Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are both expected to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. Sanders entered the race last month, and O’Malley is expected to make a formal announcement Saturday in Baltimore.
But, perhaps counterintuitively, it’s Sanders — six years older than Clinton, a self-defined socialist with no big money apparatus and positions that appeal to the far left of the party — that Democratic strategists and Clinton insiders expect to pose a bigger threat to the former secretary of state than the mainstream O’Malley, who has been trying to build a national constituency by positioning himself slightly to her left.
“Sanders could be 2016’s Eugene McCarthy,” said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, who in the past has advised Bill Clinton. “He is the populist symbol well-known to his supporters. Clinton is the establishment candidate. Sanders is the insurgent. And O’Malley needs money and has to run a traditional campaign and create a constituency. Sanders’ constituency is just waiting to be told the game is on.”
I really like the idea that Sanders has a campaign that almost transcends the need for money, which completely flies in the face of conventional political wisdom.
Anybody else really hope that Bernie Sanders makes Hillary sweat a little, and possibly move much further to the left in response?
Well I sure as hell do.
Much as I like my seat to the far left, I recognize that too far into the wings on either side makes a person unelectable. I suspect Hilary knows this. What is nice is to hear Bernie's ideas put out into the open arena for consideration.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if all those Right-wing gayboys at hillbuzz will vote for her again. They sure turned nasty after the election, they were so nasty that c4poo just loved them.
DeleteSend money -- as little or much as you can-- to Bernie
Deletes campaign. Give him an early boost.
@6:23 - That's the beauty of it. I have to assume Hillary LOVES that Bernie is running, because he can bring forward all the ideas and topics that would be too risky for her, but once they're out there, she can see which ones resonate and safely adopt them. She can let him run through the minefield ahead of her...
Delete"I recognize that too far into the wings on either side makes a person unelectable."
DeleteFirst comment nails it.
I'm not ready for Hilary...and haven't been. I love Bernie and will support him all the way.
ReplyDeleteAnybody else really hope that Bernie Sanders makes Hillary sweat a little, and possibly move much further to the left in response?
ReplyDelete--------------------
As long as we're hoping, (no limits on that right?) I'm hoping he wins. I think Bernie is much more valuable and capable a candidate than just being an influence on the perceived winner. Maybe there are just too many games played in American politics, and that there is our problem.
Mildred
I think Hillary has the momentum and can get votes from more right-leaning voters to put her way over the top. I personally hope she taps Bernie for VP. He would be the perfect foil for her and keep her honest.
DeleteJesus you have no idea how Clinton, politics, or Washington works Boscoe.
Delete'keep her honest' Hahahahahahaha.
Why would she ever tap anyone that would cause her problems and 'keep her honest''? Lol.
While I love Bernie Sanders and will vote for him if he name appears on my ticket, I do not hope he wins. Because we need someone that will easily and thoroughly win no matter who the Republicans put up. And that is not Bernie. I do not want to take a chance that the Republicans will regain the White House. We are doomed if we get another President Bush, or President Santorum, Cruz, Rubio, Walker, etc. We need to make sure the entire clown car has no chance of winning. Bernie isn't a sure thing. I think Hillary is. But I do want him serving in some capacity. Not sure what. Would love him as a V.P. but Hillary will probably choose a safe running mate.
DeletePolitico used to fawn over Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteWhy should Hillary be scared of Bernie? I'm sure she loves him like we all do.
And if he stirs up enough support for more "left-leaning" (i.e. rational and anti-money/corruption) views that Hillary is forced to reposition herself, so much the better. -And if she then taps him for VP, we all get what we want. :)
DeleteWhat kind of naive dream world are you living in Boscoe?
DeleteAgree with you Boscoe...it could be a win-win for Democrats!
DeleteLook back at what Lyndon Johnson campaigned on for his first full term: the Great Society! You can be socially left and more right fiscally. (I'll leave war out of it for now as that is "tricky" but I personally believe the majority of US voters have had it with endless and pointless wars, while still recognizing the need to have a strong defense and protect our interests, diplomatically and otherwise.)
ReplyDeleteOr look at JFK's "Why I Am a Liberal" speech:
What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.")
There are more Democrats than Republicans. Any Democrat is electable if Democrats vote. AND if Democrats vote in such numbers as to balance out the Republican attempts to repress the vote.
But hey, I'm a dreamer. :-)
Progressive is better than liberal.
DeleteYesterday I got a call from a Hillary volunteer 'just checking in' with supporters. When I interrupted her script to say that I was supporting Bernie Sanders, I could just sense the "not another one!" in her voice as she quickly moved to the "isn't it exciting that Bernie Sanders has entered the race to push Hillary to the left" part of her script. I told her Bernie doesn't need a push, he's already there, and that's where my support will go until after the primary. Surprisingly, she accepted that and signed off.
ReplyDeleteI like Bernie Sanders' unapologetic, unabashed stand on issues. On MSNBC, it was pointed out that Hillary doesn't even have an issues page on her website and keeps dodging the trade deal issue, while Bernie Sanders has had an issues page from day one.
I'm going with Bernie until it's necessary to switch to Hillary.
I agree with you completely. Bernie doesn't have to see how the winds of popular opinion are blowing to take a stand. That kind of sickens me with Hillary. AND her choice in advisors. Monsanto guy advising her in Iowa, and now a junk food lobbyist.
DeleteI just finished reading a novel called "Off the Reservation"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Off-Reservation-Novel-Glen-Merzer/dp/0692315160
which is about a U.S. Congressman who abruptly resigned his seat in Congress when he had an episode of dehydration/vertigo/passing-out -- but once resigned, became dismayed at the corporate pandering public statements of the Dem party's presidential hopefuls, and he was convinced to run for President.
His policies and platform were as "out there" as Bernie Sanders', and his speeches and town hall meetings are classics for off-the-wall honesty -- like Bernie Sanders.
The book is VERY topical. One only wishes Life would imitate Art.
I wish we had President Bartlet for two terms.
DeleteAmerica’s Liberal Surge Continues As Pro-Choice Americans Now Outnumber Pro-Lifers
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/29/americas-liberal-surge-continues-pro-choice-americans-outnumber-pro-lifers.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/gallup-poll-pro-choice-pro-life-118406.html
The Fake Clinton Scandals Are Back
ReplyDeleteThe right’s newest crusade has an old fake villain.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/05/sidney-blumenthal-fake-clinton-scandals-118389.html
Hell with realism. I am with Bernie all the way.
ReplyDelete("Until the courts tell me I can't!")
Tired of hearing this fallacy that Bernie can move or push Hillary in one direction or another. It is such a feel good thing to say but has no basis in reality. Hillary will say and do whatever she needs to do during a campaign to win, whatever way the winds are blowing. She has done it her whole life, it would mean nothing to her. She is a professional bullshitter. Her agenda, alliances, those she owes... will not be affected by campaign trail trivialities.
ReplyDeleteWell, I certainly agree more with Sanders than with Clinton and would love to see a true progressive in the White House.
ReplyDeleteHowever, speaking as a Coloradoan, I've seen what happens when democrats choose to sit out rather than hold their nose and vote for someone they're not totally happy with. Now we and the rest of the country have Senator Corey Gardner, a man who goes, and votes, against every single thing Democrats care about. He's already had a negative impact on our state.
In an ideal world, we would have President Bernie Sanders. But this isn't an ideal world. Our country is becoming more progressive, but we can't force it all at once. Baby steps that get a little bigger every day are all we can hope for and meanwhile, let's keep the Republicans out of the Oval Office and re/claim the senate and house.
Speaking as a former Minnesotan, I saw what happened when party regulars picked the "conservative" candidate. That election took six months to count because despite Norm Coleman being wildly unpopular, Al Franken wasn't a good choice to oppose him. Al was the most conservative Dem to run, and the money poured into his campaign despite his having ZERO track record of electability.
DeleteOutside heavy hitters salvaged Franken's campaign and he's been an OK senator, but voters want change, not safe candidates.
Republicans are easy to beat when you don't run Republican-friendly Democrats against them.
Exactly.
DeleteDo we really want to risk putting President Santorum or President Walker in the White House?
9:01 - I consider defeatists like yourself and others here resigned to corporate Clinton to be - THE BIGGEST - problem in voting and politics!
DeleteYou want change, then nobody vote for a Clinton or a Bush!
So, you have Al Franken and we have Corey Gardner. I'd much, MUCH rather have another Al Franken.
DeleteThe bottom line is that a progressive can't win a national election right now. A progressive can't win a national primary either because most people in this country trend toward the middle-of-the road.
I would rather elect someone who won't stand in the way of progress (and who even supports many progressive causes) than someone who actively and viciously impedes it.
I'm not a defeatist, I'm a realist. I have a daughter and a spouse who works in renewable energy. I'd like myself and my daughter to keep our reproductive rights and my spouse to keep his job. I'd also like to have liberals in the Supreme Court. There's room for idealism, but it has to be couched in some kind of realistic view of the way the world works.
DeleteFucking defeatists. Clinton=Bush morons.
DeleteShe should not be scared. She should just respect the fact that this isn't going to be a walk on.
ReplyDeleteI like Bernie Sanders a lot, and agree with most of his positions. I also appreciate his unapologetic straightforwardness.
ReplyDeleteBut let's face reality. He flat-out, absolutely, CANNOT win in the general.
Last election, the Democrats did not get out and vote. This election, I'd hate--hate, hate--to see them shoot themselves in the foot by insisting on admirable ideological purity over however-distasteful political fact.
Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face? How many more ways can we Dems find to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
I will hold my nose and vote for Hillary -- after the primary.
DeleteIf only Bernie could put forth his positions with the grace and style of Obama.
ReplyDeleteInstead, he comes off like someone so angry and out of control, that I fear he'll have a coronary, every time I see him on TV.
Sanders is getting a lot of positive press. I don't think he thinks he can beat Hillary, nor do I think it was his intention. I thing he is doing exactly what he set out to do and succeeding. He is getting press, talking about his issues and how important they are and forcing Hillary and whoever jumps in the race (including Republicans) to address the issues he is bringing up. He is forcing debate on his agenda. That is ultimately what he wants. And the better he polls and the more votes he gets, the more he will force the opposition to address what he is campaigning about. He'll prove that people do care about his issues and agree with him and whoever is running better pay attention too.
ReplyDeleteHow do you pretend to know what the fuck he wants? He is running to win the presidency, not kow tow to dumbass change with the wind politico Hillary. Where is she anyways, hanging with Waldo? He is talking, she is hiding.
DeleteGee, maybe because he said it himself.
DeleteHere you go dumbass:
Delete"On April 28, 2015 Vermont Public Radio reported that Sanders would announce his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 30. In an interview with USA Today on April 29, Sanders stated that he was "running in this election to win"
Your level of stupid never ceases to amaze.
I could see a Clinton/Sanders or Clinton/Warren ticket as a good fit. I was shocked when President Obama asked Hillary to join his team, especially after how heated things became when they were campaigning. Of course, the rwnj Benghazi beat will keep going on and on.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna laugh so hard when Hillary miserably fails her adoring fan base of menopausal and post menopausal women. She is going to have to come out from under that rock her handlers have been hiding her under sooner or later... then slip slip slip in the polls.
DeleteI am a post-menopausal woman, but I'm definitely not a Hillary fan. I love Bernie and plan to work for him. I campaigned for Gene McCarthy at 17 and was devastated when he didn't win the nomination. I'm going to work hard for Bernie. If he doesn't win, I'll hold my nose and vote for Hillary. My best friend is a big Hillary supporter and she told me she "held her nose" and voted for Obama in 2008. She hasn't been happy with Obama's record so far, but he is infinitely better than the alternative and that's the battle we HAVE to win.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to vote for Howard Dean but by the time my state's primary's came around he wasn't on the ticket any more.
DeleteSad but true:
ReplyDeleteThe choice is between a true progressive who has no chance of winning, a right winger wearing a progressive mantle and someone from the loony right clown car.
Sure, Sanders might force Hillary to move a little to the left, but it'll be a tentative, fudgey, weasely move with lots of out clauses. The U.S. is stuck between right of centre and right out there.
Also lets make this clear: Sanders isn't actually running for president. He's running to be nominated to run for president. The power brokers will never nominate him because his platform, if implemented, would transfer power from those who have it to those who don't. The power brokers don't actually want to risk giving us plebs the chance to put someone like Sanders into the Whitehouse.
ReplyDeleteBernie might make Hillary SOUND more progressive, but she will NEVER go against Wall St. She's just afraid he will make her look like the lying phoney she is.
ReplyDelete