Bernie Blew It

[Proud Public Servant]

Bernie Blew It

Elizabeth Warren is the surrogate he was supposed to be. His supporters have become Clinton’s. How Sanders overplayed his hand.

On Monday, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren campaigned together in Cincinnati. Their message was clear: Donald Trump is a “thin-skinned bully who is driven by greed and hate,” as Warren put it, and the Democratic Party can deliver the policies and investments to improve life for ordinary Americans.

But more interesting than their rhetoric was the event’s tone and tenor. Warren was a compelling surrogate, giving Clinton the kind of strong and affirmative endorsement she needs to win over skeptical voters. And Clinton, in turn, was energized, touting her policies and platform—and indicting Trump for his attitudes and behavior. It was a grand display of party unity: Warren and Clinton, the left and the center-left, united against a common foe and cheered on by thousands of excited Democrats, all ready for the general election.

And where was Bernie Sanders?

...

As it stands, the Vermont senator has almost vanished from the news cycle, overshadowed by Clinton’s growing lead, overall Democratic unity, global events, and the never-ending emissions of Donald Trump. He’ll still matter to the shape and direction of the Democratic National Convention, but he could have had a larger, more visible role. Bernie Sanders had his shot, and he threw it away.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/06/bernie_sanders_blew_it.html

Certainly what I've been thinking lately, and I supported the guy.

[MariaThinks]

1. Completely agree. And it's telling that you were one of his supporters.

If you listen to him closely, I find that he's basically playing chicken with the election results. If Hillary doesn't do everything he wants, or some of his supporters, want, then its HER fault that trump becomes president.

[OwlinAZ]

160. BS

and highly doubtful that this person every supported anyone but Hillary or Trump.

[Miles Archer]

171. Complete and utter baloney.

Maybe you missed the part in the new rules about "bashing Democrats."

"If you listen to him closely..."

I do "listen to him closely," and I'm not hearing what you're hearing.

"I find that"...

Exactly. You find that. Because people will find whatever they decide they need to find, whether it's rooted in fact or not.

"he's basically playing chicken with the election results."

Complete nonsense, your opinion, and another violation of DU rules, stop fighting the Primaries.

"If Hillary doesn't do everything he wants, or some of his supporters, want, then its HER fault that trump becomes president. "

More of your opinion, not based in fact at all, approaching nothing ever said by Sanders. He said that he will vote for Clinton, that he is pledged to stop Trump, and no...much to the consternation of those who are demanding that he do this daily...he has not offered an "endorsement," nor should he have to, if he feels that he is not endorsing a platform that is striving for results similar to his own. That's his right. He's voting for her, he will work to defeat Trump, and that in no way, shape, or form equals "If Hillary doesn't do everything he wants, or some of his supporters, want, then its HER fault that trump becomes president."

[MariaThinks]

175. Calling a poster a liar is also against the rules.

[Tal Vez]

2. Sanders will be doing the same thing soon.

He's a professional politician and he's been around a long, long time. He'll do the right thing, but the vehicle that brought him here was moving pretty fast and it needs a little time to bring it back under control

I have a lot of confidence in Senator Sanders.

[LongtimeAZDem]

19. I think he has missed the opportunity to for it to still matter (nt)

[LongtimeAZDem]

25. duplicate post - sorry

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. The media was eager to go back to ignoring him.

[Human101948]

7. Yep, he was only of interest when they could do the horse race coverage...

Now they have a different horse race.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. Well, most of TV is geared towards a 12-year-old mind....

Trouble is, most of the news is delivered by 9-year-old minds.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

32. They have a short attention span. So do the American people.

[cosmicone]

36. He is no longer "news"

When he was, he was a fixture on all the Sunday talk shows and hundreds of other interviews. Now he is irrelevant.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

40. All they wanted to talk about was how weird it was that he was attracting anyone....

Then they tried to paint his supporters as weird.

[Armstead]

165. And it is depressing if the 40-45 percent of the people who supported him are considered irrelevant

Just as I feared throughout the primary.

We're all supposed to forget it ever happened, and all of the concerns and issues Sanders addressed suddenly disappear.

Just go back to business as usual.

[MoonRiver]

99. I'm surprised he's still getting so much media attention.

He was on several news stations, including, I believe, MTP, on Sunday. I've seen him almost every day on either Morning Jerk or New Day.

[metroins]

4. He really could've done some good

Had he a long term vision.

Clinton had a long vision in 2008; I think Bernie might be in an echo chamber with his top level management and he can't see the light.

Or he has always be short sighted...

[Voice for Peace]

8. the long vision you refer to was never about the american people

[JRLeft]

9. He still will. I wish Hillary would acknowledge poor people.

She never uses the words poor, poverty, impoverished, income inequality, or upwards mobility.

[Evergreen Emerald]

14. That is simply incorrect

She has worked her life to help the people who are in poverty. She has a significant history, that has been reported for years.

[OKNancy]

24. She talks about poor people, the impoverished, the disadvantage all the time and all her adult life

Perhaps you as a person who was not a supporter are not familiar with her, but you are really wrong about Hillary Clinton.
I could look up quotes and speeches, her website and her votes while in the Senate if necessary to convince you.

[RoccoR5955]

126. Quotes and speeches are one thing

ACTIONS are a whole 'nother ballgame

[OKNancy]

148. There are actions. Where have you been?

No one can say that Hillary Clinton has not done a lot for the disadvantaged. Well, some will say that, but it won't be those who are informed.

[RoccoR5955]

156. She sure has.

Like endorse the crime bill, which put a lot of people of color in jail.

[KittyWampus]

172. you mean the crime bill Sanders voted for LOL?

[MADem]

33. Yes, she does. nt

[Voice for Peace]

5. just for the record, I will disagree 100%

and although you may be one of his supporters that are now hers, it's not true as a general statement about his supporters.

My personal feeling is the majority are not now, nor ever will be, hers -- even if some do vote for her in November.

[JRLeft]

10. I'm supporting her because Trump is a fascist.

[Voice for Peace]

11. I'm still not convinced that in the end, Trump is the one she'll be running against.

[arcane1]

17. Despite everything, I still remain unconvinced Trump even wants to be president.

Though I wish I had some idea of what the hell he's up to.

[Voice for Peace]

21. me too..

[redstateblues]

30. In the latest poll it's 8% of Sanders supporters

That won't vote for Hillary

[SFnomad]

38. That's a far smaller percentage than what had been reported of Clinton supporters

who said they wouldn't vote for Obama at this point in time.

[Voice for Peace]

145. I see different polls.

However I don't pay a lot of attention to them because they are all over the place. I'm basing my point of view on what I keep seeing on Facebook. Not just personal posts but veritable articles, with percentages and numbers in them.

[RBInMaine]

65. OK, enough. She is our nominee, a DAMN good one, and Bernie needs to cut the purist crap and get

aboard. The train has left, and he is not on it. However, according to polling 80% of his supporters ARE aboard. The stakes in this election are EPIC. Do you want to risk that subhuman monster Trump?

This is the ultimate no-brainer. Let's beat Trumpenstein, and then you and others can get about the new political movement Bernie is saying he is going to lead.

[Voice for Peace]

144. please try to understand: from a different point of view, there's nothing remotely related to

"purist crap" on his agenda. I'm sorry so many of you folks see him that way.

[OwlinAZ]

154. Veritas

[Mika]

6. Donald Trump is a “thin-skinned bully who is driven by greed and hate"

Now there's a real progressive campaign platform! Something one can sink one's teeth into.
Prescient. Brilliant. And not the usual 3 word meme.
Interestingly, its pretty much what all of the GOP former candidates have all said at one time or another. And all of the pundits. And all of the bobblehead newsreaders.
Good to know that we're all on the same page.

[Voice for Peace]

26. ...

[stevenleser]

45. Re: "All on the same page", do you have a different impression of Trump?

It almost seems like you think we or various other folks shouldnt think that about him.

[Mika]

70. My comment is regarding the lackluster campaign that it will be if that's going to be it.

I have not one f#ck to give about Trump. Zero.
Saying and tweeting what just about everyone else is saying isn't a high bar. At all.
I'm kinda puzzled at the gushing over more of the same.
Maybe some more window dressing... or another strategy might be a good thing. Yes?
Not sure that pointing out the obvious about a 70 year old racist bigot has-been former TV show host is going to fire up the anti-establishmentarian youth movement. If the Dem party wants them, I mean.

[stevenleser]

103. The number one priority of a campaign is to beat the opponent. The most effective way

to ethically do that is what every candidate should do.

[Cali_Democrat]

12. Yep. nt

[CrowCityDem]

13. Every day the general has been on is a day past Bernie's expiration date.

[ciaobaby]

19. Bernie has no expiration date - that's why we support him.

[Gothmog]

82. Put Senator Warren on the ticket so we can ignore sanders

Senator Warren is becoming very attractive as Clinton's vice president

[ThinkCritically]

15. Jesus Christ.

Would you give it up already? The divisiveness isn't going to help democrats at all and driving this wedge between Bernie and Hillary supporters is doing nothing but making it worse. Just stop already.

[arcane1]

23. Skinner- "We will never get past the primary if sore winners choose to keep trashing Bernie Sanders"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125910542#post1

That message isn't reaching everyone, it seems.

[peace13]

41. Agree.

I don't even bother any more. People believe polls when they are what they want to see and ignore everything else. It doesn't matter. What will happen will be bigger than the crowd here and I feel that we will all be astounded in the end. It looks like Trump got a lick in on Hill today so that means that things are getting more lopsided than we know. It will take more doing and less talk, that's for certain!

[Proud Public Servant]

42. Again - I was and am a Bernie supporter

And this article spoke to me.

[m-lekktor]

72. Yeah I have encountered quite a few "supporters" like you. nt

[forjusticethunders]

98. That mentality is part of the problem

Any criticism or advice or alternate viewpoint gets dismissed out of hand and the speaker getting called some form of shill.

[angrychair]

136. I see no evidence you actually support(ed) him

How this is allowed to stand is perplexing but whatever, it's not my site, not my rules.
Carry on.

[Pluvious]

110. Agreed !!

Stop being such sore winners for all our sakes !!

Denigrating the supporters of Bernie is harmful and only serving to drive away many Independents and Democratic voters we NEED going forward.

Your personal and perverse need to continually cast your barbs and insults should be beneath you.

[beachbumbob]

16. Bernies ego been in control a long time...

He will be forgotten about

[Jennylynn]

29. Don't bet on that. Nt

[RoccoR5955]

179. You wouldn't want to put money on that, would you? n/t

[oswaldactedalone]

27. Disappointed I voted for Bernie

with the way he's botched the end of the primary. His lack of endorsement of Clinton leaves the door open for Trump and puts Dems winning the Senate in jeopardy.

[4now]

31. Most were only supporting B.S. because Warren didn't run.

And now it is over.

[TheProgressive]

47. No, Sanders supporters support Senator Bernie Sanders because...

Bernie Sanders' policies and positions are representative of millions and millions and millions of Americans and people around the world.

[Pluvious]

112. And also because

So many of us put the blame on much of our problems on Wall Street and the banking cartel. We saw Bernie as a hope to start getting the big money out of politics.

[RoccoR5955]

127. Not true at all! n/t

[Renew Deal]

34. It gets worse

Have you seen the MSNBC interview?

[Eric J in MN]

93. Here is an excerpt of a recent interview of Bernie Sanders

...on MSNBC, standing up for TPP rejection and other liberal causes:

https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/747927850058022912

[cosmicone]

37. It's a zombie posture now n/t

[bigtree]

39. k&r

[Skid Rogue]

43. To give Sanders the benefit of the doubt...

He might feel as if he needs to take his campaign to convention because he promised his supporters, over and over again, that he would do so. What he didn't foresee, is his campaign losing this much momentum and possibly good will before he actually got to the convention. Now he's stuck. He knows it's over, but he's promised not to back down.

[redstateblues]

108. Bernie believed that he could win CA and maintain momentum

Going into the convention. It obviously didn't happen and the air has been leaking out of his tires since then. They will be flat before the convention.

[Armstead]

166. I'd give him more benefit of the doubt...

It's not about him.

If it were, he'd have done an Elizabeth Warren, and just "go with the program" and sing Clinton's praises and sweep the rest under the rug, and bask in the gratitude and adulation that would have resulted.

Instead he has chosen to continuing to push for the message and goals he ran on.

[deathrind]

44. That's funny.

For quite sometime now HRC supporters have bemoaned / criticized BS for still being around, saying that he should concede because of the math, fold up his tent and go away...now he is being criticized for doing exactly that.

[Triana]

48. +1000

No matter what he does, they're not happy about it. He's THERE, alive and breathing and evidently that is a problem?

[uponit7771]

55. He's not going away...he sticks around and takes up space...that's worse

[Triana]

46. He's busting his ass trying to get the Dems to fight rather than support TPP

That's not "blowing it".

His is the only voice of reason out there.

[TheProgressive]

52. The TPP nullifies America's Constitution...

[Triana]

73. Yes it does. That's why Sanders is busting his butt trying to get Dems to oppose it. n/t

[aikoaiko]

49. Bernie could never be a surrogate for HRC. He'll vote for her and endorse her.

I'm glad Bernie is working on the party platform as much as he is.

[Zen Democrat]

50. When will the media understand that Bernie Sanders is not doing this for himself.

Bernie Sanders doesn't have 1/10 of the ego of a normal candidate. He doesn't give a ratzass about a speaking spot at the convention. He's not doing this to be interviewed on TV every day. The media has been immaterial to Bernie's success, and they just don't get it, and they don't get him.

The ego-driven Chris Matthews-style commentators can't fathom the paucity of ego in Sanders. Thousands of people didn't flock to Bernie Sanders rallies because he was a household name. They weren't there because Bernie was being lavished with good press. The media had to start covering him because he was drawing astronomical crowds. Bernie has a permanent following because millions of people agree with him. Bernie got the ball rolling this year, and got further than he imagined he could. He's said so, many times.

He isn't anti-Hillary, or anti-Democratic Party, but he has a slate of suggested improvements that may or may not come to fruition. I hope people don't discount the democratic-socialist viewpoint out of hand. Moving out of the Reagan quagmire has been easier said than done. It's going to require a dramatic move to the left to fully escape the Big Corporate stranglehold.

In the meantime, I will vote, and vote early, for Hillary. She can mitigate concerns I have about her economic policies with a couple of kick-ass Supreme Court nominations. Michelle Obama, perhaps?

[PDittie]

51. Why are we still fighting the last primary with this

vitriolic link? Isn't that a violation of the new TOS?

[DCBob]

53. Seems Bernie is the one who is still "fighting".

Why cant he do what Elizabeth Warren has done??

[obamanut2012]

106. 100% this

[justiceischeap]

62. This post isn't about fighting the last primary

it's about how effective Sanders could have been for the GE--which every one but him seems to now be participating in.

[PDittie]

107. "Bernie Blew It" is an ad hominem

from an out and loud Clinton supporter and Sanders adversary (Jamelle Bouie).

So I believe you're mistaken. But in the interests of harmony around here I won't be doing the alerting. Though to be clear, if I juried it... I'd vote to remove the post. I believe it's in violation of this part of the new TOS:

Don't keep fighting the last Democratic presidential primary
Regardless of whether you supported a winning candidate or a losing candidate, do not prolong the agony of the last Democratic presidential primary by continuing to pick fights, place blame, tear down former primary candidates, bait former supporters, or do anything else to pour salt on old wounds.

Why we have this rule: Most of our members want this to be forward-looking, friendly community that is focused on creating a better future for our country. Continuing to rehash old fights that have already been resolved is divisive and counter-productive.

Yesterday the op-ed in the NYT entitled "Democrats Need to Wake Up" by Bernie Sanders was posted without any additional comment, alerted, removed and the member's posting privileges were revoked. Which is why I'm not linking that article here. I don't really see the difference, with the exception that your comments seem to be baiting people who don't agree with you to respond in such a way that they could be alerted, removed, and banned.

I'm not saying that's what you're doing; it just seems that way to me. I could be mistaken (but I don't think I am).

[Duppers]

94. Exactly!

Why is this OP allowed to stand?

"Vitriolic" is right!

[niyad]

54. WaPo: "Bernie Sanders just gave an amazingly condescending interview about Hillary Clinton"

WaPo: "Bernie Sanders just gave an amazingly condescending interview about Hillary Clinton"


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/28/bernie-sanders-just-gave-an-amazingly-condescending-interview-about-hillary-clinton/

[Gothmog]

96. Sanders interview with Andre Mitchell was very condenscending

[OwlinAZ]

158. I should hope so.

[Doodley]

56. I reserve judgement until the convention. Here's why....

My ideal scenario:

Clinton's lead in the polls continues to rise until the convention - rising to an average of over ten percent.

Trump looks very weak going into the Republican convention.

Republicans are faced with having to nominate a candidate who seems destined to give Democrats a landslide.

Although Trump wins the nomination, the media is dominated by furious Republican in-fighting and criticisms of Trump during the conference.

Trump's conference gets nine out of ten for BAD publicity.

Trump looks weaker than ever. He has been boasting for over a year about his negotiating skills and ability to Make America Great Again, but he has lost any credibility because he can't even unite his own party. The Republican party is at war.

The following week Democrats unite in harmony around Hillary Clinton during the Republican conference.

Sanders announces that Clinton has embraced or is looking seriously at some of the issues that are important to him and he expects more progress to be made and that he is not giving up the fight. He urges all his followers who have not already thrown their support behind Clinton to do so. Sander's endorsement is the icing on the cake after a conference that shows overwhelming Democratic support for their candidate.

Warren is announced as VP pick.

Clinton's conference gets nine out of ten for GOOD publicity.

Clinton's massive post-conference bounce pushes Trump into a death spiral.

[randome]

58. The Republican self-immolation you describe happens without Sanders being involved.

Sorry, but Elizabeth Warren is smarter than Sanders. She knows what's at stake and how to make allies. Does he have anything good to say about anyone these days?

[Doodley]

59. I agree one-hundred percent Randome

But I would prefer Sanders to do the right thing at the conference (he says he will carry on until then) than not do the right thing. We need all the help we can get. If Georgia, Arizona and Utah or others can turn blue, we need Sanders support and those who are still hanging onto him.

[randome]

63. And I agree we don't want to turn ANYONE away.

It just seems like Sanders keeps dragging his feet on this and the time to unite is now, not later. But we'll see. We have two extremely interesting conventions coming our way!

[fun n serious]

69. He's not helping..

He is railing and hurling insults against dems. How does that help?

[BlueCaliDem]

83. Yeah, I don't see that, either. Rant and rave against Dems but that's helping them??

I just don't see it.

[rhett o rick]

75. I thought the rules said we weren't supposed to continue the Primary fight.

Why continue to bash Bernie? It won't help defeat Trump, if that's your goal.

[randome]

97. We can comment on news articles, though.

Sanders did, indeed, blow it, and he's continuing to do his cause no favors. I think Warren is a smarter Sanders and she will take the Sanders revolution further than Sanders himself can.

[rhett o rick]

177. Again why are you still attacking Sanders? If the primary fight is over, why the need to continue

to disparage him?

[Eric J in MN]

86. Bernie Sanders endorsed Zephyr Teachout who

...just won the Democratic primary for US Rep NY-19, so that's someone Sanders has good things to say about.

[lapucelle]

129. Teachout came close to defeating Cuomo two years ago.

Sanders endorsement was nice, but she didn't need it.

[RoccoR5955]

132. Well you might say that the mindset of the folks in the NY19

Were on Bernie's side. He won the district by about 40%.

And Zephyr goes back to the time when she worked for Howard Dean's campaign.

[cloudythescribbler]

57. Issue is NOT Bernie staying in the headlines now to November, but the mobilization ...

... of the relatively progressive wing of the Democratic Party, AFTER November, using all the lists and the networks and organizational links Bernie has built up. I seriously do NOT think Elizabeth Warren (a great senator from the state where I live & vote) is likely to vocally counterpose a president Hillary on a broad range of issues the way Bernie WOULD do. Again, making splash headlines is not the goal, and thinking short term (in terms of the current horse race) is NOT what is key about his run

Bernie has opened up a real opportunity, which I hope he will fully use -- no doubt he will try -- to set the foundations for a longer term permanent organization of the relatively progressive wing of the Democrats (as well as outside the party at the same time). This is what matters, and what interested backers of Bernie, like myself, need to keep our attention on

[Eric J in MN]

90. Yes. Bernie Sanders is trying to build a movement. NT

NT

[MaggieD]

61. Yep

[sheshe2]

64. K and R

[Number23]

66. A horrible campaign, start to finish.

[Eric J in MN]

87. 2016 was the second closest Democratic primary.

2008 was the closest.

(I'm counting since 1972 when our system got Pledged Delegates.)

[Grassy Knoll]

67. K&R

Thanks For Posting.

[Trajan]

68. *

.

[PowerToThePeople]

71. Unrec.

[Herman4747]

101. Yes. Unrec to the max. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

74. Don't Crush That Dwarf,

Hand Me the Pliers.

[Silver_Witch]

76. Just can't let it go can you?

Seriously - Bernie Blew it is not considered flame bait. I feel it is.

Just let it go my friend - your candidate won. You should be rejoicing and not trying to rub all Bernie's supporters face in their loss.

To think Warren helping Clinton was starting to win me over. Guess I was wrong there is no unity with those of us progressive that you so love to bait.

[jillan]

77. Lolz

[JonLeibowitz]

81. I wonder when they'll tire of attacking Bernie. Lol

[CaptainSensible]

78. Going up, up, up..

I guess I'm too cynical to not suspect shenanigans. His absense from the news cycle is concerning. I suppose he's strategizing about strong-arming Clinton's platform issues to basically include his entire agenda, which is borderline insanity.

The problem in my mind, with Bernie's agenda, his grandiose ideas never benefitted from any serious due diligence, resulting in half-baked strength and clarity, the core of all good ideas. Oddly, the leading Republican candidate is rather similar in half-baked ideas but also many other things. A subject for another diatribe, no doubt.

[Silver_Witch]

79. Because of this post I am contributing to Bernie's Campaign

Just one more time to help get his delegates to Pittsburg and I am going to donate enough to drive me to the limit allowed by law...simply because of this post.

Unity is that what you are seeking - unity you shall have.

Unity to help those who are poor and struggling, unity to bring to the convention the ideas that many voted for in the primary.

No more TPP talk, no more hatred for women, no more hatred of the poor and telling us to get over it and work harder or get an education.

“I’ll tell you something which I don’t like in this debate,” he added. “There are a whole lot of people out there who tell me the government is terrible, government is awful, get government off our backs. My Republican friends want to cut Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare — Medicaid, education. But somehow on this issue, they want to tell every woman in America what she should do with her body.”

[RoccoR5955]

130. Me too! n/t

[Eric J in MN]

84. Elizabeth Warren stood on a stage with HRC

Last edited Thu Jun 30, 2016, 07:02 AM - Edit history (1)

...for 15 minutes, praising her during most of that time and never criticizing her.

I don't want Bernie Sanders to do that.

Sanders blew a chance to praise HRC again and again?

I doubt that he wanted to.

[geek tragedy]

146. Exactly. Sanders's agenda has nothing to do with helping Clinton win.

He has 4 weeks to pursue his agenda, and he's using that time. Why are Clinton supporters surprised?

He's pretty much stopped being her foe, it's asking too much to ask him to be her ally in the general election. That's not how he rolls--he doesn't think she should be president so why would he help her win?

[Eric J in MN]

149. I hope Sanders and Clinton make a deal

...in which he plays a role in her campaign.

But if they can't reach a compromise, I won't blame anyone.

[geek tragedy]

150. agreed, if their competing interests don't allow for a deal then

we as citizens have to be adult enough about it to accept it and move on.

[Betty Karlson]

88. Sorry, but this article sounds a bit manufactured.

It vaguely reminds me of all those other articles that proclaimed Sanders to be over, back in February, March, April and so on.

Ignoring Sanders: we do it at our own peril. Millennials and the left are still reluctant to "fall in line" and if Sanders doesn't do so, it's because he doesn't want them to give up on the party as a whole. He doesn't want to lose them. Do we?

This narrative and tone won't do anything to win over the voters we need for elections victories in November. Manufactured news: especially younger voters see right through it.

[nest]

89. Hillary and Elizabeth have more in common

Bernie is just too extreme

[Eric J in MN]

92. I'm to the left of Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders supports the Canadian health care model; I support the UK model.

Sanders wants marijuana possession to be legal; I want possession of heroin and cocaine to also be legal.

Sanders wants Medicare to negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry; I want the pharmaceutical industry to be mostly replaced with a federal agency which researches, manufactures and distributes pharmaceuticals in the public interest.

[randome]

104. Look who Warren endorsed. Doesn't that tell you anything?

And no, Clinton has not been 'paid off' by GS. That's just bullshit.

[akbacchus_BC]

91. I disagree, Mr. Sanders is still a voice in the DNC and make his policies be acceptable in the

general elections. Mrs. Clinton has to stop being a wall street person and root for the working class instead of the middle class. The middle class is important but they cannot survive unless you pull up the working class with a fair minimum wage!

[Cha]

95. "Elizabeth Warren is the surrogate he was supposed to be. His supporters have become Clinton’s.

How Sanders overplayed his hand."

Mahalo, PPP!

[KingCharlemagne]

100. Why the hit pieces on Sanders now? Just reeks of ungracious winners - nt

[LongtimeAZDem]

109. Why the hit pieces on Sanders now? Because he's gone off the rails

This is a presidential election, and he's trying to turn it into a town hall on democracy. It's s noble purpose, but it has nothing to do with what's going on.

His support is flagging except for the die-hards, his most vocal advocates are calling for him to get on board, and the process is moving on without him. However high-minded is goals are, his strategy is one that every day makes him look a little more out of touch.

It's naive to expect those who write commentary on national politics to overlook all of that.

[KingCharlemagne]

115. Hogwash. He has said he will vote for HRC, he has pledged to do eveything in

his power to defeat Trump. What ore would you have him do AT THIS JUNCTURE?

[LongtimeAZDem]

116. What every other person of character does when they lose a political contest,

publicly acknowledge their opponent's win, congratulate them, and pledge your support, just like Clinton did when she lost to Obama.

It's really sad that such a thing even has to be explained.

[KingCharlemagne]

118. IIRC, HRC did not concede to Obama until the eve of the 2008 Convention. (I may be mistaken

about that.) You're holding Senator Sanders to a higher standard than you hold Secretary Clinton. OK, hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue, I suppose.

[LongtimeAZDem]

119. COMPLETELY FALSE! Sorry to shout, but I'm tired of that being repeated.

Once again:

Obama won the delegate majority on Tuesday, June 3

Sanders endorsed him that Thursday, June 5, as "the party had chosen its nominee"

Clinton suspended her campaign on Saturday, June 7, telling her supporters "take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama ... I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me."

Four days, no conditions, and her full support. That's how long it took.

The convention wasn't until August 25, 11 weeks later. You are indeed mistaken.

Edited to add: You want to see a "higher standard"? Read this, and see how a person of character acts:

Clinton Ends Campaign With Clear Call to Elect Obama

[KingCharlemagne]

120. "Sanders endorsed him"??? Freudian slip perhaps??? - nt

[LongtimeAZDem]

121. No, that's what happened; Sanders endorsed Obama right after the primaries, before Clinton conceded

"But Sanders struck a different tone in 2008, when he told his hometown newspaper, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, that he planned to “play a very active role” in supporting Obama.

“I will do everything I can to see that he is elected president,” he said at the time.

That interview was published on June 5, 2008, two days after the last Democratic contests but two days before Clinton suspended her campaign.

The story also noted that “Sanders said he held off supporting either of the Democrats because he has made it a custom not to support any Democrat for the presidential nomination until the party had chosen its nominee.”

At that point, however, Obama had 1,766.5 pledged delegates and Clinton had 1,639.5, according to data from RealClearPolitics. In 2008, 2,118 total delegates were required to secure the nomination. "

Sanders takes different position on superdelegates than he did in 2008

Now that it's his ox being gored, his position is "we don't have a nominee until the convention".

[Adrahil]

111. You don't think he's being an ungracious loser? NT

[KingCharlemagne]

114. No, do you? - nt

[Adrahil]

122. Yup. NT

[OwlinAZ]

155. Still Bernie hatred wastes our time.

Where do these people come from?
Best to ignore them.

[Adrahil]

174. I don't hate him. Not at all.

But I do think he is being ungracious. I can criticize someone without hating them, right?

[LongtimeAZDem]

173. +1 (nt)

[highprincipleswork]

105. He's still got my vote. And I'm appalled at the conservatism of Dems and what they will settle for.

[Surya Gayatri]

113. Big time...

He has lost any leverage he might have had, and will end up as a historical footnote.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

117. Warren is an actual Democrat too

She fully understands the need for party unity in order to be successful in November. Bernie, sadly, doesn't. He basically just ran as a Democrat in order to have a serious shot of becoming the Democratic Party nominee and, while he still votes with us on most things, he is and probably always will be more of an Independent.

[RoccoR5955]

128. Uh hun.

Look it up. You will find that Warren also was a Republican, before she was a Democrat.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

133. Yeah? And?

She isn't now. And she's actually fully endorsing our party's nominee.......unlike Bernie, who apparently is struggling philosophically with the idea of Hillary being the Democratic nominee untl the DNC happens (and maybe he still will afterwards). Do progressives, many of whom urged Warren to run for POTUS, hold her Republican past against her?

[TheKentuckian]

135. Sander was an actual liberal when Warren was voting for St. Ronnie of Rayguns as well.

I guess you have to be a former right winger to be a "real Democrat" now, sort of like the interview for Secretary of Defense seems to go even if it is a Democrat doing the nominating..."Are you now or have you ever been a Republican?".

If the answer is no then your application is forwarded to file 13 but a yes allows you to go on to the next round of consideration.

[NastyRiffraff]

123. Bernie DID blow it

Sorry, but he did. There are several things he could have done, foremost graciously conceding what is very clear and pledging support for the nominee. Instead he chose to withhold support while claiming he'll do "everything" he can to defeat Donald Trump; criticizing the Democratic party ceaselessly, and making demands as if he were the nominee.

Thanks for the post, PPS. It's good to see a thoughtful Sanders supporter.

[anotherproletariat]

124. Exactly what I was thinking when watching this. His ego got in the way of any morality he once had.

[RoccoR5955]

125. What a bunch of sore winners!

Give the guy a break, and let him chill for a while before getting back into the picture.

Oh, and Bernie did NOT blow it. When he first ran, he was an unknown, who managed to garner nearly 1/2 of the delegates, and raise the people's awareness on REAL issues.
His organization is busy working to put REAL LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE Democrats into office.

The first blow to the status quo came last night, when Zephyr Teachout, a Berniecrat, won her primary bid in the NY 19 by FORTY-SIX percentage points, against a challenger who was constantly consulting the DLC. The REAL Democrat won this one, and it is just the start. In the next two to ten years, we shall have a Berniecrat majority, and who knows, someone like Teachout could be our first LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC president!

[reddread]

138. they havent even gotten started

they will bash bernie perpetually, until their ultimate target,
the last left leaning Democrat has gone underground,
one way, or another.
So interesting to watch them morph from attacking Sanders
through his supporters
to attacking his
supporters through him.
maybe that isnt morphing,
just the same trick inverted.
Sanders is of no concern to his detractors.
it is the supporters that worry them.
if they are worried at all, which should seem doubtful?
surely its enough to write the narrative?
the crowds will disperse.

one way, or another.

[RoccoR5955]

159. They cannot stop the revolution

It is under way, and cannot be stopped.
In my district we already primaried a third wayer, who lost. Berniecrat Zephyr Teachout shall be our liberal progressive voice in Congress, and reveal the corruption.
This is only the first trickle in a tidal wave of people who shall dominate the Democratic Party in the future!

[reddread]

178. the numbers are on our side

the real numbers.

[YOHABLO]

131. I thought there were some ''rules'' established not to beat up on Dem Presidential candidates

He's still in and has not totally capitulated to the establishment. He hasn't gone anywhere MSM is too busy Trumping us and covering Hillary. This whole election cycle is nothing but a money making venture for MSM anyway. They all suck. I can't bear to watch any news on television.

[RoccoR5955]

134. Well now, I guess that there is only one candidate

and we shall be spanked if we beat up only on her.
Her opponent, according to some can go to hell. They never did like him, or his ideas any way.

[liberal N proud]

137. His window of opportunity was from week before California to a few days after

And he wasn't even interested at that point.

[RobertEarl]

139. I trust Bernie knows what he is doing n/t

[FourScore]

140. You write in many of your posts, "I am a Bernie supporter, but..." and then proceed to trash Bernie

or his supporters, while you heap praise on Clinton or Boxer or the DNC.

There are a couple of posts from you that are not anti-Bernie, by any means. But you might want to stop claiming to be a Bernie supporter. It's getting kinda silly. (Google works.)

In any case, this OP is rather divisive.

[jack_krass]

141. Funny how anything even slightly resembling criticism

of HRC results in hides and banishment, (new rules say no.criticizing Democrats) yet this incoherent, rambling fecal matter of an OP is allowed to stand?

[LongtimeAZDem]

143. Yeah, none of us have had Sanders-critical posts hidden /s (nt)

[OwlinAZ]

157. What do you of that? The Party has left the traditional Democrats?

Yup

[jack_krass]

142. Het slate, "blow" *THIS*

[akbacchus_BC]

147. In my view, Mr. Sanders did not blew anything. All he wants is for the

Democratic party to veer towards helping poor people, middle class people and students to have a fair share.

Is that too hard to ask for?

[brooklynite]

153. The problem is that he feels his formulation of help is the only valid approach...

[Her Sister]

164. this!

[Logical]

151. Not sure how this help unite bernie supporters, but i guess you know that. Nt

[Her Sister]

163. Big uniter you!

[Her Sister]

152. I think he just doesn't know how to end the show!

It takes know-how to end things!

[Orsino]

161. Jesus, somebody really wants to see Sanders grovel...

...for his crime of challenging the anointed.

Warren's soundbites are great, and great fun, but Sanders' campaign is a bit more substantial than a celebrity roast.

[Her Sister]

162. "Substantial"

Jesus!

[Orsino]

167. Yes. Warren is capable of so much more actual leadership.

Instead, her talents are largely wasted in her current (necessary) role of insult comic.

This is how far Trump's lowered the bar of our discourse.

[Her Sister]

168. Yes Trump has lowered the bar! and made it necessary to squash him like a bug!

With the disease comes the cure!

Just think of the Holidays with Trump gone! Discourse going exponentially up!
Warren going back to being Warren! Media having to focus on other things!
Trump all the way back in the rear view mirror!

[Orsino]

169. I've long predicted that he'll quit...

...and I don't see him hanging around in second place even past his convention. That's sad, IMO, because either way the GOP will be a shambles, and I want better Republicans for our nominee to have to be better than.

[Her Sister]

170. Yes it's frightening for the nation to have someone like a Trump as a GOP nominee,

which gives him more of a chance to be President than otherwise! In the meantime the whole of 2016 feels hijacked by Trump!

I hate that! Someone who I'd prefer not to be in my consciousness! This precious life and I have to waste it in getting to know Trump so we can defeat him. Get to know his oiliness, his creepy-ness all the while his supporters sing his praises and don't see the fugly I see!

Father , daughter precious moment!

?cb=1463865304

Parrots are going at each other in the photo above!

[Maru Kitteh]

176. The difference between playing for glory and playing to win

He passed up his opportunity to move forward with grace, accepting defeat as a candidate but taking the opportunity to play to win; above personal glory. Sadly, the most opportune moments for his agenda are already in the rear-view mirror.

I am saddened and disappointed, as someone who once stood up for him, that this is what it's come to. I believed he would orchestrate his exit in a way that was perhaps a bit less about him, and with a greater sense of responsibility to both the best interests of his coalition and his newfound party.