General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRobbins: Country catching up to Bernie Sanders' way of thinking
By JEFF ROBBINS
April 12, 2021
Excerpt:
Today its clear that on issue after issue, Sanders thunder on the left has carried the day among a majority of Americans, including substantial numbers of Republicans. Conservative attacks on Sanders-style proposals for universal health care, raising taxes on the wealthy, raising the federal minimum wage and other programs as European socialism, once tried and true, are increasingly falling flat. So say the polls, in any event.
In announcing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, for example, Sanders proclaimed We say to the American people that we will rebuild our crumbling infrastructure: our roads, our bridges, our rail systems and subways and our airports, vowing to create millions of jobs in the process. And he promised to tax the rich to pay for it. The wealthy and multi-national corporations in this country, Sanders said, will start paying their fair share of taxes.
Americans are with him. Asked last month whether they would support President Bidens massive public infrastructure plan even after passage of a $1.9 trillion COVID relief act, 77% of Democrats, 57% of independents and 61% of Republicans told Data for Progress pollsters that they would. A Morning Consult poll two weeks ago found that 54% of Americans supported funding those improvements by raising taxes on those earning over $400,000 a year and by raising the corporate tax rate. Unsurprisingly, this included 73% of Democrats. More notably, it included 52% of independents and 32% of Republicans. Fifty-seven percent of voters told the pollsters that they would be more likely to support Bidens infrastructure plan if it included raising taxes on high earners; only 17% said it would make them less likely to do so. Forty-seven percent of Americans said they would be likelier to support the bill if it was paid for by raising corporate taxes, while only 21% said it would make them less likely to support it.
Raising taxes to invest in public infrastructure is not the only issue on which Americas political sands are shifting. A poll taken last fall by the Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that 53% of Americans supported a national health plan that would insure everyone. This included 58% of independents and 21% of Republicans. A contemporaneous Pew Research Center poll found that 63% of American adults believe that government bears responsibility for providing health care coverage for all, up from 2019. This included 34% of Republicans. And a recent Morning Consult poll found that a majority of Republicans support raising the federal minimum wage.
It has been a very long time since Bernie Sanders could be ignored. If once it could be said that he was ahead of his time, it must now be said that Americans are catching up to him.
Jeff Robbins is a Boston lawyer and former U.S. delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/04/12/robbins-country-catching-up-to-bernie-sanders-way-of-thinking/
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)notinkansas
(1,095 posts)And predictable. And wrong.
We keep asking you to give it a rest.
George II
(67,782 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Cha
(295,926 posts)try to tell someone else how to post.
"Americans are with" President Biden
Happy Hoosier
(7,081 posts)Plenty of us here are not particularly impressed by that particular Senator from Vermont.
Response to NurseJackie (Reply #1)
Kahuna This message was self-deleted by its author.
Kahuna
(27,310 posts)Last edited Tue Apr 13, 2021, 11:57 AM - Edit history (1)
Bernie just takes long held Democratic positions and grandstands by attaching unrealistic goals. Once his unrealistic goals are shot down, we're back to what the traditional Democratic positions were in the first place.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Facts matter. Not flattery.
betsuni
(25,134 posts)It's a myth that Republicans are secretly progressives. They aren't. Duh. Universal health care, raising taxes on the wealthy, raising minimum wage and other programs are classic usual Democratic policies and not new or radical.
Demsrule86
(68,352 posts)to cause division in the Democratic Party. There is no way that single payer can get through at this moment and that has been consistent. The House was won by moderates and we better consider this in 2022 if we don't want to lose the house. And Sanders can't help us with saving the House and the Senate...these are moderate to red states and districts. Every new Senator elected thus far is from a moderate state.
George II
(67,782 posts)....for example:
" President Bidens massive public infrastructure plan"
"raising taxes on those earning over $400,000 a year and by raising the corporate tax rate."
"Americans supported a national health plan"
etc.....
....are BIDEN'S proposals. He DID introduce the infrastructure plan, he's asked Congress to increase taxes on those earning over $400,000, he's planning on improving and EXPANDING the already in place (for 11 years now) ACA.
This guy cites a number of polls, but ignores the two most important polls:
51% of Democrats chose Biden as their nominee, with double the support of his nearest rival
51% of Americans chose Biden as their President
As a body of work, Biden is unequivocally the person they want in the White House.
It's time for everyone to recognize this and give our President their wholehearted support and stop nibbling around the edge, trying to find fault or taking credit for HIS proposals.
Demsrule86
(68,352 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(144,005 posts)Joe has not adopted any of the platform advocated by sanders in the primaries or last cycle MFA is a not going to happen. The Democratic Party selected Joe as the nominee and Joe is pushing his agenda/platform
George II
(67,782 posts)Boston Herald:
Cha
(295,926 posts)Response to Donkees (Original post)
Post removed
Cuthbert Allgood
(4,867 posts)He campaigned on as much and distanced himself from the far left and Sanders.
George II
(67,782 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Fact of the matter is this: He's always been honest and forthcoming about who he is, what he believes in, what his vision for our nation is, what he expects of others, and what his political agenda will be.
You want to know who really "distanced" Biden from Sanders? The voters. That's who. They saw the differences and they liked what they saw in Biden better than any of the rest. More than half of the Democratic primary voters chose Biden and the nearest challenger really wasn't all that near. Then, the majority of voters in the General election separated Biden from Trump.
Biden has always been Biden. He's always been straight with us. He's never tried to pretend to be something he's not. He's never been shy about speaking for what he believes. He's always been respectful of everyone, even when they were not respectful of him... and I think you know what I'm talking about.
sheshe2
(83,354 posts)It was the voters! Thank you!
katmondoo
(6,454 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)The farther to the right someone is, the less likely they are to accept new, constructive, progressive ideas that are necessary to productively move the country forward with respect to social and economic policy.
Happy Hoosier
(7,081 posts)Sanders didn't invent any of "his" ideas. They are largely a remix of democratic-socialist ideas from many people over many years.
PLENTY of people in this party support ideas that Sanders has endorsed or co-opted over the years, but many of us have also championed an approach that supported advancing such policies when political viable.
Simply put, we should not stake out pie-in-the-sky proposals. We should articulate goals, and develop an implementable strategy to achieve those goals rather than the patented Bernie Sanders "And then the people will rise up" fairy tale.
Arazi
(6,829 posts)Go Bernie!
Johnny2X2X
(18,745 posts)I like Bernie, he's been consistent, but the country didn't "catch up" to him.
And Joe Biden as ahead of Bernie on some issues for a long time that Bernie supporters now try to pretend Bernie brought Joe to.