Sanders planning progressive Tea Party, Warren may be preparing a 2020 run for president

[portlander23]

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren want to lead the progressive movement
Sanders is already planning a progressive Tea Party -- and Warren may be preparing a 2020 run for president
Matthew Rozsa
Salon

While the Democratic Party is still reeling from the shock of Donald Trump’s upset victory in November, progressives are already planning for how to effectively react to the upcoming Trump administration — and reclaim the party for one of their own in 2020.

The job of opposing Donald Trump will seemingly fall to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who became Hillary Clinton’s chief rival in the 2016 Democratic primaries by running on an unapologetic left-wing economic, social and foreign policy agenda.

Progressives are also heartened by the news earlier this month that Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is going to join the Armed Services Committee. Because Warren is best known for her criticisms of Wall Street and defenses of workers’ rights, her impending tenure on the Armed Services Committee is being widely perceived as an effort to beef up her resume for a potential presidential run in 2020.

Warren says she wants to join the Armed Services Committee because three of her brothers served in the military, and because Massachusetts ranks in the top 10 states for military spending. When asked by a local TV station in Massachusetts whether she was running for president, she dismissed it by saying that election isn’t on her “radar screen.”

[DonCoquixote]

1. I support this

what is good for the GOP shall be better for us, especially as we actually have the ideas.

[hrmjustin]

2. I don't think Warren or Sanders will be our nominee but I think they will be very vocal in taking on

Trump.

I would like Sherod Brown to run but he probably won't.

[Blanks]

7. Bernie repeated the same talking points...

Every time I saw him.

We are going to have to do better. We need specifics. Warren is better at varying her talking points, but I hope Hillary picks herself up, dusts herself off and goes again. Although, Warren would be good too.

Gore could have won in 2004. Once people realize the mistake they've made with Trump, we need to seize the moment and kick their asses.

It's too early to be talking about 2020, we need to take congress back in 2018, and the best way to do that is start by attacking Ryan in Wisconsin.

[crazycatlady]

16. I think it depends on how Trump does

The president's party usually loses congressional seats in the midterms. ALso a lot of the governors elected in the teabagger wave of 2010 are termed out (Kasich, LePage, Martinez, Snyder, 2009-Christie) and could be good opportunities to pickup an open seat.

As for 2020. This pains me speaking as a northeasterner but we need to find a candidate for 2020 who is NOT from the Northeast or West Coast (as well as the running mate). My pick for VP is Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota and woman-- I believe a woman will be VP before one will be President). As for the top, I'm looking at Roy Cooper (NC), Steve Bullock (Montana) or John Hickenlooper (termed out, Colorado).

But what 2017 and 2018 really need to be about is building our farm system. Start with local and county offices and state legislatures.

[portlander23]

13. I don't think Sanders has to run in 2020

Or Warren for that matter. What progressives discovered in 2016 is that showing up is not enough - it's not a fair playing field. Progressives need to take over the party apparatus. If that happens, it means it's more likely progressives will be the ones on the ballots running at the state and federal level.

[portlander23]

19. Step one is the state parties

Progressives need to show up to the state party meetings and take over the leadership. This Sanders got really close to getting the nomination which is remarkable considering the media blackout and the party establishment, but the reality is progressives need to stage a state-by-state takeover to stand a chance in four years at the national level.

[StevieM]

23. There was no corruption. And Bernie had a perfectly fair chance--he just lost. (eom)

[Maru Kitteh]

27. Looks like that zombie isn't with us anymore

[StevieM]

29. I alerted on one of their posts. They called the party corrupt and I felt that was over the line.

I didn't realize that would result in the poster's removal. I thought that they would simply hide the post.

Maybe the moderators took a look at all his/her posts and saw a bigger problem at play. (He/she was a new poster)

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

32. The second time is the charm, as Hillary would say... we didn't penalize her when she ran again after losing to Obama. Bernie deserves the same courtesy.

[StevieM]

34. I'm not against Bernie running again. I plan to support Elizabeth Warren but I think everyone

who wants to run should run.

And I don't think the age of Sanders, Biden or Warren should be an issue. The best candidate should get the nomination, age not withstanding.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

38. Thank you! All I'm sayin' too! I could EASILY live with Elizabeth OR Bernie... in either order on the ticket, tho currently prefer Bernie at the top.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!

[CentralMass]

54. If he had had the DNC working with him rather than agsinst him I think he could have won

[StevieM]

24. She beat Bernie fair and square with assistance from the voters.

It is not the fault of party insiders that Bernie got crushed among Blacks and Latinos.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

35. They obviously preferred Hillary in the latest go-around, credit to her... Bernie, no doubt, well fair better when it's his turn to run again.

[StevieM]

37. I think you meant to write "will" fair better, not "well" fail better. And I have no problem with

Sanders running again, as I posted above. We have lots of great Democrats who should all take a serious look at running for president.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

40. Yes.

[Skittles]

45. NO NO NO NO NO

NO MORE BERNIE

WE NEED NEW FACES

we need someone who is a proud Dem, not someone who call himself a Dem only when it is time to run for prez

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

47. Imagine if we all said to Hillary's second run, "NO NO NO NO NO. WE NEED NEW FACES." I'm sure that would have gone over well.

[Skittles]

48. AS IN LESSON LEARNED

WE NEED NEW FACES

PELOSI SHOULD HAVE HIT THE BRICKS TOO

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Okay Skittles, because you have my kittie's namesake, I'm a little more willin to see your point of view (haha!)...

Seriously, though, at least you're willing to admit Hillary's second run was a "lesson learned," so you're not being inconsistent as I had first thought... that's a reasonable view to take.

And while I REALLY do think Bernie can take down that Hitler wannabe tRump, and lead this country in the right direction, if there's some "new blood" who can pick up the progressive mantle and do a better job, I'm "all ears" and willing to consider all other possible options.

Just hopin there's a country left to save after that Nazi prick is done ransacking it... or after he starts nuclear WWIII!

[Skittles]

50. Bernie did not win me over

and I don't care for what he has said since the election

WE NEED SOMEONE NEW

Skittles was my cat too, a 25lb bundle of solid black fur

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. Yeah, remember you sayin... my cat is VERY Skittish, scared of her own shadow, hence the name. (Thought she was an original!)

BTW, sorry you feel that way about Bernie. Just curious though - and not necessarily tryin to dissuade you Skit - but why do you think he energizes people the way he does, and attracts so many loyal followers, especially young people, who traditionally sit out elections? You saw the rallies... there's no other way to describe Bernie's appeal, except as a progressive grassroots movement.

[Skittles]

52. no, that must have been someone else

I most definitely named Skittles after the candy....I have a real sweet tooth

I think a lot of Bernie fever was hatred for Hillary, a lot of it due to made-up bullshit

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

55. No, that was you, defly... named after the candy, yes. My Skittles is very skittish, which is how she got the name...

Do like Skittles candy btw, tho my fave is Mike n Ike... should try... like Skittles, great fruity taste.

[NobodyHere]

46. Not to mention assistance from the DNC

[ghostsinthemachine]

4. End corporate PERSONHOOD platform item number one

Then we can change things.

[Recursion]

21. That would undo 700 years of legal precedent and make it impossible to sue corporations

I have no idea who started the meme that corporate personhood is a recent thing, but it's making people chase the wrong shadows.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

36. Good idea... I'm sure Bernie will accept it.

[yallerdawg]

5. Would this be...

"the Geriatric Wing of the Democratic Party?"

Obama? Clinton? Carter? Kennedy?

Maybe we are the Party of Youth?

[eShirl]

6. Who do the young people support?

[yallerdawg]

9. Whoever it is, I know the magic words!

"Free college!"

[demmiblue]

12. I think the republicans beat you to that type of snark (decades ago, in fact).

Weird how that goes.

[yallerdawg]

15. I call it pandering.

But you're welcome to call it snark.

[lastone]

33. It's snark

No question. You laugh at an idea that has proven itself in many industrialized nations:
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/080616/6-countries-virtually-free-college-tuition.asp
Please leave the bullshit right wing mockery of progressive ideas to other sites.

[yallerdawg]

42. Here we go again.

Pragmatic vs "wishful thinking."

We can fight for the means to make college more affordable, "free" for those who can't afford it.

But we just had two elections that rejected first "free" and then "affordable."

I believe everything should be free - the wealthiest nation in the history of the world can afford it.

However, being pragmatic and realistic, I don't think my personal preference has a future.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Psss - I want younger candidates the next time around too

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. Whether you call it progressive tea party or something else Sanders has a point

Change has to come from the grassroots. It won't come from top down management.

[HoneyBadger]

17. I look forward to Warren running

[moda253]

18. Whatever

I am tired of this bullshit idea that our party is broken.

We lost by the slimmest of margins with a metric shit ton and a half of sleazeball voter suppression. We didn't pick up a ton of senate seats but we gathered a few. The GOP is loving nothing more than listening to us argue about what our party should or shouldn't be.

I love Bernie but fuck him and his bobs if they think they gets to dictate what the Democratic party is. He's never been a democrat. Sure he caucuses with us. Great. But if you are going to gut our party you are only creating more pain and suffering for yourselves.

[PatsFan87]

28. Since 2008, Democrats have lost

over 900 state legislature seats, 12 governors, 69 House seats, and 13 Senate seats. Does that trouble you?

[Gore1FL]

41. I like Sander's version of the Democratic party better than the version we have now.

His version more closely represents where we were before we started apologizing for our positions and cowering in fear of the right.

[ProfessorGAC]

20. At Least A Progressive "Tea Party". . .

. . .would have something to do with the actual tea party in Boston. It was not about taxes. It was about being fairly represented so that the taxes levied were fair and equitable.

A progressive version would be about that, not just about "taxed enough already". (Side note: If you taxed "enough", why do insist on lower taxes? If the taxes are enough, then they're just right. They can't even get their own rhetoric straight.)

[Coolest Ranger]

22. Yea

and look how well that worked for Republicans. Their party is hated. This is a bad idea

[bekkilyn]

25. Thank goodness!

We definitely need a "tea party" of our own, especially since the Republicans have corrupted the concept so severely. I don't realy care if Bernie or Warren run for President in 2020. In fact, it might just be best that they don't, but I *am* glad that they will both be helping to lead the charge. They are both fighters and they NEVER give up, which is more of what we desperately need. We need droves of Bernies and Warrens at ALL levels of government, not just for President, and not just in the Senate. In fact, we need a lot more power locally so that we can start taking our states back from the oppressors.

Many may keep insisting that there's nothing wrong with the Democratic party as it is now, but whether it's actually true or not, the *perception* is that something is very, very wrong, and perception is oftentimes everything. People aren't going to support, join, or vote for a party that they *perceive* to be gravely flawed and untrustworthy. If making good changes to the party helps to repair that perception, then it can only be a positive thing going forward.

[zentrum]

26. Yes, yes, yes. nt

[MarianJack]

30. The"job" of opposing Donald Rump doesn't fall to Sanders.

It "falls" to every thinking Democrat out there. I, for one, am resolved to do something every single day to protest the Vladimir Putin/Donald Rump mis-administration until they are GONE!

The solution for 2020 is NOT a non-Democrat who'll be 79 on election day. Initially, my primary interest is drawn to New York again, with either Gov. Coumo or Sen. Gillebrand looking good to me.

That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!

PEACE!

[lapucelle]

31. There's nothing in the article that supports the claim that Sanders will try to start a party.

Warren is a Democrat. She won't be going along for the ride.

[Jim Lane]

44. A "progressive Tea Party" means working within the Democratic Party.

The right-wing Tea Party rejected the idea of pushing the Constitution Party (the right-wing equivalent of the Green Party). Instead, the Tea Party focused on the existing major party that was closer to its views, and worked hard to push that party in the direction it wanted.

That's what Bernie did with his campaign this year. I interpret "progressive Tea Party" as a rejection of the third-party strategy. You're right that Bernie won't try to start a new national party.

[Dave in VA]

39. Let the Resistance Start with Virginia

Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and the state General Assembly are up for election in 2017. Former RNC Chair, Ed Gillespie will probably be the Repukes nominee for Gov.

Virginia does not have party registration, so anyone can vote in either parties primary in a few months. Operation Chaos maybe?

Contact the Virginia Democratic Party and see how you can help. Let it start here!

http://vademocrats.org/

[TheFrenchRazor]

43. won't matter, as long as we have the EC and hackable voting machnes. nt

[Akacia]

53. Exactly!

This is why I don`t much want to hear about 2020 until we know that our elections are not corruptible! It all makes me sick to my stomach how it went down! But... what to do to fix the mess?