I am so so so sick of hearing the words "Democratic establishment"

[pnwmom]

as if it's a bad thing -- when, really, he means any Democrat who's not on Team Bernie. In other words, Democrats like me.

Well, the Democratic establishment in general, and Nancy Pelosi in particular, is leading the fight against Trump and needs ALL of our support.

The Democratic establishment isn't threatening the end of democracy in America -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't trying to slash food stamps and Medicaid so the wealthiest can pay lower taxes-- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't demonizing minorities -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't trying to sell off our public lands to the highest bidder -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't rolling back almost all environmental regulations and trying to make the planet uninhabitable -- Trump is.

It's time for Bernie and all his followers to realize who the real enemy is right now, at this moment in history.

Do we want a Democracy? Do we want a planet our children and grandchildren can live on in a few decades?

Then focus on getting Trump out of office. Quit blaming the Democratic establishment. We need a stronger Democratic establishment now, not a weaker one.

P.S. All this venting came because a Bernie ad just popped up on my Facebook page, and there he was, spouting off against Trump and the Democratic establishment in the same breath -- and asking for my money to help him do it!

P.P.S. HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO GET DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE IF WE ELECT AS THE LEADER OF OUR PARTY SOMEONE WHO CONSTANTLY ATTACKS THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT?

[First Speaker]

1. This.

...thanks for putting some of my own feelings into eloquent words. The "Establishment" is on our side. Nothing good for the country is ever going to be done without it.

[NurseJackie]

2. How long has Bernie been in DC? Doesn't that make him "establishment" too.

[guillaumeb]

27. Now that you mention it......eom

[musette_sf]

3. Sen Sanders called Planned Parenthood

Last edited Tue Feb 18, 2020, 09:20 PM - Edit history (1)

"the Establishment" in 2016.

On edit: He also called NARAL and the Human Rights Campaign "the Establishment".

[MH1]

14. Yeah, because women's health rights are SO established in this country.

[katmondoo]

17. I support Planned Parenthood

[lunasun]

30. Then you would be happy to know that sanders called for expanding Planned Parenthood in his

speech last night in Tacoma . There is video of his speech online

[robbedvoter]

83. But he told us PP was also establishment!

One more unicorn....

[Cha]

25. smh

[betsuni]

4. Thank you.

So sick of it. I will join you in .

[iluvtennis]

22. And I'll join in as well

[apcalc]

5. I too am the Democratic establishment. And proud of it.

Last edited Tue Feb 18, 2020, 07:11 PM - Edit history (1)

You know, the part that built Social Security and Medicare, and the ACA. And that impeached 44 1/8.

If you don’t like that, I say you are FOOLISH.

Choose your words carefully, and be careful who you follow.

The Dem Establishment gets it done!

Just look at the positive changes in Virginia!! 😀

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Me, too. It's supposed to be an insult to be lobbed at the insufficiently pure,

along with "moderate," "centrist," and "corporate." Those terms are almost the modern equivalent of the old Soviet denunciations, like "traitor to the proletariat" and "bourgeois tool of the oligarchy." Actually I'm kind of waiting for those to come back, too.

All of those words are meaningless and undefinable, except that they mean that you are not as politically enlightened (that is to say, woke) as we are. They are divisive and those who use them had better be able to come up with definitions that mean something or else they're just being insulting and stupid.

[apcalc]

7. Yes,Soviet words. And that is no accident. Used by design imo.

Vlad likes them too. No accident.

[Cha]

26. lol and Yes!

[question everything]

8. I suppose we should be grateful that he does not talk about the swamp

slight differentiation from Whinny Donny.

Otherwise... too many similarities. Also the supporters.

[msongs]

9. if bernie wins the nom he will BE the establishment. nina T will get the vapors lol nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. He's already the establishment.

How can anybody be an elected official for almost their entire adult life and not be part of it?

[pnwmom]

11. And the populist owns three houses.

A townhouse in DC, his original home in VT, and a lake house there.

And that's fine -- lots of professionals his age have managed to accumulate things. But he constantly rails against others who are just like him -- successful Democratic politicians who are trying to do some good.

[Cha]

31. Exactly.

[apcalc]

35. +1

[Kurt V.]

12. its telling you left out climate change, income inequality. the two most important issues of these

times. That's why ppl like me are frustrated and feel the establishment hasn't done enough.

[Bettie]

16. And the same people who get angry about being

called "establishment" or "centrist" or "moderate" are happy as can be to throw out "far left" as a disparaging term for those who would like to see change.

[UniteFightBack]

20. You act like it's so easy and look what we've been dealing with on the other side. It's so easy

to just blame 'the establishment' like dump blames the 'deep state'.

Please advise who exactly is the establishment...name the Democrats that haven't "done enough".

[Kurt V.]

24. i agree that the obvious obstacle has been republicans. However when we have decades of inaction

on issues so important to the future, you would think *the establishment* (long time party leaders and their inner circle of advisers) would make some sort of central decision of how to address these issues. they have not.

[cannabis_flower]

33. Like when 4 Democratic state lawmakers ..

in Virginia voted to table gun law reform along with the Republicans on the committee just like 2018 didn't ever happen!

[apcalc]

37. They have -when they are in control.

The R’s have a death grip on one or two branches for a long time now.

[Kurt V.]

42. yep. this is an issue that also should had some sort of coordination.

[LisaM]

29. Climate change?

Who left out climate change? You mean like the main issue for "establishment" candidate Al Gore?

[Kurt V.]

32. the establishment dems didn't listen to gore and that's a shame.

[LisaM]

39. Are you implying climate change is not part of the Democratic platform

or that candidates don't care? John Kerry was particularly strong on the environment, too, and made it part of his platform (including a speech I saw).

[Kurt V.]

46. yes that's what I'm saying . they care of course. They're democrats. but real solutions

have yet to be introduced. reGreening , keeping petro in the ground etc

[Cha]

36. Oh yeah? What's it telling? Our Democratic Party is ON

the Front Lines Fighting Against the Fascist Treasonous Asshole in the WH.. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

And, have done everything Possible to help our Environmental Crisis and everything else to make Life better for our country and Planet.

We wouldn't even have the House now if it weren't For Nancy Pelosi and her help advising those who ran in the Midterms to run on Healthcare.. We had over 40 MODERATRES Flip red Seats to BLUE.

[Kurt V.]

55. health care has been an issue since i can remember. i find it hard to believe that suddenly we have

this blue wave bc of health care. no worries tho. the blue wave rolls on!

[Cha]

59. "2018 Is The Year Democrats Got Comfortable Talking Health Care Again"

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/25/660281890/2018-is-the-year-democrats-got-comfortable-talking-health-care-again

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=458815

Tom Malinowsky on Nancy/BlueWave & Health Care..

He won in swing District 7 in New Jersey after too many years in the claws of repubs.

Amanpour interviews Congressman-elect Tom Malinowski (D flipped seat that was R since '81)

snip//

I want to play something that maybe speaker, certainly Leader Pelosi said to me in September because a lot of people said well you know what, the Democrats don't really have a message to complete with Make America Great Again.

There's no slogan, there's no clear strategy but this is where she laid out in September.

What we're about in our campaign is that we are for the people, for lower health care costs, lowering prescription drug prices.

We're for raising pay checks, lowering healthcare costs, increasing paychecks by building the infrastructure of America and for cleaning up government to make sure people understand that the people's interest, not the special interests are served here in the United States Capitol.

So there she was laying out a strategy and one that clearly is a winning strategy

I think until the very end, this campaign was mostly run on health care, it was run on protecting kids from gun violence, building infrastructure in my state, in New Jersey.

I think the last couple of weeks I think Trump inserted himself into the campaign in ways that were terrible for the country but also bad for his party.

It was fear, demonization and conspiracy theories and in a district like mine, that did not play well, especially after the shootings in the Pittsburgh synagogue because we could link, very clearly, the president's words to one of the worst acts of violence, religious violence, hateful violence in American history and our positive message on practical issues like healthcare, infrastructure, gun violence, the economy, contrasted with fear, was very advantageous for us.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/congressman-elect-tom-malinowski/
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=423444

[Kurt V.]

62. Thanks for the links 👍. trump is threat to a reasonable health care resolutions

[Cha]

65. "What we're about in our campaign is that we are for the people, for lower

health care costs, lowering prescription drug prices."

Rep Tom Malinowski November 2018

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=423444

[Kurt V.]

67. to lower drug prices its imperative to end patent monopolies. I'm hoping

some candidate brings this up.

[Cha]

69. Yes.. I told you 2018 was about Health Care for our Candidate.

[pnwmom]

75. How do you encourage companies taking on the huge costs of drug development

without giving them some period of patent protection?

I agree that they shouldn't just be able to tweak a preexisting product to start the timeline over again. But I can see the reason for having some period of patent protection.

And I think if manufacturers pull out of the generic market for important drugs, the govt. should step in and produce them.

[Kurt V.]

81. Here's one idea :

https://www.cepr.net/replace-patent-monopolies-with-direct-public-funding-for-drug-research/

[pnwmom]

74. No, I didn't. What did you think I meant about making the planet uninhabitable?

The Democratic establishment isn't threatening the end of democracy in America -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't trying to slash food stamps and Medicaid so the wealthiest can pay lower taxes-- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't demonizing minorities -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't trying to sell off our public lands to the highest bidder -- Trump is. The Democratic establishment isn't rolling back almost all environmental regulations and trying to make the planet uninhabitable -- Trump is.

[Kurt V.]

80. i read that as environmental protection. not addressing climate change. they are connected

but not the same.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

13. "Do we want a Democracy"? Wanna stop "threatening the end of democracy in America"? OK sure, fine...

So, we could start by the DEMOCRATIC National Committee not changing the rules midstream for qualifying for the DEMOCRATIC Party's debates - to the detriment of ALL the other DEMOCRATIC candidates, including BERNIE, the current frontrunner - that allows billionaires, without the requisite number of donors under the original rules, to simply spend enough $$$ to get themselves a slot on the DEMOCRATIC Primary debate stage ... because yes, as you say, "we want a DEMOCRACY"!!

Or, we could start by promoting a new DEMOCRATIC system of electing the DEMOCRATIC Party's Presidential nominee, whereby the candidate with the MOST VOTES - say a candidate like BERNIE - walks away with the MOST DELEGATES, instead of the current system that is closer to mimicking the Electoral College, which the DEMOCRATIC Party consistently, and RIGHTFULLY, criticizes as being NON-DEMOCRATIC... because yes, as you say, "we want a DEMOCRACY"!!

Or, we could start by NOT demanding that the DEMOCRATIC candidate leading in the DEMOCRATIC Primary race - in this case BERNIE, who is the presumptive frontrunner after winning the first two States, Iowa and New Hampshire, and soon to be Nevada, and after outpolling every other DEMOCRATIC candidate - withdraw from the race in the supposed best interest of "OUR DEMOCRACY"... because yes, as you say, "we want a DEMOCRACY"!!

I could go on and on - like doing away with Super Delegates at the DEMOCRATIC National Convention, so as to more DEMOCRATICALLY nominate our DEMOCRATIC nominee for President- but, you get my point. If you want a DEMOCRACY, as surely we ALL do, let's start by having the most DEMOCRATIC Primary elections possible, whereby the DEMOCRATIC Party's candidates are subjected to a DEMOCRATIC system and rules that, by their very nature, are the most DEMOCRATIC they can be... because yes, as you say, "we want a DEMOCRACY"!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. Why is Bernie griping about the DEMOCRATIC National Committee when he's not a DEMOCRAT?

If he doesn't like the way the DEMOCRATIC party manages itself he can join it instead of pretending to be a DEMOCRAT every four years when he wants to run for president. Otherwise he should just STFU and play by the party's rules.

[ace3csusm]

38. Agree - Sen. Sanders(I)

I'll vote for who ever wins Primary but your enough of the crying

[pnwmom]

28. Start "a new Democratic system of electing . . . " That's pretty funny considering

that Bernie last time was fully in favor of the undemocratic system of caucuses, because that's where he got most of his delegates.

In my state, for example, he won the caucuses by 73%, and that's where all the delegates were determined -- even though he lost the primaries, in which 4 times as many voters participated.

If Bernie is so strongly in favor of a fair process, why hasn't he joined the call to end all the caucuses? Why didn't he call for that decades ago? We figure out the first time we attended one what a joke they are.

The answer is obvious.

[tiredtoo]

18. Makes little difference how we feel about our eventual candidate

We must all support him/her. This bickering during the primary does no good for any of the candidates except perhaps trump.

[yaesu]

19. facebook ads more than likely come from russia & are meant to cause party infighting. nt

[pnwmom]

23. Dream on. This is an official Bernie campaign ad, with a link to his donation page.

He's deliberately trying to stoke up hate against the "Democratic establishment" while collecting money from . . . Democrats.

[Zolorp]

21. Nothing makes me oppose non-Democrats running under the Democratic banner more than those words.

Seriously. They need to be resoundingly defeated in the primary over that shit alone.

[Hekate]

34. Kicking

[Skidmore]

40. Me, too.

I have been a voter in the Democratic Party for my entire adult life. Active in my precinct for decades. Don't have millions/billions. Worked hard. I am the "establishment" they mock.

[pnwmom]

44. Yup. All the hard working people all over the country, like you, who will be working their hardest

to put Democrats in the Presidency and in Congress.

[mcar]

41. "Democratic establishment" seems to mean

anyone who doesn't agree with them. Including Planned Parenthood.

[ihaveaquestion]

43. What "The Democratic Establishment"

means to me: The DNC and Clinton administration sided with corporations and their Republican allies to betray unions, the working classes and poor people to win elections, becoming Republican-Lite. IMO, this betrayal has not been sufficiently repudiated by its proponents.

I hope you're not identifying with these folks.

[highplainsdem]

47. That's a complete misrepresentation of the Clinton administration and the DNC.

Sanders supporters -- followers of someone who is NOT a Democrat -- do NOT get to define terms, excerpt perhaps for their minority of the party, which is a hell of a lot smaller minority than it was four years ago.

[ihaveaquestion]

68. I watched in disgust as Bill Clinton et al

sided with a Republican Congress to pass welfare "reform" etc. I was there and saw the passing of NAFTA and the crime bill that Hillary so famously defended. These were cowardly capitulations that have yet to be adequately answered for.

Don't dare to tell me what I get to define because of who I support.

[pnwmom]

73. And I saw Bernie refuse to pass the ban on assault weapons. Nobody has a perfect record. n/t

[pnwmom]

52. I'm identifying with the Democratic establishment. All the Democrats who support the party

year after year after year, both in donations and hard work.

And they are not " sided with corporations and their Republican allies to betray unions, the working classes and poor people to win elections, becoming Republican-Lite."

All you have to do is look at Progressive Punch to see the chasm between the Democrats and the Rethugs.

http://www.progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

[highplainsdem]

45. That wording reinforces the idea that Sanders is trying for a "hostile takeover" of the Democratic

Party, too.

I've seen the "hostile takeover" wording used on Twitter about what Sanders is doing by both Sanders supporters and by more moderate Democrats (far and away the majority of Dems) who have no intention of permitting a hostile takeover of the party they love.

[murielm99]

48. When he says "establishment,"

I hear base. We are the base. We do the hard work, locally, state-wide and nation-wide. We do it year after year, even in the face of frustration.

We do not become instant Democrats every four years. We are the base, always.

[liberalmediaaddict]

49. Agree 110%

Everytime I hear Bernie bring up the "Democratic establishment" I want to scream. I'm a proud lifelong Democrat and don't hate my party or it's leadership. Nancy Pelosi is the one person holding Trump accountable right now.

[world wide wally]

50. I have nothing against Bernie other than he won't win a general election.

Face it, folks

[LiberalFighter]

51. The resources available for Democratic candidates are paid for by Democratic Establishment types.

Not just use of voter databases but also access to party organizations from county to state that outsiders don't get. It also includes op research, financial supporters, and the like.

[brutus smith]

53. Another bash Bernie thread.

Are you guys that disappointed in your candidate that you have to bash Bernie?

[pnwmom]

56. Tell him to stop putting ads on Facebook decrying the Democratic Establishment.

That's going to infuriate a lot of other Democratic voters, not just me.

With Trump trying to tear the country to pieces, it's time for Bernie to get over that stupid meme. How are we going to get more D's elected to the House and Senate with someone like Bernie trying to hurt the party from the inside?

[brutus smith]

82. People bashing Bernie all the time infuriates a lot of Democrats.

[revmclaren]

54. Kicking...

ONLY!!! 2020 and beyond.

[Evolve Dammit]

57. You all are ensuring 45 is re-elected.

[pnwmom]

66. Bernie's attacks on the Democratic establishment threaten our majority in the House

and could stop us from winning more seats in the Senate.

He should stop complaining about Democrats and start focusing on Trump and the R's in Congress.

[pecosbob]

58. To me the 'establishment' are those in government who help perpetuate the military complex

and vote to protect the firarms industry from liability, among other things. Bernie is progressive when it suits him and isn't when it doesn't. If you want change, vote for Warren. If you want things to stay more or less the same, then by all means vote for Amy or Joe or Pete, but don't vote for someone that claims to be something they are not.

[pnwmom]

61. Warren doesn't go around decrying the Democratic establishment. She was able to get

the Consumer Protection Bureau passed because she knows how to work with other Democrats -- and she was willing to not fight for heading the agency, when she saw that could be a deal breaker.

[pecosbob]

63. Agreed...there are ways to affect change and there are ways to make noise and accomplish nothing

[trof]

60. Establishment? I belong to the Will Rogers wing.

"I don't belong to any organized political party.
I'm a Democrat."

[ecdab]

64. Equivocating Trump and the "Democratic Establishment", however somebody may want to define the term

Last edited Tue Feb 18, 2020, 10:35 PM - Edit history (1)

is most unhelpful, and downright silly. I can certainly respect folks that admire Bernie's ideas, but some of the rhetoric is over the top and foundationally unsound. I wish Bernie would contest ideas and not try and demonize the other folks that are also trying to salvage the country from Trump's desolation in a slightly different manner.

[we can do it]

70. Along with the wagging finger.🤮

[pnwmom]

71. And the waving arm and the scowl. n/t

[BobTheSubgenius]

72. Amen.

So much this.

[Tweedy]

76. "Establishment" that's so heavy, man

& so very 1960's

Would just like Bernie to acknowledge we are in a new century. 😆

Otherwise, agree with you.

Knocking the Speaker of the House is self defeating.

We need the democrats to win in every berg everywhere across this beautiful land. We need to definitely establish we, the people, will neither abide a kleptocracy, nor a party which enables it.

[DanieRains]

77. Our Kids Know Who The Establishment Is

And how bleak their futures truly are.

"The Establishment" covers a lot of ground.

Trillions in debt and a collapsing planet with 500 extinctions a day. Bees? Meh. Who needs 'em. Good luck kiddies. Greta understands. So does her friends.

They will get to see it all collapse so the 1% of today can keep their yachts and private jets. Untaxed corporations actually writing legislation voted for BY BOTH PARTIES. Their major stockholders just want returns. The future of the planet means NOTHING to our untaxed owners.

Millions of kids and Bernie understand.

Sad.

How few understand what's coming.

It's not just deplorables denying reality.

California and Australia's fires are not even getting fun yet. It's not even warm yet. The world's coral reef are not all dead yet. Yet.

1% has half the world's wealth and 95% of the power.

Their money is what fuels "The Establishment" here.

Who is brave enough to take them on?

We all know the answer.

Stay away from places like Paradise CA, or Pateros WA my friends in the meantime. Fire season is almost here.

Have you ever watched your town burn to the ground? I have. My rage comes from a special place. Reality in Eastern Washington. Fire zone. Trump is only a symptom of the disease.

"The Establishment" is anyone helping the 1% maintain control.

Sorry. Someone had to explain it.

EOM

[pnwmom]

78. The Democratic establishment and all Democrats and people of good heart must unite

to take down Trump. It's our only chance.

And that's not enough by itself. To pass climate change legislation, to pass ANY legislation, to put any Justices on the Supreme Court, we need to control the House AND the Senate. But what is Bernie doing? While our time is running out, while every single day we're losing is critical, HE'S complaining about the Democrats and the Establishment -- instead of putting the focus on the evil that's trying to take over the world.

He's like a broken record that got stuck in a groove forty years ago and can't get out of that groove even though we're in the middle of a national emergency. He's acting like we have all the time in the world. We don't. It's an all hands on deck emergency and he should be HELPING, not hurting party unity.

[DanieRains]

79. Trump Was Created By Us Ignoring The Nation's / World's Real Problems

Taking out Trump is of utmost priority, yes.

How do we do it?

We need to make everyone understand who the REAL enemy is.

It is not coastal elites.

It is the billionaires robbing their families blind, and destroying their children's futures.

None of our candidates can say it, not even Bernie or Elizabeth.

Jay Inslee got no traction running on climate change.

It is almost hopeless.

Bludgeoning Trump is all we have it seems.

Our party could with one unified voice pound this message home. You are being robbed. All the statistics show it. Yes, you got a dollar raise, but the 1% just got 10 trillion.

We won't say it, and I fear we will lose again, and again, and again until our kids WHO CAN SEE WHAT THEY ARE FACING can take over. If there is a planet or non fascist state still alive.

[Pacifist Patriot]

84. I'm trying to figure out how a political party can be viable without an "establishment."

The word connotes responsible management and efficacy of programs, processes, and procedures to me. But what do I know. I'm not even sure these days if I'm an "ordinary" Democrat or not.

[pnwmom]

85. Exactly. And how would we fight Trump without people like Nancy Pelosi

and the rest of the establishment, down to the volunteers in every precinct?

[dlk]

86. Nancy Pelosi is an "establishment Democrat"

I dare Bernie to take her on.