I would rather get 5 steps closer to Berie's vision than 100 of Hillary's

[emsimon33]

<SNIP>

But practicality and incrementalism, as reasonable as that strategy and persona may be, are simply no match for what animates the Sanders campaign — a kind of kinetic, even if sometimes overblown, idealism. His is a passionate exposition of liberalism — and yes, democratic socialism — in its most positive light.

But, let me be clear and unequivocal: I find his earnest philosophic positions to be clear and often laudable, but also somewhat quixotic. I think that he is promising far more than even he knows he can deliver, and the electability question is still a real one, even though polls now show him matching up well against possible Republican opponents.

<SNIP>

Whole opinion piece here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/25/opinion/hillary-clinton-stumbles.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

[R.H.E.] I'm tired of all the people, both supporters and detractors, painting Bernie Sanders as some impractical dreamer, when in fact, among all the Presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat, Sanders is in fact the most practical, the most realistic.

Skewed economic inequality, in what people can earn, in what assets they have, in what they can attain through effort, is at the crux of so many of our problems. Every other candidate but Sanders is running on a platform that either will not make things better, or will make things worse. It's easy ("practical," "realistic&quot to not change things or make them worse. But only reversing economic inequality can possibly get us back to a socially and economically healthy society such as we had in the mid to late 20th century. Sanders' platform is in fact the only platform for which we have empirical, solid evidence that it would work. Every other candidate's platform has either proved that it will not work, or has no proof that it has ever worked, or will work.

So, why do we continue to assert that Sanders is the impractical dreamer in this bunch?

Will it be harder to effect the changes Sanders proposes? Yes. There will be more resistance. But if we dropped our ideologies, and deigned to agree and admit that the ultimate results we want are quite similar, only Sanders' platform has a proven chance to get us there. So, if we are going to be realistic, let's try to do the thing that might actually work. Let's be realistic.

I would rather get 5 steps closer to Bernie's vision than 100 steps closer to Hillary's because Bernie's is in the right direction.

We have been going in the wrong direction for decades now. Incremental will only take further back as we compromise with Republicans who have gone so far to the right that the middle can no longer hold.

We must go back to the roots of the Democratic Party and reject the incrementalism of the Third Way, neoliberals who have hijacked the Party.

[Vincardog]

1. We must go back to the roots of the Democratic Party and reject the incrementalism of the Third Way,

neoliberals who have hijacked the Party.

[jeff47]

2. Just because you have ideals does not mean you can't head for them incrementally.

"He can't pass everything immediately" has to be one of the dumbest arguments out there.

Your ideals define the direction in which you will step. You don't have to reach them in a single step.

The fact that Clinton does not seem to understand this is the reason she is a good administrator, but a terrible leader. And fundamentally, the job of the President is to be a leader.

[emsimon33]

7. You are very generous calling Hillary a "good administrator"

[Cleita]

3. In the 1960s Bernie would have been considered pragmatic and sensible in his policies

and values. John Kennedy wanted to take us to the moon, a pretty sci-fi notion back then. The Russians had barely launched Sputnik to our chagrin and we scrambled to catch up with and surpass them. But we didn't look upon at as reaching too far or pie in the sky because then we were Americans. Back then we believed Americans could do anything, even go to the moon, because we had the heart, money and leadership to get the seemingly impossible done.

Today, corporate Democrats are telling us to settle for what is possible. Settle for the ACA because single payer is impossible. Accept the TPP because global trade is inevitable. Bernie is asking us to be forward thinking Americans and to help him remove the obstacles that are in the way that are rapidly turning us into a third world country. Those obstacles are Wall Street, the banksters and the military/industrial complex. He's asking us to remember what we stand for and to stand up for it.

When we feed the war machine and the 1% instead of our citizens and what our citizens needs are food, shelter, health care, security and safety and education for their children, we become no better than the madmen who got us into World War II.

FEEL THE BERN!

[emsimon33]

6. Very well said...thank you!

[Cleita]

8. Thanks! I decided to expand on this post and put up a post like it on GD.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027561654

If anyone wants to comment.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. If Bernie really were an impractical dreamer, he'd be

embracing policies that are morally good, but that don't poll well with the American public, like reparations and basic income.

But he's not the Nader or Kucinich they want to paint him as, and he's stuck to policies that poll well with the majority of Americans.

That's the radical part of his agenda - actually doing things the American people want, rather than getting elected, then telling them to bugger off while he does what's best for corporations and the 'owner' class.

[emsimon33]

5. " then telling them to bugger off while he does what's best for corporations and the 'owner' class"

And having his chief of staff calling the liberals in the party derogatory names and discounting their passion and efforts on behalf of the election. Hmmmm....sounds familiar. No wonder Hillary is running as Obama's third term!