I don't think the DNC was expecting how Bernie connects with folks at all

[Catherina]

How I became an active member of this democracy.

My story. This is how I grew from a political sloth to political activist.

[sabrina 1]

1. Excellent video. He's not the only one who had given up on the system or who was/is a Conservative

who is talking like this about Bernie.

[LWolf]

2. He's right about the corruption rampant in the system.

On the part of both major parties.

Give people something constructive to work for, and they'll buy in.

I think of the perpetual mantra, here at DU and among the party organizers, for every election to GOTV!!!!

The fine print is that too many mean "gotv for the establishment that doesn't listen to you."

The best way to gotv is to give voters something to vote FOR.

[Maedhros]

12. The attitude of the Party is that our votes are to be harvested from us

without any input from us. Communication from the Party goes one-way: top-down. If we, the lowly ones, dare raise our voices in opposition to the Party leaders, we are called "retards" and told to "eat our peas."

Bernie wants the opposite of that, and so do ordinary people.

[LWolf]

29. I'm one of those ordinary people.

I get tired of the efforts to bully me into line.

[n2doc]

3. I'm not sure they care

I have read repeatedly that enthusiasm doesn't translate into voters. I hope they are wrong. The DNC's strategy seems to be to run a bunch of media ads, make sure the media understands where those ads are coming from (and therefore where their paychecks are coming from) and hope the sheeple will be good little mindless ones who will vote as told. Again, I hope they are wrong.

[sabrina 1]

4. Well, that's the point, I think. That they DON'T care, that they only remember the people during

election cycles.

While that strategy worked during the Bush era, and the people GAVE them the WH, Congress and the Senate, they appeared to instantly forget the people once they had it all, some of them actually telling those same people how 'retarded' their ideas were.

What they apparently haven't noticed is that the people did notice. Too bad, because by ignoring the people they LOST the Senate and the House and if they don't listen carefully to the people this time, they could be the cause of this country getting a Republican WH, Congress and Senate.

It's up to THEM, now. Imagine if instead of continuing to push status quo politicians on people who have clearly said they want a different kind of politician, they were FOLLOW THE PEOPLE for a change, instead of Corporate money.

IF the DNC got behind Bernie and the progressive candidates who will be on the down tickets, Dems could sweep the next election.

But they were told this before, and refused to listen, so now it's up to the people.

[LiberalLovinLug]

18. Well said sabrina!

That Washington bubble is so thick its becoming opaque. They cannot even see outside of it. The incestuous relationship between media bigwigs and politicians is deplorable. And they seem to perpetually define the world outside of their bubble as way more conservative than it actually is. Some actually believe that, and some convince themselves of that myth in order to gain favor from the corporate Santas.

I only hope that IF Bernie can win the primary, he and his supporters can withstand the corporate media firestorm that will follow. Make no mistake, the MSM still has a huge influence on the way a lot of people vote. And I for one was shocked to find out how one enthusiastic victory yell by Howard Dean on stage was twisted and blown up into a "scandal" and he was successfully painted as unPresidential material from then on.

If there was a way to shut off TV, and force people to get news on the internet, where you will eventually find the facts on your own, America would be so much better informed.

[sabrina 1]

32. I agree with everything you said. Except I think they KNOW the country is NOT Conservative on the

issues, but deliberately LIE about it in order to convince, especially Dem voters that they HAVE to vote for DINOS because otherwise Repubs would win, and they tell people that a Progressive message won't sell using every tool they have to do so.

That FACTS are entirely different. And I think a lot of people DO NOT get their news from the MSM anymore, young people eg, and more and more older people are turning to alternative sources for news.

I know they can influence elections still, and of course they have all their surrogates all over the 'net pushing the lie that this is a conservative country.

Repetition is what they use to do this.

So WE have to do the same, consistently post the polls that show how wrong they are.

They never get tired of repeating the propaganda, we should never get tired of repeating the facts.

The last two midterms should have told them, 'we're not buying it anymore'. Progressives won while Third way candidates lost. And people began to focus on local elections where they got progressive issues on ballots and WON. Along with candidates.

I know if Bernie wins there will be a war against him but if by then enough people are involved to keep exposing the lies and distortions by every means possible, we can defeat them.

When they swift boated Kerry and Dean, the Internet wasn't as strong as it is today.

I think if he wins the Primaries, and the Dem Party doesn't get behind him, we will finally see where we stand.

[MisterP]

11. could also be why Clinton's buying up so many pollsters--not just to see which way the wind's

blowing or to "ginger" the people giving numbers to the media, but to make sure that a large sector of the political system in this country know where the money's coming from

[JDPriestly]

21. We assume that poll results are honest.

I have no reason to believe that they are not honest.

But the reality of polling is that it depends on who you poll, how you pick them, what you ask, when you ask, and so many other questions.

Polling can also be used to suggest ideas.
So
Leaving a name off a list of potential candidates can shift the answers.

I used to take a poll on-line. It always began with a question about whether I approved or disapproved of Obama. I found it difficut to answer. I overall approve of Obama, but to say whether I should say I totally approve, I somewhat approve?

I ended up just not answering the poll questions much. They were too narrow. As everybody knows, I don't think in yes and no answers all that often. I think in explanations. And sometimes as i am writing, I realize that somewhere in the middle of something I write, I change my mind a bit. A new aspect of an issue comes to my mind.

My thoughts "evolve" as Hillary would say.

So such an emphasis on polling troubles me.

A lot of people, once they have answered a poll saying yes or no to an idea or person will stick with that idea or person and not allow themselves to "evolve," and that can also be a reason for polling people early.

There is just something that troubles me about the fact that Hillary is spending so much on polls so early in the game. Is she already thinking about dropping out? Is she deciding which Americans to favor with her presence? What kind of strategic decisions are her polls being used to make? Or influence?

I think the approach of the man in the video is much wiser.

It's we, the pollees who are being asked the questions who should be asking the questions of the candidates, not the other way around.

[eridani]

36. The main problem with polls is that they only poll "likely voters"

The results are probably honest, depending on the methodology of course. But they have ZERO connection with the alienated who have not voted, but are now interested in working for Sanders.

[JDPriestly]

38. Good point!

[eridani]

35. Enthusiasm does translate into volunteers, however

Hopefully those volunteers can engage more voters.

[SoapBox]

5. DNC, DWS, DINOs, Third Wayers...

All entrenched in their powerful, rich BUBBLE.

It's time to burst that bubble.

[jalan48]

6. What? Republican lite isn't the favorite brand anymore?

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. the DNC leadership don't really care

Besides they did so well in the 2010, 2012 Senate, Congress, State Governors and State houses...

That's leadership............... why change things?

[JDPriestly]

23. You hit the nail on the head!

That's what I cannot for the life of me understand.

How could the Democratic leadership have done so poorly in the elections in 2010, 2012, 2014 and not have completely replaced its leadership and rethought its strategy?

Who made the decision to stick with the old faithfuls, with the status quo, when we lost seats in those contests?

Inertia.

I think there is a lot of inertia at the top of the Democratic Party. Hillary's candidacy is a sign of it. Same old. Same old. Even with the new media, it's campaigning by proclamation, and it will be presidency by proclamation. That's not democracy. Democracy is organizing at the street level. It's more the comments section on Daily Kos or Facebook.

I wonder whether the DNC leadership is thinking, "Well, guys. We're still here. We made it out of there. We're still alive. We can still break a quorum. Whew! All that corporate money. Almost got hit myself. Look at old _____ over there. He's lookin' for a job. A job? Haven't had to look for one of those for a long time. Don't want to . . . . not now. I'm gonna' play it safe. Maybe if we don't venture out, stay real quiet, vote for whatever the DNC tells us, huddle together real close . . . . We can finish up the vittles we got, nominate a president who makes US feel good and blame everything on the Republicans. At least WE can survive for another term. How much money we got left? Oh, well. The Clintons know how to raise money. Who, me worry?"

I don't think it works that way anymore. Bernie is speaking to the issues that Americans are dealing with. He doesn't have to go on a listening tour. He talks to real people, travels with real people and has a pretty large family to talk to.

I don't know what is with the DNC. They need to rethink themselves and reorganize if we are to win in 2016.

Democrats are smug and feeling superior to the Republican candidates. That is a dangerous attitude. That's a losing attitude.

Feel the Bern.

Let's get working.

[Ichingcarpenter]

26. Its not hard to understand really

it was either incompetence or purposeful to take the 2008 election and do what they did. By not taking the momentum and doing something with it who benefits?

Its not the democratic party but the republicans right?.....by keeping it close and dysfunctional.

Now look at the economic interests that both sides played into, and who appointed who to our government to solve the real coruption of our political system?

Yeah, I know Obama wanted his Lincoln cabinet of people who disagreed with him........... But all thought the South's fight was morally wrong on so many levels.





Let's look at both scenarios shall we?

Tim Kane...chosen to lead the party..... incompetent or a part of the system that really control things?

or the next one..

Debbie.......... oh yeah ....... that's a winner with her history of shit.

The grassroots got Obama elected; to his position not the party, nor the corporations and he took it and ran in running shoes all the way to Wisconsin which allowed an asshole to live on as a Governor and now a presidential candidate..

Listen.... Many are being played that don't have
the consciousness to realize it and some that do
are playing us with the same old tired and failed philosophical political shit.

There is a paradigm on the planet that
is being broken and the illusion is being exposed
and many know that there is a great big lie
going on with the reality you thought was real.

I do believe that Sanders is the real deal
but never thought Obama was ....... but boy, I worked and fought to get him elected

He could he give and does great speeches and I loved and admired him for that until I realized that there are powers behind the throne and words matter.

Most know who support Sanders
that something is terribly wrong Mr. Jones

and they do know what it is....... which includes the party, media, economics you name it.

[Stevepol]

30. You need to factor in the effect of the rigged votnig machines.

I agree the Dem strategy has been horrible since they got rid of Dean's 50-state strategy, and the DINOs in the party are terrible, but DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE EFFECT OF A STEADY PULL TO THE RIGHT that comes from the rigged voting machines.

This is REAL and it shows up every election, a tilt just enough unseat Dems in close races or retain seats when faced with Dems who probably otherwise would have beaten the Repub. The voting machine companies are doing it and they've gotten very good at it, tilting the vote just enough that the all-wise pundits will accept the result.

Bernie will have to face the same cheats that have taken over our vote counting: ES&S, Dominion, Hart Intercivic, etc., etc.

[JDPriestly]

33. We had a secretary of state who tested the machines and really tried to clean up our elections

in that way. I hope we continue to have secretaries of state that keep a watch over those machines. They are bad news. But if we are to clean up the machines, we need a Democratic Congress to insist that the trade secret laws protecting the secrecy about the functioning of the machines doesn't cheat us out of fair elections.

[n2doc]

39. I believe the Democratic Party is in the worst shape since before FDR

Leadership starts at the top. And the Democratic Party leadership has taken a huge mandate in 2008, blown it, and allowed the R's to take over Congress, most of the state legislatures and governorships, and totally dominate the lower races (where future leaders get started). The huge losses at the state level in 2010 allowed the R's to gerrymander a nearly permanent House majority. They have truly fucked over the party for years to come. If HRC wins we will get more of the same, since she is part of that group.

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. It shows how disconnected they are.n/t

[hifiguy]

9. They've been in the big money corporatist

Bubble for 20+ years. They know jack shit about the real world.

[jwirr]

10. Yesterday Joe Biden went to talk to party leaders to see if he should run.

When I read it I just shock my head. If Joe really wants to run for president maybe he should be talking to the people. Instead like Hillary he is talking to the party big wigs and ignoring the people.

Those of us who are sick and tired of business as usual no longer follow those so called leaders. There is as big a divide between the top of this party and the rest of us as there is between the 1% and the 99%.

If the Democratic Party wants to say relevant they need to recognize this. They will begin to realize that America thinks we are going in the wrong direction (globalization, NAFTA, TPP, corporatism and rule by the banks). They will begin to ask what it is the people want and they will quit asking what the corporatists want.

They will also start to realize that it is not just the Rs we blame for this mess but also many of the Democratic legislators. We do not want to triangulate our values away to the highest bidder. We do not want to bring our economy down so that we can compete with poorer economies - instead we want to bring those economies up to our level.

But our present leads are all tied up in the corporate trap that has been laid for the politicians. There are only a few leaders who really seem to get it. And thank God Bernie is one of them.

[Maedhros]

15. There's a great line in a Bruce Cockburn song that seems apropo:

We see the paid-off local bottom feeders
passing themselves off as leaders.
Kiss the ladies, shake hands with the fella's
then it's "Open for business!" like a cheap bordello.

And they call it Democracy...

[jwirr]

17. That covers it very well. You know they keep asking why no one in the

Senate has endorsed Bernie. There are actually very few Senators I would want an endorsement from right now.

[Maedhros]

20. I think I'll run off and post this in that thread...[n/t]

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. was he asking permission to run

that's weird

[jwirr]

40. I don't know what he asked them - but it was in connection to his run

for the presidency. I suspect he was asking them if they would support his run.

Either way if he was trying to get their sense of what the people think he was going to the wrong people.

[DinahMoeHum]

13. The DNC should look back to their own past - Howard Dean

The DNC has lost its way since Dean left.

What happened in the past with Obama's campaigns and is now happening with Bernie Sanders is merely Howard Dean's passion and "50-State Strategy" revived.

Just shocking that the DNC, DLC, DSCC and DCCC can't see that.

[eridani]

37. I used to have a recurring monthly donation to DNC when Dean ran it

Stopped when they abandoned the 50 state strategy.

[fbc]

14. K&R

[JDPriestly]

16. Excellent! Simple! Clear! Direct! Says what one person thinks without hyperbole!

And that thinking is echoed by so many of us.

Feel the Bern!

(Sorry about the exclamation marks, folks. Just feelin' the Bern!)

At least it's not all caps!

[Zorra]

19. That's really good. nt

[Fuddnik]

24. Kick!!!!

I've been hearing that from more and more people.

And a lot of them are the people you would least expect it from.

[merrily]

25. Another former Republican, former disaffected feeling the Bern. Love it!

He likes integrity and consistency. Imagine that!

Thanks, Catherina.

[Enthusiast]

27. Kicked and recommended to the Max!

I think this kind of story is being repeated all over the nation.

[rhett o rick]

28. k & r. Thanks for posting. nm

[emsimon33]

34. I volunteered for the 50 state strategy in Virginia

I know the power of grassroots and passionate, informed activist. Do not under estimate the revolution.

[Babel_17]

41. People are connecting with Sanders and feeling empowered to tell our leadership ...

"Not good enough"

[L0oniX]

42. I didn't think the DNC was going to be the temp 1% head quarters with DWS at the helm.