Do "Bernie or Bust" folks gamble with the progressive movement's political relevance?

[PBass]

It seems maybe they might be. If Hillary wins the election (and especially if she wins by a lot), it may imply (or be spun) that the Bernie or Bust voters (and the policies they support) are not absolutely necessary ingredients for a Democratic victory.

I'm not happy about this idea - I voted Bernie in the primary - but I think it's possible that the hard liners may create the impression that they are not really relevant (even if that's actually not true - it could be spun that way).

Thoughts?

[B Calm]

1. Thoughts, yea, drop the Bernie.

[PBass]

2. Meaning that they've dropped Bernie as a leader? They've gone Green?

Trying to clarify your meaning...

It's kind of a similar question if these people now identify as Greens... a low turnout for Jill Stein also implies irrelevance. For example, nobody cares what Nader voters think, in 2016.

I might have done a bad job posing the initial question.

[B Calm]

3. Meaning, it's insulting.

[NCTraveler]

10. Then they should take off his merchandise.

I do agree they represent Sanders in no way. Still, the optics is theirs to own.

[B Calm]

12. A small fraction of this wing of the party is doing this. Bernie has came out in support

of Clinton. The least we can do is show him and the supporters who are following his leadership some respect!

[NCTraveler]

15. I really don't disagree with that.

I have also stated many times that an overwhelmingly majority of his supporters advocate for me. As does Sanders himself and most Clinton supporters.

Still, the optics of this small group are theirs to own and it shows a bit of political niavete to think others won't use those optics as a way to marginalized. BoB is now every bit of the lexicon as PUMA. I do think we should just call them PUMA's but that marginalization eight years ago worked so well it still conjures up the image of Clinton holdouts. That's how well this tactic works when the door is left open.

[baldguy]

4. What do you call those who want to see Clinton and the Dems lose & oppose everything they stand for?

Republicans.

[DonViejo]

5. Most folks recognize that the "Bernie or Bust" crowd...

is pretty small. Polls indicate 90% of Sen Sanders's supporters moved to Sec'y Clinton so, I don't think anything of significance will happen beyond some eye rolling and chuckling

[oberliner]

16. "Polls indicate 90% of Sen Sanders's supporters moved to Sec'y Clinton"

This is not true.

That was one Pew Poll that only offered Clinton and Trump as the options. No Jill Stein. No "Won't Vote". No Undecided.

If you include Jill Stein and Undecided or Won't Vote as options, the results are very different.

[DonViejo]

17. Let's see, Pew does a poll asking Sanders supporters if they'll vote for Trump...

or Sec'y Clinton. 90% respond Clinton but, you claim it's not true. Up is down; right is left; 90% choose Clinton but it's a lie. Yeah, okay

[oberliner]

19. When Stein and Johnson are included, Hillary gets 63% of Sanders supporters

But in a four-way ballot -- where Clinton's lead is reduced to one point -- 63% of Sanders supporters are behind Clinton, 14% pick the Green Party's Jill Stein, 9% back Trump, and 8% are for Libertarian Johnson.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/first-read-sanders-supporters-slowly-come-around-clinton-n599526

I don't know why Pew doesn't include Stein and Johnson as options.

[randome]

20. For one, the Green Party will never come anywhere near 14% of the vote.

Most of that 14%, 9% and 8% will vote for Clinton, preferences be damned.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[oberliner]

23. Obviously

But she could get 14% of voters who supported Sanders in the primary.

I can see her getting close to what Nader got back in the day.

[randome]

24. Oh, I get it. So 90% may be a bit of an exaggeration, then.

Still, anger instead of proposals never seem to sway politicians unless it's mass anger combined with mass protests so I don't see anything all that compelling coming out of the fringes.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[NCTraveler]

6. Their relevance is insignificant to a point.

They are now simply being used to marginalized a section of the "left". They have made it too easy to do and have written their own ticket to irrelevance. The only reason they aren't irrelevant is bucause they are being used as a tool by Democrats in numerous ways. Their relevance would only be impactful if there was fear they could significantly help a third party. They are currently being falsely propped up and symbolically displayed as the stereotypical face of third parties on the left. Yes, that is deceptive and based in propaganda. BoB's have made the narrative too easy to write. It's on them.

[awake]

7. Move on B.O.B. Is so yesterday do not waist you time on them

They are a small number of disrupters who have lot in common with Trump but Trump is the one person to worry about not "Bernie or Busters".

[Android3.14]

8. The Bernie Busters are dissipating so fast

The Bernie Busters are dissipating so fast that any you see after another two weeks are going to be mere astroturf nonsense.

I dislike Clinton's persona, distrust her words, and am preparing for the hard times coming as she struggles to lead this Confederacy of Dunces, but in a few weeks it will only be the mentally and emotionally handicapped that are refusing to back Clinton because she isn't Sanders.

The real Sanders supporters are advancing the revolution within the Democratic Party just fine.

[UCmeNdc]

9. No Bernie or Bust supporters should become Hillary or Bust supporters. Then organize and

push their agenda on Hillary. The key word here is to organize. The two sides are not that far apart. It is a matter of degree of emphasis on issues that matter to Bernie supporters.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Meh, doubt it means all that much...

The country is drifting back to the left. The Democratic Party is drifting back to the left.

Bernie will still be in the Senate, as will Liz Warren. Reality says that the Dem Party is not that much bigger than the Repub party in overall numbers or percentages, around 30-35% of the population. While there was a pitch for the center and center-right voters, the platform is pretty leftist, compared to previous ones.

We're not going full on Socialist. That won't happen, or at least won't happen any time soon. Frankly, I don't think I want that. With hard work and a little bit of luck, we can implement some Democratic-Socialist ideas like many European countries have been using for decades. The ACA was a bit of a start, although it was too corporatist for many of us. If we can at least offer a public option to that and basically force the stupid red states to accept the MedicAid expansion, life would be much better for millions of Americans. Higher minimum wage, strengthening SS and Medicare...these are all things that should be doable, especially if we can make some inroads in the legislature and break the Repub stranglehold there.

[UCmeNdc]

13. I agree!

The word Socialist was used just to minimize Bernie Sanders message. But Bernie Sanders's message is still relevant and worth pushing onto a Hillary Clinton. Remember Hillary Clinton needs GOTV workers, phone bank workers, etc. Bernie supporters can work and help these needed positions and at the same time say loudly these are my wants from Hillary Clinton. But, it must be an organized "want list".

Bernie or Bust supporters might not get all they want from Hillary Clinton but they can get more from her than voting for Jill Stein and having Loser Donald Trump in office.

[Demsrule86]

14. This implies that Hillary should lose so Busters stay relevant. Seriously bad post.

This is nonsense. The only way progressive politics continue is if Hillary is elected...Trump would destroy the movement with policy changes (which could literally kill people) and court picks that last for 30 + years.

[randome]

18. They gamble with the movement's 'coherence'. That's just as bad.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Lil Missy]

21. One can only hope that's true. n/t

[One of the 99]

22. Just the opposite is true.

History has shown that when Dems lose because the left applied a purity test and either stayed home or voted third party, in the next election the Dems shift more to the right to appeal to more moderate voters.