Bernie Sanders: The Democrats Have to Become a Grassroots Party

[LongTomH]

[splat]

1. Bernie has to become a Democrat n/t

[geek tragedy]

2. they do, but different types of grass grow in different climates.

the climate is much different in Vermont than it is in rural Pennsylvania.

[Maven]

3. Interesting that he wants to tell us how to run the party when he's not a member. nt

[BainsBane]

4. Do you want a smaller party

that gets fewer votes? Because if the message is we need to follow Bernie, you're going to lose a hell of a lot of people.

I don't think you mean grassroots. if the primary is an example of what to expect, it was made clear that we could have zero impact on the candidate or even ask him questions about policy. His supporters adopted the top down approach set by the candidate. Any criticism was met with charges of being the "establishment" which came to mean anyone who dared to question Sanders.
The campaign didn't turn out or even register voters. Jeff Weaver called popular mobilization through grassroots organizing "machine politics." They promoted the notion of politics as spectator sport, in which voters payed absolute fealty to a man they decided was superior to the rest of us. Democracy and that kind of reverence for great men are diametrically opposed.

I'm not going to take directions on the direction of my party from someone who has for years express utter contempt for the Democratic Party and its voters.

[denbot]

5. He is more of a democrat them most pols with a (D) at the end of their title.

There is no future in being the party of republican-lite.

[stopwastingmymoney]

6. KnR

I like how these criticisms of Bernie don't address anything he actually said.

He did win some 40% of the primary vote, dismissing him would be a stupid move.

[Lil Missy]

7. No Bernie - You need to start your own Party and quit being a leech on Democrats.