Bernie's hitting the road, pitching the reconciliation bill in red states !

[applegrove]

Bernie’s hitting the road, pitching the reconciliation bill in red states

Aug 22, 2021 7:16pm Eastern Daylight Time 

by Dem, Community

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/22/2047562/-Bernie-s-hitting-the-road-pitching-the-reconciliation-bill-in-red-states

"SNIP......


I want voters in red states, blue states and purple states to understand that Congress will soon be voting on the most significant piece of legislation to benefit working families since the New Deal and the Great Depression, and that not one Republican will vote for it. Not one.”

He then points out that the same republican senators who will vote against this bill voted for the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. Next he states that he wants to make clear what is (will be) in this reconciliation bill. 

“addressing such structural crises as income and wealth inequality, climate change, health care, education and housing and, in the process, create millions of good-paying jobs.”

He says that it will be paid for by raising taxes on the wealthy and on corporations. 

“Yes. We will take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry, which charges U.S. residents the highest prices in the world by far for prescription drugs. Under our proposal, Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate prescription drug prices with the industry.” Many seniors have to ration their medication or can’t afford it. This situation is unconscionable. This will dramatically lower medication prices for America’s seniors. 

......SNIP"

[applegrove]

1. Bernie is the best person for the job. Best wishes to him.

[Skittles]

2. are you replying to yourself?

just curious

[applegrove]

4. Yes. Rarely do I add my two cents in the OP. I post just the article as it was published.

Then i chime in below often. I figure why force people to read my ideas unless they want to. I post articles from amalgamation websites and such that I think are salient. My take may be less salient. So i reply to my own posts.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

7. As a big Bernie supporter,

I think Applegrove is spot-on.

Bernie's message has always been consistent and he has shown again and again over the years that he will "walk the walk" for America's citizens. He is not afraid to voice his ideas and opinions to those who might not be receptive to them; he is willing to talk to them and work to convince them as to why his platform would be helpful to our country.

In short, Bernie truly gives a damn about all of us and I am proud to support him and his message.

[rgbecker]

21. Could not have said it better.

Bernie will make it clear and straight forward. No double talk. Just the facts.

[Skittles]

22. he, does talk

[WHITT]

3. They Really Need To Get

this legislation passed before some Dem Senator falls off his bike, hits his head and dies, or one of them dies from covid even after being fully vaxed.

[applegrove]

5. Sounds scary.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Or simply doesn't wake up in the morning

We’ve got a few candidates there, including Bernie.

[Demsrule86]

16. We have to wait until the fall...not sure the exact date. This has to do with the

rules for reconciliation. This is why moderates want the smaller bipartisan bill approved first or simultaneously as they want it done for the mid-terms. And they fear the GOP will be successful in derailing the larger bill.

[mahina]

6. God bless him.

[Casady1]

9. Bernie- Red states

I don't think he is suited for red states.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. Not that simple. In some cases he can move more voters than a moderate can...

... on economic issues in particular. A moderate like Joe Manchin can get more votes overall in a red state like West Virginia than someone like Bernie Sanders, but Bernie can make the case on an economic issue that can make a huge difference to working class voters (in particular whites, people of color usually don't need convincing) more effectively than many other Democrats.

If the goal is to build enough new support for the reconciliation bill in Red States, outside of nominal Democratic voting blocs, to help establish how popular it is out in the states in general, Bernie is a good voice to add to a full court press.

[Demsrule86]

15. I don't know about that...seen no instances where this was the case. However, my fear is the

the legislation will become linked to the far left in the minds of red-staters and cost us moderate support for the bill.

[brooklynite]

27. In what instance head he moved voters who weren't already his supporters?

[Tom Rinaldo]

28. Gallop doesn't exactly poll on that but...

If you are willing to move beyond two plus two equals four, to at least two plus three equals five, there are solid indications.

In 2016 there was a lot of polling that indicated that some former Bernie "supporters" ended up voting for Trump. I will grant that of those some legitimately qualified as actual Bernie "supporters" who then "moved on" to Trump, but many others were never actual supporters of Sanders, they just tuned in to parts of his economic message in some "rust belt" and "mining" states (such as West Virginia) and showed some interest in voting for him had he been the Democratic nominee. I am not talking about his fringe left wing supporters who can swing about like a weather vane, rather occasional rural voters who lean Independent or Republican, some of those so called Reagan Democrats in other words. Sanders drew support from some rank and file Union voters who once were reliably Democratic but more often than not have voted Republican in recent years. I don't exactly call such folk "Sanders supporters", but his pitch on bread and butter issues resonated with many of them.

Technically this counts as anecdotal of course, but did you watch any of the Town Halls Bernie held in West Virginia for example? A lot of the people who attended and nodded vigorously when Bernie made his points, and who later gave him an ovation, were neither leftist nor reliably Democratic voters.

[brooklynite]

29. How do you know the composition of the audience?

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. I watched at least one of them on CNN

At the time they reported on the makeup of the audience at the start of the broadcast, and they made an effort to have a representative cross section of West Virginians present. Plus people who asked questions self reported their political affiliations, and it was mixed. And from what they were saying/asking, they did seem mixed to me. It could have all been a set up but I guess I'm not cynical enough to think that.

[betsuni]

12. He thinks Republican voters are secretly democratic socialists, agree with "his" policies.

They aren't racist, just suffer from economic insecurity. If they hear Bernie explain to them about inequality, they'll join the working class revolution. He's been doing these town halls with Trump voters and independents since 2017.

[NurseJackie]

13. You are correct. New England style politics isn't warmly received in Peoria.

For better or worse, Bernie's reputation precedes him, and not everyone feels comfortable with him. Obviously, this means his message will be completely ignored (best case scenario) or his message will be viewed with such extreme skepticism and cynicism that if a more moderate or centrist politician tries to deliver the same message, it will ALSO be forever rejected because they now associate it with Bernie. As we recently saw in Ohio, Bernie's influence appears to not reach further than his own base or like-minded individuals.

All I'm trying to say is that sometimes it's best to for people to just stick to the rivers and lakes that they're used to... rather than chasing intangible dreams without regard to the consequences.

[Arazi]

14. Oh ffs

Divisive much? 🤬

[ismnotwasm]

17. Before his presidential aspirations

Bernie Sanders was well known as someone who could “reach across the aisle” to Republicans.

Now, I think he will have a more difficult time. Much more difficult.

[WHITT]

18. I Dunno

Seems a lot of Repubs think taxes should be raised on the Rich & Corporate, that eldercare should be expanded, that Medicare should be able to negotiate drug prices, and on and on. Certainly not the extremists, but a sizable chunk.

[OBrien]

19. Now they'll think it's evil socialism

If it coming from him. Dumb idea snd probably worse than futile.

[applegrove]

20. Bernie is popular with the base. It is the powers that be that spout

and start the anti socialism message. People like Bernie. He'll win over a few. Maybe many.

[Cha]

24. The "Base" of our Democratic Party is

our POC Voters.. especially WOC.

They are our Loyal Voters and have been Invaluable for our Democracy! They're Always there for us. They are our "Base".

And, I Appreciate them so Much!

Women of color lead the fight for voting rights 101 years after suffrage

*snip*

Today, women are the majority of the U.S. electorate, and Black women are the most loyal and consistent voters in the Democratic Party. A record number of women and LGBTQ+ people serve in Congress and the current administration, including several who hold pioneering leadership positions.

https://19thnews.org/2021/08/john-lewis-voting-rights-act-suffrage-anniversary/

That's our Democratic Party's Base.

[applegrove]

25. I meant the GOP base. There were estimated Bernie could have broken through to them

with his straight talk populism. I think that is why Biden is sending him to red states. They are following Trump the populist and may just be ready to jump horses from someone who is actually selling stuff they need in a populist way.

[Deminpenn]

23. Maybe some people don't like the word "socialism", but they surely

do and will like the policies Sanders will be laying out.

[BeckyDem]

26. +1

[gratuitous]

30. This is a good idea for several reasons

First, a visit from a nationally-known figure stirs up local interest, and shows the folks toiling away in these Republican strongholds that the party hasn't forgotten them and appreciates their work.

Second, people with a knee-jerk reaction to Bernie Sanders get a chance to see him without the Fox filter intervening and shading what he has to say. The local media, even if they're heavily conservative, don't have the same slick built-in bias that Fox has. Local people will have a chance to see Sen. Sanders personally and decide for themselves if he's the demon they've been told he is.

Third, the message behind the legislation gets presented the way we want it presented, again without the Fox filter immediately coloring people's perceptions. Some voters will surely get a different perspective on the Democratic proposal and perhaps change their minds.

Will it automatically turn these Republican strongholds into Democratic strongholds? Of course not. But if we're going to change perceptions there, this is probably the best tool we have for doing it. Carry the message directly and personally to the people we're trying to reach.

[electric_blue68]

32. Successful, and Safe Travels, Bernie. 👍