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Everyone loves Bernie Sanders. Except, it seems, the Democratic party

60 points| doener | 9 years ago |theguardian.com | reply

97 comments

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[+] maxxxxx|9 years ago|reply
I am telling my Democratic friends that instead of whining about the popular vote or talking about resisting Trump in general the Democrats should develop a spine and actually stand for something. If they had had a compelling message for the working class they could easily have won this election.
[+] technofiend|9 years ago|reply
Dems need to eject their tammany-hall-esque party leadership. It was blatantly obvious the dem on the street wanted Bernie but Wasserman-Schultz ignored her constituents.
[+] faet|9 years ago|reply
> If they had had a compelling message for the working class they could easily have won this election.

So increasing minimum wage, make it easier to unionize, universal health care, protecting/expanding social security, and a bunch of other policies that would help the working class don't count?

The thing is policy doesn't matter. People want 140 characters that make them feel good even if it's bad policy.

[+] cnnsucks|9 years ago|reply
"compelling message for the working class"

They have a compelling message for the working class. It's a message of contempt and hate. The long marriage of the working class and Democrats has ended and it wasn't the working class that walked out the door. The Democrats are down to the comfortable professional class preening its "values" and a coalition of grievance groups. Everyone else is on the other side pulling back on the stick to stop the dive before we run out of altitude.

[+] douche|9 years ago|reply
They'd have to stop pandering to minorities and the lefty elite and get back to their roots. At least their post 70s roots... At one point, Dems owned the house and Senate
[+] dopamean|9 years ago|reply
This is a real problem for Democratic Party leadership. Tthe people wanted a populist. So the people got a populist and he just happened to not be a Democrat.
[+] moomin|9 years ago|reply
Coming from a country where Sanders' policies are frankly uncontroversial, I wonder if pundits are discounting the effect that Sanders vastly prolonging his campaign after he'd clearly lost has had on whether the DNC wants to give him the time of day. Truth is, guy doesn't seem like much of a team player. This he has in common with Trump, but Trump won. If Trump had lost in the primaries and then the RNC had lost the election, I seriously doubt the RNC would be turning to him right now.
[+] angryasian|9 years ago|reply
i disagree. Sanders ran a great grassroots campaign and his message resonated with many. Lets remember Bernie had major success in the rustbelt which was key to the presidential election. I believe he really wanted to push his message and what his supporters wanted to the future of the dem party. Had the dem party actually listened to him and aligned with his message, things may have been different.

Someone that is representing a large majority of voters in this country, and not going along with the democratic line.. I call a true patriot. I hope he never becomes a team player.

[+] rjeli|9 years ago|reply
Although I strongly disagree with a lot of his platform, I still love the guy. You can tell he really cares about the people, and that authenticity gives you the same "oh my god, he might actually get something done" feeling as Trump (where the meaning of "oh my god" varies depending on demographic). Clinton/Kaine are at the other end of the scale, and I think the RNC being more democratic than the DNC is what allowed Trump to eke out a win.
[+] nodesocket|9 years ago|reply
I respect Bernie, and really admire his class and honestly. However I don't agreee with his economic and political ideology. A "hand-out" government would be near disasterious for America. It goes against one of the core principles of being American, the ability and optimism to work your way up without limits. To start a company that can be successful at home and abroad without excess regulation, red-tape, and buracracy.
[+] jressey|9 years ago|reply
I don't think you have a full understanding of Bernie's positions.

"It goes against one of the core principles of being American, the ability to work your way up, without limits." is horseshit. Tell that to a child born in the inner-city with a single parent working 2 jobs and a garbage primary education.

[+] maxander|9 years ago|reply
"the ability and optimism to work your way up without limits" is absolutely the classic American ideal, but it requires that everyone is given half a chance. If you're too poor to go to college, or can't access treatment for a debilitating illness, or subjected to racist/homophobic/whatever discrimination, you've already lost out on the American dream. Compare the "basic resources required to start working your way up" to Sanders' planned "handouts" and you'll quickly realize they match up very well.
[+] HoppedUpMenace|9 years ago|reply
I definitely agree with this. I like the guy, seriously genuine and far from corrupt. However, offering "free" anything doesn't solve anything and I don't believe neither he or his supporters can see, nor do they want to see, the bigger picture of such policies.
[+] bluehazed|9 years ago|reply
But "ability and optimism" doesn't make it any easier to work your way up in America.
[+] metaphorm|9 years ago|reply
The Clintonite faction seems truly devoted to the prospect of continuing to lose elections forever. They are nowhere near where the majority of the country is and they have no good ideas.
[+] xatan_dank|9 years ago|reply
The people wanted a change in leadership style and the Democratic party simply wasn't responsive to it. And here we are.
[+] randyrand|9 years ago|reply
And not most voters that voted in the democratic primaries, obviously.
[+] nolepointer|9 years ago|reply
The headline is untrue: I do not like Bernie Sanders.
[+] 58028641|9 years ago|reply
What do you not like about him?
[+] it_learnses|9 years ago|reply
Is there a list of Democratic officials that oppose him and have big donations from lobbyists?