Sanders allies plot post-primary war on Trump

[cali]

A group of Bernie Sanders staffers and volunteers is circulating a draft proposal calling on the senator to get out of the presidential race after the final burst of Democratic primaries on June 7, and concentrate on building a national progressive organization to stop Donald Trump.

Operating under the assumption that Sanders will win the California primary but still fall far short of amassing enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination, the document calls for the Vermont senator to exit the race and launch an independent political group far larger than any other recent post-campaign political operations, such as those started by Howard Dean or Barack Obama.

The working title for the roughly 1,600-word document: “After Winning on June 7th Bernie Sanders Should Suspend his Campaign and Launch an Independent Organization to Defeat Donald Trump."

The group of over a dozen Sanders backers crafting the proposal — a collection of volunteers and current and former Sanders staff members, all veterans of other high-profile campaigns, including Barack Obama’s, who insist on anonymity — believes that leaving an imprint on the party platform is an overrated goal. They suggest that the Vermont senator should exit the race if it’s clear he cannot win — a call similar to the one made by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, his lone Senate endorser — rather than spend the five weeks before the convention in limbo.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/sanders-backers-plot-post-primary-war-on-trump-223100#ixzz48WresUNX
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[brush]

1. Good idea. Let's see how much resistance this gets from his fans here.

[cali]

3. Bernie supporter here. I posted it and I think it makes sense

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. Me too. After the last primary vote are cast...

unless there are very solid reason to believe he still could pull off a huge upset, which is unlikely unless Clinton's legal concerns greatly intensify. I would count on Bernie not just going though the motions by creating a "paper tiger". The organization that results should be one built to go the distance, well past the November election, with the goal of fundamentally changing American politics in a progressive direction.

[brush]

14. It could work. The fundraising structure is there. There seems . . .

to a will there of his supporters to continue on with the movement.

I like it. Harness that energy with an actual structure that doesn't evaporate like Occupy did.

There's a major opportunity to get behind progressive candidates for the House and Senate and state and local offices to fundamentally change the game.

This has a chance to be the real Sanders revolution — even a new party could develop if they want to go in that direction.

[cali]

4. I feel stupider just having read your crappy, nonsensical response.

[MisterP]

15. ahem! I believe it goes--

"what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

[cali]

19. Thank you. That is indeed an improvement

[NCTraveler]

5. Interesting.

First order of business would be to spend five months trashing Trump and focus on energizing millennials to vote for Clinton.

[firebrand80]

6. I like and respect Bernie

If he does not commit the GE months to destroying Trump, I will lose respect for him

[fun n serious]

7. I think Sanders is a good man and wants to do the right thing BUT...

It is my personal opinion that Jane will not let him.

[cali]

11. Lol. That is absurd. He most definitely is not controlled by jane

I've been a constituent of his for 25 years. That ain't Bernie.

[H2O Man]

16. I am convinced

that their neighbor's cat is actually calling the shots. And you know how cats can be. The neighbor's car acts as if he should be president.

[cali]

17. You might be right.

[dana_b]

8. No way

he can still work on building this new political coalition AFTER the convention (if he doesn't win the nomination). If this happens, it will piss off a huge block of Bernie supporters to no end. He said that he would fight this thing all the way to the convention and that is why so many of us continue to fight for him. During those 5 weeks he can work on the SuperDs and party insiders to make his case.

Bad idea and they need to back off!!

[NCTraveler]

9. It's not a coalition.

Your post directly reflects that. A majority of those who voted for Sanders will vote for Clinton as this group is working for. Paul supporters will go back home. Then there will be wild attempts to herd the remainder of the cats who are telling everyone else to back and fuck off thinking they speak for Independents. This group looks like they want to organize. That alone will send some off the establishment deep end.

[Waiting For Everyman]

10. No, I think everybody needs to make choices on the record this time.

Let voters vote and let supers choose, and let the whole process happen in front of the public, so we know who did what. Stand up and be counted.

He can create an organization anyway, he doesn't need to drop out to do it.

[pengu]

12. I won't be supporting this new organization if it's just about Trump

[Luminous Animal]

23. Nor will I

[JaneyVee]

18. Good idea.

[DemocraticWing]

20. This could be a bigger version of Democracy for America, if done right.

After we defeat Trump, the next order of business should be to get a Bernie ally (Warren, Merkley, Ellison, etc.) elected chair of the DNC.

[kstewart33]

21. That's a great idea.

It's time for Bernie to start building the movement into something that can actually make a difference.

He has a huge opportunity here.

[sadoldgirl]

22. Why don't we leave it up to Bernie.

I am sure that he has thought about the future
possibilities, even though he will not talk about
it now, which is understandable.

OTOH he said he would go to a contested convention,
and generally speaking he kept his word.