The problem of over-promising is that if a candidate runs on a campaign of sweeping changes,

[pnwmom]

and doesn't have coattails long enough to keep the House majority and create a strong Senate supermajority, then the candidate will be incapable of delivering on the promises, and will be blamed for not accomplishing the impossible.

Voters will then put that Democratic President into the category of "just another politician" who promises what can't be delivered, and they will have trouble getting re-elected.

If Bernie gets elected, how does he think he can accomplish anything, when he has gotten so few bills through Congress as it is?

[George II]

1. Having bashed Democrats for decades, Sanders' "coattails" are on the back of a dinner jacket.

[crazytown]

2. Elizabeth Warren has said is that she has put out detailed policies

so that the electorate have the means to hold Congress, and the President accountable. She will not be signing bills that betray core principles, and if the Republicans block fair legislation on the floor, she will go on the offensive, in their districts, in their states, and in the midterms.

Warren is looking towards 2022.

[pnwmom]

6. And she had a major accomplishment in Congress: the Consumer Protection Agency. n/t

[ritapria]

3. Bernie worked with the Republicans so effectively

during his time in the House , he earned the sobriquet . " The Amendment King" ...He worked with John McCain to get a landmark Veterans Bill passed ..He is presently working with Republican Senator Mike Lee to stop a future Trump- instigated War with Iran...He worked with Ron Paul to get the first ever audit of the Federal Reserve ….He worked with business interests while he was Mayor of Burlington , Vt.....……..The US News and World Report declared him one of the Best Mayors in America in 1987 ...Bernie is a far more savvy cat than you give him credit for … He is just not a talker - but a doer as well ..

[crazytown]

4. That was the subject of Buttigieg's 2000 essay -

Sanders’ candor does not itself represent political courage. The nation is teeming with outspoken radicals in one form or another. Most are sooner called crazy than courageous. It is the second half of Sanders’ political role that puts the first half into perspective: he is a powerful force for conciliation and bi-partisanship on Capitol Hill.

(snip) It may seem strange that someone so steadfast in his principles has a reputation as a peacemaker between divided forces in Washington, but this is what makes Sanders truly remarkable. He represents President Kennedy’s ideal of “compromises of issues, not of principles.”

Sanders has used his unique position as the lone Independent Congressman to help Democrats and Republicans force hearings on the internal structure of the International Monetary Fund, which he sees as excessively powerful and unaccountable. He also succeeded in quietly persuading reluctant Republicans and President Clinton to ban the import of products made by under-age workers.

Sanders’ positions on many difficult issues are commendable, but his real impact has been as a reaction to the cynical climate which threatens the effectiveness of the democratic system. His energy, candor, conviction, and ability to bring people together stand against the current of opportunism, moral compromise, and partisanship which runs rampant on the American political scene. He and few others like him have the power to restore principle and leadership in Congress and to win back the faith of a voting public weary and wary of political opportunism.

https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/profile-in-courage-essay-contest/past-winning-essays/2000-winning-essay-by-peter-buttigieg


Reading through that essay, brings Jackson Browne's song to mind: Are you there, say a prayer for The Pretender, who started out so young and strong, only to surrender.

[pnwmom]

7. The "Amendment King" is faint praise. At least Warren

can point to the Consumer Protection Agency, her own accomplishment.

[ehrnst]

11. Does one who steps in at the last moment to pipe more roses onto a wedding cake

get referred to as a pastry chef, let alone a 'pastry king?'

When one skips all the real, intense and challenging work of crafting legislation, with all the compromise and teamwork involved, that doesn't promote their capacity to craft legislation or work well with teams that don't just one dictate what will be in that legislation.

Warren has much more respect, regard and real accomplishments for the 98% in her much shorter career.

Besides, there's a reason that narrow "Amendment King" window ends at 2007. That crown got passed pretty quickly - however, no one else who has exceeded Sanders' number during that time has felt that it was something to be touted as a major accomplishment in their legislative career...let alone feel a need to be referred to as a "king."

In the current Congress, Sanders ranks fourth when it comes to the number of career roll call amendments passed, according GovTrack founder, Josh Tauberer. The three lawmakers who top him are Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., with 27 in 15 years in Congress; Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., with 24 in 33 years; and Rep Steve King, R-Iowa, with 22 in 13 years.

Roll call amendments aside, Sanders isn’t shattering any legislative records, though he’s not doing poorly either. Tauberer’s research places Sanders at No. 14 in Congress with 90 amendments. The other senator from Vermont, Democrat Patrick Leahy, on the other hand, has passed 226.

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/24/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/

[Thekaspervote]

5. Thank you! Finally... a voice of sanity

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. The problem with under-promising is a slow rightwards drift for decades

The problem with under-promising is "the American dream" falling out of the reach of tens of millions more each decade.

The problem with under-promising is more and more "privatization", and weaker unions.

The problem with under-promising is adding fuel to the false myth that "both political parties are the same"

The problem with under-promising is the steady alienation of increasing segments of the working class from the Democratic Party who previously had remained loyal to Democrats for our bold economic programs.

The problem with under-promising is allowing the far right to frame the political narrative by dominating the world of new ideas and initiatives.

The problem with under-promising is Democrats negotiating with ourselves over what is pragmatically possible to achieve before we even sit down with Republicans to hammer out compromises.

[ehrnst]

10. Over-promising is quite the "status quo" for political campaigns. (nt)

[ehrnst]

9. One can always blame it on "others" in the "status quo" that "thwarted" them

because they were a "threat to the establishment."

[MineralMan]

12. Sanders isn't wearing a tailcoat. Just a short dinner jacket.

He has no coattails. Sad to say, he will not help us regain a majority in the Senate, which we desperately need. Biden, on the other hand, has coattails down to his knees.