Sanders to have major input in writing of Democratic Party platform

[swag]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Bernie Sanders will get highly unusual say over the drafting of the Democratic Party platform this year even if, as expected, he loses the primary contest to Hillary Clinton.

The two Democratic candidates have agreed with Democratic Party officials to a new apportionment of the 15-member committee that writes the platform, according to Democratic officials familiar with the compromise worked out this mnth.

Sanders will name five members and Clinton six, based on the number of popular votes each has received to date, one official said. Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will name four. The campaign choices were selected in consultation with the campaigns and the DNC from larger slates of 12 and 10 suggested by the campaigns.

DNC rules allow the chairman to pick the entire slate of 15 people who govern the platform that will be presented at the party convention in July.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-scores-platform-concessions-from-democratic-national-committee/2016/05/23/e9ee8330-20fc-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html

[closeupready]

1. Something is better than nothing, I guess.

K&R

[bkkyosemite]

2. They need to wait until after the votes are all in before they portion them out.

[riversedge]

77. Did you read the article. All havealready agreed.

[bkkyosemite]

109. Yes and they shouldn't have until all the votes were in.

[bjo59]

111. Agree with you.

[Baobab]

132. BUT HILLARY WONT WIN

thats the problem, Hillary will lose She is part of the problem. She wont get votes.

[Cryptoad]

148. Over 15 million peeps say u are wrong..........

[Baobab]

180. She wont win the general election.

She wont-

She's a shameless liar.

[LibraLiz1973]

187. And Donald Trump is known as Mr. Honesty, right?

It's so ludicrous. This whole election is shameful.

[LanternWaste]

185. Creative prophecy. Bias often orders its undisciplined mind to pretend things.

Creative prophecy. Bias often orders its undisciplined mind to pretend things that are simply not true. And that lazy mind will simply repeat the prophecy over and over again, tilting at windmills.

[Baobab]

186. Yes, and that means you're in denial.

Hillary Clinton won't win the general election.

She is the most unpopular Democratic candidate ever.

And its for good reasons, unfortunately.

[Baobab]

188. Follow the links in my sig, can you see them?

curious what you think.

Honest, or not?

[LiberalLovinLug]

174. Yeah it smacks of desparation in the Hillary camp

Get this 5 - 10 majority sealed in place before she loses California.

[Phlem]

47. They're still working the game.

They say things to appease the opponent so the challenging stops.

Let's actually run through this election before concessions.

Otherwise it's still all talk, you know, like Hillary.

[closeupready]

63. I can be so naive. Thanks.

[Phlem]

74. No worries.

[rock]

3. Sounds like a joke

[mac56]

24. Care to explain?

[rock]

120. See my answer to Horensis, just below

[Hortensis]

34. Why, Rock? The pros agreed to it, so why not fine?

"The change was made to be inclusive of Sanders supporters..." That's only right, surely, and this is what politics is about, reaching consensus. Next step, reaching more consensus.

Expect complaints from those who don't believe in consensus, of course, but oh well.

[rock]

124. Well first of all

The article itself says "Bernie has been given highly unusual say ...". And this is for the loser. Most political contests are a winner take all variety. Of course from a practical point of view, it really depends on what Benie's planks are (and that is not indicated). Bottom line is I'm a skeptic.

[Hortensis]

134. Well, first of all, all 15 positions are Wasserman's

duty to fill. If she chooses to fulfill that duty by having each of the 2 candidates help with the choices, that is her decision.

Second, they're doing it because this is about the people of the Democratic Party--because at bottom line voters have the final say--and those people include a substantial number for whom Bernie is speaking.

I could be called too easy to please because I accept that even at best the workings of democracy will always be messy and imperfect, but I do think that what seems to be happening here is what should be happening.

[Cobalt Violet]

154. and why does nasty Debbie get 4? She didn't win anything!

Why does she get anything?

[rock]

165. See reply #134 just before yours

She explains it very well.

[Phlem]

52. It's shit like this is why Sanders voters won't vote for Hillary.

[alarimer]

70. I don't get why they have to be so petty and small.

Sore winners, maybe.

[Duckhunter935]

76. Yep

[TheCowsCameHome]

181. Nothing new from the gunslinger.....

[Gene Debs]

5. "Sanders will name five members and Clinton six...

[and] Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will name four."

Which effectively means Sanders will name four and Clinton ten.

[Bayard]

13. FOUR?

Why should Wasserman get to choose four? How has she earned that?

[beastie boy]

19. You must have missed this insignificant detail:

DNC rules allow the chairman to pick the entire slate of 15 people who govern the platform that will be presented at the party convention in July.

[Hortensis]

37. So now you know Debbie will allow 11 to be

named by the candidates themselves. But how has the Chairman of the DNC "earned" the right to make that decision? You seem to have wandered a bit far from reality.

[pangaia]

129. The reality is the DNC rule that the chair gets to name all the members is shit...

THAT is the type of thing Bernie is fighting

[ripcord]

167. Maybe it is finally getting through the thick heads at the DNC

Things need to change, if Bernie does nothing else he is getting people talking about this crap.

[JohnnyRingo]

178. I'm not sure how Sanders has the right to change the rules.

He's only been a member of the party for about a year and he wants to overhaul the system. Maybe he should have run as an Independent and seen how that worked out.

If I were to join the Shriners next week I'd have a lot of balls to stand up and demand an end to their stupid fez hats just because I don't look good in one.

[afertal]

183. Not if you had...

..46% of the members behind you.

[JohnnyRingo]

184. Still, if he'd run as an Independent...

...he'd have close to 100% of the members behind him. Indeed, it's often cited that he's won over voters loyal to the Green Party and independents who don't identify with either major party.

I don't think he even belongs in the Democratic Party, it's too moderate for him. Instead, he wants - no, he insists - on the full support of the party to appoint him over the front runner.

Sanders should have run as an Indy and collected the benefits that Bernie people see as an advantage of not being an establishment Democrat. Like it or not, Bill and Hillary are the poster faces of the Democratic Party.

[EdwardBernays]

72. Exactly.

We'll let you choose what sort of shoe we kick you in the nuts with.

[Ed Suspicious]

108. Go out back and cut me a switch for your whoopin'.

[pangaia]

130. well spoken..

[pmorlan1]

6. Debbie's Picks

are Clinton's picks. Jeez.

[JoePhilly]

18. Debbie could pick all 15.

[swag]

50. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[pmorlan1]

53. I will

if the information is confirmed by a reliable source. I don't consider WaPo to be very reliable.

[LonePirate]

69. Curious here as to whom you consider to be a reliable source.

[swag]

83. Me? Well Sanders is free to deny the story.

[MattSh]

7. And Clinton to have major input in deciding what parts of the Democratic Party platform...

she will ignore should she be selected President.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

27. She might ignore some, not all...Drumpf wouldnt ignore them, he would laugh at them.

[Kelvin Mace]

8. Kind of goes without saying

It also goes without saying that platforms are pretty meaningless, since they are simply for show.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

29. Are you a Clinton supporter? Bernie?

[Phlem]

54. Why does it fucking matter?

[Jackie Wilson Said]

58. I had a simple question, why does it anger you ?

[Phlem]

62. you still didn't answer my question and you know damn

well why. You've been putting the overtime in and you can't figure that out?

[Renew Deal]

97. It doesn't really matter who the person supports.

Either you have an opinion on the platform or you don't.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

100. I have an opinion on people who poo poo it under these circumstances though were Bernie

to be in charge maybe they wouldn't.

I wish he was in total charge and could write and implement the whole thing, but that is a different conversation.

[Kelvin Mace]

115. Sanders.

I have ZERO belief that the Democratic Party will deal in good faith with the liberal wing of the party. They hate us with the same intensity the Right hates HRC.

[McKim]

177. I Agree I Don't Trust the Clinton and DNC to Honor their Platform

I agree, I do not have faith that the DNC and Clinton will honor any platform. It is a show. Just like Obama, they will turn around and serve the people who put them in place, the MIC and Wall St.

[Hortensis]

42. Not always. Bernie, for instance, could use

any part of the platform that wasn't implemented to his satisfaction to whomp up dissatisfaction with how the party is being run, and with those in office, among his supporters. He is not fighting for this for nothing. It's a step to create leverage to push the rock his direction.

Since I'm strongly liberal, I don't have a problem with that in general. We lost so badly in 2012 not just because of gerrymandered districts but because our candidates, even in safe districts, wouldn't speak up for what they believe in. They NEED some shaking up, and if the far left demands something we can't get behind, we'll just have to say no.

[Kelvin Mace]

113. True, but it's not like the party cares about what's in the paltform

or would punish anyone for deviating from it.

One would think that having such a hard time with Sanders would clue them in that their policies are wrong, but so far, not happening,.

[Hortensis]

122. I don't see how you arrive at that in view of

what's been happening. Some major changes in proposed policies have been announced by Hillary to please Sanders supporters and here he's being given influence on the Democratic Party's official statement of who we are and what we stand for--again to please Democrats who support his policies.

You shouldn't believe the platform is nothing. It's only ignored when everyone with a big voice ignores it. As I pointed out in other words, Sanders is very unlikely to ignore the stances he will be working to insert, and I'm pretty darned sure he will continue to work to hold us to them.

[Kelvin Mace]

125. The fact that the platform is pro-choice, but we do not punish anti-choice Dems

would be my first example.

Anything can be put in a platform, but since there is no penalty for failing to adhere to the platform, it is meaningless.

I agree that Sanders will raise absolute Hell if they deviate or ignore the issues he puts in, and that will have ZERO real world effect. What can he do about it? He has the choice of two coalitions in the the Senate: The pro-corporate Republicans or the Pro-corporate Democrats. One would ignore him completely, the other will let him write policies and platforms that they will then ignore completely.

[Hortensis]

131. If he's so ineffectual, why are you supporting him?

The presidency is no job for weaklings. Or is he plenty strong when that is what you want to argue? If you want to argue that his supporters are strong, can he still be too weak to make a difference or must he also be strong in that case?

[Kelvin Mace]

136. As head of the party he would have power,

which is why the party has bent over backward to deny him that. Spare me the "gotcha" questions. Offering Sanders input on the platform is a cynical attempt to placate liberals by making us feel included. The same nonsense was done back in 2008, and jettisoned immediately after the election, when Rahm Emanuel was made chief of staff.

[Cryptoad]

9. This great news.

Bern can have more input into the National Platform... It being a rather document of General Policy concepts painted with wide brushes, this i what Bern i good at. and there is really no great differences that we can not come to an agreement.

[reddread]

17. guidelines

like war crimes. its ok if you exempt yourselves or disregard signed agreements.
guidelines.

[Hortensis]

55. Agree. That agreement may be less like

15 ice cream lovers happily agreeing to pick up some ice cream and more like 15 with 15 different favorites who end up buying the consensus vanilla and a pineapple sauce only half like at all, but that's the way it is.

[stillwaiting]

10. 10 New Dems and 5 Progressives on the committee then.

Not sure that will work out all that well for average Americans.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

31. How would GOP WH, House and Senate work, ya think?

[LibDemAlways]

11. Clinton and DWS combined will name 10 committee members to Bernie's 5.

The Bernie appointees will be lucky to receive a meeting notice.

[Duval]

12. Sounds about right.

SIGH!

[pmorlan1]

14. It will get worse

The rules committee will make rules to shaft us too.

[swag]

49. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[Hortensis]

65. Exactly. But this is entirely predictable:

the built-in rejection of Bernie's more zealous supporters of the consensus, cooperation and compromise (boo, hiss!) that are intrinsic to politics. That's why the word "revolution" appeals so much. Revolutionaries supposedly destroy all resistance and just take what they want.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

33. So absolutely NOTHING they do will satisfy some folks.

[Scootaloo]

38. Oh, I'm sure it'll satisfy Avenue Capital and Eaglevale Partners and Signature Bank just fine

[Jackie Wilson Said]

43. You act like that wasnt gonna happen regardless.

I get a kick out of people who actually think our political system isn't rotten to the core.

Who think that if Bernie cant be elected (a rare non rotten participant) that there is no point in participating.

I call it inexperience.

[Scootaloo]

61. Know what I get a kick out of?

People who admit the political system is rotten to the core, but support and celebrate it anyway because their candidate comes out on top due to that corruption.

Go figure.

[Jester Messiah]

176. You must be kicked bloody by this point then.

With a few cracked ribs for good measure

[OnDoutside]

173. Surely you meant Das Kapital ???

[dbackjon]

182. Clinton dropping out. Sanders coronated

And Independents put in charge of the party they claim to disdain

Purity tests to be a part of this new movement

[swag]

15. Sanders agreed to this, according to the article.

Feel free to take your concerns and objections to him.

[JoePhilly]

20. Amazing isn't it?

DWS could pick all 15.

Some Bernie supporters won't be happy unless Bernie gets to pick all 15.

[swag]

23. That's about the size of it.

[JDPriestly]

41. Right. And a couple of years into a Hillary presidency, a lot of Hillary supporters will

know why. A lot of Hillary supporters will regret their votes. But . . . . . . that's for later.

[Democat]

71. Sure, everyone is going to regret not voting for Trump

In your dreams.

[Hortensis]

80. Losing will allow Bernie to remain relatively

unsullied by right-wing character assassination, so I think we can assume his more resentful followers will be singing this song of satisfied despair whenever anything goes wrong for the next 9 years. Better just get used to ignoring it.

[retrowire]

85. exactly

People arent voting FOR Hillary.

They're voting AGAINST Trump.

A campaign of lesser evils and fear! Yaaay

[Laser102]

96. I'm voting for Hillary. I'm looking forward to voting for Hillary. Yes, I will vote for Hillary. Yay

[retrowire]

105. wonderful. you're in the minority who will actually enjoy it

The rest will hold their nose or not vote at all.

[JoePhilly]

91. I love the predictions from you guys.

Reminds me of the various failed Doom and Gloom predictions throughout Obama's Presidency.

[zalinda]

121. I'm glad you made out during the Obama Presidency.

For many of us, we lost. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. And, those that have the money are really a-ok with that. When it's their turn to lose their money, then let's see how they react.

Bernie has a plan that will turn things around, Hillary doesn't. She and others are satisfied with the way things are going, while the rest of us suffer. We have lost more Democrat seats with DWS and Obama in charge than at any other time. Everything is going so well.

Z

[Blue_Adept]

112. just means he's just as corrupt and complicit in it all now

[Skwmom]

16. So Clinton has 10 and Bernie has 5 because we all know what type of people DWS will appoint.

[swag]

48. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[Gene Debs]

66. How many effing times are you gonna re-post the same dog-whistle response in one thread?

[Laser102]

98. Sanders apparently agreed with this, take your objections to him.

[Gene Debs]

145. Sanders apparently agreed with this, take your objections to him! You're "it"!

[thucythucy]

144. Well, you could provide a substantive answer

instead of complaining about the post.

If Bernie did agree to this, he must have had his reasons, yes?

And what exactly makes this "a dog whistle?"

[jwirr]

21. WP calls it highly unlikely. I totally disagree. Bernie has almost

half of the delegates. DWS does not have any delegates she should not have any choice of people on the committee. I would be very satisfied with Bernie and Hillary working together but NOT DWS.

That would be democracy - this way is not. And it is not surprising because this is being run by the DNC.

[Hortensis]

81. It's always wise to keep at least one foot

on the ground, even if that spoils some fun.

[DLnyc]

22. Two things are clear here:

1) The DLC party elites will maintain absolute control, even over the relatively symbolic platform.

2) They will spin that as having given the progressive wing of the party "unprecedented" power.

[pmorlan1]

26. Pathetic

A rigged primary followed by a rigged convention. WaPo has already put out the spin about "unprecedented" power. As usual they carry water for the establishment.

[swag]

44. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[KPN]

82. Once was enough swag. Take your repetitious observations

someplace else please. We are trying to reach a compromise position here. Broken records don't help.

[Hortensis]

84. Lol. As soon as I read that Bernie had (gasp!)

reached an agreement (horrors!) with the evil Democratic Party he supposedly was party of, I knew his more...ardent supporters would be angry and unhappy. Is he under the bus for betraying all he once stood for yet?

[pmorlan1]

92. LOL

And you couldn't wait to post a snarky comment about it, right? LOL You didn't knock anyone down to get here did you? LOL I'm sure you would like Bernie to be under the bus but nope that's not going to happen. LOL The reports out so far talk about the platform committee. We will see what other news comes out about the rules committee. The 10-5 disparity on the platform committee is a two edged sword for the Democratic Party. Yes they have complete control but the visuals are not pretty. We will see if they made concessions in any other area to at least give the appearance that they are interested in fair play. They need us more than we need them.

[Hortensis]

106. I do not like extremist behaviors, that is true, and I am

proud and relieved that the determination of those prone to them to trample everyone's wishes but their own into the ground is ending in the usual disappointment. As usual in our safe, stable United States. Thank goodness.

And why shouldn't I laugh at people who claim that the Chairman of the DNC has not "earned" a say and "has no right" to even the 4 appointments she left herself? I believe people should express disapproval of such inexcusable and ridiculously profound ignorance. To say nothing would be to condone willful cultivation of ignorance in the support of malicious attitudes.

Btw, in case you don't know, the chairman has the duty to fill all 15 assignments and allowing the 2 candidates to assign some members is the way SHE chose to do that job.

I doubt it has occurred to these people who take such delight in attacking "DWS" as they call her, but vilifying and slandering others is BAD. Witch hunts are SHAMEFUL. Real big no-nos in every major religion and every established moral philosophy. Attempted persecution is as bad a persecution. Raging at failure of persecution is absolutely dreadful. People simply are NOT entitled to do those BAD things. But these wallow in it every day in the truly bizarre delusion that this is what it is to be the righteous ones.

I despise everything about this behavior. Now, is this snark-less enough for you?

[Jackie Wilson Said]

35. Then by all means sit this election out, Drumpf cant do too much harm, right?

Seriously, I am asking - I mean my question is sarcasm but maybe only to liberals.

[DLnyc]

143. It might be better, if you really want to discuss something,

to either respond directly to a comment or else start your own thread.

I made two points. I thought I expressed those points reasonably directly and clearly. Your 'response' addresses neither of those points and instead comes up with something you perhaps imagine I might be thinking, but did not come close to saying!

With all due respect, I find your approach unhelpful, not conducive to real discussion and bordering on disruptive.

Please forgive me if I fail to respond to further comments of this sort!

[ericson00]

25. I hope the Dems know that Bernie and his crew getting their hands

on the Israel/Palestinian issue, to reflect the far-left's take, rather than the majority of Americans (and majorities/pluralities of Democrats) could cost them, so they better stick to domestic issues like min wage and CJ reform...

[Hortensis]

94. Actually, the far left may be trending far right these days

Last edited Mon May 23, 2016, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

if what I've read about the rise of left-wing anti-Semitism hiding under anti-Zionism is correct.

But Bernie's own position is a lot more like my own and my Jewish husbands: that our support of Israel should not include support for hard-line right-wing Israeli persecution of the original Palestinians. We don't support right-wing persecution of minorities here (or at least we claim we do not), for religious or other reasons, and we should not be helping to enable it there.

The intrinsically bigoted and anti-Semitic Christian Zionist movement (that wants to just loove Jews to death) will call that anti-Semitic, of course, but it is not. It is anti- religious bigotry and persecution. And those people know that voting for a liberal is voting against God's wishes.

[ericson00]

138. what you've read is correct;

the far-left anti-Israel types seem to be obsessed with I/P and into BDS and their student groups have constant events, never pay attention to any other conflict out there, and those on the far-left who are also obsessed with I/P don't care that ILGA rates Israel as the only gay friendly nation in the ME, and Freedom House rates it as the only free country in the ME. They engage in demonization, delegitimization, and double standards not done to others. They just yell "pinkwashing." Myself and America in general says that there has to be some way to assess the good faith of the actors, so why not how the country treats its people?
Alan Dershowitz said it best.

While the far-right doesn't like Israel, no one ever took them as anything other than bigots. The far-left masquerades as anti-racists, which is almost worse.

While I'm not a fan of settlements, I can't see I/P as Israel "oppressing a minority" because Israel entered the WB/G in 1967 to secure itself from Palestinian guerillas, and give itself strategic depth. Before Israel controlled WB/G, Jordan and Egypt occupied them, and Jordan actually had annexed the WB in 1948 when it was terra nulius after the Palestinian Arabs and other Arab states rejected the partition. Israel has not annexed the WB like they did the Golan, and has agreed to peace agreements on several occasions to leave the West Bank. The settlements were meant to be a bargaining chip as they were when Israel occupied the Sinai and temporarily had settlements there that they removed when Egypt made nice with Israel. In terms of Israeli Arabs (Arab citizens of non-disputed Israeli territory), like ethnic minorities in most countries, its hard to be part of the minority but they still have the same legal rights in the criminal system and parliamentary system as others. Israel is a unicameral parliament, so its hard to argue "apartheid" when Arabs sit in it and have equal weighted votes.

Also, most of the movement Christian Zionists may be evangelical, support for Israel in America goes WAY beyond Evangelicals (who only are 25% of the population). Also, while I don't like the rapture types, most Christians who are Zionists are not into that, neither are most movement C-Zionists.

Bernie trying to make the Dem party go against the will of the American people would be disastrous.

[cali]

140. The far right loves Israel. Check out free republic or any far right web site

[ericson00]

141. the alt/paleo-right, the Pat Buchanans, David Duke and White Nationalists don't

and neither do those who call GOPe people "cuckservatives."

The mainstream right in America likes Israel, because the GOP did a decent but not perfect job purging themselves of the anti-Semites. Dems need to check this anti-Zionist stuff before it gets to where its gotten in the UK Labour Party.

[Hortensis]

172. Extremely interesting, Ericson00.

Everything you say about left-wing extremists is sadly true. By nature they are prone to intense aggression and hostility and never know or care about lines that should not be crossed always go way too far, often, even commonly, deluding themselves into evil actions. As you says, "they engage in demonization, delegitimization, and double standards not done to others." Not being fond of student polemics, I hadn't read about their use of "pinkwashing," but of course. Everything in their way will be attacked.

I'm afraid I still agree with Senator Sanders, though. Under right-wing political and religious control--voted in by Israel's electorate, Israel's actions toward the lands Palestinians have not yet been pushed out of are absolutely hostile and aggressive, not merely defensive. Unless one considers displacing an entire people from even the scraps of land they were forced to flee to an act of defense, which of course Israel's conservatives do.

In every nation and territory around the world, virtually always right-wing social and religious conservatives are to blame for most of the trouble, very much including in the Middle East. Israel's national government is currently under the control of social and religious conservatives. We're officially giving something like $3.15 billion each year in direct aid to Israel, and that is a problem. We should not be underwriting their right wing's persecution of any people.

As for the left-wing problem, judging by their rhetoric, their rising anti-semitism and anti-Zionism are being fueled by what their right-wing extremist twins in Israel have been doing. When Israel's citizenry decides to stop illegal takings of WB/G lands and economic exploitation and persecution, that should remove most of the left's power to cause trouble, which they'll resent and fight, of course, but a return to the back shadows of society will be their problem.

[cali]

139. He appointed Palestinian activist James Zogby to the committee.

James Joseph Zogby (born 1945) is the author of Arab Voices and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.–based organization which serves as a political and policy research arm of the Arab-American community. He is Managing Director of Zogby Research Services, LLC, specializing in research and communications and undertaking polling across the Arab world. In September 2013, Zogby was appointed to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom by President Obama. Zogby is a lecturer and scholar on Middle East issues and a Visiting Professor of Social Research and Public Policy at New York University Abu Dhabi. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Zogby

[ericson00]

142. don't worry, the pro-Israel majority of the party and Haim Saban

will help see to it that Dems stay in the mainstream on Israel/Palestinians!

Remember;

[rurallib]

28. 4/15 = 27% - doesn't sound like major input to me

oh well

[swag]

46. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[yourout]

30. he gets to pick the font and handle...

The spell check.

[bemildred]

32. What's not to like?

I don't see that Sanders is giving anything up. If they have agreed to duke it out fairly, eschew the personal attacks, that's a good thing too. If the DNC wants to look more inclusive, that's a great idea.

[Agnosticsherbet]

36. I'm good with that.

[JDPriestly]

39. This is a bunch of garbage. Hillary and Debbie are naming 10 and Bernie is naming

five. That's a travesty.

Bernie has won nearly half the votes, and California has not voted yet. Bernie should have a say that equals the number of votes he received in the primaries and caucuses.

Why does Debbie get to choose any members of that committee? She hasn't won any votes in the Democratic Party.

[swag]

45. Sanders apparently agreed to this. Take your objections to him.

[JDPriestly]

51. He is trying to make peace. Hillary is not. She will regret this.

[Phlem]

60. Of course she won't. It's like nobody knows Hillary but dammit

She's a woman and soooooooooooooooooooo picked on.

She's worse than the first time she ran and fucking lost.

Lying, cheating, and stealing, know no gender.

[swag]

64. What a weird, unsupported assertion in the face of evidence

[Renew Deal]

99. Boasting about primarying the chair is hardly making peace.

[Democat]

73. This is a compromise that both candidates agreed to

You sound like you just want to be angry no matter what. That is not constructive.

[Metric System]

40. Based on some of the responses it appears that some will only be happy if Sanders has complete say.

[Andy823]

56. Some here seem to be missing this part.

"The two Democratic candidates have agreed with Democratic Party officials to a new apportionment of the 15-member committee that writes the platform, according to Democratic officials familiar with the compromise worked out this month."

They BOTH AGREE! If Bernie is OK with this then why are so many here complaining about it!

[swag]

57. Good point.

[6000eliot]

79. Because they are children who didn't get their way.

[Gregorian]

59. Implementation is the important part. The platform is just a plaque to hang on the DNC wall.

[swag]

67. What is your suggested course of action for implementation?

[Gregorian]

75. I was just having this conversation several days ago..

I know the platform is just a motto/promise. The basic idea is that we don't want her saying she'll be the renewable energy president, and then do what she was paid to do, and fund fracking.

If this is going to be democratic, then we have a say in what goes on after the election. We can make certain demands. She can't just put Mr. Pro Fracking in as Sec of Energy.

[swag]

78. Apparently Sanders agreed to this

I'm sure he is a master negotiator and got better than the best deal possible.

[bettyellen]

88. He overasks in order to get the best deal- like doubling the minimum wage, dontchaknow.

That is the secret to being a super negotiator! :insert pic of William Shatner:

[swag]

89. GETTING TO YES!

[ancianita]

149. 45% representation. Think how the whole establishment would have written the platform.

[oldandhappy]

68. I will wait and see what happens.

Five out of 15 is a minority number! I am laughing at the 'major input' statement. A toe in the door!

[swag]

87. Sanders apparently agreed to it.

[oldandhappy]

133. sure

I am learning a lot this year about how this stuff works. Has squewed (word?) my sense of democracy. Strange to discover how naive I am!

[Renew Deal]

86. Good. Give him something to keep him busy.

[GoneFishin]

90. Fuck that. Just pat him on the head and say "good boy". The platform is a meaningless list of

half-hearted (non)commitments for the DNC to renege on.

[Renew Deal]

95. That's what you get when you lose

Or Vice President, but I don't think that will happen.

[GoneFishin]

150. No way on the VP. On the rest we'll have to wait and see.

[valerief]

93. DNC platform for a GOP Congress to obstruct. I'd rather have President Sanders fight them! nt

[highprincipleswork]

101. I was really happy with this, until I read that DWS gets to still name 4. That pretty much screws it

[DrDan]

102. Writing the "Appropriate Language and Behavior at State Conventions" section

[Hortensis]

126. LOL. There is irony.

[liberal N proud]

103. Its much more than he deserves

Comes into the party and does nothing for the party then does nothing but criticize the party and the process and does the bidding for Trump on national television and he is still allowed to participate?

He should be left on the sidewalk outside the convention center for he vindictive attacks on the Democratic Party and candidates.

[ReRe]

104. Sorry. I dont buy it...

... that's some slanted shite if you ask me.

[restorefreedom]

107. she still is not getting my vote

but i hope bernie makes the most of whatever crumbs the elites deign to give him

[Matt_in_STL]

110. I believe this platform is going to be awesome!!! So exciting!!!

Our Platform:

Item #1: If one candidate feels like they have sewn up the nomination, any others must drop out.
Item #2: Debbie Wasserman Schultz is so cool.
Item #3: The State of the Union address is compensated at a rate of $225,000
Item #4: Let's bomb some shit!

I, for one, welcome our party overlords (no matter what they may have been told).

[Jopin Klobe]

114. Platforms are what professional politicians stand on ...

... and, then, discard after being elected ...

... every time ...

... every damn time ...

[Doctor_J]

116. Unfortunately Mrs Clinton, should she become president, won't push for any progressive goals

So this is a symbolic gesture that will mean next to nothing

[Jester Messiah]

117. Ooh, so he can help pick the promises she's going to immediately abandon?

What a nice gesture. I'd like to make a gesture in return, but it'd probably get me a hide.

[ancianita]

118. I'll take it! We'll see what a good negotiator he is, won't we.

[GoneFishin]

152. He could negotiate world wide nuclear disarmament. It wouldn't mean crap if the neocon hacks

and liars in the DNC are in charge of implementing it.

[ancianita]

155. It will mean crap; Berner progressives are writing 45% of the official party platform.

It's a major voice of our party. The politics of getting people to vote for a level of integrity that beats the protection racket of the know-nothing opposition and their oligarchic tool who's never held office.

Cynicism comes out of the heat of our party fight, but it's the light of issues that made this a fine primary and brought the public to realize that America is more than about money.

We have to be willing to go with the "better" that the party establishment has conceded to us because of that fight to legitimize progressivism.

Media fought Obama and lost. The same will happen when our nominee takes the stage. They gave Trump his media chance, and from the conventions forward, he'll have to speak to all the people he denigrated during the primaries. The media will leave him twisting even if they want to create another horse race.

Corporations aren't going away. Neither will Hillary or Bernie. Watch Warren, West, McKibben, Ellison, Parker and the rest of the progressives in Congress get out the vote. An epic set of speakers.

Now that we're nearing the end of primaries, let's let the public decide who to trust -- US, the bigger tent party of adults who unite through coalitions, and be respected much more by the world, or them, the taker party led by a guy who can't sell steaks to America.

[GoneFishin]

166. Talk is cheap. The platform is just talk. It's meaningless.

[ancianita]

168. The means could become the ends for a change. Your cynicism is comfortable defeatism.

You're historically correct, sure.

That platform has a different meaning these days. It's a guide for any party players who want to conveniently forget what a sizable chunk of their party stand for.

Party establishment can never again hide behind the claim that they didn't know. They are put on record so that their grandkids can see whether they were true to their written word, either idiots or betrayers.

After all, politics has official rules. Only the arrogant insiders exempt themselves from the rules they impose on everyone else.

[Mosby]

119. They threw him a bone.

[Ford_Prefect]

123. They threw him a tooth-pick.

[GoneFishin]

151. One that was used to scrape dog shit off their shoe. Screw that.

[pangaia]

127. Platforms rarely mean anything.

And if Hillary wins the nomination, you can bet your ass it will mean nothing.

Nothing she says means anything..

[Old Codger]

128. Totally

Absolutely irrelevant... That stuff is candy for the campaign doesn't mean a thing really..

[Raine1967]

135. Swag: did the headline change after you posted this article?

becuase it now reads:

Sanders picks pro-Palestinian activist for Democratic platform committee

I am asking because I think I saw the headline and when I went back it changed.

[bemildred]

137. My:

Sanders’s choices include James Zogby, a pro-Palestinian activist who is president of the Arab-American Institute in Washington and a frequent commentator on Arab-Israeli issues.

And:

Sanders also picked Cornel West, a liberal author and racial justice activist who has been a Sanders surrogate. Sanders also named Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, among his most prominent elected backers, author and environmental activist Bill McKibben and Native American activist Deborah Parker.

[Raine1967]

146. I am trying to communicate about the OP about the headline and LBN rules.

That was all.

[elleng]

147. I didn't post in lbn, so here's this:

Sanders wins greater say in Democratic platform; names pro-Palestinian activist.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=2036304

[bemildred]

153. I think they changed after it was posted.

The URL matches.

I was just noticing his picks.

[ancianita]

156. It's one helluva platform committee lineup, ain't it! I'm thinking some consolidating of

progressive influence on legislation is going to happen. McKibben, Parker and West don't take no for an answer.

And they will come back to bite Hillary if she doesn't go for some progressive legislation after downticket wins more congressional seats.

Hillary will need them to have her back through the whole campaign because she can't win without them.

[bemildred]

157. It's going to be interesting.

And it's very assertive of Bernie, I think we'll leave it at that for now, seems likely to lead to eruptions and interruptions and things. It's going to make it hard to control the narrative.

[ancianita]

158. We'll see. He's got good narrative that Hillary is embracing, from what I see on the news tonight.

[bemildred]

159. OK, yeah, that's kind of why I want to wait.

He needs to be assertive on the one hand, he's got clout or this would not be happening, and he's earned it fair and square too, as that goes in US politics, one the one hand; but he also needs to do the unify thing, and know when to compromise and turn on Trump. You are right I think, the establishment is there, we need to keep our eye on the ball and get things done. This is a superb opportunity to kick the conservatives to the curb. I don't have any reason to doubt his judgement on that, but it's kind of a new thing too, so I want to see how he handles it a bit longer. It's been nasty. I'd reach out to them too, not try to make it existential.

Edit: and he has to show he can control his troops or they won't do business with him for long.

[ancianita]

160. He will reach out behind the scenes, but a unifying campaign will be on her and her stump

supporters. If they get concessions from the neolib establishment, they'll go all out for her.

That's what Berners like me want to see.

[bemildred]

161. Yeah, that's the ticket.

And Bernie, being a long time Senator, would know the score too.

And yeah, it is her job.

[bemildred]

162. Now I think about it, Clinton better show she can control her troops too.

No reason to do business with them either if they can't do that.

[ancianita]

163. Brock and some state chairs need better control. Perhaps her running mate will make the difference.

Elizabeth Warren as her running mate would kill this election!

She can be VP, which would be Hill's show of the new progressive inclusion, and Bernie could return to his power speeches that will make blue dogs sit up and care about their progressives back home.

The downticket would succeed like a run of Hearts.

[bemildred]

164. Well, I think they will, but I don't know it yet.

Clinton/Warren would kick some ass, but I like Warren right where she is. I do think a good VP matters in this case, someone not in hock too much to the money party, and with progressive credibility, but not too threatening to the establishment too. Good revolutions take time.

California has some excellent examples ...

But so do other states. We'll see what they come up with.

[bemildred]

169. Aside from all the shit-stirring, there is stuff like this going on:

Sanders barnstorms California with little to say about Clinton

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512038401

And if you read what the Clintons are saying, you can start to see the outlines of the deal. But I think it's just starting, and there are a lot of balls up in the air.

[ancianita]

170. It's gonna take until the convention and beyond to get a shift toward the big win. People need

to chill, go outside, see some big sky and wait to see what the sit down comes up with.

There is political imagination in this party. We might be surprised at what Hillary can add to her political repertoire once she's recognized for her strengths as much as she has to recognize the strengths of party progressives.

[bemildred]

171. Yeah, I think so.

Last edited Tue May 24, 2016, 12:36 PM - Edit history (1)

There are other reasons too, but still a lot of that is speculative, and likely to remain so. Conspiracies and whatnot. Chess.

And you are right about time, but we have plenty of time, five months. It will take a while for all the trolls to lose interest etc. and everybody to get the memo, but Trump is such a great boogie man, the real thing. Should be a real Donnybrook (no pun intended), if Trump doesn't flame out, and it looks like the Pubbies are going all in with him.

[zentrum]

175. Bernie, with no corporate

…funding has won a huge victory for us, no matter what the outcome is, in November.

Values that are closer to FDR will be out in the zeitgeist for months now, carried by other Democrats, no matter how centrist they would prefer to be.

You can bet Bernie will fight like hell to get the most for us that he can.

Thank you Bernistas!

[Baobab]

179. Carve outs for healthcare and education from trade deals

That is what we need.

See here