just as Hillary's views on various issues will be part of the election. That is politics. Fair or not fair, it will be brought up, and no doubt the respective candidates will have answers. Whether those answers resonate with the electorate only time will tell

He is the candidate that holds beliefs and policy positions most in line with the traditional, non-Third Way, Democratic Party. Its true values and principles.

People love their medicare, they love their social security. That's socialism right there. So I say bring it.

..... about that "democratic " qualifier . All they are going to hear is "socialist ".

Anderson don't bothering trying to explain it to them. You can run for president. Or you can educate the masses about the differences between idelogical sects . But you can't do both .

You are free to have your own preferance

Democratic or not, Socialism is a branded word in people's minds. You cannot change a person's mind in most cases. All you can do is reposition it. The response should be to brand what's currently going on as "crony capitalism" or "vulture capitalism", so that any type of socialism is less threatening. That is the only way to beat the "socialism" word tricks.

Bernie's a (democratic) socialist. So what. But most people don't know that the problems they currently have are related to unregulated capitalism, and that Bernie Sanders is the medicine for what ails them. Put the stink on unregulated capitalism and some will have an epiphany and think they've discovered democratic socialism as the solution that's been quietly hidden away from the ordinary folks.

...just toss the term socialism. I've been told that what bernie is advocating is not socialism and the examples hey points toward are not socialistic countries , so what goods is it to call yourself a socialist . He made a big mistake .

to hear of your concern.

.... not that it matters . No one will notice the qualifier or care. All they will hear is "socialist ".

.... neither do the Republican candidates. Our choices as a country are much more varied than what you indicate and the American people will be considering a variety of options other than those two extremes.

Smell the revolution. Those are the choices being offed us in this election.


I am joining the revolution.

money from Wall Street and the bankers that foreclosed on people's houses and gave themselves bonuses thanks to government subsidies (the bail-outs) are probably less liked than Bernie's socialism.

People, especially young people, hear what Bernie wants to focus on doing as president and they really don't care about labels.

That is what I have found in talking to people when I wear my Bernie pin.

He doesn't prescribe to socialism but does subscribe to Democratic socialism as should Clinton. Tell us which of his so-called socialistic views you disagree with.

Clinton subscribes to Goldman-Sachism.

Last edited Sun Sep 20, 2015, 09:53 PM - Edit history (1)

but they won't. Because they know what Bernie represents is what the US majority wants. They will use that word to demonize him, and all the time they know they are lying.

the 22% of American children living in poverty, they don't give a crap about our seniors trying to eek by and they don't give a crap about our vets that are trying to survive on the streets. Vets that went to war in Iraq because their government called on them. This is a morality issue. Who could send our troops to die in Iraq for oil profits?

But the reason they keep screaming "But socialism" is because they are scared and it's all they've got. And I know they know it's a lie.

It may also be that they really believe what she is saying now on the campaign trail (now that Bernie has pushed her to flaunt a progressive agenda)...but I kinda doubt that, because these Hillary supporters were strong for her long before she started shifting left on her message.

Yes, they sure are and I pity them.

Because they are wildly popular with the electorate. So is his honesty.

He wants his Red Scare back.

And, he can't win.

RBInMaine (11,205 posts)
3. I asked for thoughtful analysis, not nonsense. Either offer substance or please stay away.

that is funny

And it went way over that poster's head! Woosh!

wanna bet on which state he'll overtake Hillary in next?

or each other, "he can't win, he can't win." I do give them credit for their optimism.

By the way your first sentence doesn't make any sense.

Next time dame Hillary takes the stage, the crowd should break into that chant: He can't win! He can't win! He can't win!

Much enthusiasm even among her followers. The best they can come up with is "she's electable' or the old chestnut 'supreme court!!!'

Frankly I think Bernie CAN win. He is attracting a wide coalition of supporters. R's, D's, Indies. He has over 400 thousand individuals who have donated to his campaign, and a huge army of volunteers fanning out across the country to spread the word. The more people hear his message, the higher he goes in the polls.

Unlike Hillary, whose support in the polls has been dropping every month.

They all can win against that list.

She had a chance at the nomination, and she blew it. Now acting like it's a sure thing when she's on strike 2.

So what will be your response when he does? And I will add if he does, because nobody knows what will happen until it's over and the votes are counted. Or do you already know the fix is in and the ballots will give the win to Hillary, even if the people voted for Bernie? Because, unless you know the game is rigged, nobody knows who will win.

Lol, pathetic.

She won't get the crossover that Bernie is already getting.

she will have the Republicans coming to the polls in record numbers.

'Cause unless a bunch of Democratic voters jump ship, the Republicans aren't winning this one. It's a simple matter of demographics paired with the reality that none of their candidates are good.

Does it ever get tiresome, this assumption that Republicans are all-powerful, that all Democratic candidates suck against them, except the one you support?

whoever doesn't win the Democratic nomination will not win the general election. So stop the nonsensical posts about who can't win the general election.

You know who has a chance to win the general election? The one that wins the Democratic primaries, that's who. You can't win the general if you can't win a majority of your own party.

So if Hillary can't win the nomination then what makes anyone think she would have won the general?

that primary and caucus were held last month. Time will tell, and there is a lot of it; some people probably think that sucks don't they?

Let's see if South Carolina is the next domino to fall.

Where did you buy your magical crystal ball?

and has only had 8 years of baggage attached and is up against someone with real democratic values. People are tiered of republican lite and rejected it last time, and they will reject it again now that the real deal is available.

who started out with a campaign organization mainly consisting of his family, and some associates from his Georgia Governor days, but he tapped into the profound disgust with the Washington status quo following the Watergate disclosures, Jerry Ford's pardon of Nixon, and the horrors that were revealed about the War in Vietnam.

Do you not believe that what has happened since George W Bush stole the Presidency has been even worse for our citizenry, not to mention what we have done to the rest of the world, in the name of 'freedom'?

A couple of the plutocrats have already warned, in print, that the peasants may be readying their pitchforks.

He'll have more trouble winning the nomination. If he wins the nomination, I think he will win the general election by a large margin. The only way he would lose the general is if the voting machine honchos decide to take a chance putting a ridiculously large tilt on the machine generated vote count. Of course, nobody among the elite will have the guts to question the result and the exit polls will be conveniently "adjusted" to fit the assumed results. Why should anybody question the results of the election? If you do you're just a whiner. a sore loser.

can't he defeat Trump?

Bernie will win in a landslide.

Once the American people hear Bernie and know Bernie the socialist thing will be of little consequence.

Damn!! I so want to see the debate of the Democrats. The Republican circus was pathetic. Lets get to the MEAT of the matter, and find out how solutions are presented. This Asian-Pacific Islander is already ready to cast her vote, but I really, really want to see the Democratic debates, and hopefully there will be more than 6 and hopefully EVERYONE will show up. No one has been crowned yet.. lets get the debates rolling!! I already have my ready!

demonstrates why Bernie supporters are driving people away. Can't take a hint of criticism.

I even left you a Link

not some other poster on a totally different thread.

It was his Post and I did take it up with him, but you couldn't help yourself.

of the post.

And the third response is just pointing out that the anti-Sanders crowd have nothing of substance to say. Since they are deathly afraid of discussing issues, ad hominem attacks is all they have.

Well to be honest, they also have "He can't win!"

than risk fighting against the Oligarchy. Our Founders would be ashamed of their fears.

The person was mocking a post by RBinMaine:

and how every "untoward" comment is immediately swarmed and shut down.

Like this one, for instance.

They will soon have the echo chamber they've always wanted. Many of us have decided to go elsewhere because of it. Between the intimidation tactics and the co-opting of RW slime, this place resembles a fifth grade lunch table.

You mean the echo chamber called hillarymumbo-jumbo.com? Whether you post here or there, the admins don't give a damn since they make money anyway.

But thanks for the demonstration.

And you're welcome.

And again, you're wrong.

Not that it ever mattered before...

Take a deep breath and let the rage go away... Om mani padme hum...

ETA: I perfectly understand why you don't want to be associated with those loony sites, you know.

Good hide.

Thank you as well.

Next??

What's for lunch today?

Perhaps actually reading a post instead of only the title would have helped. That way you would have had the context, and not have made quite as foolish-looking a post.

Nah, it's all those evil Sanders supporters out to get you. Look at that devious trap that was set to catch you!

Perhaps you could work in alert-swarming to your reply. There hasn't been enough complaining about that recently.

Or....

You can continue to demonstrate my point along with your little sidekick.

Either way, over and out...

You made a post based on only reading the headline.

The problem was the headline was ironic, and by not reading you post looks foolish.

You are now blaming this on the hordes of evil Sanders supporters out to get you, instead of your lack of reading.

Here, it's real easy:

Thanks for the thread, democrank.

it's her turn, see.

I think Bernie Sanders would attract major, heavy support from working class and middle class Republicans and independents. If the Republicans fail to nominate a good candidate, and it looks like they'll have trouble doing so, Sanders could pull votes from people who feel government should work in their favor, not against them. Progressive policies and positions have appeal across party lines.

Now is the 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.

It brings back not so fond memories of the '50s.

Sounds like a winning campaign in the GE!

.....there are some who might take that as a serrious sugestion and think it a good idea !

That whirring sound you hear, is FDR spinning in his grave.

FDR's New Deal is what most distinguishes the Democratic party
from the GOP party of greedy corporate moguls, but no more,
thanks to Third Way revisionism.

But wait!! There IS an actual candidate who embodies the
traditional values of the Democratic Party, and policies that
actually benefit "everyday people".

It just shows how far right the Democrats have gone. Many of today's so-called Democrats are more like 80's Republicans.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Bernie.

Sam

"Almost every time Bernie`s ever-growing crowd of enthusiastic supporters becomes the topic of another post, someone responds with a comment about his hair or socialism or Hillary Clinton`s near-certain nomination or how white Vermont is."

The behavior alluded to by the OP has been commonplace, ubiquitous, for months, but to ask someone to comb through countless posts to satisfy you -- who are either extremely unobservant or less than honest -- would not be worth it for most of us.

The point of the OP is that the anti-Bernie crowd rarely ever criticizes him on substance. It is almost always superficial trivialities of the precise kind the OP mentions.

By the way, your request is so absurd that I am inclined to consider it a case of honest tone-deafness and not dishonesty. Maybe someone will do the scut work you request, but don't count on it.

Oh, and I don't care what you think of this comment, either.

.....false, dare I say "BS"?

But I agree with you on one point - Sanders has rarely been criticized on "substance", mostly because his stump speech and his appearances on television have been totally devoid of substance.

"We have to do this", "we have to do that", etc. - never "This is HOW I'm going to do this or that"!

"I've been doing this for decades", "I've been doing that for decades" - all vague allusions to his accomplishments. Yet he's toward the bottom of Congress and the Senate in introducing legislation and/or getting HIS legislation passed.

To me he's a political televangelist - lots of words and "I'm great", with, as I said in my first sentence, totally devoid of substance.

the GE. I keep reading so many posts extolling the virtues of running as a Socialist.

It happens all the time.

Establishment Democrats are terrified of Bernie. Behind closed doors they admit he is more of a threat than any Republican candidate. Of course this is a closely guarded secret.

Obviously any attack of Sanders for his hair is ridiculous, and I personally haven't seen such attacks. And the socialism thing is way overblown. Clinton will also be accused of being a socialist and liberal extremist. Now, it might be easier to pin those labels on Sanders, but the Republican Party (the nominee, as well as the PACs) are going to use those labels regardless of who the Dem nominee is. And if anyone thinks the Republican voters are going to care about the validity of those attacks, they overestimate Republican voters. As if a Republican voter is going to say, "Clinton may be a lot of things, but my party has crossed the line by calling her a socialist or extremist. Maybe if Sanders had been nominated, but how dare they say that about Clinton. I'll show them by not voting."

That said, it's pretty clear that the public is ignorant about what socialism is. It's all around us and the US would essentially collapse without all of the socialized programs that exist. Of course, I understand that perception (and not reality) is what matters. But, again, Clinton won't be immune to accusations of promoting socialism.

Sanders won't be the nominee, but it's not because of his hair or because he's referred to himself as a socialist. It's because he threatens the moneyed interests, lacks name recognition, can't compete with Clinton's infrastructure and can't do well enough in the early primaries/caucuses (by early, I'm talking about the 25 or so that take place by the 2nd week of March).

Getting belittled and all that. I think for our leaders we pick extraordinary people. Poor little Bernie sounds from your post to be a poor guy who has all these troubles like we do, not a U.S. Senator.

Coming from you, who have been constantly whining about poor Obama being persecuted, is hilarious.

I simply pushed back.

You are a mean set of people. What is it about Bernie that he attracts that type of person?

have plenty of rights. You did so because you were upset that Obama was being criticized for his position opposing the equal rights of LGBT persons.

You calling anyone mean is the height of irony.

Here is the link. It's from a thread back when DU hated the guts of all disruptive activists and enumerated the ways in which they absolutely opposed such tactics. That is to say when the activists were LGBT....it's great reading.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2952192

that poster still has privileges.

okay. UGH.

n/t. for now...HIDEOUS.

lgbt HAVE ENOUGH RIGHTS???!!!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2952192

YOU ARE SICK.

Born to it no doubt bully.

SICK POST treestar!

SICK!!!!

It appears that Sen Sanders opposition has nothing but to belittle him. Your "poor little Bernie", is a great example.

If she is elected expect enemies lists and retaliation against those who dared question her entitlement.....she is the epitome of everything that is wrong with politics today.

foolish at best.

Hillary is playing dirty in order to have her turn at the expense of regular Americans, but with the blessing of Wall Street and for-profit prisons.

The sad part is that some folks, either intentionally or not, are helping her continue a political practice that harms those very same folks.

Why would you support someone who would hurt your neighbor?