That 'Sanders for President' Talk is Real Enough, But Bernie's Not Going There

[defendandprotect]

That 'Sanders for President' Talk is Real Enough, But Bernie's Not Going There

John Nicols/The Nation

While Obama agreement to extend tax breaks for billionaires while establishing a massive estate-tax exemption for millionaires steered his presidency further and further from the moorings of the New Deal, Sanders—though he serves as an Independent member of the Senate Democratic Caucus rather than an actual member of the president’s party—maintained a fierce and unyielding commitment to the values outlined by Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and the Democrats who once defined their party as the champion of working Americans.

So stark was the contrast that activists across the country started talking up the notion of a “Sanders for President” run in 2012, either as a dissident Democrat in the primaries or as a left-leaning Independent. Rabbi Michael Lerner put the democratic socialist senator’s name at the top of a list of prospective primary challengers, while a “Draft Bernie Sanders for President” website appeared with a declaration that:

“If you believe America needs a strong independent voice in the presidential race bringing progressive ideas back into the national conversation—ideas that are no longer being discussed because President Barack Obama’s version of “hope and change” has turned out to be mostly politics as usual and capitulation to conservative Republicans—then we encourage you to support the Draft Sanders effort. Senator Sanders is a credible, experienced political leader who has spent his career fighting for progressive values and policies.”

Economist David Korten signed on, with a message to Sanders: “To counter the Republican assault on the middle class, the working poor, and the unemployed, we need a real leader who will back his words with action. We’ve had enough empty rhetoric about hope… We need you.”

http://www.thenation.com/blog/157346/sanders-president-talk-real-enough-bernies-not-going-there



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Let's keep at it --

How about a Bernie Sanders/Amy Goodman ticket?

[DJ13]

1. How about a Bernie Sanders/Amy Goodman ticket?

Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren

[defendandprotect]

3. Okay ... I'll take Warren ...

but I'd prefer Amy Goodman --

[Drale]

2. I don't blame anyone for not running for president

because if Bernie ran and won, he would end up being hated by during his term, but loved in history.

[defendandprotect]

4. Don't think Sanders would have such fears ... was FDR hated?

But I'm sure they'd both share being subjects/targets to right wing

hate campaigns and efforts to assassinate them -- as FDR actually was!!


As Europeans have long noted ....

"In America liberals and progressives have an odd way of being assassinated

or otherwise eliminated"

[Drale]

10. During his presidence yes many people disliked FDR

lincoln as well. Till the day he died my great grandfather really had distain for FDR.

[defendandprotect]

12. The right wing "disliked" him and tried to assassinate him --

same for Lincoln -- a lot of interests involved in keep Africans enslaved

here in America -- many profited from it.

Many also "hated" Truman -- both left and right -- he replaced Henry Wallace

who would have been a fantastic president -- rather we got a man who driopped

atomic weapons on Japan -- gave us the CIA -- and the Cold War!

Many supported him simply because he had a "D" after his name -- many understood

the difference.

[defendandprotect]

5. kick

[Recursion]

6. So Sanders brings VT's 3 electoral votes with him

How does he pick up the other 267?

[kctim]

7. No chance to pick them up in my state

[Tesha]

15. By telling the truth? By speaking FOR THE PEOPLE? (NT)

[Recursion]

16. I said "pick up the remaining 267" not "inspire the 3% of the population that agrees with DU" (nt)

[Tesha]

18. So in your book, no politician should ever speak for the people?

I guess that explains a lot about why our politicians suck
as badly as they do.

Tesha

[Recursion]

19. I'm saying they should, and we are by and large not "the people"

Those of us on this board don't think and believe what most people in the US think and believe.

[struggle4progress]

8. The only thing that can actually help us is long-term issued-oriented grassroots organizing

The Presidency is a structural slot: whoever occupies the office nominally becomes captain of the ship-of-state but then (despite having real power) must operate within substantial constraints, subject to enormous socioeconomic forces over which s/he has no control

Sanders is an admirable man but he wouldn't fare better than Obama as President: even Clinton, perhaps one of the most talented politicians in living memory, was largely at the mercy of forces beyond his control. And, of course, the real probability that Sanders would win is precisely zip: a primary challenge will simply weaken Obama's chance of re-election -- an unhappy prospect, since the next Republican presidency is quite likely to be even more horrifying than the Bush presidency

So I don't see a real upside to a primary challenge. Any energy devoted to a primary challenge could be more profitably invested in long-term issued-oriented grassroots movement building, where it might actually make an eventual difference

[SidDithers]

9. OMG! They got to Bernie...nt

Sid

[jotsy]

11. A ticket that strike me as winning team.

[Cleita]

13. The entrenched Washington insiders would do to him

exactly what they did to Howard Dean and I believe Bernie knows that so he's not going there. Too bad we can't move DC to Vermont.

[BzaDem]

14. Perhaps Sanders knows the best thing for progressives is for Obama to win, and that he needs to save

people who think otherwise from themselves?

[xchrom]

17. nah. bernie know there are too many dumb and ethically challenged moderates

who can't wait to give the republican party a 'helping hand'.