He has won every election so far with that formula, why change now?

But thank you so very much for your concern.

Bernie, and his supports, are very aware that for us to win this election we have to change how this 'game' is played. Your 'concerns' are firmly rooted in the traditional political game. That script has us playing the role of sucker, so why should we stick to it?

by those who accept it. I don't accept the way things have been done and welcome a new realty. Fake persona's and lies to make others comfortable is not reality to me.

He knows his way around the Capitol and the country, not to worry, really.

People are tired of that crap. Hillary self destructed going negative against Obama.

Go Bernie!

Bernies been in politics long enough. I'm sure he can handle what comes his way.

describe and point out to the public -- especially to those who vote Republican -- all the lies,
dirty tricks, bribery and corruption that have been practiced by the Republican business
corporations and politicians in the, say, past 20 to 30 years, in addition to the evils they are
committing today.

In short all he needs to do is to tell THE TRUTH -- with evidence to back his statements. Most
of those who vote Republican know nothing about these facts because 90% of the media are
Republican-owned, and they have hidden the negatives they have committed very successfully.

Bernie needs to get a few of these facts out every day. There is so much dirt that he'll never
run short of material.

One important point: Bernie should also show the proof of his statements.

other states.

What works on Wall street is unlikely to work on main street.

People are used to hearing the anti-Hillary crap, and Hillary and her team are more than ready for it. The thing I like about the Clintons is that they are not afraid to ATTACK THEIR RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS in a BIG way. Bernie has to be ready to do the same.

The emails and Benghazi are DIDDLY SQUAT compared to "SOCIALIST SOCIALIST SOCIALIST!!!! HE WANTS TO TURN US INTO A SOCIALIST EUROPEAN COUNTRY!!!!! TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND TAX AND SPEND!!!! HE WILL SKYROCKET THE DEBT!!!!"

So we'll see. It is going to be very interesting.

get behind Hillary right now, and Bernie should drop out, because she is so very excellent at brutally attacking people.
I believe we will get to see her do that to Bernie. IMO and all that.

Oh, and Hillary may be used to seeing what the GOP drags up - Benghazi! Emails! and then Bill is such a rich source for dirty campaigning - Monica Lewinsky! NAFTA! Whitewater! Vince Foster! But -just because that is old stuff doesn't mean that the GOP base won't lap it up.
I find it fascinating that people say Bernie will have a hard time working with a GOP Congress, when the GOP has had the long knives out for Hillary, for many many years. That will get worse, not better.

surrogates already doing that to Bernie. Just sick if you ask me. No thanks to Hillary.

Source: The Hill

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) says he doesn’t know whether Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) likes immigrants because he doesn’t hear him advocating on their behalf.

In an interview that will air Tuesday with Larry King on ORA TV’s PolitiKING, Gutiérrez, who is backing Hillary Clinton for president, first failed to remember Sanders’s name before blasting him for not doing enough to push immigration reform.

“We’ve got the socialist, uh I can’t remember his name. Bernie Sanders,” Gutierrez said. “I don’t know if he likes immigrants because he doesn’t seem to talk about immigrants. But sooner or later, he’ll tell us. I hope he likes immigrants. I haven’t heard him say anything. He’s been kind of quiet and silent.
"So I hope that when he sees this program, he sees that there’s a lot of people waiting to hear from him.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/244696-house-dem-im-not-sure-bernie-sanders-likes-immigrants

And the personal attacks will just get more frequent!

and the middle class. Just b/c he doesn't single out a group (immigrants, Hispanics, etc) doesn't mean he's not working for them. Get over it, Luis!

usual. And you are actually supporting dirty campaign tactics? Clinton's sleaze will catch up to her. I think the very reason why Bernie will win is because he will run a positive campaign and he cannot be bought by special interests. But lets face it. The Clintons have been "owned" for a long time. The last thing this country needs is another Clinton vs Bush election.

He just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.

And so does Bernie.

and the public is bored. Bernie's bad stuff will be new.

If they were all that smart, they would not be voting GOP.
In any event, that is no reason to support Hillary instead of Bernie. At all.

he's going to get it too just like she did and will continue to.

Say he beats her. Rs are going to go all out on him. The socialism angle will get beat to death, and who knows what else they will find.

He has been in the worst place for politics, too - Washington DC. He is no cloistered frail delicate flower, and I doubt he would have embarked on this journey without carefully considering every single thing that could be flung at him. He is an adult. An intelligent adult.

There's going to be something the more the media digs. The OP has some points, and you say Bernie can handle them. Others on the thread are simply angry to have it brought up.

twenty-six years in his back yard, in Vermont - he has been in Washington, in Congress, and well aware of dirty tricks, dirty campaigns, and sausage-making. I would think he has more contacts and actual working relationships in Congress than Hillary has, really.

I think what makes some people angry is not that this sort of thing is brought up - but that there seems to some sort of idea being pushed that Bernie should give up now, that Bernie supporters should switch to Hillary now, whatever. It just gets old. And silly, really. Trying to frame Bernie as a babe in the woods. And acting as if the reason Bernie has supporters is not the issues. I would have to say, though, that I sincerely doubt that Bernie has the baggage that Hillary has, or has a preexisting bunch of people who downright hate him, like the GOP seems to hate Hillary. I see that as a plus.

advantage as in the past. It's unfortunate but the Clintons are well practiced, I have to give it to them.

When the Republicans started calling President Obama a socialist, the socialist party had the biggest upsurge in members it had in decades. Mostly young voters who had never heard of it before who researched it after hearing about it in the context of the President. They liked what they saw

The biggest voting block is older people. Older people worried about losing medicare and social security. Sanders has that vote. For those that might not have heard about him yet, they will like what they hear.

Senator Sanders already has a larger percentage of supporters than any of the Republicans.

It is quite easy to attack policy without attacking people. We obviously haven't perfected that here, but we also haven't been running campaigns doing so for decades.

Senator Sanders is smarter than all the Republican candidates combined.

People won't have a problem with taxing the rich. Especially when you compare what was as to what is. People who are not having financial issues at the moment, will have friends or family that are struggling. They're sick of the wealthy running the country. Even rank and file Republicans are sick of it. Many Republicans are already turning to Sanders.

I do not recall what else you stated but I know he will more than overcome each obstacle you noted.

Bernie bounce

#Bernie2016

your opponent.

in a way that the mass public can see it's not that bad.
When I discuss Bernie's policies with my repub friends or some fence sitters that I know, they all agree that they are good ideas in today's times.
Try that! Socialistic ideas are more commonly held by people than you may think.

Mistake so far. I'm sure he wasn't thinking about the Presidency when he did it. I don't think he is really a Socialist- more of an Independent but the term Socialist would be toxic in the GE in 2016- maybe not so much a few more decades from now.

The presidency is the MOST PERSONAL American vote. He has got to define HIMSELF properly AND define and ATTACK his opponent properly. That is just the plain reality.

Obama would NEVER have won his second term had he not BRUTALLY DEFINED Romney the way he did.

And I so disagree with you on this

President Hillary Clinton might leaving the White House in 2016 if she hadn't attacked Obama like she did

people are tired really tired of the petty crap thrown back and forth. If you tell them your policy and how it will help them and the country as a whole , this will interest and engage them.

he has defined that the policies are failing the working poor and the middle class are taking the brunt of the failure, and being blamed as the problem.
He has gone into the of well the Senate and tried to filibuster what he sees and what the people see's are policies of deceit and deception.
He has exposed "ALL" of those that have created this mess and he has had his flanks protected by those pesky Brown's, Warren's and the progressive members of the world.
And now some are trying to use that message------------where were they when they knew better?
It is now our responsibility to attack those that have no scruples------------because they have the same game plan to deflect there record and not own up to that record------------and Sanders will and has reminded them of that record --------------they were responsible and he does it without being vicious------------and it will drive them NUTS

Go Bernie I have got your back

I'm with you there! Got his back

Don't forget the Bernie Bounce






#Bernie2016

I have read the opposite. And they do vote. Some of the strongest voters

I will have to check it out on my computer later. It's cutting off part of the Web page on my phone.

Looks like that was just RI? I really can't see enough to tell

And it's fairly consistent that the older the voter group, the more they go R.

It gets muddier in the Gore/Bush election and Clinton did win them slightly over Dole.

I just really can't read it all on my phone. I will later. I do believe you. I am sure you are right. I will have to find what I read about it recently. Maybe more people between 50 and 60 now than ever before

almost everyone I know. And the Rs were voting R 30 yrs. ago

As far as Bernie goes, he is showing a refreshing style, being aggressive and wanting to debate even the Republicans right now! He feels the issues are on his side and wants the public to know what they are. If Hillary cranks it up and gets more specific and direct, she may restore her lead in the polls, or maybe not. Plenty of time to see how it all works out.

If you think that Sanders, and Sanders alone will be the only Democratic candidate attacked brutally by the GOP MSM hate machine, I have a salt water inland sea in Arizona to sell you.

The GOP called Obama a socialist Kenyan, and he still got elected. They will call any Democrat a socialist, whether it is Clinton, Chafee, O'Malley, or Sanders who gets the primary slot.

Will Sanders stand up to the GOP? Does he need to go all Rovian or Clintonian 'negative' on his opponents to call them out?

No.

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/06/11/bernie-sanders-rips-hearts-republicans-debuting-real-family-values-agenda.html

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-calls-out-gop-tax-cut-that-takes-away-healthcare-for-27-million-americans/

http://www.liberalamerica.org/2015/03/19/bernie-sanders-calls-out-gop-for-their-2016-budget-proposal/

Those are but a few examples of Sanders 'calling out' the GOP on their shit.

Thanks for your concern though.

He will clearly show the NEGATIVE consequences of their policies in BLUNT TERMS the American people can understand.

Bernie will attack and do serious damage to his opponent in the general election without below-the-belt bullshit.

And he can defend himself without looking weak and defensive.

Being blunt, attacking policies and positions, criticizing opponents actions and votes, etc. are all necessary.

They do not have to be dirty and passive aggressive attacks like we have seen with Clinton in 2008 and now again in 2016 or the Rovian ones that the GOP constantly employes.

If that's the best you've got then you need to come up with some new material.

20+ hours a week at DC office phone banks to solicit corporate and bank campaign funds and perks like other legislators, as Dick Durbin has even said. Bernie works very hard for the country, constituents and is highly regarded as an honest and dedicated representative. Some loafer/hippie. Three martini lunches and Caribbean junkets are work? To equate fancy pastimes and multimillionaire bank accounts with 'success' isn't always accurate. C'est la vie-

As I have explained to you before he works tirelessly for working people and our democratic programs and beliefs. How can you deny that? No matter who you support in the primary how can you question the work ethic of Senator Sanders?

Remember, up is down and if you throw enough stuff at the wall eventually something will stick.

I came in as a Hillary supporter but certainly respectful of Bernie Sanders. Why is it that people can't give both respect? Maybe it doesn't matter. Just so long as we keep the White House. Crucial.

Have a nice day

You're looking nervous

I almost want to be a troll in a way to get Bernie even more noticed around here.

The problem is it will be probably of not much use, because he is almost frothing over around here.

p.s. I cannot find anything i disagree with about anything Bernie has positioned himself on, but i am still looking

and I don't think he will. He has said he won't at least.

I think he'll tweak her on the issues (unavoidable really) but he surely won't launch the full-on character assault that she'll face from the GOP.

At the end of the day, he won't be the nominee IMO for some pretty basic reasons, and the reluctance to attack will be one of them.

I also think he's making the right decision for himself (it's how he has always conducted his campaigns) and, by not attacking, he keeps his issues front-and-center. The problem with that, from the standpoint of winning, is that he runs the risk of sounding like a problem describer rather than a problem solver if he doesn't throw some new wrinkles into his presentation and personally differentiate himself from the competition.

Hillary has already appropriated some of his main issues. Can she be trusted over Bernie to stick with them? An obvious question that he needs to ask but he's on the record as saying he won't.

We already know her! And so does everybody else. Her task is far more difficult--re-defining herself.

populist themes recently, not to mention it's what the majority of the country wants and needs.

cheerleaders and detractors. He has to watch the plain-spoken thing. He can sound curmudgeonly and surly if he's not careful; he doesn't suffer fools well.

Good read: http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/i-m-right-and-everybody-else-is-wrong-clear-about-that-20140618

And is not plain spoken enough - Also does not suffer fools gladly.

Why don't you read it before you get all snippy?

I wasn't making a comparison--I was offering it as a point of information.

The chip on your shoulder doesn't complement your wardrobe.

eom

eom

from the link

Now, it's certainly possible for a person of color to support him as well, but he doesn't connect as well with those constituencies.

John Edwards' base was those same white people--again, that's not saying that he couldn't garner POC support (and he did have a better grasp of optics) but he wasn't going to pull AA or Hispanic votes to his team in any real numbers. The problem with them is, when the rubber meets the road, they will go for the bullshitting Republican in the conventional suit over the less conventional Democrat or Independent.

They're not all Republicans that will have to cross over, though--plenty are "independents" or registered Democrats who stupidly but routinely vote GOP in general elections. One thing they are, though, is averse to change. That's what makes them such a tough nut for progressive candidates to crack. Ronald "The Great Bullshitter" Reagan found a way to reach them with his avuncular style and his puppydog head tilt....to me, he came off like the biggest phony on the planet, but he sure knew how to bullshit the masses. He served them crap and they ate it up like ice cream!

Sanders has a target audience--it remains to be seen if he can hit the mark. He's competing against the entire GOP Klown Kar for that demographic. If he does nothing else, he'll certainly dilute the GOP vote distribution--it's not like they can grow more white working class voters without doing voter registrations six feet under!

has gone too far in accommodating POC and other minorities. That's been pretty clear from every event he's held so far. If you swapped out Bernie, and put Sarah Palin on the stage, the audiences would look exactly the same.

A gun toting, game hunting, Christian dominionist Commie from Alaska with icebilly followers. Amazing.

eom

There are certain conversations we need to have in this country that don't happen because our political process is constantly distracted with personal attacks and wild rhetoric. If we want a different result from what we've been getting, we need to try a new approach. If nothing else, a Bernie Sanders run will help us have an important dialog in this country. I think he can win.

There's NO other possible outcome!!!

of these things. In fact, he will LOSE if he does any of these things. Why? Because he will then look just like every idiot politician out there. He will not have differentiated himself from any of them. His message will be lost among the wrangling.

Please trust Bernie to know what he's doing. He's the most refreshing politician to come along in my lifetime. He has the courage of his convictions and it shines through everything he says and does. In these bad times, not only is that ALL you need, it is the ONLY thing you need.

Putting it all in CAPS lets us know just how SUPER-SERIOUS it is.

Without lying, cheating or playing up to the corporate masters. You'll see.

that facts and arguments convince people to accept what they otherwise reject. We believe that if we can just get our message out, people will just ... well ... convert.

And this fallacy, presents its self in liberal election strategy/tactics ... we see it here ... if we can just lay out the bare, cold, plain facts, people will come out in droves. That just isn't so ... and pretending that it is the way we wish it was, i.e., "we can change the game, today", is a prescription for a noble and principled LOSS.

As is your fondness of CAPS for EMPHASIS! It renders your argument less effective, you know; most people don't really like being SHOUTED AT!

like a lot of his supporters here act like it will be.

I agree on your assessment about Bernie. He is just right on the issues, and I have been very heartened by how direct and on message he has been to this point.

Not all, of course, but a lot of his supporters here are total kool aid drinkers, and that is OK, he is about as close to the real deal as we have seen, but there is a pretty big disconnect from reality.

Everyone here pretty much would agree with his vision.

But, that just it NOT where this country is right now, and everyone is not going to just woo at him and graciously usher him into the white house like some of his supporters feel is destined.

The histrionics over the Gutuierez statement, a really garden variety political elbow to the rib, reflect that kind of thinking.

They don't get it, but he is still viewed as a marginal candidate, and is being treated as a marginal candidate today.

He has yet to face for real stupid, the truly mind boggling bullshit the republicans and media will throw at him when they start to take him seriously.

I don't think the issue is how he will go after people, he has already done that.

Honestly, while he isn't crass about it like a Grayson, he goes at republicans more directly than 95% of the other dems in DC.

All that said ... It is a tough call.

If it was today, I would vote for him in the primary ... But, Hill does seem the safer bet to muck it out.

We just have to see if he can keep this present arc, which does seem to have some real energy, and build it up.

Then, see how he does once the stupid starts to get real.

You refer to:

"The histrionics over the Gutuierez statement, a really garden variety political elbow to the rib, reflect that kind of thinking."

Yet, there are any number of threads where mention of any Clinton negative, whether a past position or something like her personal email server is met with histrionics that easily are equal to those of the Sanders' supporters. On some levels, it may be worse as ANY mention of these things can often lead to the poster being accused of pushing right wing talking points.

I would not have thought it possible back in 2008, but this election pre primary period might already be nastier. I hope that people are able to move back from being armed camps!

They may not be "alone" but they are absolutely more sensitive and screechy ...

I was an assumed Hillary backer who is pretty set on voting Bernie, and he only has increasingly appealed to me.

There is a absolutely a certain degree of presumption that she is a shoe in for some of those solidly in her camp.

And, there are some level headed and decent Sanders people here.

But, I find myself completely turned off by the high handedness of a good portion of the Bernie backers here.

Point stands - Gutiuirez's statement was garden variety political elbow to the rib, not some GREAT SLANDER!

Saying, what's his name? the socialist, and he doesn't like immigrants is not a great slander, you're right. It's ridiculous.

Ridiculous ....

The republican clownshow presidential crew shoots dozens of these kind of SLANDERS at each other every day.

Hillary Clinton has been promoted as the 2016 candidate for years and as a Presidential possibility since 1992. In terms of name recognition and ability to get media coverage, she is more like an incumbent President than one of several people running for the nomination.

On the other side, Bernie starts with low name recognition and the burden of not just making himself known, but convincing enough people that someone who has called himself a democratic socialist, who definitely does not look like any version of President that Hollywood would cast, and who is from a wonderful, but small state should be our nominee.

In 2006, few would have given anyone much chance of beating the Clinton juggernaut. Yet Obama did just that by inspiring people to vote for him. Note that that win also depended on Clinton running a rather lackluster campaign. If Hillary Clinton runs a campaign that inspires large numbers of people, there is no way that ANYONE will take the nomination away again.

Therefore, it shows a lack of trust that your own candidate can run an inspiring campaign and win the nomination. Given that she has polled about 50 percentage points ahead of everyone, this maybe shows fear coming from what happened in 2008.

Now, if Bernie gets the nomination, it will be that, like Obama, he manages to excite enough people to win the nomination. To me, this means he will have to be absolutely outstanding winning people over AND, for the second time, Clinton's campaign will have been underwhelming. Note the conditional tense of all of this -- I actually do think that Clinton will run a better campaign and will be the nominee. However, what I am pointing out is that to do this, Bernie needs to be exceptionally good AND Hillary will have to have a flawed campaign.

If that happens AND as you worry, we lose the general election, it is not all that clear that Clinton would have won it had she won the nomination.

Agree on all points ...

End of the day,if hill cant beat bernie, she wanst winning in the general, either.

While my mind remains open to any of the candidates (announced or otherwise) in the NH primary, if If Bernie is treated to much more condescension I'll be all out for him.

Make this post resemble a tabloid or crazy church end days flyer littering a parking lot.

convinced his supporters to stop with the negative responses?

Was hanging the Socialist moniker on himself. It will not play well in the general election with middle America

OH NO!!!! Sanders might not stoop to all the despicable tactics everyone hates! Be Afraid, Be VERY Afraid!!


And don't you worry about Hillary, if they trhow mud she will throw s**t. You can count on that.

(do I really need a sarcasm tag here?)

so you really shouldn't care about what how the right is going to paint him.

tax the 1% to pay for reforms and social programs. He's really very clear and unambiguous about it. There's no talk of them being the same as the poor or middle class.

Without going personal, unless of course he is running against someone under investigation, then go for it.
I think he will have to relentlessly pound the failed GOP policies. I don't doubt can do this.
I support hrc by the way but think Bernie can handle himself without letting the GOP walk over him. I like the guy.

And a Jew. He's also drawing larger crowds in Iowa now than Hillary. He has thoroughly explained how he will pay for all his programs. Taxing the wealthy a fair amount, as well as corporations.

Bernie will be fine. He has been in politics a long time.

Who the hell cares about name calling from the right-wing? The racist, pedophile, corporate-owned hacks?

I'd be FREAKING ECSTATIC to vote for someone who wants to TAX the rich and SPEND the money here at home. The more they fear-monger the more sane he looks...because he is and they aren't.
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And hilariously enough, the RWNJs have largely rehabilitated the "Socialist!" label by trying to hang it on Obama lo, these many years.


Bring.It.On.

That plus problems with the financial system has prompted many, especially the young to look into alternative political parties. So backfire. Sanders proposes a tax on financial stock transactions, a tiny percentage to raise funds. The idea has been brought up for some time and might be implemented in places, maybe Europe.

hanging that "scary!" label on Obama--who clearly didn't deserve it--served to remove a lot of the "scary!" element from it, and prompted many to look more closely at what (democratic) socialism actually is....with the special added bonus of exposing Republicans for the idiots they are.

into what socialism means for years which is ok since it's always good to learn and grow. Countries on other continents like Europe and SA have multiple parties that are active, like Germany where there are 4-5 at least. Our duopoly system has become limited and unhealthy in the view of many, no doubt fueling the rise of so many independents of late, a trend that I've never seen this large in the US as it is now.

The GOP pool of candidates and office holders has really deteriorated in my lifetime. Just look at the insane remarks, lack of education and world travel, narrow mindedness, it's idiocracy! I read on here that during Clinton's terms the Dem. Party moved so far right, that the GOP could only go even further right- to extremism. That gave me a lot to think about for sure.

I thought I was going to hear from Donald Trump.

You think the Kochs and Adelson spent a lot against Obama?

How much do you think they would spend against someone who is a real and genuine socialist.

And then when Sanders loses 49 states we'll hear a parade of Dog Age My Homework excuses from his people here.

Because what could people who already have spent millions trying to dredge up something on her about Benghazi and/or those emails possibly think of doing if she gets the nominations? They are primed and ready with dirty stuff. And old stuff. And stuff they will just make up. The GOP Congress is already baying at her.

The GOP Congress, Karl Rove, the Kochs, Adelson, Fox New and Limbaugh will go a little easier on him.

The GOP Congress, Karl Rove, the Kochs, Adelson, Fox News and Limbaugh will not go easy on anybody, but I believe they have more ammunition against Hillary. Congress is already investigating her.

that's the way the Republicans (and some Dems) want to portray him and they will do what they can to railroad his candidacy.

he will be PERSONALLY attacked and VERY brutally by the other side.

He has been a Senator for a while now, I think he knows how this works.

No, Bernie's strength is that he lets his opponents define themselves and all he does is quote them, show what their policies have done, and show how his policies have helped turn things around for people in a good way.

First off Republicans have been running their mouths off calling all Democrats ULTRA LIBERAL SOCIALISTS. Bernie won't back away from the label he embraces it, he will encourage the people who support him to do the same. He will spell out what socialism is in a very clear way and he will show how it's created a better economy in countries that have adopted socialism.

Again Bernie is very open about his intentions he has said very clearly, that he is going to raise taxes on very wealthy people and raise taxes on corporations. They won't like it and they will cry, they will moan, they will bleat that he is engaging in class warfare, they will put out ads and attack his position on raising their taxes, they will threaten to leave the country, they will threaten to cut jobs, they will kick and scream and throw a temper tantrum like a two year old. And I say to all that good, the curtain will finally fall and the world will see that there is no great wizard behind that curtain just a bunch of jerks that thrive on slave labor.

have always screamed about any proposed legislation that might put a dent in their profits in the slightest way. But they survive just fine, like the businesses who protested ending child labor and sexual abuse of female workers a hundred years ago claiming it would kill their businesses- didn't happen, it was all BS.

The large number of corporations who pay no taxes now, or very little is something Bernie says he would address, also adding a small tax on financial stock transactions which has been discussed for a while. These are not radical ideas, they've been implemented in the past, people just don't know history anymore, sad to say. Younger people have been looking into democratic socialism since the Financial Crash and Obama being falsely labeled a socialist by RW extremists which is healthy thing to do, growing and learning are important. Duh.

Al Gore.

Whoever is the Democratic nominee will get this treatment.

With Bernie you will get honest retaliation backed by a consistent record.
Hard to beat the press and the repug, but we have done it 4 times in 24 years.

Our next president has to be able to get alot of progressive laws passed. Obama is the figure head who made it cool to be liberal again but the next POTUS probably needs to be a work horse.

Congress makes the laws, that's why they're the "Legislative Branch." Gov. 101

How much he can get done as pres. is another story. IF anyone knows how the system works and how to get around recalcitrant Repugs, it's Bernie. Congressman for 16 yrs., senator for 9 yrs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders

He is no dummy on how things work in Washington.

...and the GOP will spend many millions on attack ads - including lies. Here's one that has not surfaced. Hillary or Martin have not run ads against Bernie, but the GOP will use everything. An example that could be used against him:

http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/26/exclusive-bernie-sanders-wife-may-have-defrauded-state-agency-bank/

EXCLUSIVE: Bernie Sanders’ Wife May Have Defrauded State Agency, Bank

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/26/exclusive-bernie-sanders-wife-may-have-defrauded-state-agency-bank/#ixzz3c6ccjprk

Documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation indicate that the wife of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may have been able to use her clout to get away with loan fraud, nearly bankrupting the small college she was president of and collecting a sizable severance package in the process.

These revelations come amid growing speculation that Sen. Sanders, a self-described socialist who has blasted the U.S. government asan oligarchy run by billionaires and railed against the golden parachutes received by top corporate executives, will contend for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Jane Sanders was the president of tiny Burlington College in Burlington, Vermont for seven years, from 2004 until 2011. During her tenure, Sanders masterminded an ambitious expansion plan that would have more than doubled the size of the school. To do so, she had the college take on $10 million in debt to finance the purchase of a new, far more expansive campus. The move backfired massively, leading to Sanders’ departure from the college and the near-collapse of the institution.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/26/exclusive-bernie-sanders-wife-may-have-defrauded-state-agency-bank/#ixzz3c6ckMr8Q

http://www.redstate.com/2015/03/27/bernie-sanderss-wife-involved-real-estate-scam/

The story is banal. A woman who has her job because of her husband’s clout finagles a credulous state agency into accepting bogus financial documents. Real estate is purchased. The fraud is discovered. The wife of the powerful man is paid a lot of money to leave. Everyone else is ruined.

For driving the college into near bankruptcy with a fraudulent loan application, Sanders received a severance bonus of $200,000.

But all’s well that ends well. Jane Sanders is $200,000 richer. Bernie Sanders still rails on and on about income inequality and oligarchs and golden parachutes. That’s how socialism works.

HTTP://VTDIGGER.ORG/2011/09/27/JANE-SANDERS-RESIGNS-PRESIDENCY-OF-BURLINGTON-COLLEGE-REACHES-SETTLEMENT/
JANE SANDERS RESIGNS PRESIDENCY OF BURLINGTON COLLEGE, REACHES SETTLEMENT

After Sanders became college president in 2004, Burlington College initially experienced a decline in enrollment and, after a few years, faculty discontent. In an open letter to the trustees released on Sept. 21, former faculty member Genese Grill described the atmosphere in harsh terms. Staff, faculty and students “have been reduced to silence and fear of retribution by what can only be described as a pattern of intimidation, spying, and targeting of critical voices,” she wrote.

Grill described a closed and hostile environment, claiming that Sanders frequently yelled at staff and managed to eliminate anyone who voiced criticism. In the letter, Grill claims that “many concerned voices were forced out by continual abuse and by eventually being offered humiliating and unfair contracts in which they were demoted below people who were, in many cases, less qualified for their positions.”

In the last six years, about 40 people have left the school, Grill estimates, “most (if not all) deeply disillusioned with the institution and its processes, most harboring bitterness and deep regret.”