Iowastartingline.com-yep the author started it this January....

Hmmm, I wonder what else he's done-let's check his linkedin page:

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/patrick-rynard/62/26a/324

What's that he was doing in 2007 and 2008? Field Organizer-Hillary Clinton for President.

...fwiw, Iowa Starting Line has had some really good and balanced coverage of ALL the Democratic candidates with more concern for the interests of Iowa politics than any one candidate. I've actually gotten good coverage of Sanders events in Iowa from Starting Line.

Check their twitter feed:

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
Another huge crowd for @BernieSanders, opening the balcony section now #IACaucus



Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders gets standing ovation, sign-waving for calling to overturn Citizens United #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
Biggest applause: "If a bank is too big to fail, it's too big to exist, it is time we broke them up!" @BernieSanders


Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says "all of these trade bills were written by corporate America," hurt wages, send jobs overseas #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders was sounding a bit scratchy earlier today at round table but seems fine now, strong speech as usual #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line retweeted
Samantha-Jo Roth ?@SamanthaJoRoth Jul 24
@BernieSanders - As president of the United States, I will insist that every worker get two weeks of paid vacation #IACAUCUS

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders calls paid maternity and paid sick leave a real "family values" issue #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says $7.25 min wage "is a starvation wage, it must be raised to a living wage, which is $15/hour"

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
"The owners of Wal-Mart own more wealth than the bottom 40% of the American people" - @BernieSanders #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says to those who worry he's radical: "The ideas that we share together are shared by the vast majority of Americans"

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
Interesting - @BernieSanders says @BarackObama's big mistake was allowing movement to die down/"I'll take it from here" #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
Woman introducing @BernieSanders gets big applause for noting he supports GMO labeling #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
Guy sitting next to me grew up in same Brookyln neighborhood as @BernieSanders, 10 blocks down and knew him back then #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
A nice, substantive discussion wraps up about children's issue w/ @BernieSanders & @VotingforKids event #IACaucus



Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says Republicans divide ppl in campaigns to avoid their own economic agenda/record #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says staffer of his in DC spends $30k a year on her 1-year-old child's daycare #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says will pay for free college tuition program w/ tax on Wall Street speculation #IACaucus

Iowa Starting Line ?@IAStartingLine Jul 24
@BernieSanders says kids issues important, recounts efforts on childcare, after-school, teen programs in Burlington

We need a candidate who will stick up for the Democratic party and its accomplishments.

...despite my criticisms of the Dem party, I'm a strong defender of our Democratic coalition.

You make a good point about the importance of a 'blue wave' in 2016. I would note that the counter to that would be we need a *progressive* wave, not just a generic 'blue' one.

in their efforts to rewin both houses and build a strong party. I can't see a clear path for that eventuality with candidates trying to win seats by supporting a non DEM POTUS. There are too many people/voters that will question party loyalty of their down ticket DEM.

It's too bad Bernie didn't declare as a Dem well before this election cycle

'Martin O’Malley sent staffers from his PAC to help down-ballot Iowa Democratic candidates in 2014.'

As much as I don't care for the Dem Powers that Be, we should recognize that a candidate who has never supported the party as such won't help a Dem/Non-Repug dealing with Congress. Martin O'Malley has ALREADY helped, by doing what he did/does in Iowa.

...which looks to be trying to build a movement which would transcend the current national party; perhaps recreating it, however daunting that task might prove. I think we're going to find that our emerging coalition may diversify with more progressive-leaning candidates, but political realities around the country may well produce a more typical mix of progressive and conservative as individual races produce choices between unacceptable republicans and moderate Dems. I would guess all of that depends on how much of a 'revolution' Sanders and others actually spark to influence those races.

Oddly (considering history,) we Americans here now are NOT revolutionary, think things like big strikes and other movements abroad are 'weird,' so I don't have much hope for a real revolution here; hence I support Martin O'Malley's 'moderate' approach to change: FACTS! (Pardon me for calling us/myself 'moderate,' I'm progressive, always have been, and have regularly supported 'unusual' candidates.)

as much as I am with transforming it. Sanders can do both.

Just look at the excitement generated by the Sanders campaign! People who have never been politically active are being energized and activated. Millennials are taking interest. They have something to vote FOR.

...he still needs a cooperative legislature. Talk of 'transforming' the party is certainly appealing, but most of Congress will still be in place, and those who are vying for election will need support. Moreover, if he's looking for progressive support in the legislature he's going to have to do more than just talk about it; he's going to need to get about the task of recruiting and providing actual support for those candidates. also, the party is still going to be a diverse coalition of interests, concerns, and motivations which will need reconciling at legislation time. he'll either need a sizable new contingent of legislators amenable to his views, or he'll need to organize the party he's got. That politicking isn't an automatic process which is going to simply turn on his speechmaking.

It's instructive to that prospect to look at how successful Sanders has been in the past at coalescing with Democrats and successfully moving his initiatives through the legislative process into action or law. If past is prologue, Sanders hasn't held the type of regard for Democrats in Congress which would be expected to rally them to his cause.

Is it realistic that he's going to be able to transform the party into Democratic Socialists? Or, is he going to need to manage a coalition of disparate interests, much like his predecessors?

I think that can be transformative in and of itself.

But no, a Sanders presidency will not magically change everything.

...of efforts and intentions to tear down the party structure without some guarantee of realistic plan for building it up again in their interest or image.

I'm more persuaded by those with intention and experience in organizing working coalitions of what I think will still be a diversity of interests in Congress. Not a big fan of storming the gates with just some optimistic expectation of a party mutiny away from their own co-equal interests. It would be nice to see a realistic and visibly functional path to that change Sanders is advocating for our party. It really is a leap of faith, in many respects, that he's asking Americans to stake on his candidacy.

I'm the one that wants to tear the Party apart and start from scratch, not Bernie.

...I didn't see Clinton as a NY Senator leading more than coalescing with others there behind legislation where a consensus could be found. I think her notion of assuming a leadership role is as ambitious and challenging for her, perhaps, as Sanders' as someone organizing from outside the party's regular order.

the Democratic Party back to it's roots as the party of the working class, not the banker class.

...but it says little about his actual efforts to organize or aid that transformation with recruiting, campaigning for, or providing resources for candidates; even those he might feel will aid him in Congress.

It's likely not going to be enough to just talk Congress down. There's still going to be the need for actual party building efforts which involve more than just just talking about the changes he wants and talking about the need for a revolution. What this article is questioning is how much enthusiasm or interest he has in actually doing the groundwork to make those types of congressional candidacies a reality, and how much actual time and personal involvement he's willing to expend in that effort.

We wont be just knocking on doors, phone banking and tabling just for Bernie, but we will also be promoting any candidate fr Congressperson or Senator up for election that year who is a progressive. We know he needs a Congress he can work with.

Did I forget my sarcasm emoticon. Here it is.

...recognizing, if you will, that talking me down on this discussion board doesn't make one bit of difference in the reality of his actual campaign.

But, maybe Bernie has some brand new way of organizing that party support he needs to succeed that political observers like me are unaware of. I remain skeptical of his experience or abilities in party building, or even managing the party coalition. Bravado, or even sarcasm or ridicule aren't as convincing as those defenses may seem from your pov.

happened across the nation. Bernie spoke live over the internet to what is estimated to be 100,000 attendees across the nation since he couldn't be everywhere at once. The event I attended was sponsored by a local politician, with support from two others, who is organizing and putting his campaign together locally. The organizer said she sent out press releases to all our local media and not a single one showed up. This is the disrespect Bernie is getting and why you aren't hearing things. However, part of the meeting was for supporters to show up at every public event to educate the public about Bernie. That's what he is doing.

...it would be better if he had more actual support from within our national Congress, but local pols can help recruit candidates at the state level.

Last nights event actually did get a lot of press coverage. Maybe this movement is going to explode into a blossom of individuals with momentum in elections. It is hard to imagine that happening without the national party support, like Dean was able to organize. Well, onward...best of luck to us all.

doable for Bernie that way.

the answer: going Democrat at least 5 out of 6 times (only NH & NM went 5 for 6) from 1992-present after going Republican at least 4 out of 6 times from 1968-1988 (most 6 for 6 GOP during that period). From 1968-1988, Democrats averaged 113 electoral votes. From 1992-present, we've averaged 327 (even Gore/Kerry did better than Mondale, Dukakis, McGovern, HHH, Carter '80). I believe the Clintons must be appreciated and thanked for this. Clearly, they know what party building is.

Also, Obama's record on congressional seats is not much better than the Clintons: both lost the house in their first midterm elections never to recover it. But a Democratic president with a GOP congress is better than a GOP president and a Democratic congress. Of course a Democratic WH and Congress wins, but you can't win 'em all.

86 and 90 is ancient history

bernie is building a bottom up grass roots movement. the democratic party, as establishment as it is, might not be the best vehicle for that, at least at this point in the process. as things move along, hopefully we can restore the party to its idealistic roots.

...still, as we're constantly reminded of Bernie's past history (marched with Dr. King, etc.) the past is prologue, so to speak.

An appropriate question might be, how Bernie will be able to organize elections to Congress on a national level without the cooperation and support of the Democratic party organizations like the DSCC and others?

didn't means sh^t, in fact it was spun to make Bernie seem to feel entitled for doing it IMO

that the dnc is more of a hindrance at this point. look at dws dragging her feet on the debates. i think that is the point. the grassroots movement will not be relying on or beholden to establishment dems. it will have its own momentum. almost, but not quite, like a whole new party that will eventually hopefully overtake the establishment dems.


you know, as an O'Malley supporter, this whole process is likely going to be very good for him too...to get his message out.

...in the absence of those funds and organizing base, there will need to be a herculean effort from Sanders and his supporters. Is he fully engaged and prepared for that?

but as bernrage du jour it'll do

among others.

then how about Richard Celeste, Ann Richards, Mario Cuomo, Barbara Boxer and some others.

my point is there has been a right-ward slide in the Democratic party since raygun-are you attempting to deny that?

well I have now named a bunch of those people. Just what is wrong with them?

you seem hesitant to answer why is that?

as a gay man, I have to say I prefer our gay rights platform now to the one we had in 80, 84. or 88.

2 Ann Richards and Mario Cuomo have passed. Richard Celeste hasn't been in office for 14 years, the remaining one Barbara Boxer pretty much mirrors Hillary in all area's except apparently she voted against Iraq, but we're told it doesn't matter that Hillary did ancient history and all that, unlike what Bernie said in 1989 and 1990

I am a bit leery of what, exactly, rebuilding the party really means. Any more Third Way oriented, and I am outta here.

...behind/around a progressive agenda to form a working coalition.

What I think Sanders is advocating is a more complicated task, that of restructuring the party with new recruits, ala get behind me/us or get out of the way.

behind/around a progressive agenda. If the party apparatus is doing a poor job of representing progressive voices and there are enough progressives who feel that way, the party will either need to change or become irrelevant. If not, then not.

Where as Sanders isn't. He only cares about his own agenda.

I suppose we can't expect Bernie to solidify and do any Democratic Party building...but he does want those party members to vote for him, however. I suppose we shoud look the other way when considering he has by passed any opportunity he has had to join the party whose favors he curries?

If Sanders doesn't party build, if he doesn't push for Dems to be growing and united under the Democratic Party banner...what happens if he does make it to POTUS? What happens during the next election cycle when the Reps come out in force as a single focused voting block, and Dems are floundering looking for representation of some ideals that do not involve party loyalties?