General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Criticizing the DLC, the Third Way and the Blue Dogs is not "bashing Democrats". [View all]Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)He was known as "the amendment king". Getting amendments attached to stuff was the only way for anyone on the progressive side to achieve anything when there was a right wing majority in Congress.
Teddy Kennedy never got any bills he sponsored passed when Republicans controlled the Senate(all he was able to do was get some Republican stuff modified-and no Republican majority in the Senate will ever accept Democratic amendments to any of its bills again). Neither did HRC(all she did was get some tiny things through, plus a couple of resolutions-and we all know what resolutions are really worth). It wasn't an era when Democratic-sponsored bills were getting passed. Period.
You can't name any Democrat in Congress in most of Bernie's era(1993-95 and 2008-2010 being the sole exception who got anything worth passing through.
And Bernie is blameless for the Electoral College loss.
And it couldn't have led to anything progressive for there to be no contest in the primaries. We still wouldn't have beaten Trump.
It never strengthens our chances in the fall to have someone nominated by acclimation. That's why I referenced 2000 and 2004.