General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI've got to confess, I'm a person that sees both sides of an issue, and when it comes to Bernie...
And as much as I like Bernie:
- I see the multibillion dollar right wing wall of billionaire / corporate money that looms over the Democratic candidate in the general election
- I can see the Right Wing putting ads making Bernie look un-American because "America is not Scandinavia" and "Would you want to pay 50% of your income in taxes?"
- I can see Bernie being labeled as "too far to the left to get anything done in Congress"
- I can see Bernie being labeled as "too old to be president"
- I can see a Corporate America far more organized and audacious than the trusts during Theodore Roosevelt's era doing everything they can to make sure that Bernie doesn't become president (if he wins the primary.) Remember, Corporate America was audacious enough to destroy the labor unions, throw the history of labor unions down the memory hole, bring down the economy and then get the Government to bail them out (the financial industry), get Americans to embrace greed, sell Americans on deregulation and free trade, etc... Republicans themselves are even more audacious than big corporations, as seen in the past 6 years, as well as their abuse of the War on Terror during the Bush years. Corporate America + Republicans are literally an army of villains. Plus, they have the power of the media as well, which is immensely powerful. One must also remember that Teddy Roosevelt only became president because he ran as Vice President to McKinley during his reelection bid, and McKinley died shortly into his second term, making Teddy Roosevelt president, and thus Teddy Roosevelt had more than three years in office to make progressivism popular.
To me, if Bernie wins the Democratic primary, its an all or nothing, and will require a lot of very bright strategists and an immensely huge organization of passionate volunteers to counteract whatever corporate america, the billionaires, the media, and the Republican Party throw at Bernie. We are talking a political war.
If Bernie loses the primary, its a win for Bernie anyway because young people will get an introduction to Democratic Socialism and especially that Millennials weren't brainwashed against socialism, and thus could lead to the growth of the Democratic Socialist movement and liberal congressional representatives that help push the party left (in a way similar to the tea party pushing the Republicans further to the right.)
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Her empty rhetoric rings hollow with all but a few.
Put her up against a statesman like Bernie and it's all over.
What we need to do is fight for more primaries.
She and her fans are frightened to death of how bad she's going to look in a debate, especially with a Bernie Sanders.
MORE DEBATES!
brooklynite
(94,502 posts)...which is why 81% of Democrats like her and she beats every Republican in head to head polls?
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Oh, wait, we've gone from 26 to 6 debates.
OK, lets check again after ONE debate, among people who watch the debate.
You candidate will not become president.
She will disappoint you and me, but you more I suppose because you believe in her.
brooklynite
(94,502 posts)...a years as a high profile Presidential Candidate...just a name, right?
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Just fucking terrific.
brooklynite
(94,502 posts)First she was "just a name" and now the voters know all about her?
Boy, it's hard to keep up...
pnwmom
(108,976 posts)than Clinton.
Talk about empty rhetoric.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/181949/clinton-favorability-familiarity-bests-2016-contenders.aspx
Clinton Favorability, Familiarity Bests 2016 Contenders
Nearly nine in 10 Americans have an opinion of Clinton
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Hillary Clinton is one of a few potential 2016 presidential candidates to have a significantly higher favorable (50%) than unfavorable (39%) rating among the American public. And the 89% of Americans who are familiar enough with Clinton to have an opinion of her is more than any other potential 2016 presidential candidate. Clinton's relatively high scores on both dimensions give her a better starting position regarding her image than other competitors would have in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
These results are based on a March 2-4 Gallup poll of 1,522 U.S. adults, conducted just as revelations about the private email account Clinton used to conduct business while secretary of state became a major news story, but before her Tuesday press conference addressing questions about the issue.
SNIP
Republican Rick Santorum, Democrat Jim Webb and Bernie Sanders -- an independent who may seek the Democratic nomination -- have the biggest challenges related to their image because they are largely unknown and not viewed positively by those who do know them.
SNIP
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)bullwinkle428
(20,629 posts)Whoever our candidate happens to be, the right-wing will be brutal.