Should Bernie Sanders start his own political party?

[SecularMotion]

Senator Bernie Sanders is still a hero to millions on the left, especially those disaffected with the Democratic Party. Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats but has always been an Independent, showed during the primary that he could galvanize passionate supporters but couldn't capture the Democratic nomination. Sanders' fans say he was treated unfairly and should just start his own party. Others think he should try to reform the Democrats.

Many Berniecrats think the Democratic Party is just too corrupt for reform. They say corporations will always call the shots in that party, and they are urging Sanders to found a new one:

But Bernie has said he would prefer to work with in the existing Democratic Party to make it more progressive.

Plenty of Bernie's critics in the Democratic Party would be thrilled to see him go start his own. They're tired of his critiques, still angry that he wanted to primary President Obama in 2012, and point out that after they gave him so much influence over writing their platform, he continues to bash Democrats. The Democrats will never be "progressive" enough for him, so he should go do his own thing.

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/should_bernie_sanders_start_hi.html

[dhill926]

1. No...

[Kingofalldems]

2. Come on now--we have one common enemy.

Stop this.

[kerouac2]

3. Hail No.

Consolidate, not separate.

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. NO

[Warpy]

5. NO.

If the GOP collapses, THAT will open the door to the formation of a progressive party.

Until then, it's a fool's errand.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. No. He needs to do exactly what he's been doing -

which is try to shove the Democratic Party back to its New Deal principles. Anyhow, third parties don't work well at all on the national level because of the Electoral College. Sometimes third party candidates can get elected in state and local elections but that's as far as they can get.

[hollowdweller]

7. No

[butdiduvote]

8. No.

Bernie's most ardent supporters should quit insisting their way is the only way. The Democratic Party is a big-tent party with room for lots of voices, and you're not always going to get your perfect candidate.

[burrowowl]

9. No!

Now is not the time, later if the Repug collapses!

[Doodley]

10. No.

[LongTomH]

11. Don't go there ---- I'm saying this as a Democrat AND a supporter of Bernie Sanders

It will harm the Democratic party.

It will also, potentially, delegitimize Bernie Sanders and his continuing support to build a progressive movement within the Democratic party, and I think that is what this article is trying to do.

[riverwalker]

12. No, stop it n/t

[Chasstev365]

13. ABSOLUTELY!

NOT!

We need to move the Democratic Party back to its New Deal roots, Truman and Johnson's fighting spirit, and Kennedy's inspiration.

Bernie is not that person.

Can anyone do it at least SOME of that?

[Equinox Moon]

14. I'm open.

[we can do it]

15. Not just no. Hell no.

[Jane Austin]

16. No.

n/t

[GP6971]

17. No. n/t

[greytdemocrat]

18. HAHAHA!!!

[SecularMotion]

19. Kick

[JHB]

20. No, and he's not going to, so this is someone else's hot air

[randome]

21. He needs to retire with all the other septeugenarians.

Sorry if that's ageist but this country needs new blood and new thinking. The GOP is in the same position.

[DrDan]

22. you are kidding, right?

[nikibatts]

23. This is so disgusting.

NO. I will try to quote this accurately to Bernie supporters

It is still"easier to fool people than to convince them that they have already been fooled."

[MyNameGoesHere]

24. Other than independent?

I don't know. He should stay as an independent probably. I am not sure joining multiple parties shows a conviction of beliefs. It could appear someone is shopping for a Goldilocks party.

[SticksnStones]

25. What better way to stop the dominance of the Republican Party

Than to split up the Democratic Party.

Great plan! What could possible go wrong? Besides a few more generations of Republican barbarians at the gate.

[octoberlib]

27. This is the dumbest thing I've ever read. NO. If Bernie started his own party, it would split the

party and ensure a permanent Republican presidency. Bernie would never go along with this.

[tavernier]

28. Well he kinda did

and how did that work out for both our candidates?

No tomatoes please; I love them both.

[aikoaiko]

29. LOL. Anyone who would answer affirmatively would be permabanned from DU.

In fact if a known Bernie supporter had posted this OP they would have been banned.

[Iggo]

30. Keep fighting that primary, kids!

[NCTraveler]

31. Yelling at walls does not require one to start their own party.

The thought process that it would be "his own political party" is very telling. I find that his most ardent supporters are the ones who know him the least.

[theglammistress]

32. Hell to the No.

He could, however, actually join the Democratic party.

[socialist_n_TN]

33. Practically, probably not..........

Philosophically, that depends on the party and its platform.

Practically to split from the Democratic Party at this time, ESPECIALLY if the new party ran candidates in all elections, would be to split the "leftish" vote and ensure the Republicans would win pretty much everything. Now if the Republicans split, which IMO IS a possibility, then all bets are off. This scenario is something that I've been expecting to happen eventually, I'm just not sure of the timing.

But philosophically, another party could be in the cards IF the centrist Democrats continue their stranglehold on the levers of power in the Democratic Party. The progressive wing is even now gaining influence with the masses with leadership of the current demonstrations, the resistance to the Trump agenda. When 15 Dem Senators vote to confirm EVERY one of Trump's picks for governmental posts, there's a YUGE split in the works. A big tent isn't big enough sometimes, especially if the tent excludes the majority. Are Sanders style progressives the majority of the Party? Who knows at this point, but I DO think that they are gaining this status with every concession to Trumpism by the centrists.

But I don't think that Bernie would be the one to lead any new party. If you just want to "reform" capitalism, you might as well stick with the Dems and try to make it more progressive and LESS neo-liberal and Reaganlike. Since Bernie supports capitalism, he should stick with the Dems and try to change them.

But a workers' party that explicitly puts people's needs over capitalists profits, even if it doesn't start as anti-capitalist in name, could very well be a reality within the next few years. Anything less than that and you might as well stick with and try to reform the Democrats.

[SecularMotion]

34. The Democratic Party will never become the Progressive Party

There is a reason why they both exist.

[socialist_n_TN]

36. Sure it can. It's done it before and it can do it again........

If the US is on the brink of a workers' revolution within the next couple of years, the Dems will turn "progressive" faster than you can say the word. Of course, that "progressivism" will only be social democratic in form (like FDR) and ONLY in order to stave off that workers' revolution (just like the FDR era), but yeah it'll turn to Bernie style progressivism rather than that alternative. Of course, it might also compromise with the fascists to stave off that workers' revolution too. Which side they compromise with depends on the social forces at work at the time.

Compromise is what the Dems are built for. In the last 50 years or so, it's been compromise with the right, but if a true left becomes ascendant, then they'll compromise with them too. Anything to keep capitalism in place.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

35. The only party he should start is a retirement party

eom

[TransitJohn]

37. No

He should continue to make the Democratic Party stronger.

[Blue_Tires]

38. I thought we already had this goddamned discussion ad nauseam?

[NurseJackie]

39. Stop it already. It's over! OVER!

[Dream Girl]

40. Absolutely! If we want to ensure a permanent Republican majority

It would be just what the doctor ordered for them. The hubris of that man. I think he has done enough to "good" already

[MineralMan]

41. No, for Jebus' sake.

He should either join the Democratic Party officially or step back and criticize from outside. He is not a Democrat already. If he wishes to start his own party, then he should do that. If that is not his wish, he should join the Democratic Party.

I'm tired of discussing Sanders at this point. That time has passed.