Brutally Honest Bernie Sanders Tells His Supporters That He Is Not Their Savior

[Uncle Joe]

In a moment of unusual for politics honesty, Bernie Sanders told his supporters that he was not their political savior.

In the middle of his rally in North Dakota, Sanders asked what was the truth? A supporter shouted out, “You.” Sanders said, “No. That is exactly not the truth. The truth is you, not me. If there is any person here, any person here that thinks I’m coming to you as some kind of savior, that I’m going to do it all — all myself, you’re wrong. No president, not Bernie Sanders or anybody else, can do it alone. We don’t need a savior. We need a political movement.”

Two camps developed among those who support Sen. Sanders. The first camp seems to have placed everything on the outcome of the Democratic primary. These are the individuals who think that a Hillary Clinton victory means the end of the universe. They are also the hardcore individuals who have missed the Sanders message, by placing all of their hopes and dreams for the country on the election of one man.

Since before his presidential campaign kicked off, Sen. Sanders has been talking about the need for a revolution in our political process that would give power back to the people. The political revolution is not something that ends after the Democratic primary campaign is over. Sen. Sanders has been consistent in talking about the need for a political movement. In Sanders’ view that political movement is where people should be placing their hearts and efforts.

Betting it all on Sanders winning is exactly the opposite of the message that the Senator from Vermont has been sending. A lesser politician, like Donald Trump, for example, would feed those false hopes that supporters place on candidates to do it all. Sen. Sanders was very honest. Even if he ever became president, he couldn’t do it alone.

The Sanders message has always been that a revolution of millions will change the country more than any one president ever could. If all of Sen. Sanders’ supporters took this message to heart, the conclusion of the Democratic primary would be viewed as a beginning, not as the end.

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/05/14/brutally-honest-bernie-sanders-tells-supporters-savior.html

There is a video on the link.

[JPnoodleman]

1. News we all knew, nobody is looking for a messiah.

At least I am not out to say he is Arthur, back from Avalon to reign as the Once and Future King.

[Uncle Joe]

4. That's true but compared to the "I" of Hillary or Trump "I will be the greatest jobs President

that God ever created," Bernie's candor, honesty and humility are refreshing virtues that I much appreciate.

[pangaia]

24. + 4,830,678

[Baobab]

36. pets or meat?

[Joob]

2. Go Bernie!!! Yep yep, We all need to stand up and fight!

[arcane1]

3. How is that "unusual"? Do candidates normally claim they ARE a "savior"?

Seems rather normal to me

[djean111]

6. That savior thing is actually a meme thrown at Bernie's supporters by the Clinton camp.

I have not seen any "savior" stuff from Bernie's supporters.

I just think that a Hillary presidency will set any Progressive move back. Brutally. I would not be a Hillary supporter no matter who else was running, or if she had been unopposed. All she has accomplished, for me, is the certainty that the Democratic Party has moved too far to the right for me to identify with it any longer. If I had a "D" jersey, i would turn it in. I will vote for and support liberals/Progressives down-ticket. That's all I will do, and wherever the movement goes, I will go with it, except I will not support Hillary.

[arcane1]

9. The same camp that called Obama "messiah". It was a popular with the right-wing camp too.

Two sides of the same camp

[cliffordu]

28. Yep.

Remember that Hillarious speech Clinton gave mocking Obama 'And the clouds will part and the sun will shine and the choir will sing....'

Replete with poor acting....

[politicaljunkie41910]

30. "...That's all I will do, and wherever the movement goes, I will go with it..."

"...That's all I will do, and wherever the movement goes, I will go with it, except I will not support Hillary. ..."

You don't have to use the words "Saviour". Your words speak louder than your actions and right now, your words sound kind of cultist to me. But then again, you Bernie's supporters always did have a flair for the dramatic.

Bernie said that "He wasn't your saviour"..."Start a movement...." Instead of following his advice what do you say, "where the movement goes, I will go with it." Sound like something a lovesick 16 year old would say. Real life is filled with disappointments. Adults keep moving forward. Children say if I can't have what I want, when I want it, I'll take my toys and go home. Good luck with that.

[senz]

38. Uh huh. See my journal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/~senz

[puffy socks]

59. I have.

Bernie Sanders is going to save us.
Though he has tough political battles that will be before him, he is the only person saying the right things. Bernie is speaking for the people, Bernie is taking the chances we won't.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/comments/3yvnbh/why_bernie_sanders_will_save_us/

Only Bernie Sanders can break the power of capitalism in the US
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/18/bernie-sanders-break-power-capitalism-us-democratic-presidential-race-hillary-clinton

Only Bernie Sanders Can Save Us from President Donald Trump
http://www.citizenrootspress.com/#!Only-Bernie-Sanders-Can-Save-Us-from-President-Donald-Trump/cjds/572abe450cf25326f6c59f03


Real-Life "Gordon Gekko" Proclaims - Only Sanders Can Stop The Banksters
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-15/real-life-gordon-gekko-proclaims-only-sanders-can-stop-banksters

[eridani]

60. None of that means anything without our ongoing involvement n/t

[cui bono]

62. To be fair, God may have had a hand in it:

.

[timmymoff]

5. Amazing

something Bernie Sanders has said since the beginning of his campaign is news to the conservative wing of the democratic party. This just proves how grossly uninformed they have been since the election cycle started. Seriously, this is nothing new he said but it may be new to those who have always chose not to listen. The "I'm with Her" crowd chose to stick their head in the sand since 2006 apparently , and then decided to have their heads even deeper in the sand starting in 2015. Shameful someone thought this was new material.

[Uncle Joe]

12. That's true Bernie has been saying this since the beginning and his microism statements of

"no President can do it alone but that we need a political revolution or movement to bring about much needed progressive change"

transcends to the macro national level as well in regards to U.S. foreign policy.

[senz]

39. True, he has said it from the beginning.

Hill folk just make it up as they go along.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I've always felt that way. I have a lot of respect for Bernie but

like he said, he isn't a savior. No one person can single-handedly turn things around. It's good to have someone who can lead a movement but that person isn't the movement. I always figured Bernie would be a long shot for the nomination, and he's done far better than I expected (and probably better than he expected, too). People who stake all their hopes on the election of one particular person are naive, and will be doomed to disappointment. Bernie is trying to organize people into a movement and it will take a lot more than a single election. This will be a grass-roots effort that will take years, not months. Electing Bernie might make it go a little faster but it's far more important to keep the movement together and going forward - regardless of who gets the nomination and who wins the presidency.

[Uncle Joe]

15. I agree, growth of the movement is most critical to progressive success but I also believe

that Bernie would by far be the most receptive President for desperately needed reforms to take hold.

[NobodyHere]

8. Only the true messiah denies his divinity

[NurseJackie]

17. There's never a bad time for a Monty Python reference!

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Tsk Tsk, what will the "megachurch moms" say?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/us/politics/hillary-clinton-republican-party.html

[baldguy]

46. Came here for this. Was not disappointed.

[ThePhilosopher04]

10. Hillary Clinton does not represent the movement

therefore I will not support her. The movement will not gain traction by "settling" for the establishment. If we keep rewarding them, they'll keep winning and Americans will continue losing.

[azmom]

13. She's not even supportive of the movement.

I think she just wants us to go away. I wish she would go away.

[ThePhilosopher04]

34. I agree

[azmom]

11. If this article was written to make us

Feel better about having Hillary in the presidency instead of Sanders, it's not working.


It would be much better for the movement to have Sanders at the helm.

[djean111]

16. There is a LOT of that crap these days, really.

Wheedling, authoritative, verbose, abrupt - I have to laugh because a platoon of championship Jesuit debaters could not convince me to support Hillary. And there are no Jesuit-level debaters here at DU, that's for sure. Logic has completely escaped all the various, totally ineffective, bellwethers.

[Renew Deal]

48. I love that someone that would allow Trump to become president questions other people's logic

[Uncle Joe]

18. I don't care what their motivation was, I do believe the message is most critical for the people to

hear as for me, I'm for Bernie all the way to the White House.

I totally agree with you on this, azmom.

"It would be much better for the movement to have Sanders at the helm. "

[merrily]

26. Notice: BRUTALLY honest. They had to use a pejorative word, even to call him honest.

[renate]

27. interesting--I had exactly the opposite response

Although now that I think about it, I totally get your reaction.

My first thought was that article seemed very pro-Bernie to me. I thought it was admirable (and accurate) of Bernie to say he's not any kind of messiah, and I certainly prefer a politician who actively does not want a movement to be about him. Until I read your comment it didn't occur to me that it could be seen as a dig at him. Which is weird because the last few months on DU have made me pretty cynical about comments.

I can't wait for things to get back to normal here... and yet somehow I just can't stay away.

[Uncle Joe]

29. Their "dig" must be turned on its head and that's what this thread is about.

[H2O Man]

14. Recommended.

No one is going to come out of the sky and "save" us. Only we can save ourselves.

[Uncle Joe]

19. Precisely, H2O Man and one other thing we can count on, that being

the corporate media conglomerates will absolutely not be honest brokers in their use of propaganda.

They have too much inherent conflict of interest in pushing a pre-ordained result or self-fulfilling prophecy on to the American People.

[merrily]

21. If enough people in office are on our side, yes.

[merrily]

20. Thanks. Sanders has said from the beginning, it will take Congress and all of us.

Those who've been claiming that he was deceptive on that score are the liars.

[Uncle Joe]

22. You nailed it, merrily.

[ibegurpard]

23. duh

The only ones who ever said that were the denizens of Camp Weathervane. Projection I guess...

[Uncle Joe]

25. Regardless of what happens in the primaries or convention I believe Bernie wants the movement to

be energized versus depressed.

This is just the beginning.

Should Bernie become President, he will use that energy, not discard it.

[Hoyt]

31. Applaud him for doing so. Too bad his supporters are so naive and gullible.

[Uncle Joe]

33. "Got projection," the only people that have thrown about the "Bernie can do it all" meme are

Hillary supporters.

[Armstead]

43. "I can fight for you and suck up to Goldman Sachs at the same time"

Naive, gullible?

[bjo59]

32. A great moment in that speech. It always bothered me how Obama seemed to be

perceived as a messiah-like savior during the 2008 primaries and in the afterglow during his early presidency. Guess, after living through the Bush, Jr. years that might be excused, maybe. Many awful human beings in the world have ridden to power on the back of a cult of personality.

[Uncle Joe]

37. Precisely, TM99.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

40. No, he's not. But, he's been a helluva good spokeman for the revolution which is just beginning.

[Uncle Joe]

49. I agree on all counts, Tierra_y_Libertad.

[SheenaR]

41. Been saying this all along

To the ignorant people who say Sanders is "in this for himself" and it's all about his ego.

Could not be farther from the truth. Guy is in it for every single one of us, supporter and non-supporter

[Uncle Joe]

50. They're just using the Karl Rove strategy of attacking their opponent's strength

not that it's right, just that they believe it's effective.

In the final analysis, it will be up to the American People to judge as to whether this cynical and dishonest strategy comes out on top, one thing is for sure we can't count on the corporate media conglomerates to enlighten the people to the truth.

[Time for change]

44. Thank you, Uncle Joe - very interesting thread

Like some others on this thread, I don't know what the motivation of the author of the article was, and maybe that isn't too important.

I have to say that I partially disagree with Bernie on this. Like he says, and like you say, it is the people and the movement that is the most important, and he can't do it alone.

But on the other hand, it is my belief that, at this time in history, he has an extremely important role to play, so much so that I doubt that we can do it without him any time in the foreseeable future. And at this time in history, the state of our world is so precarious that giving the power of the US presidency to someone who doesn't warrant it could very well result in disasters of unimaginable proportions. So yes, I DO think that it could be the end of our civilization as we know it if Bernie doesn't win this election.

Ordinary Americans must play a big role and keep on trying, but we have very powerful forces arrayed against us, and world history is full of examples where such forces against the people have prevailed for very long periods of time. Bernie is the most popular, competent, brave, and kind-hearted candidate to come along in quite a while, and may be just about the only person who can lead a movement that prevails over the evil powers that we face today. I am not optimistic at all about how the revolution will fare if our country once again allows election fraud to pervert the will of the people. One person CAN make quite a difference, and the power of the US presidency may be the only thing that enables him to do so IMHO.

[Uncle Joe]

52. I agree with your thoughts and feelings on the subject, Time for change

but I believe it's critical for the movement to find a way to expand beyond Bernie for his sake and ours.

Bernie does have a critical role to play but other leaders must step to the fore as well or it won't make any difference in the long run.

Peace to you.

[senz]

45. Bernie always tells us that he can't do it by himself -- however

I believe four years of either of the other candidates will make it logarithmically more difficult for we the people to peacefully reclaim control of our country.

I'm more familiar with Hillary than Trump and am sure her loyalties lie squarely with the 1% who have financed and promoted her ambitions and with whom she spends her private and professional time when not running for office. I do not think the people of this country would matter for her except as something to be kept mollified in hopes of a second term. I would fully expect her to revert to her enthusiastic support of the TPP, to nominate Wall Street-friendly candidates to the Supreme Court, to grant the tiniest of "incremental" economic reforms and to take a belligerent stance toward certain other nations with a reinvigorated military on the ready. I am certain that the middle class would continue its downward slide under Hillary. And I fear the effect of her secrecy, lawlessness, vindictiveness and poor judgment on this country and its people.

Trump is less clear in my mind; I think he's unpredictable, which would keep me in a state of constant apprehension. He may or may not live up to his anti-trade deal roots, which would be good, but he would very likely succumb to his various prejudices, mistreating Muslim Americans and Latino immigrants. I don't know if he has any sense of how the poor and middle class are faring. I fear he would frighten and alienate the rest of the world and bring back the stereotype of the Ugly American.

For these reasons, I know we would be far, far better off under a Sanders presidency than either a Clinton or a Trump presidency -- even if he can't "do it all himself." I don't worship Bernie; I know he's just a hardworking human being like so many of us, but I do indeed love him for his goodness, honesty, courage and perseverance. I am grateful for his existence. He's a good guy, and I trust him.

[Uncle Joe]

55. Well said, senz, I feel the same way,

having said that I do believe that under your first scenario Hillary would end up becoming a one term President should she reach the White House.

The people are waking up.

I believe Trump is just a faux populist, his language is different, more blatant but I believe he is most assuredly an establishment supporting Republican, nonetheless he would be a disaster for the nation and probably the world.

I totally agree in regards to Bernie being the by far the best President and actually in it for the American People, not personal ambition.

[Jitter65]

47. He must see the handwriting in the sand... He used to act like their savior. nt

[Uncle Joe]

56. To say your statement is false would be generous, Bernie never acted as such, I believe you know

that as well but you don't care about the truth.

[Luminous Animal]

51. Thank you, for the post Uncle Joe.

[Uncle Joe]

57. It was my pleasure, Luminous Animal.

Peace to you.

[kentuck]

54. The Sanders campaign is a beginning...

...not an end.

[Uncle Joe]

58. I agree kentuck, that's the way I see it.

[kentuck]

63. Bernie has created a template for a new Democratic Party.

And it will have a lot of "independence" from the two major Parties, but will run within the parameters of one of the major Parties. If he/she does not win the nomination, he has set the groundwork to run as an Independent. Bernie has said he will not do it this time. But next time, the Independent Democratic candidate will be tough to beat, in my opinion. How are you doing Uncle Joe!

[eridani]

61. We are the ones we have been waiting for n/t

[Dont call me Shirley]

64. They forgot the largest Bernie camp, the one that believes "we are the change we need to see"

The Bernie camp who are working to make this world a better place for everyone, The Berners who understand reality is created through making collaborative action. We know Bernie is not the savior, each and every one of us is our own savior. Bernie exemplifies culmination of our understanding of the world as a place of goodness, kindness, wisdom and beauty.

[Uncle Joe]

65. Well said, Dont call me Shirley.

[Dont call me Shirley]

66. Thank you, Uncle Joe :-)