So naturally she's going to go on TV and smear Sanders: it's her job.

Not only did Bernie survive, his campaign is stronger than ever

"The Democrats have a lot of lefties, FDR Democrats, folks who want single payer health insurance..."

A lot of lefties? I know it is a big tent, but I would expect it would be more than "a lot" - it would be most.

"Breathless coverage"? Really?

All of this seems to use code words for "the Bernie candidacy can't possibly be taken seriously".

She'll come around.

I expect many more instances of him being attacked from the right. That Super-PAC money won't spend itself!

And many still are becoming third party or unaffiliated. Both major parties continue to shrink while third parties and especially unaffiliated continue to grow.

Look at DU, even many on here brag about being moderate or even conservative to the point they feel comfortable bashing liberals. Sadly the Democratic party isn't what it used to be.

it is the authoritarian, fear thing that gets to some eventually.

attain a fair level of seniority or power they morph into doing the right thing for themselves, especially their bank accounts.

I used to be against term limits but have begun thinking they could solve many of the problems with corruption. One term for Senators and three terms for Representatives. No retirement benefits at all after serving. One time deal, you can never run again.

And/or,

You don't go to Washington, you do your job from your home base in your state and district and vote by phone or internet. This makes you one of 535 small targets instead of one very big target for terrorists. You must live among your constituents. Living among your constituents gives you a better perspective of their needs and they get to know you for better or worse. Feedback could be instantaneous and personal. You would be more likely to represent your constituents instead of your party and/or contributors. Constituents and the local press could see who comes and goes in you office, who you go to dinner with, etc.

blinders. It's sort of like my grandfather's horses. My grandfather put blinders on them to keep them from going off the road. The journalists are afraid of earning the wrath of the Hillary camp. Fortunately, we Democratic voters, are not afraid of the owners of the media.

We like what Bernie says.

And I hope the author of that article, dear Joan, will listen to this speech:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017275952#post19

Bernie will win in November 2016. There is no politician who can match his message, his confidence in the American people and his approach to politics. Bernie sees politics not as a sports event but as a discussion with the goal of solving problems.

If that's socialism, so be it. It's the right approach. We need Bernie in the White House.

the rest would be a waste of time.

"protect HRC's presidential chances" article.
Not very impressive.

She would not be worried if Bernie wasn't catching on.

I think people should read the whole article before commenting.

The headline, which is supplied by an editor, not Walsh, does mischaracterise the content. Nevertheless, Ms. Walsh is in accord with the 'common wisdom.'

--imm

Just did
You are most correct
Good call

Thanks

Ignore you-Check
Laugh at you-Check
Fight you-In Progress

.....what is it that happens next???

And Sanders isn’t the polarizing figure that Trump is. He’s good for the Democratic Party — and for socialism too. He explains it in simple terms. He points to the strong, social democratic economies of Western Europe, not the USSR. And his rising popularity shows that millennials and other voters too young to remember the Cold War aren’t going to be red-scared away from Sanders because of the socialist label.

Unrec

And Sanders isn’t the polarizing figure that Trump is. He’s good for the Democratic Party — and for socialism too. He explains it in simple terms. He points to the strong, social democratic economies of Western Europe, not the USSR. And his rising popularity shows that millennials and other voters too young to remember the Cold War aren’t going to be red-scared away from Sanders because of the socialist label.

snip

Now, if Clinton endorses too much of what Sanders supports, you can bet that media figures hailing the Vermont senator’s campaign today will be red-baiting him, and Clinton, when the fall of 2016 comes around. That’s how they roll.


on note:
That was below the fold in the article

It is time for a real progressive populist movement, but the message needs to be clear and not overly complex and it needs to be repeated over and over to drive it home into the minds of the people.

Then Bernie will win

They are trying to attack Bernie from the right. This whole thing is gonna get very interesting very soon and I believe it will bite them in the end.

she ought to be. Whenever a hack uses the word "breathless" in describing someone, CLOSE THAT WINDOW.

to the Hillary Gravy Train.

the Sanders' Slime Squad is being deployed, probably with con$iderable $upport from
the most likely suspects.

So much this.

You know, it is possible to like Bernie Sanders, to support him, to send him money (as I have), and at the same time hold the opinion that his odds of winning the Democratic nomination are not all that great. And correct or not, to voice that opinion does not make someone a "tool" of the mainstream media. In fact, that kind of rhetoric is the staple of the Fox News crowd--people who disagree are not simply wrong, they are the enemy.

Jazz people are an endangered species these days, nice to meet a fellow traveler.

Speaking of which, Have you heard of Joey Alexander, the 12-year-old prodigy from Indonesia? It's the kind of thing that makes you feel that jazz might have a bright future after all. Unbelievable, you have to hear it. I wonder if even Herbie Hancock played this well at that age. Here he is demolishing Giant Steps. Little kid. Self-taught from records. Unreal.

I live in rural southwest Virginia (not far from Jerry Falwell's "university" in fact). You're in New York eh? I know it's not right, but I may have to hate you.

No I'd never heard Joey Alexander before and excuse me while I say HOLY CRAP, that kid is amazing! There are lots of youngsters these days who can dazzle with technical ability, but this kid is playing with feeling too. I stand in awe and anticipation. Thanks for the video, it gives me hope. I'd like to think Mr. Coltrane is smiling somewhere.

Never seen anything like it. Seen a bunch of music school 20-year olds with great chops (which I love listening to, don't get me wrong, there's an excitement to jam sessions with youngsters trying to prove themselves), but like you say this kid is more than technique, he's got a mature soulful sound. And he's 12. Actually he was probably 11 when he recorded that.

He came to NY and played with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. I can't imagine how excited he must have been. It's a great story all around.

Here is the Madison speech.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017275952

Bernie answers the charge that he is an extremist. His rebuttal of it is brilliant.

And then he asks for a new view on politics, not as a contest between opposing theories but as problem solving.

I'm totally with Bernie on that, and I am not a socialist.

I know what socialism is, and Bernie is not talking about what we Americans think of when we say "socialist."

We lived in several European countries for many years. Their Socialists are fairly close, closest of their parties, to our Democratic Party. In some cases, their Socialists (the kind Bernie identifies with) can be more conservative than our Democratic Party. The Christian Democratic Parties are even closer to our Democratic Party than is our Republican Party. I think the Conservatives in the UK are truly very conservative in terms of their approach to labor and social issues. Germans would not think of abandoning their trade union movement.

Good points on how Americans react to that boogeyman word "Socialism." Another part of the problem is that people seem to think that America itself has not already embraced some socialist ideas. It always makes me crazy to see the old tea-party types who are living on Social Security and show up at the rallies in their Medicare-paid-for motorized wheelchairs, and then shout about how they hate Obama because he's a "socialist."

I don't think there's anyplace in the world that is purely socialist or purely capitalist. Every economy is some mix of the two. Americans just don't seem to realize that some of the most loved programs in the country are in fact socialist ideas.

Another M$M stooge 'criticizing' the M$M.

Most recently - Bill Bradley, Howard Dean and Barack Obama. What made Obama different is he was able to put together a coalition of white liberals and African Americans. Bradley didn't. Dean didn't. It's doubtful Sanders can.

Crowd sizes are an indication of absolutely nothing in primaries. Dean had crowds of over 10,000. In the 2008 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania, more than 35,000 people came to hear Obama speak in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton won the state a few days later by almost 10 points.

I'm not disrespecting Sanders or his message. But their is some political realities and precedents that can't be ignored.

You stated that B.O had 35,000 people hear him speak in Philly and lost the state by 10 pts

can you remind me who won the nomination at the end ? because it sure wasn't Hillary

I will ask HRC supporters this question t" Why didn't Hillary win the nomination in 2008"

See, here's something many here fail to grasp. Despite Obama's incredible political gifts and huge crowds, he barely won the Democratic primaries and mainly did so because of the previously mentioned coalition.

You never point to Dean as an example of success.
You never point to Bradley as an example of success.
You never point to Jessie Jackson, Ted Kennedy, the list goes on and on.

All had the left jumping for joy.

Why did AA come together so quickly to support B.O ?

The opportunity to elect the first black president. A big reason Hillary does so well with women across all demographics is the historic opportunity to elect the first woman president.

Sexism - her hair, her clothes, her emotions were all discussed openly and often.

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011889.php

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/erbe/2008/10/29/lesson-of-the-2008-election-is-that-sexism-is-still-more-pervasive-than-racism

http://www.kean.edu/~jkeil/Welcome_files/Have%20You%20Come%20a%20Long%20Way%3F.pdf

https://genderandsocs13.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/gender-bias-in-the-media-coverage-of-hillary-clintons-2008-presidential-campaign/

'Bernie Sanders surges — but how far can he go?'
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/02/bernie_sanders_surges_but_how_far_can_he_go/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Money quote:

Sanders has an advantage among self-identified “very liberal” caucus-goers — but not by much. He scores 47 percent of that contingent to Hillary Clinton 43 percent. Among “somewhat liberal” caucus-goers, meanwhile, Clinton leads 54 percent to 36 percent, and among moderate and conservative Democrats, she leads 60 percent to 17 percent.

It seems that the neoliberals REALLY...REALLY...REALLY... underestimated the power of We the People and our voice at the front of our movement, Senator Sanders.


We're just gettin' warmed up.




Feel the Bern

I read Toward A Democratic Left and The Other America, the latter of which heavily influenced how President Kennedy looked at poverty.

Anyone?

The entire segment was a joke. It began with an altered picture of Trump and Sanders standing side by side. Basically the idea was that both are fringe candidates.

Matthews ended by asserting nobody takes Sanders seriously as an actual president, dismissing his ability to perform duties as Commander-In-Chief. I'm not sure what he's talking about. I think most of his supporters think he would make an excellent president, and aren't just voting for him to express disapproval with Clinton or the establishment.

That very few made it past the headline before commenting. It is amazing what is considered tldr yet comment worthy these days.

Walsh thinks that because journalists tend to hate Clinton and love a good horse race, they are fueling Sanders' campaign. She also makes the banal point that it would be risky for a republican presidential candidate to agree with Trump too much because then in the general he or she can be painted as too extreme; and similarly, it would be risky for Clinton to agree with Sanders too much because then in the general she can be painted as too extreme.

I don't want to read too much into this rather vapid commentary by Walsh, but I am inclined to think that the subtext here is that Sanders campaign really isn't gaining steam in virtue of its merits; rather it is gaining steam because it is being pushed by lazy and irresponsible journalists. Ultimate conclusion: Don't take Sanders' campaign seriously. Like Trump, he is too obviously too extreme to be a serious candidate.

I think that a lot of the negative response to Walsh here is due to the fact that she is an obvious Clinton supporter who, having contributed to the "Bernie doesn't take social justice issues seriously enough" nonsense in an earlier piece, is now trying to fuel the "Bernie is not a serious candidate" meme in this piece.

Bernie and Trump are the people their bases want to marry.

Jeb and Hillary are the arranged marriages done to ensure that the money keeps flowing to Wall Street.

While I can laugh at Trump, I can be grateful that he does exposed the GOP base, rather than the "compassionate conservative" crap the Bush Family has always tried to pull.

It says a lot about our democracy that so much money is lined up to ensure the base of both parties is hidden from view.