Stop thinking about winners, losers & horse race-Let's build at grass roots & debate what matters

[kpete]

Bernie Sanders really matters: He doesn’t have to win to build a progressive movement
Stop thinking about winners, losers and the dumb horse race.
Let's build at the grass roots and debate what matters

...................

Wouldn’t it be great to put America on a path like the one Vermont took? It could happen, but only if this latest Sanders campaign is as fearless and selfless as the first — and only if progressives see the opportunity and honor it with wise choices. The opportunity is the chance to define an agenda, build a movement and engage the nation in a real debate. A few preliminary thoughts on the choices:


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According to a recent article in Vox, the Clinton camp is mulling over the next round of health care reform with an eye toward an alliance with the insurance industry to drive down costs in other areas. It’s a horrible idea, vastly inferior to the public option that Obama proposed in 2008 but then abandoned. I believe that bringing back the public option is the only route to further savings for government and industry and premiums reductions for everyone else. It’s a debate we ought to have and one Sanders can easily force.

Because of Sanders we’re now assured of a very public Democratic debate over the Trans Pacific Partnership. Should Obama’s ISIS authorization request emerge from the shadows we’ll have another over America’s use of military force to advance its interests around the world. Both will present Clinton, along with many others, with hard choices. Because of Sanders all those choices will be harder to finesse.

The great debate is over the economy. For 20 years Clinton has been an apostle of information technology, finance capital and globalization. In the nineties it was called the new economy and everybody was for it. Everybody but Bernie Sanders, that is. As far back as 1983 Sanders was planting the seeds of the new “new economy.”


MORE:
http://www.salon.com/2015/05/03/bernie_sanders_really_matters_he_doesnt_have_to_win_to_build_a_progressive_movement/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[FreakinDJ]

1. Sanders is saying what needs to be said

Yes he can set a progressive agenda to the election cycle

[daleanime]

2. K&R.....

[blm]

3. Exactly….I loathe the empty horse race narrative the corpmedia furthers

as they display their personal lack of journalistic principles.

[cyberswede]

4. It would be cool if DUers would discuss each candidate's positions without sniping at each other.

The media obviously want a dog fight between Sanders and Clinton.

I think the differences between them can be discussed rationally and calmly, if people are willing to do it.

I'm getting snark fatigue already.

[TheProgressive]

5. No, we have to do both...

We have to maintain our momentum with the progressive movement AND
we need Senator Sanders as President.

Movements don't vote - progressive elected candidates vote.

Seems this recurring meme on DU is to say 'let Bernie lead the progressive movement, but let Hillary be President'.
To that I say, elect the real Democrat - Bernie.