Bernie Sanders pushed the Democrats to the left. But now it's time for someone else to take the lead

[Soph0571]

American progressives have much to thank Bernie Sanders for. The unexpected success of the democratic socialist and long-serving Vermont senator in the 2016 presidential primary helped push the Democratic party leftwards, demonstrating that once-fringe ideas like Medicare for All (universal health coverage) are popular with voters.

Sanders was the ideological lodestar for a youthful and diverse new generation of congressional progressives, including New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and America’s first Muslim congresswomen, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. It’s thanks to Bernie that the crowded 2020 presidential primary is already packed full of candidates vying for the progressive vote. Four of them – senators Kamala Harris of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Cory Booker of New Jersey – are co-sponsors of Sanders’ Medicare For All Bill.

Yet it’s possible to acknowledge all this and still feel disappointed that Sanders has decided to run for president
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But anyone with an interest in seeing real progressive change in the US – the expansion of Medicare for all, decisive action on climate change, free college tuition, a minimum living wage – should worry that if Sanders doesn’t win the primary, he’ll only serve to fragment the progressive vote. Which means it’s a shame that Sanders isn’t prepared to step back and throw his political weight behind the candidate he believes will best advance his political legacy.

[link:https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2019/02/bernie-sanders-pushed-democrats-left-now-it-s-time-someone-else-take|

An election with two old white male and stale pols to choose from is not reflective of 2020. At ALL. And he is not a democrat and he will not win the primary. Period.

PS - read the whole article. Very good

[Blue_Tires]

1. For the life of me I'll never understand the angle of these "savior of liberalism" stories

Did Obama get erased from existence?

[denverbill]

4. Obama wasn't liberal.

Compared to Republicans he was liberal. Compared to America, he was a conservative.

Obama's crowning achievement was implementation of the libertarian Affordable Care Act which left everything privatized. He never pushed for a public option even. He certainly never advocated any sort of national health care.

He didn't advocate for a $15 minimum wage. He didn't want free college education. He had the bully pulpit for 8 years and never led on anything. He opposed gay marriage before he 'evolved' on that. He may no attempt to break of the 'too big to fail' banks. He campaigned on renegotiating NAFTA but instead tried to pass the TPP. He practically begged Republicans to do the grand bargain to cut Social Security and Medicare and the only reason they didn't was because Republicans didn't want to do anything with him.

These are almost all positions that the majority of Americans favor, and no Democratic presidential candidate talked about until he did in 2016.

Obama was a decent President and is a good man. But he wasn't a liberal.

[Blue_Tires]

5. Wow.... Just wow....

Last edited Wed Feb 20, 2019, 10:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Well done, I'm beyond words. I knew I'd be getting the "Obama never did shit for us" revisionism thrown in my face again, I just wasn't expecting it this soon.

You *DO* remember that Obama tried to make all community colleges free only to get stonewalled by congress, right? Or are we just remembering what we WANT to remember? And I'm still waiting for the first Berner to answer this: Why didn't Mr. Medicare-For-All push harder for a better Obamacare? Because I promise you I don't remember St. Bern saying Jack Shit in 09-10... And believe me when I tell you that you do NOT want to play the "He was against it before he was for it" -game with Obama because I promise you I'll play it with St. Bern and it won't end well.

So please tell me Mr. 100% Pure Liberal, how many of those pie-in-the-sky fantasies has St. Bern proposed and gotten signed into law during his two decades in the Senate? If the answer isn't at least "several" then what the fuck has he been doing all this time? At what point is the rent due and Sanders has to start putting some action behind his words? Or is he just the conceptual ideals guy and it's up to others to find a way to make it happen?

Hate on Obama all you want, but at least he's been able to produce some tangible things I can actually touch. So far all Bernie has been able to produce is feel-good, old-school populist rhetoric and a lowkey bromance with Donald Trump.

EDIT: We're done here I guess. Good luck in the primaries, chief.

[justhanginon]

6. Have you forgotten about the birdie on the Bernie's podium?

And the crowd went wild!!!!!!!!! Surely a sign from above. Maybe not!

[BannonsLiver]

13. Amazing isn't it?

But it should be no surprise. Bernie himself wanted Obama out of office in 2012 when he called for him to be primaried. It’s no wonder his followers have a strong dislike for Obama as well. I don’t fall for the “he was a decent man” stuff. The truth of the matter is a lot of the Bernie true believers can’t stand Obama, as evidenced by the post above.

[SFnomad]

2. At this point, I think it's about ego more than anything. tRump and Putin are loving

every minute of it

[world wide wally]

3. Bernie should have run in the GOP primary just to fuck with them

[Blue_Tires]

7. That's actually a great point...

In 2012 Sanders screamed and howled about someone, anyone stepping up to offer a primary challenge to Obama because it was democracy in action and not even a sitting president should have a free ride to the nomination...

If he doesn't suggest the same for Donnie then I know exactly the kind of person he is.

[aikoaiko]

8. screamed and howled? Brief comments on radio shows on helping Obama stay on message.

The mythology about Bernie's supposed 2012 insurrection and primary challenge is astonishing.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. Thanks. you beat me to it. Simply amazing.

An off the cuff comment agreeing with a radio caller has morphed in to “he howled” and opened campaign offices.

Bizarre

[Blue_Tires]

10. My mistake, let me clarify:

It was Bernie who openly called for a primary challenger (there's no ambiguity about that)

It was certain high-profile DUers who "screamed and howled" about getting Obama out through the primary process... I'm not allowed to name names, but the threads from '11 and '12 are easy enough to find in the archives.

And my point still stands -- If Sanders isn't floating the SAME idea of a GOP primary challenger for Trump (especially since he's an "Independent" who speaks for himself and not the party), then he's a self-serving hypocrite coward...

[aikoaiko]

11. He's trying to help the Democratic Party, not the Republican Party.

I'm sure you disagree with that perspective, but that's how I see it.

I can only imagine the screaming and hollering if Bernie tried to help the Republicans put up a stronger, more centrist candidate than Trump. I think we would hear a lot of screaming and hollering.

[Blue_Tires]

12. I'd much rather Bernie openly joined the GOP

let him and his minions fuck up their races and candidates instead