Listening to Thom Hartmann. Apparently Bernie Sanders got elected President of Mexico.

[LuvLoogie]

Guest Greg Palast is saying that AMLO got in running on Bernie Sanders' platform. Saying that the similarities are scary close. AMLO ran for President 12 years ago, too, while Bernie was having brunch with Thom. Perhaps López Obrador had his own platform by then?

Palast made the comparison Bernie was a mayor, AMLO was a mayor too, but then qualified by saying AMLO was Mayor of a city that was a little bigger, a little rougher.

Burlington Vermont's population is around 43,000. Mexico City's population is close to 9,000,000. That's like 200 times the population.

I'm wondering when Bernie is going to travel to Mexico to start his Presidency. I'm sure he could teach the Mexicans how to make birria and raise corn.

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Interesting comparison.

[eleny]

2. They sound like they share educational and health care policies

As well as fair election goals.

I'm keeping an open mind about AMLO except for swallowing Koch style news reports about him.

[LuvLoogie]

7. I think any U.S.-centric comparisons are off. He is neither the Mexican Bernie Sanders, nor the

Mexican Hugo Chavez nor the Mexican trump.

I really cringe at anybody trying to assign any American parallel to AMLO. This was a seasoned Mexican politician, in a Mexican election who won the overwhelming support of the Mexican people.

Mexico is already closer to universal healthcare for its citizens. Tuition to Mexican public universities is already free to Mexican citizens. Add this to the fact that Mexico's Pemex oil company is state-owned.

Lopez Obrador, and Mexico itself, is further along than the U.S. in health and education policy.

[eleny]

8. I'm not surprised that comparison's are made

But I don't trust right wing descriptions of AMLO. The fact that his leanings are disparaged by some of our media which is more often owned by conservatives tells me he scares the right.

The fact that his election had an overwhelming number of voters turning out is a positive. And it's a lesson to us to gotv in November.

[NCTraveler]

3. I think this was an excellent choice by Mexico at this time.

That said, many of us have said for some time, Sanders form of populism is not pretty. It is similar to that of Obrador. The body of work is there for all to see.

Great comparison, Palast.

[demmiblue]

4. Just stop. You are part of the problem. n/t

[Cha]

17. "Just stop. You are part of the problem"

[Raine1967]

5. Quite honestly, (I haven't listened to the show) I've heard he's more like Trump.

I like Palast, but I don't think I believe this is a good comparison to be given a platform.

just my 2 cents.

[eleny]

6. AMLO is also calling for increased salaries in American owned auto factories in Mexico

Palast commented that one of Trump's cabinet members owns an interest in a number of auto plants in Mexico. If I'm not mistaken it's the Treasury Secy. Is that your recollection of what Palast asserted? He called that a nightmare for Trump.

[LuvLoogie]

9. I don't recall that part of the conversation, but I would say that most politicians run on

increasing wages. The mechanics of that varies. It seems that Obrador's position is that Mexican workers should be payed higher by all the foreign-owned factories. That's a pretty universal position I would think. He may have the juice to call for a work stoppage to force an increase, but I don't know if the NAFTA treaty would allow that.

[eleny]

10. Brining up the issue of auto workers salaries would further illustrate the U.S. Cabinet's corruption

I'd like to hear the Palast interview again. I missed the very start of it. But I'm pretty sure about the part where they discussed the auto factories.

[LuvLoogie]

13. I missed some of it as well. I may have been distracted during the auto worker discussion.

trump's actions indicate that he thinks he's playing hardball, but he's just a bull let loose in a China shop. Anybody who can be a gadfly on his ass, please do it.

[TCJ70]

11. Wow, you managed to take two people kind of talking about Bernie...

...and turn it into Bernie somehow talking about himself in an effort to get an attack in on him. That's...impressive...I guess.

[LuvLoogie]

12. They evoked Bernie's name more than AMLO's. You may be projecting a criticism of Bernie upon me.

I criticize putting Mexico's election in Bernie-centric terms. There's a difference. If anything it is a criticism of political appropriation of Mexico's electoral landscape and Progress by those assigning American Progressivism to Bernie Sanders.

If you heard the opening of the interview you would agree it was cringe-worthy.

[TCJ70]

14. I'm referring to the last line here:

I'm wondering when Bernie is going to travel to Mexico to start his Presidency. I'm sure he could teach the Mexicans how to make birria and raise corn.

It's not like Bernie is comparing himself to AMLO. This just seemed over the top to me.

[QC]

15. Spite is an ugly thing. n/t

[all american girl]

16. bernie gets credit for everything, it's becoming ridiculous these days.

I've never seen such a mediocre white man get credit for just standing there as much as I've seen bernie. A woman, who didn't get bernie's support wins, and bernie gets the credit. Now she is a bernie person, but she did the work, not him. This pisses me off. This has got to stop. Not everything is about bernie.