One Thing as we arrive at Presidential Candidate Picking Time:

[rgbecker]

Bernie Sanders has laid down the gauntlet. Every Democratic candidate will embrace his platform or spin their wheels.
$15 Minimum Wage, Free College education, Healthcare as a right and paid for by Government, and protection and enhancement of Social Security.

You won't hear one Democratic Candidate speaking against any of these. The choice will revolve around personality, age, sex, experience and the ability to bring it on

There will be nervousness about "Socialism" but those declaring themselves moderate will get no traction. There is no room for timidness in today's Democratic Party: We are on a roll.

If you disagree, name the viable candidate not embracing Bernie's base goals.

[mr_lebowski]

1. I hate to see the word 'free' in any platform ... nothing is 'free', and everybody knows that ...

There needs to be a MUCH better euphemism for the general concept of Affordable Higher Education for our Nation's Young People , subsidized by Our Society as a Whole ...

You know, what we actually had until ... the late Clinton/Early Bush years.

But yeah ... I do love how Bernie has pushed Democrats towards things that really matter to me, if nothing else.

[DonViejo]

2. "Free tuition" doesn't mean free college. My sons receive free tuition which amounts to $300 to $600

per year, depending on which State-operated school they go to. The costs for credits still winds up costing $5,000. to $7,500 per semester, depending on which State college/university they attend.

[mr_lebowski]

4. I'm just saying that Democrats publicly advocating for 'free shit', wherein we explicitly say 'free'

I believe it's never a good idea to use that particular nomenclature.

'Publicly-Supported' is MUCH better, just off the top of my head.

Just MHO.

I'm sick of losing the 'messaging war', esp. when the error on our side is obvious even to a random schmuck like me.

[DonViejo]

5. My comment wasn't meant as a response to you directly. I hit the wrong "response" button...

It was intended as a general response to the OP. Sorry for the confusion.

[mr_lebowski]

6. All good DV

[Gothmog]

3. Joe Biden

I would strongly support Joe Biden if he runs

[Caliman73]

7. I hope he or others define the terms better.

As other posters pointed out. "Free" is just false. Perhaps "Tuition free" public college education, and Publicly funded healthcare, but not "free" because WE all pay for that.

Plus. Those ideas are not Bernie's. They were FDR's and Teddy Roosevelt's before him. They have been around in Progressive circles before Bernie began to champion them. Before MLK Jr. was assassinated he had begun to focus on poverty and labor issues, and speak out against the violence that the US was involved in around the world to protect profits. Those have been Progressive and mainly Democratic policy planks for a long time.

Bernie has definitely been a loud and consistent proponent of those ideals which I applaud and admire. One glaring issue that Bernie had in 2016, that he continues to have, that can be fully articulated by someone like Kamala Harris or Corey Booker, or Julian Castro, or even Elizabeth Warren, is the idea of gender and racial equality. Bernie tends to see everything as "class" without the very necessary discussion of gender and racial oppression that go along with it.

Our candidate in 2020 is going to have to be able to address ALL of that articulately, especially in the face of a mobilized White Nationalist candidate like Trump.

[rgbecker]

8. In the past a "Free" public education from Kindergarten through high school

Has been supported by the country easily. It is time now to include 4 year college in that "Free" catagory for those willing to spend the time as every part of today's economy requires higher levels of education, commitment and good inter personal skills...all enhanced by a college education.

I don't have any trouble calling it "Free" but if others have a better term that will sell the majority of Americans, I'm open to it. I'm glad there are others on DU thinking ahead so the Democrats aren't yet again behind the rhetorical 8 ball.

[crazycatlady]

9. many Republicans don't support this anymore

I've knocked on doors in conservative, 55+ McMansion communities. I've been told "my kids are grown and gone, why should I pay for education?" more times than I'd like to think.

Also GOP politicians don't exactly have a record of supporting public education at the K-12 level.

[Peace06]

10. Presidential pick

We need to be very careful as this is likely the most important election we will ever have. Our candidate must be multi talented, as moral and unifying and judicious as Obama, able to one up drumpf, etc, etc. We cannot take any chances! Seems like Beto has much charisma, which will also be needed. Just sayin'!

[rgbecker]

11. I like Beto a lot.

Would like to see and hear more of him. And of Course...is he interested enough to go through the wringer that we call a "Presidential election'.

You have got to really want it.