What would you like to see in a deal between Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

It's possible the two candidates won't make any deals at all. However, If there is a deal to be had, what would you like to see from Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders?

For me, I would like Senator Sanders to hand over his email and contributors list. Getting an influx of volunteers and money would be a huge boon to Hillary Clinton. Of course, I would love to see Bernie Sanders hitting the campaign trail, too.

I imagine that Bernie would ask for a prime speaking slot at the convention and maybe some input into Hillary's cabinet positions like Secretary of Labor.

I got the inspiration to make this post from a similar thread in the Bernie group. Not all of us can post there, so I thought I would ask it here.

[whirlygigspin]

1. this should be good

[Jennylynn]

51. lol@popcorn

Her resignation.

[Baobab]

59. She's been covering up a theft of our country's right to have affordable health care and education.

I don't think that its possible for Mrs Clinton to be honest. She's certainly lying about health care in 1994. She's hiding the FTA that stole our (or has attempted to steal) our whole planet's right to have affordable health care and education that was being put together at the same time. Hows that for dishonesty?

[Thinkingabout]

2. It is about electing a Democrat as president and as many down ticket candidates.

This would be good for progressive issues. If progressive issues are important then work to get people in power to accomplish our ideas.

[Eric J in MN]

3. I want Hillary Clinton to support a national ban on fracking.

She could say that upon further study, she realized that there is no such thing as safe fracking.

Also, for her to strengthen her opposition to the TPP by urging Congress to vote against it. And for her to promise to oppose any future trade deal with ISDS.

[Demsrule86]

27. And that would mean what?

The president does not have the power to do this on their own. We have a Republic not a dictatorship.

[Squinch]

30. Still. I'm a staunch Hillary supporter. I could get behind all of that.

[Eric J in MN]

62. The president has some influence over Congress

...the EPA and the State Dept.

[snowy owl]

69. Absolutely! The bully pulpet! What's wrong with people? Executive orders.

Presidents have a lot of power - at least those who know how to use it. As for EPA, just getting honest people in and enforcing the current laws is huge. A lot of what has happened to us is the result of presidents who don't enforce the laws already on the books. Reagan and Bush2 are two of them. They choose what they want to enforce.

Bernie has the executive experience from his time as mayor and all those years in Congress making deals. He knows what is possible and how to start the machinery going. Hillary, not so much I think but I hope I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. One, I'm a Sanders supporter and two, I'm a Democrat. So he should support her if she's the nominee.

And, he should endorse her. Full stop. I'll probably catch some shit for saying that, but .... that's how the process works.

That said, there are a lot of things she should do, that she should be doing, that she should have been doing all along.

We need real leadership on cannabis law reform, beyond a token change from Schedule I to II which does nothing to resolve the conflict btw. federal law and state legalization, both recreational AND medical. We have strong members of our party getting out in front of this important issue, from Sen. Merkley to lt. Gov. Newsom to Rep. Blumenauer. Talk to them. The party supports it, the public supports it, a whole lot of the country west of the Rockies DEFINITELY supports it, at this point pretty much everyone except folks on the drug war gravy train, Chris Christie, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz support it. It's time.


Our party needs to re-commit itself, in Philadelphia, birthplace of Liberty, to the Bill of Rights. Hillary recently decided in rural PA to declare her respect for the 2nd Amendment, it would be nice if she would express similar reverence for the 1st. Or the 4th. When people have a history of sponsoring legislation putting "flag burners" in jail for a year, and we are examining their resumes and record, it becomes important that they reiterate their dedication to principles of freedom of speech.

Similarly, strong encryption is more than just a pain in James Comey's ass, it is a vital principle for not just liberty but commerce in the 21st century and it NEEDS to be respected and protected, not "manhattan project"-ed out of existence.

Even more than the Middle Class, the people making minimum wage need a champion. No, $15 is not too much, I don't care where you live.

And if we're really going to "improve" the ACA, how about that Public Option we were promised? (Note: Hillary has begun to address this, which is good)

Lastly, DWS is an embarrassment to the party. She needs to go. But I'd love to see her grit her teeth and have to preside over a pro-marijuana legalization plank in the platform at the convention, first.

[Demsrule86]

11. Nothing

I would give him nothing. It is blackmail. I don't like blackmail.

[Warren DeMontague]

13. Okay.

But I'm talking "us", not "him".

I realize some people think that all this is personality shit, some sort of supermarket tabloid style deal- like Ben and Jennifer and the Kardashians latest fight over who insulted whose tiny dog on twitter, but...

there are actual policies which affect actual residents of this planet at play, here.



Maybe you meant to respond to the OP.

[Demsrule86]

29. I see your point

But I can't really see a difference in their policy...she is for minimum wage,income equality, health care etc. As for breaking up the banks..that won't happen with a Gop congress...and not sure it should. I have a retirement in Wall Street

[Warren DeMontague]

66. Heh. Hell, even in college I was never the one with the Che Guevarra poster on the wall.

Not my style.

I think there's a place for serious and well-placed financial sector regulation which would protect the retirement assets of folks like you and I (Elizabeth Warren would make a fine "unity" VP choice, to my mind) ... no one's 401K benefits from shady operators peddling crappy derivative investment products based upon undisclosed, bad fundamentals and then making boatloads of cash by making their own huge financial bets against the very economic indicators they are in the process of tanking (witness 2007-8) ... but no, "breaking up banks" probably won't happen.

Still, I laid out a list of things I think Hillary could do better on. It's funny, too, people talk about sensible fiscal policy, budgets, and heavens how can we fund social programs without excessive taxation and gee whiz where could we possibly increase our revenue stream and maybe we're missing something if only there were something we haven't tried....

Oregon has collected $6.84 million in recreational pot taxes since January



Fiscal responsibility, indeed.

[Demsrule86]

70. I agree

With your post completely. Also since pensions have been destroyed, many who are clamoring for the demise of banks and Wall Street will depend on both for retirement. Thanks for the link!

[bvf]

5. How about Clinton steps aside and saves

a few thousand American lives in the bargain?

[merrily]

6. HA!

[Bad Dog]

7. I don't care

Anything to stop a Trump or Cruz presidency.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Adult behavior from both

Everything else should care of itself if both parties show some graciousness and respect to each other.

[Cosmocat]

15. Bernie will

and I think Hillary would do well to emulate BHO and how he acted toward her, and Bernie will take it a lot better than her (not saying he did anything wrong) so it should be easier.

I am not saying make him SOS, and I don't think he would want an appointment.

I just think she should, and I suspect will, be pretty deferential toward him.

[BeyondGeography]

18. She certainly knows the feeling

That's important.

[Squinch]

31. Obama was gracious, but certainly not deferential. As a black man, he understood that he

couldn't do deferential. As a woman she understands the same thing.

Her behavior as the loser in that campaign was extremely gracious. (I am sure there are those who will flame that statement, but it is the simple truth. She was in a MUCH better position that Sanders was in months ago, and she left the race anyway, and then worked her ass off for Obama.)

I think she will certainly treat Sanders with respect.

[MrTriumph]

53. Get real. Hillary was not a gracious loser in 2008. PUMA

Hillary and her campaign clearly stated in 2008 that if she lost Texas, she would suspend her campaign. She lost Texas, but carried on anyway.

And who do you think created the PUMA madness at followed?!

[BeyondGeography]

60. Hillary's going to be the nominee in no small part because of her support of Obama

starting at the DNC. PUMA was nothing more than a few pissed off supporters who disappeared once they saw her nominate Obama by acclimation.

[Squinch]

61. Sanders is now twice as far behind Hillary as Hillary was behind Obama at any point in the

2008 election. And he won't leave. So you have no leg to stand on when you complain about when Hillary bowed out of the race.

The PUMA madness that followed? That was created by spoiled brats who didn't understand politics. Just like the "Bernie or Bust" people today.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

58. I like your style. Nt

[stonecutter357]

9. he gets nothing.....

[floppyboo]

20. You do realize that that gets Hillary nothing, right?

[Hortensis]

10. I'd like her goals and efforts to reinstate financial regulation and

redistribute national wealth from the few to the many to be just as strong as is realistically achievable. She may feel they already are, and what can be done will be greatly affected by Democratic strength, or lack of it, in the new Congress, and other power centers.

But with that in mind, I'd like Sanders, with the two of them working together to achieve their agreed goals, to continue his efforts to gather national support for substantial change both during the GE and after she takes office. (Knock wood!)

[hill2016]

12. it is illegal for them to make any deals

but I would like him to be his health care czar (oh such a HUGE irony). Maybe his crazy ideas ready have a chance to pass through congress and be funded.

[Chan790]

24. You are aware that such "wink-wink. There's no deal" deals get made every Presidential election? n/t

[CanadaexPat]

14. No deal.

He should attack Republicans, urge people to vote for Clinton and continue his message. But no deal.

[B Calm]

16. If Hillary ends up winning the nomination

she should select Bernie as her running mate. It's the only path to party unification.

[Chan790]

23. I don't think he'd accept.

There's a lot less that he could do as VP than what he could do by, say, demanding her support for the leadership chair in the Senate. If he was going to strike that kind of deal for a position for himself, I think that would be the one he pursues. Senate Majority Leader Sanders has a nice ring to it. It would require him to take whatever step necessary to become unquestionably a Democrat...that's probably as simple as agreeing to only run for office in the future as a Democrat. (I doubt he runs for even his Senate seat more than one more time. I can't see him wanting to serve into his late 80s.)

I suspect he's not going to ask for a position from himself as much as to dictate who is on/off-the-table for her at one or more cabinet posts.

[thesquanderer]

28. re: "There's a lot less that he could do as VP"

That depends on whether there may be legal issues that could prevent Clinton from filling out her full term. VP could suddenly be a very important position.

[Squinch]

32. That's definitely not going to happen.

[loyalsister]

17. Nothing

I want him to hold her accountable from his senate seat.

[randome]

19. How about agreeing to give a 'State Of The Environment' assessment every month?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[Squinch]

34. I think that's a good idea too.

[forjusticethunders]

21. Depends - what can Hillary be moved left on RIGHT NOW?

I'd say

- A major commitment to improving healthcare, whether via Medicare for All or by a significant ACA expansion (and by putting Medicare for All on the table, at worst you could garner major leverage over the insurance lobby to allow a major ACA expansion)
- More aggressive action on climate change (her plan is pretty good, but it's kind of "we should have been there 8 years ago" and it hasn't been a huge part of her platform
- Marijuana full decriminalization (she can delay this until after the GE if she thinks it might lose her a swing state, but we're at a tipping point on the issue to begin with so I doubt it will lose her 2020)
- A full commitment to 15/hr as an ideal (though while 15/hr is a nice number, what we REALLY need is something tied to cost of living because 15/hr isn't even enough in many urban areas. I'd gladly take a situation where you can only get 12 in rural areas but 16-18 in urban areas)

These are a few things she could be "made to do" through a consolidation deal.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. Once she wins, she can't be "made to do" anything.

Except by those who contribute large to her "trust".

[Squinch]

38. Your first one is up to congress, not the president. If we are serious about it, we

nee to get on those down-ticket races immediately. But as far as being an advocate for what you describe, she has always been one and I don't see that changing. I think this is a good item for the list.

Climate change and the minimum wage, I could fully agree with you, especially on your recognition that urban areas and rural areas have different costs of living.

But she can't really be "made to do" any of these things any more than Congress can be "made to do" them. If we want these things, we now need to make the environment (i.e Congress) in which they can happen.

[forjusticethunders]

44. Yeah that's what I meant.

I'm referring to when FDR met with a group of progressive/socialist activists, and he agreed with their ideas but said in essence "make me do it", which means create the political movement required for him to push for those goals, aka, making the environment for it to happen.

In a 2016 context, making Hillary do it would be sweeping the GOP out of Congress in both houses, and pressuring sitting Democrats to get on board progressive goals.

[Squinch]

48. Which is where, I think, we all need to get together now. I am a Hillary supporter, but I want to

see money out of elections as much as any Sanders supporter. It's just that I see that as a down-ticket fight. And I think it's a fight that could be won. It's our weak spot as Democrats. We tend not to put as much attention on the down-ticket. We need to change that.

[Warren DeMontague]

68. Exactly. Pot legalization is a no-brainer. A majority of Americans support it and it helps in swing

states like Colorado, plus bigtime with Millennials.

[Chan790]

22. I can't see a deal.

I think the email and contributions list is exactly what Clinton would want. I think Sanders knows that a sizeable portion of the people on that list actively would oppose him giving it to her...I already have to hear from her because I'm a member of my local Democratic party organization and I already don't want to hear from Hillary. (She can call me if she decides to drop out, other than that, she has nothing to say that I want to hear...my efforts are now focused on giving her a Democratic Congress that will rein-in her more centrist and pragmatic tendencies: I think holding the line on policy issues is more important than "getting things done.&quot

I think Sanders would ask for a lot more than that for a lot less in return. Like unilateral veto on who she nominates for AG and T-Sec in exchange for just an endorsement and to campaign for her. I mean that seems roughly equal (if a lot more focused) to what Hillary demanded for her support and endorsement of Obama: Sec. of State and strong consideration of her input on all other cabinet positions.

I can't see Hillary giving it to him because she's likely already made promises regarding the second to specific major donors and supporters...and the former would be used to insure that AG focuses on white-collar Wall St. crime with a serious specific hard-on for those same donors supporters. (I'm specifically referring to Jamie Dimon and Lloyd Blankfein if that wasn't clear.)

[Squinch]

42. Unilateral veto on AG and Treasury is ridiculous. He won't ask for it and she won't give it.

[Chan790]

45. It's not any more ridiculous that what she got from Obama.

I also don't think there will be a deal. I don't think either of them is remotely interested in one...this primary seems like it became personal for both of them a long time ago.

[Squinch]

49. I disagree. It is in both of their interests.

[JaneyVee]

25. Americans are overwhelmingly choosing Hillary's platform.

No deal.

[floppyboo]

35. No, Americans are not choosing Hillary's platform. Registered Democrats are - 30some% of electorate?

Edit - and of those 30%, less than 50 but more than 40 are supporting Sanders. Your enthusiasm is well noted though.

[GreatGazoo]

33. Thanks for xpostng.

I thought it was a pragmatic question to be asking but many took it as more prompting to "sell out."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1280186351

Personally I would like to see a Federal law mandating the way elections are conducted. It is a disgrace that we do not allow 3rd party verification of our elections. Would love to see our elections done on paper ballots that are hand counted by representatives from all parties and then blind verified by another round of counting. Voting should go on for about 3 days -- maybe Sunday through Tuesday.

I think Sanders has championed many specific causes and policies which will help move the country forward and any of these should be on the platform going forward:

- fight for single payer
- tuition free public college
- banking reform, size limit should be less than "too big to fail"
- end the drug war and mass incarceration for victimless crimes
- ban fracking unless and until there is safer technology
- move more aggressively (then the Paris agreement) toward clean, renewable energy

[Squinch]

43. I think these are all reasonable, with the recognition that

all depend on Congress, though she can and should advocate strongly for them.

[actslikeacarrot]

36. Maybe a deal to keep...

...the number of countries she wants to pick a fight with to two or less?

[seabeyond]

40. Bullshit like this.....

[beedle]

64. Yes you're right

keeping it down to two is not much of a goal since she is already pretty much on the record as wanting to go to war with Syria and Iran ... keeping it under 3 or 4 would be a more obtainable goal.

[Skwmom]

37. Why would Bernie turn over his email and contributors list? It would piss off a lot of his

supporters AND he can use that info to get people elected that would work for the people.

Second, HUGE risk in Bernie associating too closely with Clinton, especially once the corruption stuff starts being hammered at by Trump and the GOP.

He could end up seriously damaging the movement to return the govt to one that works for the people rather than the 1%.

[seabeyond]

41. "HUGE risk in Bernie associating too closely" Omg, cuties. Am i right?

[seabeyond]

39. I was going to say nothing. But, I am not opposed to him having a prime spot, I am opposed to

him using it to diss Democrats and Clinton. I wouldn't give him any say in cabinet, but if he knew how to actually interact, he could probably have a sit down with Clinton instead throwing out demands insisting his way or hiway.

If nothing else, your Op had me considering, beyond what I was willing to do.

[Chan790]

47. I can see why you feel that way...

but you're not actually offering enough to get anything worth getting.

For what you've said you think Clinton should offer, I doubt she gets more than a weak "She's better than Trump. She's the best candidate on the ballot" or six in public forums out of Sanders. That's about as weak of an endorsement as one can give. It's not campaigning for her and it's not his contact/donor list.

You kind of have to give to get and you're not really giving much...assuming you don't think he has much to give her either?

[seabeyond]

50. One isn't really getting much either with an unwilling participant and Sanders certainly has

felt that way thru out the primary, ... decades really, the supposed reluctant support is more harm than worth. Hence, going back to my original. Nothing. He can just go off and sit in the senate where he happily isolates and gets to play the rebel.

That has its own role. I wouldn't be asking, wanting or expecting a damn thing, and move on. Doing the repair myself.

I think that is Clinton best bet and she will be fine.

[Squinch]

46. No one has said anything about tax reform. It's the base that all the other reforms sit on.

I'm a Hillary supporter, but I'd love to see him push her on that: making the tax system truly progressive so the wealthy pay a higher percentage than the poor.

There are some considered responses in this thread. Most I could agree with. Of course there are those who are calling for her to essentially give her power to him, which are ridiculous.

[rock]

52. I believe Clinton should offer this

[One of the 99]

54. Bernie as VP! nt

[TekGryphon]

55. I would like to see Bernie acknowledge that the Progressive Movement can exist beyond him...

... and that the Progressive Movement can survive without his face plastered on a million posters.

I want to see Bernie out there raising money and generating enthusiasm for down-ticket progressives.

Bernie's claim to fame was that he brought millions of first-time progressives, who prior to mid-2015 were politically apathetic, to the race. Now many of those first-time progressives are threatening to go back to political apathy post mid-2016 because their special little pony lost.

Any deal with Bernie needs to involve him educating his base that the Progressive Movement doesn't hinge on an identity. Not him, and not Hillary. It depends upon the election of thousands of town, city, county, and state officials who drive our Democracy forward.

Until Bernie can prove that his commitment to the Progressive Movement isn't hinged on narcissism, Hillary should not give him the time of day. If he is willing to selflessly advance the Progressive Movement across the nation even if it doesn't mean some big prize at the end of the road, then I think he should be brought into the fold in a major way.

[lumberjack_jeff]

56. Commutation of Sentence from President Sanders. n/t

[Orsino]

57. How about a party platform...

...that creates jobs, secures family incomes, that provides for police oversight, that regulates Wall Street, turns us away from military interventionism and limts private funding of political camaigns?

Things along those lines are what I would like to see.

[frylock]

63. I don't want see President Sanders issue a pardon of Madame Secretary.

So I hope that kind of deal isn't in the works.

[lumberjack_jeff]

65. At a bare minimum, An "overturn citizens united" litmus test for SC candidates.

Clinton has said she's in favor of overturning it - so it should be a no-brainer.

[icecreamfan]

67. Clinton needs to make a deal with millennials.

Voters over 40 may well prefer Trump in the final tally in November. If Clinton can't motivate millennials (make them believe their economic situation will improve) to show up and vote for her and not 3rd party, this race will be closer than it should be.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2016/24_opt_out_of_a_clinton_trump_race