.
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)Impedimentus
(898 posts)Gothmog
(145,335 posts)Sanders' plans for adopting his proposals depend on these new voters. Here is how Sanders thinks that he will be able to force the GOP to be reasonable http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/2/21/1483791/-Imagine-Bernie-Sanders-wins-the-White-House-Then-what
Thats a phrase Sanders uses often, but what does he mean by it? Sanders has said that if he wins the presidency, his victory will be accompanied by a huge increase in voter turnoutone that he thinks might end Republican control of Congress. But Sanders acknowledges that the House and Senate could, in spite of his best efforts, remain in GOP hands come next January.
Given that likelihood, Sanders offers an alternate means for achieving his political revolution. He says he knows that a Democratic president cant simply sit down and negotiate with Republican leaders and forge a series of compromises. Anyone who's observed the GOPs behavior over the course of Barack Obamas presidency would not dispute that, and in any event, no compromise with Republicans would ever lead to single-payer anyway.
So what then? How would a President Sanders get Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to pass any of his big-ticket items? This is the model he proposes:
What we do is you put an issue before Congress, lets just use free tuition at public colleges and universities, and that vote is going to take place on November 8 ... whatever it may be. We tell millions and millions of people, young people and their parents, there is going to be a vote ... half the people dont know whats going on ... but we tell them when the vote is, maybe we welcome a million young people to Washington, D.C. to say hello to their members of Congress. Maybe we have the telephones and the e-mails flying all over the place so that everybody in America will know how their representative is voting. [...]
And then Republicans are going to have to make a decision. Then theyre going to have to make a decision. You know, when thousands of young people in their district are saying, You vote against this, youre out of your job, because we know whats going on. So this gets back to what a political revolution is about, is bringing people in touch with the Congress, not having that huge wall. Thats how you bring about change.
The rest of the DK article debunks that concept that Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell could be influenced by these new voters but we never get to this issue and Sanders himself admits that he will not bet elected without this revolution. So far we are not seeing any evidence of this revolution. Again, Sanders's whole campaign is based on this revolution and so it is appropriate to ask where these new voters are?
It is hard for me to take Sanders' proposals seriously including the ones you want to talk about unless and until we see some evidence of this revolution.
Again, where are these millions and millions of new voters?