Why are you still in the race, Bernie?

[William769]

Sen. Bernie Sanders’s magic-wand campaign has grown tiresome. Despite his win in Indiana and #DropOutHillary trending on Twitter as of this writing, the democratic socialist from Vermont’s chances of becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee are as slim as Karlie Kloss’s dress at Monday’s Met Gala. And yet Sanders is on the campaign trail demanding things of his adopted party that can’t be delivered and saying things about rival Hillary Clinton that Donald Trump is already using against her.

During a speech in Oregon on April 28, Sanders outlined reforms he’d like to see the Democratic Party undertake. “In those states where it’s applicable, we need same-day registration, we need open primaries,” he said. “It turns out sadly that the poorest in this country, many in the South, where people are suffering without health insurance, without jobs, without access for decent education for their kids, in many of those states they are controlled by right-wing Republicans.” And then there was this. “The Democratic Party has got to make very clear we need automatic voter registration. All over this country we have Republican governors trying to make it harder for people to vote,” he said. “Our job is to make it easier. Bring more people into the system and that means if you are 18 years of age you are registered to vote, end of discussion.”

Everything Sanders said is right and true. More people, not fewer, should be allowed to participate. There should be open primaries. There should be same-day registration. There should be automatic voter registration for 18-year-olds. But how, when and whether people vote is controlled by the states. And Republican governors sit in 31 states, with 22 of them having GOP-controlled legislatures. So, unless Sanders has a magic wand or one last wish held in escrow by a genie, none of what he wants will get done.

Even more ridiculous is Sanders’s insistence that superdelegates choose him over Clinton. As reporters at The Post, NPR and Vox have pointed out, even if superdelegates in states that Sanders won switched from her to him he’d still lose the nomination. And those folks don’t really have any incentive to do so. With Tuesday’s results from the Indiana primary factored in, Clinton now has 3.1 million more raw votes than Sanders. So the superdelegates are already backing a winning candidate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/05/04/why-are-you-still-in-the-race-bernie/

[NurseJackie]

1. Ego.

[William769]

2. That's a nice way of putting it.

[mhatrw]

75. When did Hillary drop out of the race in 2008?

[JimDandy]

69. That fits Jonathan Capehart, the liar, to a T. What swill this is.

Ego is refusing to admit you're wrong when the whole world says you are, including the photographer who took the photograph you lied about.

Re staying in the race: Hillary Clinton is even saying he should stay in the race and pointed out that she did the same thing in 2008. What an ego she had, right?

[Live and Learn]

87. I'll bet a million on Hilary's ego vs Bernie's. Trump would be close call, on the other hand.

[trueblue2007]

3. my bad comment .... bernie get out.

[Trenzalore]

4. For 30 years he's been a nobody

For a few months he has felt like a somebody. Don't expect him to give up the rock star rallies till he is forced to.

[Control-Z]

11. I was just reading about the cost

of these rock star rallies. He's just about broke and still paying to have them. His wild plan for winning California and making a comeback is going down the drain with his extravagant spending.

[Trenzalore]

12. Donations will dry up this month

It's why Kasich and Cruz dropped out on the GOP side.

California is the most expensive state in the country to run a political campaign.

Also the media narrative will be Hillary and Trump exchanging blows.

It really is vanity at this point because there is no long term progressive gain from a competitive primary in California.

[liberal from boston]

49. Go Bernie

I just donated to Bernie. Please stop demanding that Bernie quit--he in this campaign til the Convention.

http://usuncut.com/politics/doctors-endorse-bernie-health-care/

[Demsrule86]

54. Go Bernie back to Vermont

Do not stop at go do not collect 200 dollars...just go. You are tiresome.

[panader0]

55. C'mon Demsrule86--how about a little love and kindness.

You seem angry.

[Demsrule86]

72. I am angry with Bernie

He has lost the primary and is helping Trump. Trump is not qualified to be president and would be a disaster. Bernie should knock it off and work to defeat Trump...if he means any of the stuff he said...I voted for him in Ohio...now I turn the TV off when he comes on. Bernie has lost and I guess if he won't admit he lost...all we can do is ignore him...but to hear his words on Trump's lips...Bernie should be ashamed in my opinion.

[trueblue2007]

83. i am angry with him too

his stupid answers to Rachel now about how he is NOT INVOLVED in "his supporters" yelling, getting all assault like to Hillary people AT HER OWN RALLIES.

He needs to come out AND PUBLIC ALLY TELL HIS PEOPLE TO KNOCK OFF THE VIOLENCE. Hillary supporters are not getting yelling, harrassing and all in anyone's face at bernie rallies.

if any bernie supporters get VIOLENT at hillary rallies, throw their ass in jail...... maximum sentence.

WE DON'T NEED VIOLENCE !!!!

kEEP THE HELL AWAY FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES RALLIES.

[pat_k]

5. It's simple.

His point has always been simple: "Wait until voters in every state have their say, and then give the superdelegates a chance to consider, perhaps change their minds, and vote accordingly at the convention.

"I think it is probably the case that the candidate who has the most pledged delegates is going to be the candidate, but there are other factors. And the other factors will be the strength of each of us in taking on the Republican candidate...." (Source)

He is well aware the chances are slim, but he owes it to his supporters to stay in.

No one can possibly argue that the race did not change substantially after most of the superdelegates came out and endorsed Clinton. He needs to stay in until the convention to give those superdelegates a chance to take subsequent developments into account.

If he loses the remaining states by large margins, he'll simply be calling on the delegates he won to go to the convention and make their voices known; to make it clear that there are substantial numbers who believe this nation desperately needs a New, New Deal. (A position that many Hillary delegates are likely to join in, particularly given that exit polling shows that many made their choice, not on positions, but rather on their belief about "electability.&quot

In other words, however it goes between now and June 14, he should not "drop out" or "fall in line." In the former case, he would deny the superdelegates the chance to reconsider; in the latter case, he would deny his delegates the opportunity to advocate the Sanders agenda on his behalf.

[Control-Z]

15. If he could do it without intentionally

trying to harm his fellow democratic opponent. Hillary has refrained from hurting him.

[pat_k]

18. When was that?

Calling him a liar is part and parcel of almost every stump speech and debate. How is that "refraining from hurting him."

[metroins]

39. Because he is lying

And still collecting contributions by telling people he has a viable path, which he does not.

[pat_k]

44. He's completely straightforward on the subject.

"I think it is probably the case that the candidate who has the most pledged delegates is going to be the candidate, but there are other factors. And the other factors will be the strength of each of us in taking on the Republican candidate...."

No one can argue that the race has not completely changed since most of the Hillary delegates endorsed her.

Yes, superdelegates will probably go with the pledged delegate outcome, but given the way the race evolved, and given Clinton's unprecedented unfavorable numbers, the superdelegates MUST be given a chance to consider these factors.

I don't like having superdelegates at all, but the fact is, we have them. The Democratic Party added superdelegates to prevent a candidate they believe is too weak from taking the nomination. They must be given a chance to do their jobs. Everyone that continues to contribute absolutely agrees.

[metroins]

48. Are we in bizarro world?

The way Sanders railed against the super delegates, there is no way they will flip.

Especially with Hillary up by 3 million votes.

Many of them would rather flip to a ham sandwich than Bernie with the way he and his supporters tried to harm our preferred nominee, Hillary. He also barely helped any Democrats for election in the past 30 years, while Hillary has helped elect a lot of them.

Bernie does not have many friends in the actual Democratic party, this is obvious by his lacking of support, it's not a reciprocal relationship.

Super delegates will not nominate Bernie. There is no contested convention. Hillary will win on the first ballot.

[pat_k]

50. When did he "rail" against superdelegates?

If the following is what you're talking about, it's far from "railing." In fact, it's perfectly consistent with his current position.

"And then you've got superdelegates in states where we win by 40 or 50 points. I think their own constituents are going to say to them, 'Hey, why don't you support the people of our state and vote for Sanders?'... "

Interview with Rachel Maddow at the end of March (Source)

The above expresses the view that voters in the states he won overwhelmingly are going to question the superdelegate's who ignore their clear choice. That's not many states. It follows that the voters in states that Clinton won overwhelmingly are going to question any superdelegates who endorse him.

It also follows that voters in states in which the race was close don't have much cause to question the choices of the superdelegates based on the results in their state. That could be a factor, but other factors may be given more weight.

This statement is not a call for superdelegates to go with the one who has the most pledged delegates on June 15. It is not a "rail" against superdelegates.

[Dragonfli]

19. let me google what you did there for you

Your words.

[babylonsister]

6. I see Capehart is still gnawing. nt

[NorthCarolina]

7. Because literally millions of American voters yet to vote desire it.

You have a problem with tax paying citizens voting?

[840high]

35. What? You want everyone

to vote?

[AgingAmerican]

8. Because Hillary has an FBI investigation hanging over her head

Sanders would be wise not to concede until AFTER November 3rd.

[Hortensis]

23. Or she could slip on a banana peel. He could

always just suspend his campaign and continue to collect donations.

[AgingAmerican]

28. Um, no

More likely she could get indicted than slip on a banana peel....

[Hortensis]

29. Just curious. 1. How many decades have you been

waiting for that indictment?

2. Perhaps you know: How many different crimes has she been accused of over that period (please also include all the ones that didn't "catch" that you can remember), and how many of those were accompanied by promises that indictment was inevitable? I'm guessing 100% for the latter. Am I right?

3. Slow learner or just enjoy the hostility too much to pass? I'm guessing both. Am I right?

If you only feel like answering one, please make it #2. I'm really curious about how many. So many didn't catch on, of course, and have been "lost."

[AgingAmerican]

37. She is under FBI investigation

You should answer your own questions. It's almost like you are talking to a mirror.

Default fallback position of a Hillary supporter: Ad Hominem fallacy

[Hortensis]

38. Okay, I'll settle for an estimate. HOW MANY

phony claims of crimes committed, how many promises to your eager ears of indictments, and how many disappointments? Surely there weren't so many that you can't estimate the number of times for that feeling of sick, angry disappointment that the stories never panned out and she wasn't railroaded into jail?

Tell you what, Aging. How about a bet? If they close the case with no crime found and no indictment, you leave DU for good. If she's indicted for any crime, even a tiny one, I leave for good. Deal?

[AgingAmerican]

40. Read the link provided

More ad hominem. Without such fallacies, would you be essentially mute?

Oh, and to deflate your personal attacks on me, chew on this....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017359126#post9

[Hortensis]

45. No bet AND I have to wait for the book some

grad student's been collecting this shabby history for? Okay, but I'd be disappointed in you if your behavior had actually suggested you had more information than the rest of the indictment-thirsty hyenas. But it did not.

[AgingAmerican]

46. So you didn't click the link

And are butthurt.....

[840high]

36. Could be both.

[Renew Deal]

61. Don't worry. Democrats will choose someone other than Sanders if something happens.

[AgingAmerican]

63. Yes, and lose the general election if it isn't Sanders

And yes, I do believe the party IS that stupid

[Renew Deal]

64. They'll choose the best person available

And it's clearly not the runner up.

[AgingAmerican]

65. Then they would lose the general election

As you well know

[Renew Deal]

67. They might lose it either way.

Might as well go for the best shot. Biden was senator forever and VP for eight years. He's got good rust belt appeal, a big name, and hadn't been insulting the president for the last 7 years.

[Human101948]

68. Best to lose iot with Hillary...

It's her turn!

[Renew Deal]

70. OK

[farleftlib]

9. Speaking of tiresome

Sanders has always said he's staying in until the Convention. Has the convention come
and gone without my knowing about it? Did I fall asleep in May and wake up in July?

NO.

Hillary stayed in in '08 and Sanders is staying in in '16. Reality, what a difficult concept!

[Hortensis]

25. Hillary had a small but real majority of popular votes.

Sanders is 3.1 million popular votes in the hole.

Before too many shifted to Obama and she conceded, Hillary still had enough superdelegates to make winning not probable but still genuinely possible. Bernie has almost no superdelegates and no chance of getting enough to win. Winning is not feasible.

The situations have some genuine parallels but are also different in significant points. Namely, whether the door is genuinely open to a possible win if pushing on. She quit when it closed. He has not yet quit even though it has closed.

That said, it's fine if he stays in as long as he joins the Democrats and Hillary to fight to elect Democrats.

Btw, Hillary Clinton's goals do include automatic voter registration of 18-year-olds. Why Bernie is pretending he would have to force her to support it, I don't know, and how she's going to accomplish it, I also don't know, but she believes it is doable. He should link arms with her on that if he's going to stay in.

And what on earth is she supposed to have to do with past voter abuses in highly conservative southern states? And how on earth is the DNC supposed to fix them? Maybe he can badmouth them for them both if he stays in.

[farleftlib]

59. He's in it until the convention

It's tiresome repeating that day after day.

If you want to do something really useful, why not start another of those hilarious "Call it, Skinner!!1!" threads.

[redwitch]

10. I am glad he is still in the race.

Sorry it bothers you so much but, hey, that's democracy.

[Dragonfli]

16. democracy bothers many right wingers, that is why they like to purge people from primary rolls /nt

[surrealAmerican]

13. There is another way to change the rules by which people vote...

... and that is to enact a new voting rights act - one that can withstand the predictable legal challenge that Republican governors will attempt.

[sheshe2]

14. KnR

[Bluenorthwest]

17. East Coast folks don't understand that voting access is a big issue in Oregon, so talking

about what the rest of the country needs to do to get the levels of participation we see here is a regular local matter of discussion. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is promoting the idea of national voting by mail right now, for example:

Wyden to introduce national vote by mail bill
Gordon Friedman, Statesman Journal May 3, 2016
Wyden says the legislation comes after poorly managed primaries, states making it more difficult to vote.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/03/wyden-introduce-federal-vote-mail-bill/83871936/

So who wrote this uninformed tripe? Whoever they are, they are speaking against current Democratic legislative initiatives in the US Senate.

[Dragonfli]

21. Jonathan Capehart /nt

[Bluenorthwest]

24. Ah, the very Mother Ship of the P-Crap.....

Explains much. If he's ever been this side of the Rockies it was pool side in Beverly Hills.

[JeffHead]

20. 60+ million people haven't voted yet?

Can we hear what they have to say first? Until your candidate gets the required number of PLEDGED delegates he's staying in.

[PATRICK]

22. Everyone except most supporters and voters know why.

He is winning his main goal, to restore real and liberal issues to the party platform- and not just window dressings or toss-offs. NOT to focus on the POTUS contest is of course deadly to Bernie's real momentum to end up with a massive undeniable presence at the Convention. It is absolutely anathema to the HRC campaign, to her donors, to most of the party leadership, to Corporations etc etc. No one wants to talk about this joykiller at all so memes are traded with increasing unreality.

Of course, Trump is unreal too so everyone is certainly entitled to their noise.

I find it more interesting how Democrats plan to succeed in blowing off the Sanders' issues juggernaut and uniting the party right in one happy arena of thousands of gladiators/lions/victims. Not as simple as "Give up, loser!", is it?

Denial will stop eventually.

[JonLeibowitz]

26. Because I and millions others want him to continue. That wasn't too hard.

Hope that clears up your confusion, William769

[notadmblnd]

27. I think he needs to stay in

Like Hillary said when she was running against Obama and justified herself staying in until June.

“My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it.”

[HERVEPA]

30. Why are you still posting the same shit William?

[artislife]

34. Lack of imagination? nt

[mcar]

57. Unlike the dozens upon dozens of threads

repeating the same HRC attacks? "She was a Goldwater Girl as a teen so that means she's a republican!!11" is one that has been posted here on a regular, almost a revolving, basis for the last six months.

Why are they OK but this is not?

[ALittleBirdie]

31. Because the primaries are not over yet

[AgingAmerican]

32. In case she gets indicted

He needs to stay in until November

[artislife]

33. Not tiresome at all.

Can't wait for the California vote!!

[dinkytron]

41. ...

[Waiting For Everyman]

42. Exit polls showed a majority of Dems want him to continue.

And of course those who haven't voted yet want him to continue. Votes in those states are scheduled and will take place anyway.

So the relevant question is, what is the point of continually pressuring him to drop out? It can ONLY be that it is intended to DEPRESS THE VOTE in the remaining states.

I call that cheating. Lots of Dems and Independents frown on that, in case no one in HRC-land has noticed.

[Demsrule86]

53. So what

Exit polls are useless as shite.

[Waiting For Everyman]

62. He's staying in, nothing you can do about it. nt

[Demsrule86]

71. wasting money and time...helping Trump

What a way to end your career and if he continues he is toast.

[enid602]

43. bern

His continuing with this charade just makes him look more pathetic and quixotic.

[LWolf]

47. Because there are millions of us who want him there,

who want our chance to vote for him.

[Dr. Strange]

51. That article is a pile of Capehart.

Or, if you rearrange the letters: hate crap.

[SheilaT]

52. And of course we all remember how Hillary graciously left the race

as soon as it was clear Bernie would get the nomination. Let's see, was that in March, or April of 2008?

Oh, wait. She stayed in through the final primaries.

So stop being such jerks about this, all of you who want Bernie to quit the race. If she were such an amazing and inevitable candidate, she'd have locked this up months ago. So why hasn't she? Maybe she simply isn't that amazing a candidate. Maybe a sizeable number of voters think she's considerably less than the best possible choice for this job.

And maybe, just maybe she won't get enough delegates to be assured of the nomination.

She didn't quit until after the entire primary process, and neither should he.

Your desperation isn't pretty.

[mcar]

56. K&R

[kayakjohnny]

58. You seem so afraid.

And so do most of her supporters. Not a lick of confidence in your candidate. Thought you guys had this all wrapped up. If so, you'd sit back and enjoy the festivities. Hmmmm....something seems to bother you folks. Have a little faith, for crying out loud.

Get it? .... "Crying out loud".

[HooptieWagon]

60. Hillary stayed in until 4 days after last primary in 2008.

Every voter has the right to cast their vote, and Sanders has the right to go into the convention with as many delegates as he can earn.

[jmousso75]

66. Why are you still in the race, Bernie?

Just to piss people like you off. LMAO

[jillan]

73. Capehart? Lololololololol. Might as well post political articles from

Glenn Beck.

[mhatrw]

74. Silly Capehart. It's Rappaport who is still in the race!

Get your facts straight for once, Capehart!

[rickford66]

76. Did the fat lady sing? I missed it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

77. For the good of the country.

[Gomez163]

78. He needs a new $175,000 Audi

[Herman4747]

79. Stupid Question. If Hillary's indicted, we need Bernie in the race! nt

[mmonk]

80. For us, the citizens who pay their taxes and play by the rules but are never heard.

[libdem4life]

81. Indeed. Also, because the issues are not merely political.

The genie can not be put back into the bottle. Bernie won't quit. His ideals and values and passion was not just for the Presidency. Now, other leaders will arise who see the value of We, the People, not Citizen's United Plunder. But he'll go down in history, IMO, as the Father of the Fair Deal in the US.

[lagomorph777]

82. Wow the anxiety is really kicking in!

Keep desperately begging. It makes you look so poised and confident. CA, OR, WV - no worry at all. Eeeverything is juust fine....you're getting sleeeepyyy....

[Cha]

84. GMTA~

Even more ridiculous is Sanders’s insistence that superdelegates choose him over Clinton. As reporters at The Post, NPR and Vox have pointed out, even if superdelegates in states that Sanders won switched from her to him he’d still lose the nomination. And those folks don’t really have any incentive to do so. With Tuesday’s results from the Indiana primary factored in, Clinton now has 3.1 million more raw votes than Sanders. So the superdelegates are already backing a winning candidate.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1107&pid=125930

[Live and Learn]

85. Why is Hillary even in the race after her vote to illegally invade Iraq?

Never, never can I or would I vote for someone stupid enough to believe the lies or someone that sold out because it was politically expedient to do so. How in the F*** can you support that?

[delrem]

86. Because some predict he'll win several coming states? Could that be the reason?

Or is that too difficult for you to understand?

[Orsino]

88. Change.

Don't fear it, even if your candidate does.