Without Bernie

[berni_mccoy]

I look back at the Primary Season and I can see very well the impact that Bernie's run for the nomination has meant. To see the YUUUGE impact he had, I think it's more meaningful to consider what the primary would have been like without him. Here are a few things I can think of what it would have been like without Bernie.

Without Bernie...
1. I don't think anyone would be talking about the education crisis that afflicts this country. Free Public College Education For All was a hallmark of his campaign.

2. Americans wouldn't understand that Universal Healthcare is a basic human right. Millions of Americans are still un-insured or under-insured. While Obamacare made a big difference, it's clearly not enough. Insurance companies continue to work around the law, increase premiums and out-of-pocket expenses and drive people into the absolute minimum coverage plans which do very little for the chronically ill. We need a public option.

3. People wouldn't know how deeply and negatively unfair Trade Agreements have impacted our country and that Democrats have far too often capitulated to corporate interests when it comes to passing them. Agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA make it impossible to put even the basic export tariffs that protect local manufacturers from foreign currency manipulations. Most industrialized nations benefit from these basic protections.

4. Unions, like the ones the Verizon workers belong to, would continue to get a bad wrap. With leadership for workers rights like Bernie provides, even so far as to walk the picket lines with the workers, fewer people would understand the plight of collective bargaining in this country.

5. People wouldn't understand that some of us actually didn't buy the bullshit the Bush Administration was selling on Iraq, and yes, this kind of aggressive military stance needs to be met with the strictest of skepticism, putting military action as the absolute last resort.

6. Americans wouldn't know that money in politics continues to make progressive change extremely difficult. You don't like guns? Why has no one in Congress even mentioned even the most reasonable solutions for gun legislation? Because of money in politics. Why do we have to fight so very hard for even the most minimum of a wage increases, let alone a livable wage? Because of money in politics? Why is it possible for us to be in the same position with too-big-to-fail banks again? Because of money in politics. Until this lynchpin topic of Bernie's campaign is addressed, the fight for any progressive change is going to see those fighting for progress having one hand tied behind their backs.

And finally, without Bernie, more than 11 million Americans would likely not have activated and participated in this election, the majority of them being the future of the progressive movement, the younger individuals who have never been politically active, the independent liberals who had given up on both parties, MILLIONS OF NEW MEMBERS of the Democratic Party would not be registered today as part of the party. Bernie has single-handedly performed the largest political recruitment for a major party. That my friends, is the truly epic historic moment of this primary.

Please feel free to add your positive thoughts on where we would be without Bernie.

[CrowCityDem]

1. The language is different, but all of those issues have been talked about in this party.

[mindwalker_i]

4. "Different" is a very interesting word in this case

[libdem4life]

6. And the results have been, exactly ????

And since there is more than one wing of the party, I'm going to have to go with the Progressives rather than the Centrists. They want nothing to do with this stuff that will cost their supporters money...or deter the amassing of future wealth...whatever.

[CrowCityDem]

11. The results...

Are the closest we've come to universal health coverage in a century the toughest regulations on Wall Street in a generation, compassion for immigrants, opening the military to gays, oh yeah and saving the f'n economy from collapse.

That's a fine legacy.

[Squinch]

12. Is THAT all!

Don't forget support for gay rights and the fostering of an environment in which gay marriage is now legal in most states, doing what was possible to protect women's rights against a war being waged by Republicans, improving employment... Give me a few minutes. I'll come up with some more.

[Doctor_J]

13. actually we are farther than we've ever been from healthcare for all, and hillary has pledged

to make it worse, by making even more Americans pay extortion money to the health insurance thieves. heritage care set the fight for healthcare back at least 50 years, and by the time Clinton and ryan have "negotiated " it will probably be gone for good.

[Lord Magus]

15. That is a lie on every possible level. -nt-

[CrowCityDem]

16. The uninsured rate is the lowest ever. Damn those facts!

[Doctor_J]

20. so you agree that the right wingers have forced more people than ever to pay the extortion

which is exactly what I posted. the death merchants profits are at an all time high, and will continue to grow now that ryan and hillary are in charge. since you seem rather slow on this subject, profits are what we're forced to pay these robbers that they don't give back in healthcare

[Doctor_J]

14. actually mrs Clinton's objectives are much closer to Paul ryan's than to sanders

it's a lot more than different language. sanders thinks the government should serve all of the people. ryan and Clinton think the government should serve the corporations, and then hope that the kind ceos provide the other 99% of us enough to live on.

[gollygee]

18. Very much not true. Nt

[apcalc]

2. He has brought some great economic issues to the forefront

I know Hillary and her supporters will want them included included in the platform.

[2banon]

3. Excellent Post Berni_mccoy!

Very well written and thought out.

I believe you hit most of the key benchmarks..

If I have anything else to contribute I'd be happy to a little later, hopefully other better articulated than I will do so..

I'd be thrilled to click on this link again.

[mcar]

5. Bernie added much to the conversation

And I hope he continues his message in the Senate.

[Armstead]

7. All of the above -- plus he gave people a reason for hope and enthusiasm

Obama did it, but the system reverted to default corruption and gridlock.

By taking the next step, Bernie energized millions of people and led them to believe that the political process can work.

I hope that continues and doesn't fade away if the political system continues on its moribund course.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

8. Bravo Bernie! He has cemented his place in history as the leader of a progressive revolution that...

...will live on as his legacy.

Thank you, Senator Sanders.

[bigwillq]

9. Bernie's had a positive impact on the political climate

during this primary season.

Hopefully, his movement can continue to influence our country.

[randome]

10. Honestly? It seems to be the only way he knows how to work within a team.

By standing outside and haranguing people. The Democratic Party has stood for these things for a long time. You can speculate that things are all different now because of Sanders but I can speculate that he would have gotten a hell of a lot more accomplished if he didn't spend so much time telling people they weren't good enough.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[kayakjohnny]

21. But he put a nice crimp in the Dem's slow and painful drift to the right.

The Democratic Party once stood for these things. They losing their way now. The whole country has been steadily swirling down the drain for practically our entire adult lifetime. Going further to the right with each decade.

He's the one who has bothered pushing back against the tide, and I'm glad he's haranguing people from the outside. They need massive haranguing right about now.

Someone has to call this for what it is. That's what he does.

And by the way, the people he's calling out? They really aren't good enough.

[Demsrule86]

17. Every issue has been raised multiple time by multiple Democrats. nt

[kayakjohnny]

22. But not nearly with his passion and consistency and clarity.

You think all those people showed up at the rallies to hear a gravelly voiced guy drone on about nothing?

Name one of those multiple Democrats who ever had the focus and the fire that he did.

And not just this year, but for the last forty.

Maybe Ted Kennedy, and that's about it.

[panader0]

19. I am extremely proud of the efforts of Sen Sanders in this primary.

He made people aware of the issues you listed.
He didn't run for himself--he ran for the people. He carried the banner of progressive politics
and his work will be passed to the next candidate that knows what matters to the 99%.
My thanks to him for the very hard struggle, uphill, against the odds, to capture millions
of our votes.

[andym]

23. Bernie has pushed the Democratic Party to the left

And I hope he find an effective way to keep doing that. The Democratic party needs to be more progressive, and Bernie has hopefully begun the journey.

[bvar22]

24. The Free Public Education was a twofer (two for one).

It was to be funded by a transaction tax on Wall Street.
WIN/WIN.