Surprise! The Revolution Just Started – with the Delegates.
Take a look at this bit of innovative democracy:
With a little less than a month remaining until the start of the Democratic National Convention, a coalition of individuals and several groups has launched an effort to stop Hillary Clinton from winning the party’s nomination. Their goal: allowing pledged delegates at the convention to vote freely for the nominee and not be bound to to the former First Lady.
The movement is led by groups and individuals from across the country—delegates, alternates and citizens. Three major groups are spearheading the effort: Delegates Unbound, Free the Delegates 2016, and Determined Democrats PAC. The groups have united to divvy up responsibilities—including streamlining messaging and tallying delegates who want to vote their conscience—in an effort to amplify the movement and educate delegates about their votes.Free the Delegates 2016 co-founder Regina Thomson told C-Span in an interview today: “We are opening the door for those delegates now to choose the candidate that they come ready to cast their vote for.”
Free the Delegates 2016, is also working on a clause to submit to the Democratic Rules Committee for consideration that says the delegates have a right and responsibility to cast their vote according to their conscience, and won’t face retribution from their state parties or other political entities for voting as they see fit.
Meanwhile, Delegates Unbound focuses on shining a light on the Rules Committee, and to make it clear that delegates don’t wish to be bound to a specific candidate when the DNC starts in Philidelphia on July 25. Instead, they want delegates to vote their conscience.
Critics of the movement are arguing that the groups reverse the primary process, which indicates the candidate that the majority of the party wants to nominate. But in response, Regina Thomson says they are operating within the process of the party, by inviting delegates who are concerned to join their cause. She continued, saying supporters don’t believe Hillary Clinton “truly embodies Democratic Party principles.”
Yes, it's a true story from today's Newsweek. But at the moment, it's being done to Donald Trump rather than Hillary Clinton. [A few names and dates were changed, protecting no one from the truth.]
Trump and Clinton are making history. Together they represent the number one and number two most hated candidates to ever run in a US Presidential election. Nice.
This just goes to show, when a few determined people work together anything is possible. Between now and November, literally anything can happen. There's a ton of stuff waiting in the wings.
So, Dear Reader, do you think the Republican people will be successful in taking back their Party and nominating a better Presidential candidate? Even though Trump won the all votes he needed to cinch the nomination?
Could Progressive Democrats be successful doing the same thing, with a candidate who never had enough votes to call herself the nominee?
Do you think Democrats would storm the Party gates like the Republicans are doing today?
Explain 
And, finally: If Donald Trump is thrown out of the Republican race, who do you think the Democratic Overlords will shake in voter's faces this time to scare them into voting for the lesser evil?
Comments
Phantom Comment
something, something.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Something, something dark side.
Something, something complete....
Someone whould start a movement or three just
to scare the bejeebus out of the party elite, especially as some, I am sure are having buyer's remorse. Just imagine what changes could occur now that the states that voted early in the process have had a chance to think and learn.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.--Aristotle
If there is no struggle there is no progress.--Frederick Douglass
This inyourface mess from the platform committee:
#AnimalFarm DNC online protest
I'm trying to start an online protest using the # ANIMALFARMDNC, I want to send out an email and twitter blast, I'm comparing the DNC and members of Congress to characters in the book Animal farm, I'm not technically adept, is there anyone interested in helping me?
The republicans would run extensive polls
"Would you prefer X over Clinton" and do this for several possible people.
Then they would probably find out that Kasich does best against Clinton and put him in. Hillary would have a hard time defeating Trump. She absolutely could not defeat Kasich.
Bernie could, though.
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
Hey, Pluto! Good to see you. I think that very large numbers
of Sanders' delegates/supporters will put up a good fight. But, unfortunately, I think that FSC's team will be loaded for bear--and, likely, ready to defeat any such attempt.
Of course, it would be delicious to see them pull it off. And Clintonites would never get over it, if they did.
This past Sunday, even Nina Turner said that his Campaign is only going to the Convention to fight for the platform, and for process (superdelegates, etc.).
Gotta walk 'the B,' now. But, if you'd like to see the transcript, I'll try to find it, and post it here.
Or, are you thinking that the Sanders' delegates and activists will try to nominate Bernie, even if he's not actively seeking the nomination?
Is that what we're talking 'bout? 'Cause that may be an entirely different ball game!
Mollie
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."--Lao Tzu
Postscript: I think there's at least a 'chance' that the Republican delegates would overturn 'the Donald's' presumptive nomination. Not sure that it's totally in the bag, though.
BTW, if Kasich is the nominee, then we're even worse off, IMO.
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
I anticipate nothing unusual at the convention
LOL. That is strictly a fever dream among the most deranged ReDems, like the political amateurs at TOP. I never heard that mentioned on this side of the divide.
The Progressive Dems pros I happen to know are the kind who draft legislation or lobby for basic human rights for USians. They use the law, the way Bernie and other political professionals do. If they were working on this conundrum, their approach would probably match what Nina Turner said. They would legally challenge the platform or the rules if they could. They would definably lobby the pledged candidates. The Superdelegates are a queer extra-legal mutation, so I don't know about them. Are they briefly playing the role of Party zombies?
If Progressives are serious about remaking the Party, the platform/rules angle will be tested to speed things up. Hillary is not yet the nominee, even with that giant goiter on her neck filled with superdelegates. In fact, she might be poised to lose it all, and take the party with her. That psy-op will be flying overhead. Progressives could make it so for a price. Fortunately, the GNC comes first, and it might yield useful goodies for the progressive revolution. The Status Quo is wallowing in Jabba the Hut mode. This may be the last time they are so vulnerable.
Progressive Dems have other interim options, however, including national coalitions and voting blocs. But just the attempt to overthrow the party from within can deliver a grave blow that weakens it.
Still, I sense totally unrelated disruptions just ahead.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
she's poised to lose and take
We've heard for a couple of years that the right wingers woud take down the GOP, many at TOP espoused this theory, but what they may not have picked up on is that the same forces that allow the GOP to implode, will allow the Democrat party to self immolate.
LOLZ.....I was thinking of the Monty Python movie where the guy at a restaurant eats one last cracker and explodes.
I'm not so sure. Many young Millennials grew up with OWS and waited to vote this year. The stresses that created OWS are still with us and fester with time. Because they don't go away those stresses build up pressure. Good for us, bad for the PTB.
If OWS represents a paradigm shift in the American political landscape, then both parties are vulnerable. And they will become more fragile as the economics dip towards more crazzyness. The working and middle classes will come together and have a big shindig. If it was an app called New Deal 2, they will be swiping left.
Timing ?
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
Superdelegates
FWIW, I'm still urging people to write to superdelegates. I encourage folks to communicate in a way that allows for the possibility that the recipient is simply struggling to understand a confusing situation like many of us are (That is quite possible, but even if it's not true of the individual you're reaching out to, anyone can be receptive to a narrative that makes them look good). Beyond that, in my view, the most important thing to impress upon them is the critical importance of making a legitimate effort to understand exactly what they are deciding. They get to decide whatever they want. No need to pretend otherwise. But they do not get to hide from this. No one gets to pretend that they somehow didn't notice an ongoing travesty of this magnitude. No one gets to pretend that they somehow didn't notice that the Democratic Party turned against millions of its own members as if we were an opposing political party. No more pretending. Choose wisely and fucking own it. We have choices to make too and we will make our choices under the assumption that they fully understood theirs. At that point, there will be no turning back.
If I'm being honest, I'm not sure if I'm doing this because I think it's helpful or because I think it's funny. Either way, I'm not particularly hopeful of the outcome, but I still want to see it.
Heh. I'm trying to think of a single day over the past year that one could have posted this sentence and end up being wrong. It's not coming to me, though.
A genius action-point on the Super-Delegates, SquirmyRoo.
We should have a library here of sample letters and paragraphs to ass-kick representatives with.
Heh. It's pretty much a slam dunk. I just playing the odds.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
I don't know how and I don't know when,
but I'm going to get you for this. You really had me going. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I should have immediately known better. The Hillarians are far too loyal to Grandma Yuppie.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
My sister works in the financial sector and tells me today that
everyone she talks to doesn't like either Drumpf or Shillary, but mentions (of course) how scared she is of the reality tv star/real estate vulture capitalist Buffoon, while acknowledging also that both D & R voters like Bernie. I'm not sure I believe her on Hilly Vanilli, that the bankers aren't totally for Her.
It's insane. If everybody knows this, that the leading candidates are so viscerally disliked and not trusted, then how are we not, as citizens of this vaunted democracy, demanding a look into how Bernie, who was drawing massive crowds everywhere he went and succeeding in an incredibly historic campaign of being the first ever candidate to be funded mostly by individual small donations, somehow did not win the Dem Primary?
This should be the election that the charade is exposed. The Repugs have already been blown apart. But not the Dems, who are have not only stood firmly on RW economic policies as Neolibersal scumbags but also aren't above some good ole voter suppression and fraud too (there you go guys, good work!)? Doesn't add up.
More and more people are getting it, and will as the spotlight gets more and more intense on these deeply loathsome 1% criminals over these next few months. Then look out. We won't have seen anything like it I would say. If they are chosen by their parties the dissatisfaction among the populace will only intensify until it's like wildfire, with folks becoming deeply restless in their meanness, desperation and ugliness. No amount of "re-branding" (fuck you, corporate cocksuckers) is gonna do it.
As the brilliant Bill Hicks said about these venal, soul-sucking vampires:
Every day of the next few weeks up to the DNC will be critical to galvanizing support for the truism that the 2016 Democratic Primary was stolen.
Failing that I think we have to work hard for the Green Party this year, hopefully with Bernie Sanders as their candidate, but even if that's not so.
At this point I'll be voting more times for Jill Stein than I have for Obama, who I volunteered for in '08.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
It IS insane. Thanks, Mark ,for your excellent
…contribution to tonight's docudrama.
We are witnessing an historical anomaly, a completely upside-down and unpredictable Presidential race. Never have so many election pundits been so wrong about so many things for so long. That record will be hard to beat. Never have so few people using so few words said so much about the psychological effects of a waning empire.
As another on these pages recently said: "Not only will it make the history books, it will take up an entire chapter."
Something tells me there's going to be a moral to this story.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Clearly no amount of rebranding
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
The month is young.
Some say forces are coalescing.
Progressives certainly have the potential to take decisive action. But they may still need their training wheels. Time will tell.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Critical difference.
Trump is an outsider, Clinton is a party insider.
It's not surprising that party loyalists are turning on Trump. It would be surprising if party loyalists turned on Clinton.
True, that.
In the midst of so many critical parallels, not the least of which is the meteoric rise of two "outsider" populist candidates that profoundly challenged both Parties.
But tell me, what exactly does that critical difference change in these unfolding stories?
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Trump's nomination might be overturned.
Clinton's won't (by party insiders). That's a critical difference.
Thanks. Are you referring to Superdelegates, here?
I would agree.
Unless something dirty was revealed. Then, they would gone. Woosh!
It could weaken her in the general if a good number of her pledged delegates defected, but she would still win the Party nomination.
Although viable, the Progressive's convention strategy to sabotage Hillary would be much different from the strategy used by Republicans to sabotage Trump — for the critical reason that you state.
Sabotaging Hillary is the plan, right? If not at the convention, then in the General Election, right?
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
While I agree about the party insiders being loyal to Clinton,
the fact that Clinton is an insider is precisely the reason she shouldn't be the nominee.
Back in early 2014, Barbara Bush gave an interview about Jeb's prospects for president.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62RG4VNgGdM width:448 height:252]
A couple of months later there was a NBC News/WSJ poll about this.
69% agree with Barbara Bush: No more political dynasties
Jeb is long gone. Now we just need to get rid of Hillary. And that NBCNews/WSJ poll was from 2 years ago - well before we found out about Clinton's private server and all the other Clinton scandals that have come to light since then. I'm thinking that 69% who were tired of political dynasties in April 2014 has gone up since then.
I wonder if Warren is positioning to step in
There is a strong argument that the FBI, CIA, NSA etc. can not allow a precedent to be set that a powerful politician can ignore security and endanger the country. We will see.
I certainly hope not! She didn't want to do the work of running,
now she'll step in for Hillary instead of telling them to give the nom to the other candidate who ran a close second? I don't think so.
If she does step in, I will treat her like I would Biden or anyone else. If Hill is not the nominee, the ONLY Dem I will vote for as President is Bern. The man has run his rump off for months. He deserves the nom, no one else.
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The Republicans are in a bind.
They think they have to get rid of Trump, and they may be right - 4 years of Trump may well destroy the party - but the only way they can lose is to dump Trump and piss off 45% of their voters. (well, possibly as little as 25%, but still that's something like 10 million votes. Even against Hillary that would be enough to lose)
Also, a "legitimate" R candidate would take so many votes from Trump (as 3rd party) that Hillary would take the Electoral College. right now the only hope the corporate wing of the R party has is to run a tanker - someone so pathetic that he wouldn't cost Trump a single red state, but manage somehow to deny both Trump and Hillary the EC. Frankly, I don't see how that can be done. Better they should just modify Plan A - run Trump, but rig the election so that Hillary wins. Then in 4 years run a "legitimate" candidate and crush her.
On to Biden since 1973
If, as you suggest, neither Trump nor Clinton
can win, are we looking at Gary Johnson? My opinion (with experience): he's worse than either of the two. I keep waiting for something to shake things up, but it seems to get more firm as time goes on. Fact is, we're in deep shit.
Jill Stein. They are collecting signatures to get her on state
ballots right now. Go to the Web site and help out, if you like.
I think Gary Johnson is a conservative libertarian? Haven't read much about him yet.
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Not 4 years, just 1 election
Trump's biggest danger to the GOP is as an albatross during the 2016 election. A reasonable person might think that 4 years of a Trump administration would be worse, but that would only be if the Democrats had enough spine to use it to their political advantage.
A 3rd party "tanker" has to win electoral votes outside his home state (called the "favorite son" rule). I think some of the western conservative states like Utah or Idaho are ripe for the pickings, Bernie could have won Utah and I think a 3rd party GOP candidate could too. Paul Ryan or John Kasich are particularly formidable prospects, since they might win their home states, thus taking electoral votes from both the usual red and blue columns.
F the F'n D's
Couple answer for interesting questions
Do you think Democrats would storm the Party gates like the Republicans are doing today?
No, the Democratic elite are far too entrenched to let a takeover by the people happen.
And, finally: If Donald Trump is thrown out of the Republican race, who do you think the Democratic Overlords will shake in voter's faces this time to scare them into voting for the lesser evil?
The Democrat Party Overloards (notice I purposely dropped the -ic) will be in trouble if the republicans put out Kaisich. He doesn't inspire fear mongering the way a Cruz,Trump,Bush do. Cruz is the scariest.
When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!
Should Trump
not completely destroy himself before November.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
I doubt he'll make it past the convention.
My sources tell me the GOP's sole hesitation about dropping the boom, is Trump's lawsuit against them.
For them, the very worst that can happen is if Trump actually runs for President as a Republican. It would taint the brand for the next half-century. Adding insult to injury, Trump is not a Republican.
The lawsuit excuse sounds dumb. But it's not the money, it's the potential reality show about them that they fear. It's hard to predict which evil choice they'll surrender to. So, Trump could remain, but the downticket might be a problem.
That's the buzz, anyway.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
In what way would Trump taint the brand?
He is the epitome of Republicanism. They are reaping what they sowed. He says all the things they have been thinking for decades and have just never said out loud. They think they fooled us or their own party members or uncommitted voters? Pshaw. Let the freak flag fly. They built this.
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And now
there is a possible pending statutory rape charge against him.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
Good times. n/t
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Kasich as VP...
makes Trump a lot harder for Hillary to beat - both message-wise and numbers-wise.
Of course Bernie would mop the floor with Trump regardless of VP, but being assured of keeping the Presidency doesn't appear to be of prime concern for the Democratic Leadership.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
If Kasich is VP, the Dems will know before the convention.
That could be a problem for Hillary, against a team with net favorables. A better crossover for independents and disenfranchised Dems.
The Millennials don't matter (even though they are a larger voting bloc than the boomers). They already put a pox on both lead candidates,
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Hillary needs old-school establishment Republicans...
and you don't get more old-school establishment than Johnny K.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Agree that his selection as VP would thrill Establishment
Repubs, but I really don't think he'll pick up that many Trump supporters.
He'll mostly be competitive with folks who are partial to neoliberal corporatist Dems and Repubs, IMO.
Of course, he frequently boasts of garnering about 25% of the AA Community vote in Ohio, so, I suppose that it's possible that Kasich could bring along some rank-and-file Democrats, as well.
Mollie
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."--Lao Tzu
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
The Democrat Party Overlords...
It used to really annoy me when a rethug would refer to the party as "the Democrat Party". These days not so much.
George Orwell was an optimist.
Email I just got from RootsAction
With the Democratic National Convention now less than four weeks away, we’re in high gear. RootsAction is coordinating the independent Bernie Delegates Network.
Already, hundreds of Bernie Sanders delegates have signed in, with dozens more adding their names every day.
Any political revolution with staying power needs to mobilize from the grassroots and communicate with the public. We’re organizing nationwide while putting together a strategic media operation.
** Click here and donate $3 or whatever you can afford to help bring the political revolution to the Democratic National Convention – and beyond!
More than ever, it’s not up to Bernie to organize progressives -- we’ve got to organize ourselves. There’s no time to lose.
** You can help build the Bernie Delegates Network by contacting any delegates you know -- or can reach in your region -- and urging them to sign up at BernieDelegatesNetwork.org. (Please note: Signups on that webpage are ONLY for Bernie delegates to the Democratic National Convention.)
Oligarchy keeps strangling democracy. Truly, “enough is enough!”
We’re determined to generate powerful messaging at the convention, potentially reaching many millions of people with a methodical media operation. To make that possible, please:
Donate whatever you can afford to have impact on the 2016 Democratic National Convention!
You were with RootsAction when we backed Bernie’s powerful domestic agenda, and when we urged him to speak out more clearly against militarism and perpetual war.
You were with us when we called on Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign because of her blatant favoritism and corporatism.
Please be with us now!
in DC
I'm in DC this week. Today I was speaking with a woman in her 60's who has been involved in the Dem P all her years. She is solidly for Bernie and is going to Philly as an alternate delegate.
She told me stories of their DC convention: Hillary's people again ram-rodded it. The stripped DC Dem elected officials and others (total #50) of delegate status and gave them to Hillary loyalists. These old Dems are pissed! This seems to be a recurring theme: Hil people ramrodding their way thru state conventions.
I predict the Philly convention is going to be loud and raucus.
My intuition,
for what it’s worth (as a non-believer in most things popular) is that Trump will not be the nominee. But don’t ask me who will replace him. From my perspective of the state of american politics, whether republican or democrat, is that anything is possible these days. When what is real is measured by the absurdity and choreography of channelled information (tv) I believe anything is possible.
[video:https://youtu.be/gKZ797AIuwA]
Right. Everything is up for grabs. Except for ongoing US wars.
Coincidently, that's why I believe Trump is a non-starter past the GOP Convention.
All media brainwashing aside, Trump is a buzzkill when it comes to US wars. Unless a war could fill the US Treasury to overflowing — which would allow Trump to fulfill his fantasy of a big, beautiful, modern United States — he's not interested. He's especially not interested if it would cost the US one dime. That's just bad business from his point of view. Sure he want's a fancy Navy — but only if the rest of the world pays the Navy to guard the sea lanes and the Navy makes big money.
Everything Trump wants kicks the Neocon Empire to the curb.
That's why he cannot be the nominee of any Party.
Sometimes I think people forget how the US works. It's just not that complicated.
____________________
The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
The big difference is that this is the Repub establishment
trying to overturn the will of the people. There is no indication that Repub votes were hacked, the exit polls matched the vote totals on the Repub side.
My rump. Citizens named Koch, maybe. The establishment is trying to reassert control on the right.
When those tired of the establishment on the left tried to storm the gates, we were pushed back. The establishment still has control.
Now suppose your proposal went through on the Dem side. Who would feel the pressure? The Bernie delegates. How many would be bought off by the Clintonites in order to give her a stronger win?
No, I don't think letting delegates vote their conscience on the first ballot is a good idea. Or what's the point of primaries at all? If Hill is indicted by July, the supers can give Bern the nomination.
Which is not to say the Repubs shouldn't do it. a) Get rid of Trump, and 2) piss off a large chunk of your voters. Sounds very good for our side!
Go ahead, Trump, run third party. Then maybe Bern will feel free to run fourth party.
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