This is the value of a Sanders candidacy

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Hillary had a chance to oppose the TPP without qualification or hedging. Martin O'Malley had already staked out a solid position of opposition to the trade pact. Now, with the emergence of a Bernie Sanders candidacy, there will be a unified break from politics as usual from the Democratic field with Hillary caught on the sidelines.

Bernie's straightforward advocacy for progressive issues, coupled with O'Malley's own brand of populism in this campaign, will solidify the left in this election and characterize the Democratic quest for the presidency as vote for actual change; not just a 'feint' echo of the status quo. Now, the Clinton campaign will be challenged to either compete against republicans with the progressive tide, or tack against it. Kudos to Bernie Sanders for joining the fight for progressive values and interests in this election!


AP: Sanders Running for Prez

[FBaggins]

1. Depending on how long he stays in... certainly. n/t

[LWolf]

12. The last time

I got to vote in a presidential primary there was no one worth my time or vote left on the ballot by the time my primary rolled around in late May.

If Bernie isn't on my ballot when I get it, I'll write him in.

[Koinos]

2. Two Progressives

I hope both Bernie and Martin can hang in there. Two progressives will be very hard for the media to shut their eyes to, and the public may get a real education about what is really going on.

[PatrickforO]

7. I sure hope you're right, but the media IS corporate owned, and their

particular capitalist overlords will do all they can to downplay any populist message. I mean, look at global warming. It gets maybe 4 minutes a year on the average 'news' network, but it is THE issue we have to address right now so our world doesn't become uninhabitable for us, and as Naomi Klein says, we will have to completely rethink capitalism.

Still, at least SOME of the progressive message may get out.

[Old Codger]

3. Without a doubt

If there are no candidates willing to run against each other we end up with no one to hold the others feet to the fire, a one person primary is a joke...By the time we have a primary to my area the candidate will have been chosen.. it happens that way every time and gets a little tiresome not having any real say in who the candidate will be...If there is enough overall interest and we have a real primary maybe it will matter what we vote here, but probably not .

[arcane1]

4. And Bernie's position on the TPP and trade deals is definitely no secret!

And not something he came up with a week ago from a campaign-building focus group!

[99th_Monkey]

5. If played correctly -- and I think Bernie can do it -- the nation is ready

for a socialist POTUS.

If the dim bulbs on the Right think Obama's a socialist, they ain't seen nothing yet!

[flamingdem]

6. This should be verrry interesting

[cyberswede]

8. Well, the RW can't hurl it at him as an insult, that's for sure.

[PatrickforO]

9. You got that right!

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10. »

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11. »

[Martin Eden]

13. We need Instant Runoff Voting (ranked choice) ...

... in Democratic primaries as well as the general election.

I'm concerned Sanders & O'Malley together will get more votes than Hillary, but Hillary will win because the vote against her will be split.

And if we had ranked choice in the 2000 general election, Al Gore would have been elected regardless of how many voted for Nader.