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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The Idea that Bernie is a Democrat at heart is sort of laughable [View all]kennetha
(3,666 posts)86. Why Did he Run as A democrat?
He already told you. What you don't believe him? Think he's already been a Democrat at heart?
During a town hall-style event in Columbus, Ohio, the independent Vermont senator said, In terms of media coverage, you have to run within the Democratic Party. He then took a dig at MNSBC, telling Todd, the network would not have me on his program if he ran as an independent.
Money also played a role in his decision to run as a Democrat, Sanders added.
To run as an independent, you need you could be a billionaire," he said. "If you're a billionaire, you can do that. I'm not a billionaire. So the structure of American politics today is such that I thought the right ethic was to run within the Democratic Party.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/bernie-sanders-independent-media-coverage-220747#ixzz44lanQsd9
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
Money also played a role in his decision to run as a Democrat, Sanders added.
To run as an independent, you need you could be a billionaire," he said. "If you're a billionaire, you can do that. I'm not a billionaire. So the structure of American politics today is such that I thought the right ethic was to run within the Democratic Party.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/bernie-sanders-independent-media-coverage-220747#ixzz44lanQsd9
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
And what happened to the the guy who said, back in 1989, just before he ran for the House:
The more radical, and the position of integrity, is to declare who you are and not fool people. And assume they are smart enough to see your name and vote for you outside the democratic party. We had 15% of the people who were willing to vote outside the democratic and republican parties, and more who were tempted to do it I think. If you're talking about change you can't fool people. You can't say, "vote for me, I'm a democrat it's O.K. nothing will really change. But I'm really going to change the system. You are or you're not. I think when you salk inside that house of the democratic party, and you have all the conservative democrats shaking your hand saying we're all democrats, aren't we. Well I am a democrat but I'm not a democrat. You are or you're not. You don't change the system from within the democratic party.
Did he lose some of that radicalism and integrity along the way?
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You must be an awfully young and uninformed person to think he is an extremist of any kind
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#44
The politics of personality is the problem, one should hold ideals and do so consistently
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#55
Eugenics now? I chang my mind, you go your way, I'll go my way but Eugenics gets you the ignore list
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#82
You do know that the Political Compass has a self-professed libertarian bias, right?
baldguy
Apr 2016
#50
I know you don't appear to know what you are talking about , other than that....
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#56
First of all she is neoliberal, not liberal, and he is basically on the center regarding neoliberal
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#101
It is listed on the graph you posted, so I don't really know what to tell you
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#108
Why? he's always caucused with the Democrats, he is more a Democrat than most in the party re issues
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#43
How convenient that he not only voted with them but the party promoted him to
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#85
I have been an avid reader for over fifty years, but your opinion pieces aren't very good.
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#92
So what? Very few voters give a sh*t. In fact, that is a huge selling point with millions!
imagine2015
Apr 2016
#158
I think he represents my Democratic values quite well. We can move the party back to where it should
uppityperson
Apr 2016
#2
From what you write, I'd say, as a Democrat for over 47 years, that you've become enraptured
highprincipleswork
Apr 2016
#10
Who cares? I voted for him when he was an I and I voted for him as a D.
beam me up scottie
Apr 2016
#14
Bernie is absolutely our best choice to win the White House, gain in Congress, correspond with
highprincipleswork
Apr 2016
#25
Enthusiastic voters voting for a platform they really believe in behind leaders they can trust.
highprincipleswork
Apr 2016
#31
So you don't want to support the candidates currently running on the democratic ticket
kennetha
Apr 2016
#76
Trying to trap me or something? No, I support whom I like, which means Progressive Democrats.
highprincipleswork
Apr 2016
#171
Okay first senz didn't compare him to LBJ and second: the people's spew?
beam me up scottie
Apr 2016
#27
Right. Like when Sanders & his minions use RW fascist propaganda to attack Democrats.
baldguy
Apr 2016
#51
Yeah, right wing propaganda like "corporations have too much power" and "expand Social Security"
Armstead
Apr 2016
#72
RW propaganda like "Hillary is a corrupt liar" and "There's no difference between Dems & the GOP".
baldguy
Apr 2016
#88
Right. Real progressives & Democrats are smarter than average, and better at recognizing bullshit.
baldguy
Apr 2016
#106
Why? he's always caucused with the Democrats, he is more a Democrat than most in the party re issues
Dragonfli
Apr 2016
#42
It should be a clear and obvious set of vast differences not a matter of nuance and parsings....
Bluenorthwest
Apr 2016
#139
I am living in a state suffering from the gutting of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act
Gothmog
Apr 2016
#133
Since a lot of the Democrats drifted passed the center to Republican Lite
Sky Masterson
Apr 2016
#67
Sanders has admitted: Wanted media coverage -so signed into the Democratic Party. It is not
riversedge
Apr 2016
#102
Of course Bernie isn't a democrat. He's running as a democrat. I think at first it was just to pull
Autumn
Apr 2016
#130
You know who fails to criticize their own Party? Republicans. And look at that Party today.
Bluenorthwest
Apr 2016
#138
I suppose stuff like this is really important to people who need to feel a sense of belonging.
frylock
Apr 2016
#163
Better than any Democrat I've ever had the opportunity to vote for, Jerry Brown is a distant 2nd.
Umbral18
Apr 2016
#170
Not just Davis, the OP seems to support the 5 NC Democrats who voted for the anti trans, anti gay
Bluenorthwest
Apr 2016
#181
Disabuse yourself of the notion that "Democrat" is a check mark on an index card.
cherokeeprogressive
Apr 2016
#177
I heard he supports no payday lending predators, no private prisons, no trade races to the bottom
Betty Karlson
Apr 2016
#190
So when he caucused with us to give us a Senate majority by one vote
Warren DeMontague
Apr 2016
#192