Serious question. How would Bernie do it?

[nolabear]

I love hearing his vision and share his ideals. But I've been through most of two terms in which a man with vision and ideals has been blocked at every turn by a congress whose mission is to move us into a bizarre combination of oligarchy and dictatorial social regime.

People may be able to vote Bernie into office, which I doubt, but let's say they do. Now he has to butt heads with people who are in power and with whom the chasm is wide and the incentives are nil.

How's he going to do it?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. What are you asking out of him?

I'm not demanding he 'get anything done' simply so he can point to something and say 'we did that'. If he does nothing more than block a Republican-controlled Congress from screwing us over I would consider that a successful Presidency. I don't ask that my Presidents wave magic wands. I don't ask that they do the impossible. I ask from them what I ask from health care workers. First, do no harm. Don't sell humans out to make businesses more money. Don't help the greedy destroy the tax system or slash social safety nets in the name of reform. Don't murder people halfway across the world in the name of 'making me safer'.

I'd love it if he could reverse some of the destructive behaviours past Presidents have set us to doing, but I'll be happy if he just doesn't help Republicans in their quest to screw the rest of us over.

[Buzz Clik]

9. How do you evaluate Obama's administration?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

12. Mixed at best.

As you can possibly guess, I feel that in a number of way's he's enabled the MIC to murder under the pretense of keeping America 'safe', for instance, and that he's tried to enable Republicans in passing bad legislation a number of times, sometimes only being blocked because they can't bring themselves to work with him, even when he's offering them things they want. But he's also done some decent things as well, and I've lauded him on a number of occasions in the past when he's done such.

[jwirr]

15. I absolutely love President Obama and his family. I thank him for the progress he has made.

However, mistakes were made. I think that his first mistake was ever thinking that bunch of bigots in the rw would work with him on anything that was not solely for their benefit. I realize that he wanted to make peace but they did not and do not. Because of this there were times that he traded off things that did not help us but further benefited their efforts to destroy government.

I also think that at the time he took office the rw bankers and politicians had run the country into the ground and we were setting on the edge of another great depression. The mistake came when he appointed rw banksters and politicians like Rahm to run a good part of our government instead of FDR Democrats. The people he nominated did nothing to help him.

And today it seems that he may very well still be working on the effort to make the rw happy so they will like him by supporting the TPP and the rest of the trade bills.

He has not had an easy time even from a centrist point of view and that he has actually gotten some progress on left wing issues is a miracle in my opinion. The system is rigged and it was against him to.

[Buzz Clik]

16. Getting back to the OP: I do not believe that anyone would judge kindly...

... an administration that accomplished nothing but block Congress.

[jwirr]

18. After 30+ years of rethug rule I think you are wrong. Especially when the candidate himself is

honest enough from the very beginning about his chances of making change. Also we are seeing that Bernie is very capable of talking straight to the people. It can work for him then also.

BTW there are many ways that a president can bring about change without congress. I am not aware of all of them but he will use them. He will also use the veto. No president is totally helpless.

[jwirr]

11. Exactly. He has been very honest with us. He cannot do it alone. But then I don't think any of our

candidates could. It is "we" who can make a difference if one can be made - what we need from our president is leadership. Someone who is going to show us the way.

[moondust]

29. Good perspective.

[arcane1]

2. That's why he says he needs US to make anything happen

Specifically, voting the bums out

[elleng]

3. He wouldn't, none of them/us will

unless DNC gets off it's ass and works as Howard Dean did, 50 STATE STRATEGY, and get the bums OUT!

[djean111]

4. From your point of view, NO Democrat elected to the Presidency can get anything done.

Unless they roll over for the GOP, and I am afraid of what would actually get done.
So, again from your point of view, why not Bernie?

[nolabear]

20. I'm not advocating, I'm asking.

But in your opinion wheres the line between rolling over and working with?

[djean111]

22. "Working with" the GOP seems to consist of giving in, little by little, to their demands.

Or else something like the TPP, which seems to be the beloved baby of Obama and the GOP, but not Congressional Dems.

I just see that a lot - "but Bernie can't accomplish any of his agenda with a GOP Congress!" Why wouldn't that be true for ANY Dem who got elected? Unless that Dem agreed with the GOP on issues. The GOP will not work with Hillary any more than they would for Bernie. Good grief, investigating Hillary is a full time job for some of them right now. And Bernie has much much more Congressional experience than Hillary. So I don't understand why the posts (you are not the only one) lamenting that the GOP Congress would never work with Bernie - IMO they are even less likely to work with Hillary.
I admit I have not a clue about how well they would work with O'Malley. But the GOP are not going to turn liberal, no matter who is president.

[nolabear]

34. It sounds very all or nothing.

What would Betnie bring to the negotiating table with the GOP?

[djean111]

36. For starters, he has worked alongside them for many many years. Plus, I would bet that the GOP

will just immediately start to try and impeach Hillary over emails and Benghazi. Bullshit, I know, but that is what they will be concentrating on. More gridlock. Again, why is it only Bernie who gets singled out as "the GOP Congress won't work with bernie if he is elected". The GOP dislikes Hillary, IMO, as much as they dislike Obama.

[nolabear]

42. Do you think they won't try to fling everything they can at him?

I don't know what those things might be but it'll be interesting to see if they get worried enough to try.

[djean111]

49. Of course they will. But - Issa would spend years and years, going after Hillary and paralyzing

Congress. Like it or not, they have a lot of ammunition stored up, and a lot of hate.

[nolabear]

50. If they do, and I agree they will, no matter who it is

It's possible people will get fed up. Is there anyone on deck to carry things forward if Hillary or Bernie can just move things a bit?

[djean111]

61. Maybe some Dems can grow a spine and join Warren and Franken and Dems like that. Gotta start

somewhere.

[bluesbassman]

5. Erich and arcane pretty much nailed it in the first two responses.

[99th_Monkey]

6. I cannot speak for Bernie, but ..

Bernie has been in Congress for 24 years & before that he was Mayor of Burlington.

He's no dummy. Bernie knows where most of the bodies are buried and where
the levers of power are, and how they work.

I also sense that for most of that time, he had no presidential aspirations; he was
focused on actually representing the people and not big money interests. I can't
think of a better preparation for the Oval Office than that.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. incrementally

Progress has been made in those two terms you refer to. What Bernie needs to do is to keep pressing forward. Not find some "third way" and not to turn in another direction.

Remember that with the shift in demographics, by 2020 our advantage could become insurmountable. If so, then we should start to see bigger changes take place in Pres. Sander's second term.

Don't expect everything overnight. That won't happen.

[KT2000]

8. He would tell it like it is -

He does not mince words so he would tell the American people exactly what is at stake, who is blocking progress, and name the corporate powers that are seeking greater powers. Congress would have to answer his blunt language - and they would reveal themselves.

[MuseRider]

10. Remember the olden days

when Presidents talked to the country directly? Not for photo ops or a short video of a talk to a specific group but an hour or less in prime time to push their agenda or discuss what was going on with us.

I don't think Senator Sanders stands on convention. I see him as a guy out to inspire us to do and be better. What he has said is that he needs us. We need to be willing to let our Reps know what we want in much larger numbers than is happening now. He is engaging the public with straight forward talk and seems that talking to us is not a bother (I find that quite compelling). We are in this together, he has a role that I suspect will set him apart from the past distance we have had with our Presidents and we are to do what we can to push our country forward by not just sitting there complaining.

[KingCharlemagne]

13. This is a legitimate question and one I think Senator Sanders should be prepared

to address early and in detail.

I don't have any answer and I share your concern.

In my wilder flights of fancy, I imagine Sanders' coattails sweeping Dem majorities into place in the House and Senate (think 1932). But no one right now is making that prediction seriously.

[MADem]

32. With or without Sanders, we have a good chance of getting back

at least one chamber. We're defending ten senate seats, the GOP is trying to hang on to 23 or 24.

[KingCharlemagne]

40. Yup. Sorry I wasn't clearer. No one I read is predicting Dems will regain the House (whence

legislation originates) in 2016, thereby prompting the question: how shall a Dem President, no matter who he or she is, govern?

[MADem]

53. Hopefully, with wisdom and an eye towards the future, and

"We, The People," first and foremost in his or her heart.

[nolabear]

55. Right. Good question all around.

[nolabear]

14. So what I'm hearing is that he'll convince people to follow his vision and vote out the GOP.

So, midterms, is that right? He'll spend the first two years moving enough people so that they'll change their minds about "terrorists" and corporate taxes that will fund free education and socialized medicine--again, all of which I support--and the changes will be broad and sweeping.

Please understand I am not being sarcastic or snarky. Admittedly I feel like changes will be more likely to actually occur in a more cooperative and incremental way, but that takes some serious refusal to being taken advantage of by the snakes you're handling.

[treestar]

28. That would be so miraculous

That he could have done a lot of it already as a Senator. He should have run sooner if he has such persuasive powers. I think a lot of his supporters naively think that since he is "right" it just has to go out there and the voters will be convinced and they will follow right along.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. The ability to move legislation through the Congress is the single most important attribute for a

US President to possess. Some people are of a mind that spending many years in both houses of that Congress is a good way to obtain the skills required of an effective President. I would say that experience in the House is a plus few candidates offer, and a valuable one.

Any Democrat elected will have to deal with the Congress that is also elected. This is not exclusive to Bernie, it's the universal challenge and it is why electing a more Democratic Congress is an extremely important part of Presidential politics.

[hootinholler]

19. Rather than dismiss his grass roots once in office

He will keep them engaged in working on a congress that will back him.

The first step for us is to gain the nomination, but make no mistake I for one am in for the long haul.

[nolabear]

21. Will those grass roots be enough in number?

I fear not. If my scenario is accurate and there aren't enough in the grass roots element how will he win others over in order to win the midterms?

I suppose I'm troubled enough by the hard right, who sell soap and so get vast media, to wonder how he will first get the ear of any sway-able middle, or even mid-left, and then get them to donate and work and vote.

[hootinholler]

23. If it's large enough to carry him to the white house

It's large enough to give him a congress that can be pressured by public opinion. Success breeds success. I could see Bernie calling for a march on Washington over a big issue.

The truly hard right, and some in the tea party not even a majority, can only be beaten.

[LWolf]

24. From my perspective,

I didn't see a man with a vision I shared; instead, he seemed to have spent most of his 2 terms reaching out to Republicans; I was under the bus when he started making appointments in '08, before he was even inaugurated. So maybe that affects my pov, but I didn't see him fight, at least, not for things I wanted. He DID seemed determined to fight for things I didn't.

On the other hand, Sanders knows when to fight, when to draw a line in the sand, and when to say, "It's not enough, but better than nothing."

At least he wouldn't be giving away the candy store in an effort to make friends with psychopaths, and he'd know when to push the agenda, when to hold a line, and to never give up ground.

And, of course, THIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026794996

[wyldwolf]

25. At the very least our nominee has to sweep a Democratic Senate in with her/him

We WON'T win the house. Out of reach for at least a decade.

Then a series of executive decisions backed by a newly liberal-friendly supreme court.

OR the easier route - magic progressive pixie dust.

[wyldwolf]

59. Wow.

Blah blah blah.

You're very good at off-topic personal attacks. And making enemies.

[virtualobserver]

26. He will do what Obama has rarely done....use the bully pulpit

it is only way.

[Juicy_Bellows]

60. What you said.

I think Obama could have at least garnered a helluva lot more empathy if he addressed the nation directly a few times. I don't recall him ever really doing that - I agree it is the right thing to do. Some critics may say that won't accomplish anything and that may be true. However, you can't criticize someone for trying but you can easily critique someone that doesn't.

[treestar]

27. Good question

It would be even worse for Bernie. If Congress were Republican, no budget would get passed and the debt ceiling would never be raised. If they hold Bernie to the standard they hold Obama too, Bernie would have to veto every budget due to some of its aspects that the Republicans would not do without. The government would be closed the whole time.

For that matter, Blue Dog and Moderate Democrats would put things Bernie can't agree to in bills.

[Dems to Win]

30. Need a Bernie supporter running for every congressional seat in the country

And every open Senate seat.

If Bernie is able to catch fire and WIN (and I do think it is within the realm of possibility), he needs a reasonable Congress. The Bernie supporters need to at least have the choice available on every ballot in the land, to elect Bernie AND a congressional rep that will support Bernie's agenda.

Electing one guy is not enough, we need a movement to sweep into power in DC.

[onecaliberal]

31. As opposed to Hillary who republicans have hated for decades?

Are you suggesting they'll suddenly work with her, but not Bernie?

[nolabear]

35. Good question.

I think they might. For all the reasons the Bernie supporters love. But I don't see him saying he wants to work with them either. Maybe he's just busy laying the groundwork for his campaign and will get to it later.

[onecaliberal]

39. They definitely have a lot more in common with Hillary

Since they are both pro corporate America, pro banker, pro oil. So I guess essentially they would prefer Hillary. I think one of them even said they'd be okay with either bush or Clinton.

[nolabear]

41. This is about Bernie, though.

I'm trying not to let this go too far off to any other candidate though I know it's impossible.

[onecaliberal]

51. They're not going to work with Bernie. They're not going to work with

Anyone who wants to take money from them. Or regulate them, or make things fair. Their whole reason for being is the antithesis of everything Bernie stands for. Bernie is for people. Republicans and corporate candidates are for ever more money and power. They are willing to make the planet uninhabitable for humans. Their greed knows no bounds.

[kentuck]

33. He will get the people to do it for him?

Bernie has said that one man cannot do the job that needs to be done. He has called for a "political revolution" to change the direction this country is going. Will enough people agree with him to make those changes? That is an open question, although some truly believe he has no chance? I tend to think it is still an open question.

It doesn't really matter who the Democrats vote for - what matters is who the voters will follow. Otherwise, what results could we expect with a continuation of the status quo?

[mvd]

44. It certainly helps to start with the liberal point of view, which he would

And he would fight as hard as Obama is for TPP, only for things like more income equality and moving towards single payer. As much as I like Kucinich, Bernie would not be afraid to do some compromise - he knows that he can't get 100% of what he wants. Plus he would appeal to the people.

[Exilednight]

37. How did George II do it?

He held congress hostage and stuck with his principles.

I don't give Bush credit for much of anything, but he knew how to cram legislation down the throat of congress.

[Recursion]

56. He didn't. He accomplished almost nothing of his agenda and had to triangulate constantly

W got his war, and that's it.

He had to pass the tax cut by reconciliation, which meant it sunsetted a few years ago (he was excoriated by conservative activists as a cave-in happy RINO for that).

His attempt to privatize Social Security failed miserably.

His only other big policy pushes were triangulation: Medicare Part D and No Child Left Behind.

[zappaman]

38. Easy, simple answer.

You're welcome.

[nolabear]

43. No, let's not snark. It'll degenerate what's a pretty good conversation.

I really do want to know what people know or think about Bernie and how he'd do the job. I don't dismiss anything.

[Aerows]

45. Did President Obama accomplish good things while in office?

If you say "Yes"

That's exactly how Bernie Sanders would accomplish good things.

[Agschmid]

46. Try it out yourself...

http://www.270towin.com

And share what you think will happen.

[Aerows]

47. LMAO

Thank you for putting it right out there. This "Hillary is the only one that can win" nonsense is farcical. Nobody wants anyone in the clown car to win, and even amongst Democrats, Hillary has tepid support.

I'm really sorry she didn't win in 2008, but she isn't a shoo-in for 2016 either.

[Agschmid]

48. In general Democrats (if the base turns out)...

have a high probability of winning the 2016 campaign. That's the gist here.

[nolabear]

54. That's interesting. I'll have a look.

[cheapdate]

52. If Republicans control either house of congress, he'll fare no better than Obama, maybe worse.

They'll block and obstruct his every move with everything they've got. They'll force crises and shutdown the government, etc.

[malokvale77]

57. "How's he going to do it?"

OK, but how is she going to do it?

[quaker bill]

62. Unfair question, better stated, "How is anyone going to do it?"

With Bernie there actually is an answer.

The only path to Bernie taking the oath on 1/20/17 is a wave election. Any thing short of that puts Hillary in the WH.

As we somewhat saw in 2008, wave elections run down the ballot a fair distance. In that this will need to be a bigger wave (no massive anti-Bush* sentiment this time), the effects, if they happen at all, will run deeper.

Any realistic scenario that puts Bernie in the WH, by necessity, brings a lot of change with it. If you game it out, Bernie does not win playing his hand any other way. This is why what he is doing is so smart. If he can't bring that level of change, finishing second to Hillary is just fine.

[TexasBushwhacker]

63. Bernie will be elected because people are fed up

with the political status quo. Every representative and a third of the Senate will be up for reelection. I'm guessing there will be a major shake up in Congress.

[grahamhgreen]

64. By promoting positions that are widely held by a majority of R's & D's. Like

auditing the Fed. Fair tax in the wealthiest. Bolstering Social Security, etc..