You cannot be a great democratic leader without being inspirational.

[cali]

(That's democratic with a small d)

You cannot be inspirational without being aspirational.

Of course being inspirational doesn't necessarily indicate that someone will be a great or good or even adequate President, but someone who does not inspire large numbers of people, someone who is more a dream killing candidate than an aspirational candidate, has a far smaller chance of being a great democratic leader than someone who has a clearly articulated dream.

[Mbrow]

1. K&R

[PatrickforO]

2. Another way of saying that without vision, the people perish.

You're quite right. There's been a lot of interesting literature around this. Our base responds very well to messages of hope, while the GOP base responds to messages of fear. Apparently it is the difference between the way the liberal brain is 'wired' and the way the conservative brain is 'wired.'

But what makes you right is that the more inspirational the leader, the more independents flock to them.

We see this with Bernie. I mean, the guy sounds like a broken record, he's so on message, but it is a message for which the American people have been yearning. I know I've been yearning for that message.

I thought Obama would be the next FDR and for the very first time in my life, donated both time and money to a presidential campaign. Obama has been a solid centrist, though. More centrist that I thought he'd be.

Now we have Bernie. He IS the next FDR, I think, which is why I'm supporting him. He's the only presidential candidate in my political lifetime who has the message and the consistency that will actually address our kitchen table issues.

[uponit7771]

3. Sanders inspires the same group of people on the dem side that Clinton lost with in 08 and

... now that he's coopted Bigga in West in this same message I'm not sure his inspiring is the type that dems stand for

[cali]

4. He inspires a lot of people. Hill inspires very few.

[uponit7771]

5. We agree, Sanders inspires a lot of people... that Hillary lost with in 08. Funny many don't see

... that as an issue now

[cali]

6. He inspires a lot of people who didn't vote in 2008

Some were too young, others weren't engaged.

[uponit7771]

7. My understanding is voter registration is down this cycle

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Your understanding if for you alone to enjoy, others require support for your assertions...

Voter registration is a State by State thing, it is way up here. New Hampshire had more voters than in any Primary ever.

No wonder you have no evidence of your claims. There isn't any!

[uponit7771]

12. ok, dem voter registration... and voter turnout

[Bluenorthwest]

10. Sanders supporters were almost all Obama voters in 2008. I never voted Clinton.

I think that is one hugely laughable theory! I note the total lack of supporting evidence for your words. That's because there isn't any. You are just improvising.

[Donkees]

8. JFK: WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON

[Bluenorthwest]

9. You have to give people hope- Harvey Milk addresses CA Democrats in 1978...

"After Dade County, I walked among the angry and the frustrated night after night and I looked at their faces. And in San Francisco, three days before Gay Pride Day, a person was killed just because he was gay. And that night, I walked among the sad and the frustrated at City Hall in San Francisco and later that night as they lit candles on Castro Street and stood in silence, reaching out for some symbolic thing that would give them hope. These were strong people, whose faces I knew from the shop, the streets, meetings and people who I never saw before but I knew. They were strong, but even they needed hope.

And the young gay people in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias and the Richmond, Minnesotas who are coming out and hear Anita Bryant on television and her story. The only thing they have to look forward to is hope. And you have to give them hope. Hope for a better world, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better place to come to if the pressures at home are too great. Hope that all will be all right. Without hope, not only gays, but the blacks, the seniors, the handicapped, the us'es, the us'es will give up. And if you help elect to the central committee and other offices, more gay people, that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised, a green light to move forward. It means hope to a nation that has given up, because if a gay person makes it, the doors are open to everyone.

So if there is a message I have to give, it is that I've found one overriding thing about my personal election, it's the fact that if a gay person can be elected, it's a green light. And you and you and you, you have to give people hope. Thank you very much."
http://www.danaroc.com/guests_harveymilk_122208.html