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In reply to the discussion: Supporting the values of the Sanders movement is not "refighting the primaries". [View all]CitizenZero
(505 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 20, 2017, 11:47 PM - Edit history (1)
Please substitute "anyone reasonable" for the term "anyone" in my original argument. Thanks for enabling me to strengthen my initial statement. The rest of my argument still stands if you want to continue nit-picking semantics rather than addressing the underlying arguments. Maybe you could propose that realistic scenario again where Steve Bannon infiltrates the Democratic Primary System.
Sanders is/was a reasonable candidate. He is a long standing Independent U.S. Senator who caucuses with the Democrats. He got on the ballot in all 50 states and drew over 13 million votes from Democrats in the Primary. This is compared to Hillary's roughly 16 million Primary votes. Comparing Sanders to Bannon in this context remains as ridiculous an argument as ever. Sanders was a viable Democratic candidate.
If you don't want people like Sanders and his supporters in the Party, fine. Change Party rules and keep people out of Primaries. Maybe the Party could just appoint a candidate and not have to bother with pesky things like voting and participant democracy. Just get used to losing when many Progressives leave the Party that you do not want them in. It is politically foolish to not want to bring as many of these Sanders supporters into the party. That is the kind of thinking that caused the loss in this past election.
Part of my original argument: the more democratic the Party is, the stronger it will be. By your logic, why have Primaries anyway? Why not just have the Democrats in the Congress select a Candidate, and cut out the riff-raff. Oh, that's right; I forgot, we live in a Democracy.
Anyone who is afraid to have their candidate challenged in a Primary must have a weak team or a weak candidate or both. Hillary did not lose because she had a Primary opponent. Having Sanders as a Primary Opponent strengthened Hillary's campaign. A more open and democratic system is better for everyone.