2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThe War On Bernie Sanders
The Democratic Party elite has launched a virtually unprecedented attack against Bernie Sanders.
Two stark facts have defined the 2016 Democratic primary since the campaign began last spring. The first is the remarkable success of self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders, who appears to be mobilizing far more support from lower-income voters than any other Democratic underdog in a generation.
The second fact, evident since the beginning of the campaign but even more visible in recent weeks, is the fierce determination of the Democratic Party elite to nominate Hillary Clinton.
<snip>
Yet before the campaign began, a strong majority of Democratic voters preferred to see a competitive primary, rather than a race dominated by one strong candidate. Party officials, however, had decided on a Clinton coronation.
<snip>
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/bernie-sanders-democratic-party-primary-president-iowa-caucus-new-hampshire-primary/
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Naturally, it began with fundraising. In early 2013, Clinton supporters founded the Ready for Hillary super PAC, which over the next two years raised about $13 million. While Ready for Hillary cast itself as a grassroots effort fueled by very small donors, over half the PACs cash haul arrived via gifts of $2,500 or larger. A full third of the total came from gifts of $10,000 or more.
The really big money, meanwhile, came from other sources. In January 2014, Priorities USA Action, the largest super PAC to support Barack Obamas reelection, declared it would back Clinton a move the New York Times called perhaps the earliest start to big-dollar fund-raising in support of a nonincumbent presidential candidate ever.
When Clinton declared her candidacy last spring, the big dollars were ready: Priorities USA almost immediately collected over $15 million, virtually all of it in gifts of $500,000 or more. To date Priorities USA has raised over $50 million for Clinton, with another $42 million in future pledges.
John Poet
(2,510 posts)New car, caviar, four-star daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team
.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)This election represents SO MUCH IMPORTANT STUFF!!
postulater
(5,075 posts)Dylanesque.
Keep the poetry coming.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)It's on Dark Side Of The Moon.
postulater
(5,075 posts)OK, now I have to listen to some Zappa. I wish my copy hadn't been trashed when my apartment flooded.
amborin
(16,631 posts)Avalux
(35,015 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)TIME TO PANIC
(1,894 posts)Ferd Berfel
(3,687 posts)Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)Taking down Bernie, they think will crush our spirits.
PatBateman
(77 posts)Armstead
(47,803 posts)I remember how he was relentlessly portrayed as a crazy man. An uneletectable radical. Way too far left.
Turns out he was a a basic centrist politician, a governor -- but he was little less centrist than they preferred and he was against the Iraq War so he was branded as Crazzzzzzy Out of the Mainstream.
History repeats itself in the Democratic Party. Step out of the corporate line and you're a Crazy Commie Cult Leader
bvar22
(39,909 posts)Bernie has stepped in to lead a Movement that was already in progress.
Win or lose this year, the Movement will continue,
and WE WILL WIN in the end.
[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]
[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]
asuhornets
(2,405 posts)has been treating Sanders with kid gloves.
Ferd Berfel
(3,687 posts)Integrity wins
sadoldgirl
(3,431 posts)I did not have a good laugh today until now.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)TIME TO PANIC
(1,894 posts)Duval
(4,280 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)That would be Sanders supporters.
Any opposition to Sanders by anyone is somehow an UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK!!!!
Any endorsement for anyone not Sanders is an UNPRECEDENTED BETRAYAL!!!!
Sanders probably thinks it's enough to be a demagogue reaching out to youngsters who are just discovering socialism and politics and the older ideologues who haven't learned how to work with others.
Ned_Devine
(3,146 posts)It's just always disappointing to find out that a party whose foundation is made of liberal and progressive principles would be excited to put forth a candidate who displays neither.
yardwork
(61,700 posts)The country didn't get this way overnight. It's been happening since the 1970s. And Bernie has been a U.S. senator for decades. That's as Establishment as it gets.
Ned_Devine
(3,146 posts)I'm well aware, but to say that just because he's been in Washington for as long as he has does not necessarily make him establishment. He's been an Independent Congressman and Senator during his tenure in D.C. he has championed progressive causes that establishment Democrats who are afraid of their own shadows wouldn't sign on to. What part of being a champion for progressive causes and being an advocate for the voiceless do you have such a problem with?
cali
(114,904 posts)A Simple Game
(9,214 posts)challenger. Why are you and those that are the Democratic elite* trying to ruin her expectations by wanting to cut off Bernie before he even gets started.
* my apologies if you consider yourself one of the Democratic elite. I certainly meant no disrespect sir or madam.
cali
(114,904 posts)Not that you read the piece, Kits. I for one, kitty, have long said that corrupt hill will be the nominee, Kits
PatBateman
(77 posts)While they still thought they had it in the bag. Now that they've realized the "millenials" are behind Bernie, the youth vote is something to be scorned.
in_cog_ni_to
(41,600 posts)I never thought I'd see the day when the full force of our government (politicians), joined by their mega wealthy criminal funders would stand against the WILL OF THE PEOPLE as blatantly as they are. They dropped the facade a long time ago.
Newsflash! They're going to lose!
PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE
noiretextatique
(27,275 posts)stillwaiting
(3,795 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)azurnoir
(45,850 posts)beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Scalded Nun
(1,236 posts)Someone may actually show up.
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)They think that Hillary winning would squash the rebellion...
sus453
(164 posts)then I, a registered Democrat in the state of Maryland, will possibly vote for Jill Stein, but never for Hillary Clinton, which is not the same as throwing away my vote - in a state like Maryland, if a Democrat can't win, then there's no hope of winning the election anyway.
A standard retort to this in DU has been that if you won't support the winner of the nomination, you are not a true Democrat, and you don't belong on DU. George Wallace was a Democrat - would those people have voted for him? I am a progressive before I am a Democrat. If a Democratic candidate is a rejects a progressive view, then I won't vote for that person.
Akamai
(1,779 posts)not doing so are very, very short-sighted, Republican, or who don't know how to play nice with others.
If we want Hillary supporters to support Bernie when/if he wins the nomination, we sure have to be willing to support Hillary if she wins the nomination.
Righteous anger is not as important as the Supreme Court, global warming, etc.
sus453
(164 posts)but then again, I have the dubious luxury of living in a solidly Democratic state (with a Republican governor, but that's another story). I think that holding one's nose to vote or choosing the lesser of two evils is sometimes necessary; but if it's not necessary, I believe in supporting a progressive agenda, and, if possible, voting for someone who represents my beliefs. So, I would probably hope that Hillary wins, but in doing so, give my tiny fraction of a percent to those putting up the good fight.
Akamai
(1,779 posts)No one the hell could have intuited that based on what you said in your post. Instead, your message strongly
indicated your were utterly anti-Hillary and willing to let the Republican win.
Go Bernie! (or go Hillary, should Bernie lose)
Jenny_92808
(1,342 posts)I prefer Bernie, but will vote for Hillary. The stakes are too high!
Akamai
(1,779 posts)will vote for Hillary if he loses. He knows what's important.
Go, Bernie!!! Kick ass!
Politicub
(12,165 posts)No one cares.
PatBateman
(77 posts)There's no way he could not win in a fair election.
Akamai
(1,779 posts)did, then I think we should increase the information to them on the issues of importance.
People can honestly be mistaken (some people, for instance, think my jokes aren't funny), and just because people don't agree with us doesn't mean the election was stolen, that the others are the devil incarnate.
Certainly Dems agree with each other a hell of a lot more than they agree with Republicans, especially these yahoos, especially the Republicans since Senator Danforth and Senator Chafee, especially when big money has corrupted the electoral system.
Go Bernie!!!!
seaglass
(8,173 posts)jonestonesusa
(880 posts)The Republican-lite wing of the Democratic Party is in full assault mode against the Democratic wing. As the article points out, the proof of the Clintoncratic backlash is there in the stances against single-payer and universal college access, the snarky references to "berniebros" that are all over DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND, the timidity of the vision of Clinton supporters when it comes to real change. The issues are big - we the people need to demand and achieve a serious change in direction to prevent endless war and mass incarceration, environmental catastrophe, economic stratification like the 1880s, racism and poverty taking even deeper root across the country. Sad to see that across so many leaders that I have always admired - like John Lewis, Sherrod Brown, Al Franken - there is such a one-sided appraisal of Sanders. It's a self-defeatist mentality in the national Democratic Party that show up in how poorly we do in state and local elections. A distressing state of affairs...
Akamai
(1,779 posts)app that Hillary's caucus goers in Iowa can use to impact the O'Malley groups in Iowa on caucus night.
Thom pointed out that the second choice of O'Malley members (after O'Malley himself) is Bernie.
My thoughts on what the strategy is -- seems to me that the Hillary Supporters might be able to increase the size of the O'Malley caucus group so they reach the threshold of 15 percent to be viable. This would help ensure that the members of the O'Malley do not break away to flow in 2 out of 3 numbers to Bernie's group.
Any insight on this issue? Interesting night.
Akamai
(1,779 posts)tactic that the Hillary people seem to be engaging in was used by Obama in '08.
I guess there is a fair amount more background info on this.
Go, Bernie!!!
senz
(11,945 posts)hay rick
(7,636 posts)His self-description is "democratic socialist." There's a difference.
Politicub
(12,165 posts)The only war is in your head.
If it seems to you that the majority of democrats - and that includes establishment types and those who are more independent minded -- support Hillary, it's because we actually do support her.
It isn't a conspiracy. If anything, it's a competition between idealism and pragmatism. Pragmatism is what wins the day for me and millions of others.
Bernie could very will win in Iowa. If so, that's great. If Hillary wins, that's fantastic, too.
You should appreciate that Sanders has brought economic equality to the fore.
But once Bernie or you or anyone else starts attacking the progress we have made -- and the ACA is progress -- then you stand to inflict real damage on the country.
Ron Green
(9,823 posts)Bernie's suggested policies are as pragmatic as they need to be, given the gravity of our time. Rather, it's truth vs lies, if you really want to characterize it. Bernie has not attacked the ACA, but isn't afraid to point out its weaknesses. Hillary has indeed lied about Bernie's health care statements.
No more lies, please. That's a good place to start.
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)ETA:
Rather than "attacking" per se, I might have said "minimizing" or "discounting".
PatBateman
(77 posts)Hillary supporters only seem to exist on the internet. Or maybe it's just I don't move in the same kind of elitist circles as Hillary supporters. One thing is clear though - if Bernie doesn't win, it's obvious there was some foul play at work.
spyker29
(89 posts)H2O Man
(73,592 posts)It's disgusting. And very destructive.
Ivan Kaputski
(528 posts)CCCP
dbackjon
(6,578 posts)Waged by the GOP, and Bernie's supporters?
I have heard more right-wing LIES about Hillary on here in the last few months than from any GOP sources