The Nation: If Bernie Is Serious About Political Revolution, He Has to Work With Democratic Party

[TomCADem]

Interesting article from the Nation regarding whether Bernie can actually utilize the position of influence he has gain or whether he ends up being seen as a Ralph Nader like spoiler. Put another way, if Hillary wins the Presidency, Bernie could justifiably clam that it was with his support if he supports her. However, if she loses, rightly or wrongly, Bernie will be blamed.

http://www.thenation.com/article/if-bernie-is-serious-about-political-revolution-he-has-to-work-with-the-democratic-party/

Bernie Sanders is in a strong position to shake up Democratic Party politics. But the chaos at last week’s Nevada state convention reveals a real possibility that his candidacy could end up as little more than a footnote in the story of the 2016 campaign.

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 But the kinds of sweeping, transformational changes that Sanders calls for have only ever been achieved with a coordinated inside/outside strategy. While Sanders supporters are quick to note that Hillary Clinton can’t win the 2016 election without their support, many of them overlook the fact that the broader progressive movement can’t achieve the goals Sanders champions if it alienates those who backed Clinton.

* * *

The key point is that the whole brouhaha was ultimately fueled by the widely held belief among Sanders supporters that Clinton’s victories are illegitimate—that she’s on the verge of clinching the nomination only because of the DNC’s chicanery or media bias. At some point, they need to understand that Sanders is trailing in this race because his campaign hasn’t resonated with key groups of Democratic primary voters—African Americans, women, and people over the age of 45.

Most of those voters aren’t right-wingers or sell-outs or “establishment shills,” and if Sanders’s campaign alienates them too badly, he’ll end up with as much influence over the future of the party as Ralph Nader. So yes, Hillary Clinton needs Sanders’s supporters to win the 2016 election, but Sanders needs Clinton’s backers to bring about any real change in Democratic Party politics. It’s a two-way street.

[virtualobserver]

1. The Democratic Establisment is scared shitless of Bernie and his followers....

but they have no interest in helping him. They are just trying to figure out which magic words will manipulate us.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Troo dat.

They are quaking in their boots, now that the anointed one is faltering in recent polls.

[Skwmom]

2. You can't work with a party UNWILLING to change.

[rusty quoin]

3. Bernie has been more an FDR Democrat than anyone for decades.

I'm sure he will work within the party.

The question is what kind of Democratic Party do you want.

I like the one that LBJ was living under, and not Reagan with his Reagan Democrats did.

[larkrake]

5. Not so much, he needs to start the American party

The DNC turned corporate, and we dont need to work with that cancerous element. We need to work around them, take in Dems who care about the people, and flush the 3 wayers.

Quit smoking cold-turkey, quit the greed cold turkey, stop the bleeding.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Saying that Sanders hasn't resonated with women

...is as accurate as saying that Clinton hasn't resonated with men.

Both statements are ridiculous generalizations. Sanders resonated with millions of women and Clinton with millions of men.

[BootinUp]

7. The only problem I have with the article, is when they say the Party

could have done more to head off the ruckus in Nevada. I would appreciate them spelling out exactly what that would be. Of course there are new rules now that make the campaigns take more responsibility at conventions, maybe thats what the author meant?

[Orsino]

8. If he were serious, he weould have joined the Democratic Party.

Nation is wrong. Much more sweeping and transformational changes than those Sanders advocates have been achieved witnout a coordinated inside/outside strategy. There are exampkes from history that prove this.

Yet Sanders has cjosen to work from inside.

The Nation then goes off on a "supporters" tear to prop up a weak anti-Bernie position.