On Bernie Sanders
In light of some opinions I've read here, I decided to take the opportunity to elaborate on something I wrote as part of another essay... My opinions run contrary to some of those expressed here recently.
It's my opinion that Bernie got the best result possible under current conditions. He did what corporate media will never do: he suggested alternatives to the narrow slate of options we're currently limited to, and demonstrated such alternatives have wide support; he demonstrated that it's possible to fund a national campaign without 1%er's $$$; he gave big time legs to the OWS message - that the 1% gets everything at the expense of the 99% and the system is rigged to keep it that way, and pushed that message out to millions more people that needed to hear it; he revealed to those that are paying attention that what they suspected could now be stated as fact - that the dem party has been bought and co-opted. (However misguided they may be, "conservatives" seem to be figuring out the same thing about the gop) He revealed clearly and for all to see, the extent of what we're up against. As OWS laid the groundwork for Bernie's run, his run has laid the groundwork for the next round. He only made that headway by joining and campaigning in the dem party. He did so despite their rejection of his candidacy and agenda.
As a candidate, Bernie is unique in my lifetime. I've never heard a politician speak in plain and simple terms about issues and policies, much less, openly call out the corruption and inequality, and bite the hands that feed lesser politicians. It was like food to a starving soul. His unchanging advocacy for his positions is there for all to see, going back to the 60s. He's not perfect, as if that's even possible, but he's as genuine as anybody I've ever had the pleasure and great good fortune to vote for, and I would do so again at every opportunity. Intense disappointment for his "defeat" at the hands of a corrupt system is valid, but it's misdirected if it's focused on him, or some perceived shortcoming on his part.
I say we owe him thanks, and at this point, he owes us nothing more than he's already done. He has been the proverbial voice crying in the wilderness, the messenger everyone's trying to kill, and in our current political scene, his message has been taboo from day one. He has carried on despite the obstacles thrown in his way, and has refused to prematurely end his campaign and directly endorse his opponent. He has been the subject of misinformation at every step. He has likely been subjected to intense pressure behind the scenes (i.e. meetings with POTUS and Reid), and has been publicly browbeaten by his "peers" in the senate and house, not to mention the sniveling chorus of media airheads, moaning about how he won't contribute to party unity so the dems can focus on defeating trump (as if they're not already so focused).
The idea that he has let us down, or will by not running 3rd party, or that he has now sold out and thrown his support behind hrc and her agenda, is ridiculous. As for running 3rd party, he said he wouldn't. I believe if he felt there was a path to victory there, he would have done so from the beginning, rather than use the dem party as a vehicle to get his otherwise prohibited message out. At the end of the day, he, too, is subject to the realities of our current corrupt and broken political system.
Bernie built a movement outside the traditional channels. He showed us the outline of a new coalition, that includes folks from the left, former non-participants, and even some republicans. He brought a lot of us together here at C99. He didn't get as far as we had hoped. He's been clear that it's not about him, and that it doesn't end with an election. It's up to us to go forward from here, and it isn't going to be easy. There's an essay on the front page right now that looks toward the "post-Bernie" stage, and, I think, shows the only way forward...
the creation of a united party of the 99%, without corporate money or influence, joining the people energized by the Sanders campaign and the various fragmented groups of the left end of the political spectrum
I would add that we should look in the center, and even on the right, for people with whom we can find common cause, and invite them too. Unlike their "representatives", I suspect the majority of folks to our right, despite a different political perspective, are working class people, struggling like the rest of us, and some may be swayed to support an honest, people friendly agenda over the same old corporate scam we've been fed by both parties for so long.
Finally, were I to decide to send my own letter to Bernie, it would go something like this:
to The Honorable Senator Bernie Sanders
I wish to thank you, Sir, for your energy, and your efforts, on behalf of the American people, and in service to our democracy. Your candor and integrity have been a refreshing change from the normally corrupt and empty political process. You have set an outstanding example, and provided much needed proof, for those of us who have long recognized that our system is broken, that we are not alone, and that change is possible if enough of us participate. I can't help but admire your longtime commitment to positive change, and I can assure you that you have given a boost to my faith, that some time soon, enlightenment can prevail, despite times that have recently been so full of darkness and injustice. You have my deepest respect and gratitude.
Sincerely,
Me
Comments
it's on us now
Does he owe us? no
If he quits, I'll never waste my time or money on anyone who runs as a Democrat. I will only support people who are committed to go to the end.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
it's one thing to push change, another to praise the platform
As long as he's honest I'm ok with him but his praising the platform as the most progressive ever, as if it does anything, as if the Hillary people didn't vote down everything that was good, as if the $15/hr minimum wage "over time" means anything...'cause it could be 10 years, by which time $15/hr won't be anywhere near enough...for him to pretend that the platform is progressive is very depressing.
I would prefer it if he said he didn't get what we want, rather than try to fool us into thinking the Clintons will incorporate any of his policies.
Say it, Brother (Shah)! I plan to use the info that
they Tweet, to make comparisons to the actual 'policies' that the DNC passed as part of the Dem Party Platform.
Right now, it sure as heck doesn't look too encouraging regarding FSC's "Medicare For Many" proposal. Of course, it's a major hindrance that she has refused to divulge details about her proposal, since she first brought up this policy on the campaign trail (in May).
The only thing left to do, is to read what policy experts and campaign reporters judge to be her policy based upon her past 'buy-in' proposals/history.
I'm considering Tweeting Bernie's campaign, asking them for clarification--as to whether or not the "Medicare For Many" premiums will be subsidized.
We'll see.
If I get an answer, I'll post the Tweet and reply at EB.
BTW, it also bothered me that the minimum wage (raise) plank was so vaguely worded--with the 'over time' language. There are many potential and likely voters who would not take the time to ferret out the details; and, therefore, might actually believe that it was 'in the cards' to raise the minimum wage to $15, immediately.
We need the information about the "Medicare For Many" proposal, as soon as possible--so that activists can protest it, if all FSC intends to do is allow regular folks to pay a couple hundred dollars more than Warren Buffet currently does for his Medicare premium, including with the 'wealth' surtax.
Not to mention the fact that FSC would be setting up a process which would allow for the [incremental] voucherization of Medicare--if her intention is to offer the "Medicare For Many" plan as part of the ACA Health Exchanges.
(Per Dem Party health insurance guru and Yale professor, Jacob Hacker, and former Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner.)
Whew!
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
From PNHP on Clinton's Medicare buy-in
Nice critique and "public option" history. Here's the not surprising conclusion.
"If you read the Physicians’ Proposal again, you would find that most of the advantages of a single payer system will not have been enacted even with a well designed Medicare public option.
No, a Medicare buy-in or public option is not a step towards single payer. It would be merely another player in our dysfunctional system. Worse, it would further postpone enactment of the reform that we really need merely because we would be thinking that we’ve done something when we really haven’t."
http://pnhp.org/blog/2016/05/11/is-hillary-clintons-medicare-buy-in-prop...
Thanks, marym! Read that "MFM" would further entrench the ACA
system, or infrastructure--in other words, the language was even considerably stronger than that of the PNHP, as to how toxic this program would be--particularly, if one hopes to see the eventual implementation of a true single-payer system.
I'm on day two of gathering articles, and, frankly, I'm not seeing a lot of positive reports--except coming from 'business' sites like Forbes and Fortune.
Thankfully, a good bit of the reporting appears to be straightforward. I haven't gotten around to checking Kaiser Health News, yet, but will soon. Sometimes they carry the water for the Establishment/One Percent--sometimes, not so much.
It appears that the entities that 'luv' this proposal are mostly corporations and/or business--since they see this as an opportunity to dump millions of their older workers (from their own group health care plans). I forgot to even mention that angle, earlier.
And, of course, if there's a huge infusion of younger seniors paying very costly unsubsidized premiums, the PtB are 'hoping' that the outrageous premium increases in the Exchanges--for everyone else--will level out.
Hey, thanks for posting the PNHP piece, and furnishing the link.
EDIT: Deleted redundant phrase about younger seniors.
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Seeing, "Medicare For More." So, will use acronym, 'MFM.' EOM
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
I maxed out for him.
At a time when I am paying $922 per month for insurance premiums, at a time when I needed a new roof on my house, at an age (64) when I am thinking/planning to shut down my law office and retire, and thanks to Governor Bush of the Great State of Texas, my practice has been no more than a little thing, giving me a whopping year's worth of financial security if I get sick or injured in an accident.
No matter what Bernie does or doesn't do, my money is mine for my dotage.
No party, no candidate will get a cent from me.
I have no family. I am alone.
It is high time I put my own well being first.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Burnout is a real thing.
Take care of yourself and maybe vote for some true progressives in your area. There are a few everywhere.
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
Agree with almost everything you say, except
He doesn't have to endorse her, and doing so will discourage many that he has inspired. Her heinous is toxic, and getting behind her is not only unnecessary but in a way validates the corruption he has done so much to point out. He owes the Dems nothing after the stolen election and while I agree he can't go third party, endorsement of her is wrong.
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e.cummings
Right, he doesn't have to endorse her.
It's not like he still has a job he needs to return to in the Senate. Or a possible re-election that he may have to contend with. I'm sure the corrupt bastards that make up the democratic party wouldn't do anything to mess with either of those if he didn't give a meaningless endorsement to her. After all, they're completely trustworthy and honorable.
Understand the snark
But you're kidding about re-election I hope - he took VT with over 70% of the vote last time. And he's more popular than ever there now, so he needn't worry about the party at all. As to his role in the Senate, they will need him more than ever now to caucus with them, especially with that lightweight Schumer in charge.
As to the endorsement being meaningless, that's not the case for a lot of people, myself included. #NeverHillary.
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e.cummings
Why would he not have to worry
about a party that just showed us all that they have no qualms about rigging an election? And his re-election, if he plans on staying a senator, is in 2018, an off year. I don't know how vibrant elections are in an off year for Vermont, but I'm guessing they have less turnout, like the rest of the nation. So, if Vermont has e-voting, Sanders could be screwed over no problem, like he was with this primary. If it's accountable paper trail voting, then I could very easily be wrong.
And I doubt they would need Sanders at all. What for? So he can speak against their pro-corporate, pro-war interests that they'll vote for anyway?
And clearly the endorsement doesn't have actual meaning to you. If it did, him endorsing her would convince you to vote for Hillary, since that is the purpose of an endorsement. But it's not going to, is it? So the endorsement has no meaning other than some arbitrary meaning you are applying to it. The only thing I see his endorsement doing is deflecting some of the democrat daggers aimed at his back to give him a little more breathing room to continue to fight for us, hopefully with the continued support of everyone he rallied and invigorated during this primary.
Bernie could retire from the Senate.
He's earned it.
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
He could
I wouldn't begrudge him that. It might be safer for his health than staying after earning the ire of the criminal organization we call the Democratic party. Unfortunately, he'd probably be replaced with someone more in line with the Clintonian hive mind.
VT has robust election laws
From the VT Secretary of State website:
In 2012 with over 64% of eligible voters participating, Bernie captured 71% of the vote.
As to why Dems need him, if they manage to flip the Senate in 2016, it will not be by more than one or two seats according to most prognostications I have seen. In that case they will definitely need him to caucus with them to obtain a majority on any important issue, including a future SC nomination(s) if HRC is elected. And he has spoken against their pro-war pro-corporate agenda since he was first elected to the House - didn't stop them from making him ranking member of the Appropriations and Veterans Affairs committees. He is the one holding the cards.
Finally, my concern about the endorsement is that it will turn off the young people that his movement brought into politics for the first time. We need these people to continue in whatever comes after this election and not drop out of politics again because he endorsed her heinous, who represents the rigged economy he has railed against. I contributed the better part of six months prior to the NH primary volunteering for him, not to mention the $ I donated, and I feel betrayed by the fact he could tell me to vote for her. He promised to take the candidacy to the convention and needs to honor that promise.
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. - e.e.cummings
The problem with him caucusing with them
is that it seems they are against us on truly important issues, or are only in favor of theatrical change, something to make us feel like something is being done, when the result will be no change. Like that sit-in. Or the party platform.
The concern for us youngsters isn't really necessary. I've said it before, and I'll say it until I turn blue: millennials are one of the most politically aware generations the US has ever had. Everything can be researched in moments. News is heard across the world in a matter of minutes. But the greatest strength we have is also a weakness. If there is a mountain of articles talking about how bad it is for Sanders to endorse Clinton, that is when you will see millennials get discouraged again. However, if we keep the focus on the fact that the movement was never about Sanders, but about us, that will keep the fire going. That is one of the reasons I've gotten to be so sick of all of this negative talk about Sanders endorsing Clinton. It only serves to help the establishment.
And it's good to know that there's a paper ballot for Vermont. Much more difficult to rig an election there.
I see your snark, and raise--
Do you seriously think that anybody is going to work with Bernie or give him anything he wants from here on out? Don't you know that he burned his bridges by making an authentic challenge to Clinton, delaying her coronation, and revealing her to be the corrupt, vicious, nasty piece of work the RW always said she was? More than that, don't you realize that the contrast between what Bernie did and what other Democrats have NOT done was vivid, and made establishment Democrats look horrible in front of their constituents?
What Democrats are afraid of is that the contrast between their reputation (being the party of the little guy) and their reality (they are the most efficient agents of both the MIC and the .01%) will be made clear. Bernie's run held up a mirror to them. Beyond that, in their scrambling to defend the indefensible Clinton, they burned almost all of their moral and political capital. What they did in NV wrecked their reputations even with long-term party loyalists, including some Hillary supporters!
If Bernie thinks that endorsing her is gonna rebuild those bridges, he's nuts. He will get nothing from here on out. The same goes for Tulsi Gabbard and Nina Turner, and anybody else who showed lasting loyalty to Sanders.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
About that $15, unicorn horn?
I am no longer in the game, but here in NY, Upstaters at minimum wage have to wait for 5 YEARS before that is rolled out for those selected pet industies. Or, one recession, one more war, One kid shipped off to the ME. At best.
As we all know, Congress is very quick about voting pay raises for themselves. See a difference?
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I also agree with most that you say. But as far as him running
third party, I say go for it. I know he won't, because he said he wouldn't, and he is above all a man of honor. He certainly doesn't owe the Dem party anything including his loyalty. I maxed out to him as well. First and most likely the last time I will ever do that. I do think it was worth it though. His campaign shined a huge spotlight on the corrupt party that are the Democrats, the people have been shown a better way, the struggle has been flipped from left vs right to down (99%) vs up (1%), and hopefully the young who voted for him by more than Hillary and Donald combined will carry the movement forward. It's their future I worry about the most. In the meantime, the next 4 to 8 years are going to be hell. The Republicans already have plenty of evidence to open impeachment hearings and it is going to be a media scandal plagued circus the whole time while HRC and her corporate overlords implement the neocon/neoliberal agenda wiping out the last vestiges of the middle and lower classes. Until the duopoly is crushed and control of the election system is returned to the people, things will only get worse. #JillNotHill #BernieOrBust
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
I would be fine with Bernie saying
"as a Democratic contender for the Presidency, I endorse Hillary Clinton."
Then he can un-register like the rest of us and go on his merry way as the same Democratic Socialist he has been in the past.
What the Democratic Party doesn't seem to get is that Bernie can't deliver his own voters, in part because he spoiled us and in part because the Democratic Party disgusted and alienated some permanently with their chosen Party line of Bernie and/or his followers being racist/sexist/misogynists. Sorry, that was a scorched earth tactic.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
bingo
If I was him, I'd say something along the lines of "well, I ran as a dem, and I wish the party well". The earth is scorched for sure.
I don't think they care about
I don't think they care about whether Bernie can deliver his own supporters. They don't believe they need us as the sane faction of the Trump supporters are flocking to Hillary. What they want, very badly, is to quash the energy and passion that is likely to lead to massive street protests. They don't want the optics but, more importantly, it creates a momentum that makes it more difficult to diffuse. People experiencing coming together is a potent force for change. Finding that the people that the MSM and friends have told you are your enemy and the reason for your problems, are really being screwed, just like you, by the same real criminals in government and by the large and multinational corporations cannot be allowed. Divide and conquer must not be challenged.
This is where I consider Bernie will have betrayed us if he endorses Hillary at all and particularly before the convention.
The Democratic establishment and Hillary supporters
have been very mean to us. Therefore:
1. We aren't stupid. We can remember what happened.
2. We aren't property. We cannot be given away. We have to be wooed and Hills can't do it.
3. We know there are alternatives.
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
Thanks
Thank you. It needed to be said. I don't know why people are shocked or angered that Bernie is doing exactly what he said he would do from the first day of his campaign. A substantial portion of his supporters expect him to honor his pledge.
I don't think Bernie has any doubt that the system is rigged. But I don't think he had any doubt that it would be rigged when he first made the pledge to support any Democratic nominee.
I don't think he has any illusions about the sanctity of Hillary Clinton's promises. He along with the rest of us witnesses Obama's transition from promising to renegotiate NAFTA to negotiating the TPP. We all heard O's promise to put on a pair of comfortable shoes and join picket lines. Comfortable shoes are apparently hard to find in his size.
Many people here have enumerated Bernie's achievements over the years in the house and senate. I imagine, having demonstrated the extent to which his ideas resonated beyond the expectations of anyone in the establishment, that he believes his influence in Congress will increase. We may be at the edge of a critical mass in the senate. If I get time I'll write a piece on how much Elizabeth Warren did to help Bernie. But she too is playing a long game. Sherrod Brown is still liberal even if he did endorse Hillary and his wife, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Connie Schultz, is a leader in the movement to bash Bernie supporters. Feinstein may be back. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are in there. Maybe Al Franken will remember he campaigns as a liberal, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Maybe a couple of new people genuinely of the left will get in this November. Maybe a few senators from states Bernie won overwhelmingly will have an opportunity they've hoped for, or fear a problem they didn't know they had.
Is it the beginning of victory? It's not even the end of defeat. Concentration of wealth will continue. But maybe a coalition will form that can slow substantially the march to the right. Maybe it buys enough time to keep us in the fight for another round. Maybe all it does is ensure there will be another round.
There are plenty of opportunities to fight the good fight inside and outside the Democratic Party. If those choosing the outside path appear to be generating a critical mass, well you can change party registration in 6 months even in NY.
Above all else, recognize the difficulty of the choice. Respect those who have been your allies this past year, and, though you didn't know it, probably for many years before. It would be a tragedy of monumental proportions if the ultimate result of a campaign no one expected to lead to a nomination, that exceeded expectations by orders of magnitude, was a splintering of Bernie supporters into warring factions heaping invective on each other while ignoring the central problems.
Godspeed to all regardless of the path you choose. Keep the faith.
Correction
Feinstein should be Russ Feingold running in WI.
Soooo... send your letter.
Soooo... send your letter. You have an opinion, find the balls to express it directly. Your pandering to us is simply that...pandering. Bernie is a man of honor, a man who follows up on his word. If you are behind Bernie, support his policies... put up, ...or maybe go to TOP where you will find an audience with common thoughts. Those disappointed by an endorsement of HRC are entitled to their opinion, and their disappointment. She is a terribly flawed, corrupt, and unworthy candidate for POTUS. An endorsement from Bernie emasculates the entire effort he brought to the American Public, and only serves to underwrite the corruption that defines the American political system
burnt cookies
1. heat Oven to 666 degrees
2. take a pan
3. put on flour and eggs, then put sticks of butter
4. put your hand prints for a design*
5. cover with Sugar
6. bake for 3 hours
7. break into pieces and enjoy
8. throw at squirrels and rabbits outside
* you can also use your feet or face for the design
Served with mashed banana beer at room temp. LOL...
Bacon cooked on the rack in a propane grill
makes charcoal in about 30 seconds. Saw it, not my fault.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
This is the kind of
This is the kind of disrespect you get at DailyKos. Please don't start these tactics here. It is such a turnoff, Bunsk. I had this happen to me over there when I was stating my opinions and questions, respectfully. It feels demeaning like the person doesn't deserve an answer. Please don't bring that here. I will need to leave.
Calling out another comment by calling it "pandering"
is quite a conversation-stopper. Recipes were an attempt, I think, to turn the conversation.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
you didn't find the original comment disrespectful?
the person accused me of pandering, which made no sense to me; they accused me of saying they weren't entitled to their opinion, and took an insulting and abusive tone in general
You could have chosen to just
You could have chosen to just not respond. Again, your tactic reeks of often employed and demeaning ways to address a response you didn't like.
Recipe
Your recipe reflects your unwillingness to do something right. Don't just posture on your self assured superiority to those who are disappointed in the prospect of an endorsement of Clinton. She represents scorched earth; your recipe represents your willingness to compromise your principles.
Send your letter. It is a good letter, but no better than those you wish to diminish, who are disappointed in the establishment status quo.
the recipe was a response to the tone of your comment*
I wasn't sure how to respond, or whether a serious response was called for. I'll go point by point:
1. how do you know whether or not I sent such a letter?;
2. what do you know about my balls, or even my sex for that matter?;
3. I support Bernie's policies completely, as I reject hrc and the dem party establishment completely;
4. I left top w/o looking back because of comments like yours;
5. I'll never try to claim somebody isn't entitled to their disappointment or opinion, but I may state a different opinion, which I'm equally entitled to do;
6. I agree with your assessment of hrc;
7. I have a different opinion from you about the significance of any "endorsement" Bernie may or may not give;
8. stating a different opinion is not an attack on your opinion or a comment on its validity, nor does it imply you're not entitled to have your opinion;
*I wondered if you were drunk
Sometimes the best response is no response at all...
I am not trying to be a dick or anything, just trying to say that if we want to avoid this place devolving into fights that we should just ignore something if it is mildly annoying and if it is something seriously offensive report to the mods.
Generally the philosophy I try to follow (although I admit to failing at times) is best summed up by this little image:
Absolutely no offense intended, I am just trying to keep the peace.
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
that particular comment stood out
I thought about just not replying, but eventually I decided to that to go ahead with the recipe was the appropriate response. I mostly do just ignore that type of comment. FWIW, I never hide rated a comment over at top although I was a tu for years. It's not my bag to go to the moderators about stuff like this, and I have a thick skin, but something piled on that thick may occasionally merit a smartass reply. I appreciate your peaceful effort.
Thank you, Alpha. I'll have to screenshot that. ;-D EOM
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Just right click and save it. Much easier. :)
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
I agree 100%. You don't throw
I agree 100%. You don't throw out all the values and moral underpinnings of your purported beliefs to endorse a war criminal who has used her office to advance deadly policies that impoverish, destroy, enslave, and kill people and countries all over the world for the enrichment of her corporate and bank partners and her family. She and the system that allows her to continue and to be elevated to the highest office in the land, need to be taken down and put in jail. And endorsement is a sellout, plain and simple. The system is a cesspool of corruption that demands that we work hard to clean it out with or without Bernie.
I hope that if he endorses her, that
he also says, he will be laying the groundwork for a new people powered party, ready for upcoming elections. I would hope to see Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva st al join that party.
And I hope all who are disgusted with the Dem Party will #DemExit on July 29.
I'm tired of hearing about
Bernie. I don't really care about his intents and how honorable he is. Imo he sheep-dogged the movement he engendered right back to the Dem. veal pen. He does owe the movement of people he gave hope and a voice to not endorse or support the likes of the Clinton Dem. Machine. The Democratic Party platform doesn't mean a thing. As Nancy said it's a quaint unenforceable piece of paper.
You have overlooked the fact that the Democratic establishment and their sponsors rigged this primary and are still at it even though it's a done deal. Bernie has moved on and so should we. A pol is a pol they do what they do. All those Vichy Dems. in congress you mentioned are not 'progressive' they fold like a cheap tent whenever push comes to shove. See how they run.
Did you post a recipe because you think disrespecting Bernie or any pol is trolling? Forget about it this is not a partisan site and people are free to express their opinions. I hope the Democratic party is toast. The sooner this farce of a peoples party collapses the better. Why endorse or even support a candidate and a party that is not democratic and represents exactly what the movement he engendered is fighting against.
Peace my friend.
We'll weather this. Together. Okay?
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
Okay?
Sure I'm okay. As for weathering this sham of an election together yes we will. In the meantime I'm tired of all this caring on about what Bernie is or isn't going to do and all the internecine backstabbing going on in the Democratic party as they get set to queen the bitch. It's time to put a fork in it it's done.
Posting a recipe because someone called your pandering, pandering is a shade to close to dkos for me. I have had enough of the cult of pol persona adulation even if it's Bernie. Good grief, I don't hate him or love him nor do I think it's particularly honorable to support or endorse such a crime family in this anti-democratic sham of an election. Time to let it go, as he obviously has. He goes his way and we go ours. Us not them. Them being the Democratic party. Peace.
i'm not sure
does this qualify as Clinton psy-ops?
Anything that smacks of toe the line
is edging that way. Peace on, fair weather, etc.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Yes. Stop it!
Since when did it become anethema to criticize Bernie? Is there a purity police squad here similar to TOP's? I think we ALL love and admire Bernie and his run for the presidency. That's a given and why we're here. So stop piling on some folks who are upset over Bernie's actions, or inaction since Cali. A promise to do something is not sacred unless it's for the greater good. Supporting Hillary Clinton is not the greater good because she will be ruinous for our country. And if it was contingent on Party A doing something, and they didn't deliver (lousy debate schedule, voter fraud and disenfranchisement), there's nothing wrong in breaking it. It happens every day in real life. Most importantly, why do some of you think that Bernie keeping his promise to the Dem party is more honorable than keeping his promise to us, his supporters, who financed his campaign, made phone calls to voters, wrote letters to the editor, and showed up at his campaign stops? At least he owes us an explanation as to why he won't bring it to the convention or run third party (Greens). What kind of a revolution survives when its leader quits when other options exist?