Sanders Congressional candidates - inspiration from Bernie but little else.

[kstewart33]

The Washington Post:

Sen. Bernie Sanders says his “political revolution” is about more than winning the White House. It is also about transforming Congress — which, in the past, has been happy to ignore Sanders’s proposals for universal health insurance and free college tuition.

But, in campaigns for the House and Senate, the revolution is not going well.

There are more than 30 Sanders supporters running, including a “Saturday Night Live” alum in Iowa; a former truck driver in South Carolina, who got himself tattooed with a silhouette of Sanders’s unruly crown of hair; and a California hay farmer, who’s so convinced he’s the Bernie Sanders of San Luis Obispo that he has printed bumper stickers that say “Feel the Bill.”

The problem is that only a handful of these “Bernie-crats” — four, at best — have any shot at winning.

The rest are a disorganized, underfunded group of little-knowns and political novices, including many who jumped into races with very long odds. One is trying to beat the head of the Democratic Party in a Democratic primary. Another is trying to beat the Republican speaker of the House in a solid Republican district. In two districts, there are actually two Bernie-crats running, taking donations to battle each other.

And most of them have received little help — in the form of endorsements, advice or fundraising assistance — from Sanders’s presidential campaign or its allied groups.

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanderss-candidates-for-congress-an-snl-alum-a-hay-farmer-and-a-guy-with-a-bernie-tattoo/2016/02/26/6e44bd7c-da4c-11e5-81ae-7491b9b9e7df_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_revolution-138pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[TM99]

1. So they are running as Democrats then?

I thought primaries were good for democracy?

And if they are running against the GOP, why in the hell isn't the DNC helping?

Yeah, but, wait, I know this one.

Not good enough Bernie!

Did I get it right? I mean it only comes up every day here and has so for the last 9 months. I would hate to get it wrong.

Yes, let's scream it to the roof-tops, NOT GOOD ENOUGH BERNIE!

Wow, I do feel better. That is almost cathartic.

How are you feeling now?

[kstewart33]

4. I feel fine, but there's a larger point than my emotional health.

Staging a Revolution takes a lot more than ideas and inspiration. It takes an incredible amount of planning, organization, tactics and kick-butting work over a long period of time. And yes, a very good business sense.

Bernie and his allies weren't prepared for this. And we're now seeing the effects of the disorganization and lack of planning.

And the DNC does not support every 'Democratic' candidate who declares to run.

Their $$$ is very limited. Like good management, the DNC invests in the candidates whom they believe have a solid chance of winning. Very few of the Bernie candidates made the cut and for good reasons. At the top of the list: lack of experience in running for office, and is the candidate truly a Democrat?

Bernie and his allies could at least provide some free advice and counsel. But things seem to have gotten too big, too fast.

[TM99]

10. So the DNC has limited funds

and can't help even though they are the national committee, but Sanders who is but one candidate is supposed to?

Yeah, same old song and dance - not good enough Bernie.

How do you know they are not providing said advice and counsel? Seems you are offering a lot of speculation and not much definitive evidence.

[kstewart33]

11. Because it says so in the article. nt

[TM99]

12. That doesn't answer my question. n/t

[jwirr]

13. How old are you? I have been voting since JFK and the DNC

has never been more biased.

As to organization. Hillary's organization is showing no signs of having are real plans for how to win this thing other than inevitability and dirty tricks.

You think we are not organized because the work is on the internet and in the local communities. You just do not know where to look to see the organization. But we do.

And your big spiel about Money management. The DNC is supposed to be neutral in the primary - that is a laugh this election. Limited debates, etc. Hillary has taken in big money as if there is no end and she is spending it just as fast. I do not call that management. That is the way those in the 1% spend money because it doesn't matter. There is always more where that came from.

Those of us who have been around for a while recognized years ago that the DLC - Rahm etal. were funneling our money to DLC candidates only. We stopped donating to the DNC then and donated to our own candidates. So if you do not have any money maybe you should be thinking about that.

NOW Hillary and DWS turn the DNC into a money laundering center for the wealthy donors to help Hillary by removing the donor limits that President Obama set.

No thank you. We want out Party back.

[shireen]

2. Such a short-sighted article

This is not an overnight revolution.

It's still building up momentum, and will continue whether he wins or not. Congress will eventually change because of it, but not immediately.

We must be in it for the long haul.

[jwirr]

3. DNC - Missing in action.

[kstewart33]

6. See response #4 for DNC MIA.

You don't plough money into a race where the odds of a win are very slim especially when $$$ are limited.

There's no conspiracy here, it's just requiring a return on your investment.

[jwirr]

14. Business as usual.

[Lucinda]

5. KNR

[FlatBaroque]

7. Amazon.com and its owner do not want a political revolution, is my guess. /

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Come senators, congressmen Please heed the call

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Bob Dylan

[kstewart33]

9. Tierra, we'll know in a month whether the Revolution has legs. nt