2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHillary Clinton: ‘I’m Not Even Sure’ Bernie Is A Democrat
Hes a relatively new Democrat, the former Secretary of State told Politico. In fact, Im not even sure he is one. Hes running as one. So I dont know quite how to characterize him.
Sanders, who has said he identifies as a socialist democrat, declared himself a Democrat last year when he announced his presidential campaign. Although hes the longest-serving independent in congressional history, he caucuses with the Democrats and has served on and chaired committees for the party. He also has made key progressive issues like economic inequality central to his campaign.
Many Democrats have endorsed the Vermont senator but Clinton is not the first prominent one to question his loyalty to the party. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) tweeted in February that Sanders is a Democrat some days.
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HuffPo
Viva_La_Revolution
(28,791 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)They took the GOP's position, while the GOP took the fascists' position.
I am going to give the Dems another chance, even if Hillary wins. But if she swings back to the right the minute she's elected, I'm done for good.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)daleanime
(17,796 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)timmymoff
(1,947 posts)Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)And I'm certain that's wrong.
timmymoff
(1,947 posts)uponit7771
(90,364 posts)fun n serious
(4,451 posts)It looks like most of Bernie Sanders colleagues question his loyalty. Says a lot about his character!
mahina
(17,696 posts)Including voting against going to war for NO REASON, for an obvious lie that even the little people like us thousands of miles from DC knew was a lie.
People all over the world marched against that bullshit war and we knew very well it was a travesty. Everyone who is a Democrat who voted for it did so because they were afraid to.
Not Bernie.
Mahalo Senator Akaka, mahalo Senator Inouye, mahalo Bernie Sanders.
Judgement. It's important.
awake
(3,226 posts)Bernie is for a "fair deal" for the working class not the "raw deal" that the Clinton policy of the 90s gave us.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)about Obama.
Hillary is unsure of herself, that is clear from the events of last night.
She woke up not feeling inevitable.
mahina
(17,696 posts)Bernie is more of a Democrat than Hillary, for miles.
Bernie is a solid progressive.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)I was trying to be understanding of a man who doesn't like to evolve, but now walks back his earlier statements, "I am not a Democrat", " ...it would be hypocritical of me to run as a Democrat" and "I am an Independent".
But Howard Dean hedged.
For all of his Bernie support, in a pre-forum interview, Chris Matthew clearly used Bernie's own words "I am running as a Democrat" to plant a seed of doubt. And that is the bottom line, Bernie is running as a Democrat, he never joined the party to be a Democrat. Chris Matthews pressed DWS over and over until she finally and hesitatingly relented and said that Bernie is a Democrat, but Howard refused to capitulate.
Words have meaning and Bernie does just like every single politician and says exactly what he means. Not once has he said he joined the Democratic Party, not once did he say he is now a Democrat....he has said he is like a Democrat and does some things like other Democrats
I'm with Howard Dean. Bernie may be running as a Democrat. This is old news, we knew he was attempting to run on the Democratic ticket, but Bernie is still refusing to actually be a Democrat and join the party. Bernie has and will continue to act in ways that actually undermines the Democratic Party.
Since that post, he may have changed his mind and said that he was a Democrat, but if that is the case that recent pandering comes way too late in the game and lacks any sincerity, and is frankly a big fat whopping lie on his part.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,913 posts)But how can anyone really know, right?
karynnj
(59,504 posts)as someone did in 2008.
awake
(3,226 posts)So I guess that on that bases Hillary would say the longest serving President of the United States was too liberal for the Democratic Party today. Once a "Goldwater Girl" always a "Goldwater Girl".
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)awake
(3,226 posts)Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Last edited Wed Apr 6, 2016, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)
Baobab
(4,667 posts)Which strikes me as really kind of scary. What kind of person would do that?
awake
(3,226 posts)jwirr
(39,215 posts)the 3rd Way. We think you are R-lite.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)awake
(3,226 posts)hedda_foil
(16,375 posts)She tells a rather charming story about her evolution from Goldwater Girl, and how her government teacher made her marginally more aware of another point of view by assigning her to do a classroom mock debate as LBJ.
But the upshot at the end is that she says she has some views from both sides rather than being a doctrinal democrat. Very interesting indeed.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)Just kidding, I know she's not
Leave it to the authoritarian candidate to convince us that labels are the most important thing, and loyalty to The Party is paramount. She'd fit in well leading a 3rd world country.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)We've seen this before and know how it ends.
GreatGazoo
(3,937 posts)coming on the heels of this:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/feb/25/barackobama.hillaryclinton
TheDormouse
(1,168 posts)His voting as a Dem made it possible for Obama to have a majority in the Senate, for Harry Reid to be Senate Majority Leader, and for lots of prominent Dems who are now backing Hillary to be chairs of Senate committees, with the power to set committee agendas.
Hillary & company ought to be ashamed.
awake
(3,226 posts)karynnj
(59,504 posts)rejecting a run from an independent party. That was when they thought he had no choice, but could hurt the Democratic nominee if he ran as an independent.
What does it say when you agree to the rules of a game, but when you are the least bit concerned of winning, you suddenly consider that maybe the rules that were agreed to were wrong. What surprises me is that she is still so far ahead, that this not all that laudable action seems not just bad, but premature ... unless she knows more than us on the status of the race.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Recycled bullshit.
Mike Nelson
(9,966 posts)...still, I see him listed as "I-VT" when I look. This has to be incorrect because he is running to be the top Democrat in the country. I've been confused about this... He should make "I am a proud Democrat!" a part of his stump speech.
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)Lucinda
(31,170 posts)Pretty much proves her point that he isnt a Dem.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)There is a major difference between Clinton and Sanders with respect to down ballot candidates http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/clinton-sanders-differ-down-ballot-democrats
Hillary Clinton raised about $29.5 million for her primary campaign during March. That amount brings the first quarter total to nearly $75 million raised for the primary, beating the campaigns goal of $50 million by about 50 percent. [Hillary For America] begins April with nearly $29 million on hand.
Clinton raised an additional $6.1 million for the DNC and state parties during the month of March, bringing the total for the quarter to about $15 million [emphasis added].
The first part matters, of course, to the extent that Sanders fundraising juggernaut is eclipsing Clintons operation, but its the second part that stands out. How much money did Sanders raise for the DNC and state parties in March? Actually, zero. For the quarter, the total was also zero.
And while the typical voter probably doesnt know or care about candidates work on behalf of down-ballot allies, this speaks to a key difference between Sanders and Clinton: the former is positioning himself as the leader of a revolution; the latter is positioning herself as the leader of the Democratic Party. For Sanders, it means raising amazing amounts of money to advance his ambitions; for Clinton, it means also raising money to help other Democratic candidates.
As Rachel noted on the show last night, the former Secretary of State has begun emphasizing this angle while speaking to voters on the campaign trail. Here, for example, is Clinton addressing a Wisconsin audience over the weekend:
Im also a Democrat and have been a proud Democrat all my adult life. I think thats kind of important if were selecting somebody to be the Democratic nominee of the Democratic Party.
But what it also means is that I know how important to elect state legislatures, to elect Democratic governors, to elect a Democratic Senate and House of Representatives.
The message wasnt subtle: Clinton is a Democrat and Sanders isnt; Clinton is working to help Democrats up and down the ballot and Sanders isnt.
Super Delegates will be taking this difference into account in deciding which candidate is best for the party