VT-SEN: Sanders to run as an independent in 2018

[RandySF]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has confirmed that he will run for re-election in the Senate as an independent in 2018, despite recent pressure from some Democrats to join the party.

Sanders told Fox News of his decision to hold onto his independent status during an interview Sunday night.

I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent, while I caucus with the Democrats in the United States Senate. That’s what I’ve been doing for a long time and that’s what I’ll continue to do,” Sanders told Fox News.

Sanders had been facing pressure from some Democrats to officially run as a member of the Democratic party. Sanders caucuses with Democrats in the Senate.


http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/356650-sanders-to-run-as-an-independent-in-2018

[delisen]

1. Sanders is such a traditionalist.

[brush]

4. Guess he's going to have to run as an indie in 2020 too because after this he sure won't...

get on the Dem ticket for presidential primaries.

[aikoaiko]

6. You never know.

[brush]

8. Dems are not gluttons for punishment. He's had plenty of chances to join the party...

and he keeps declining. No chance he'll be offered that chance again in 2020 after spurning the party again.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

9. I wouldn't be so sure.

[Demsrule86]

60. I don't think he can win a Primary and I believe he knows this so I don't think he will run.

The woman's convention brouhaha showed a weakening of support for Sen. Sanders in my opinion. While he remains popular. I just don't think Democrats (many who are smarting from some of his anti-Dem remarks) will vote for him. That being said, while I will not vote for Sen. Sanders in a primary (pesky identity politics), I would crawl across broken glass to vote for him should he win the nomination. My fear is a Sanders primary loss will cause division and possibly a loss in 20 for us. If we lose in 20, we truly are screwed for a generation...they won't have to win...just use their packed courts to advance their agenda.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

11. I don't see see the Democratic Party barring Bernie from running as a Democrat and risk

alienating and losing a lot of those potential voters who support him. Tom Perez is way too smart for that.

[still_one]

14. The Democratic party won't bar him from running as a Democrat, it will be a large number of

Last edited Mon Oct 23, 2017, 01:31 AM - Edit history (1)

Democrats who will not vote for him in the 2020 primaries should he decide to play that game again

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

18. Oh okay, well if that's the case, so be it.

[still_one]

19. Anyone who registers as a Democrat, and meets the filing requirements, they can run as a Democrat

for an office as a Democrat as far as I am aware

[Eliot Rosewater]

35. You mean people who claim to be "progressive" could sit out an election or vote 3rd party

or vote GOP if they dont get their way?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

43. I'm not sure what you're saying, so not sure how to respond...

But, all I'm saying is that it would be WISE, in the spirit of democracy, not to bar Bernie from the Democratic primary... that way, win or lose, his followers would not feel ostracized from the process.

I would like to think, as long as Bernie was allowed to participate, even if he lost, in a fair primary contest, his supporters would be far more willing to vote for the Democratic nominee in the general election, than if Bernie was not allowed to run in the first instance.

I think that's just makes logical sense, something we should all be able to agree on.

Now, if Bernie's supporters refused to support the Democratic nominee AFTER he was, in fact, allowed to run in the Democratic primary, and lost fair and square, in my mind, that WOULD be an absurdity, akin to a small child stamping their feet, having not gotten their way.

[Me.]

7. Can You Back That Accusation Up

With anything like a fact?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. ( crickets... chirp... chirp )

[Ace Rothstein]

31. You don't actually believe this, do you?

[karynnj]

32. In Vermont? I don't think so -- there is no Democrat or Republican that can beat him

Tom Perez has little impact on who wins here.

[comradebillyboy]

55. More to the point, Perez has no impact anywhere at the moment.

[karynnj]

63. I agree - and he shouldn't

The DNC should provide the organiation and support for the Democratic candiadate once he/she is nominated. They should NOT have an influence in choosing the party's nominee.

As to the re-election of a Democratic incumbent, clearly it will be a referendum on that legislator.

[Me.]

3. Why Would He Do Anything Different

He was never a DEm

[still_one]

5. I will vote for the Democratic candidate in 2020, not someone who is a chameleon simply uses

the Democratic party as a vehicle to further their political ambitions

[DURHAM D]

12. He just has a burning need to be an outliar.

He reminds me so much of Dennis Kucinich.

[R B Garr]

15. +1, I last saw Kucinich bashing Hillary as a Fox News

contributor. Hmm

[Eliot Rosewater]

36. Yeah, I would agree with that but if I do I might get in trouble.

[Eliot Rosewater]

37. Yeah, I would agree with that but if I do I might get in trouble.

[Wwcd]

13. What happens to the Dem voter data list he acquired as a Dem?

Just wondering how it works in such a situation.

Wasn't there a issue where his campaign collected in error or somehow, a list of HRC voter data that was worth millions to her campaign.
I do know that the value has to do with donors, etc. As well as the large amount it costs to accumulate & maintain a candidate's lists.

I don't recall if Bernies campaign ever returned that valuable voter data .

Doesn't that have to be returned to the DNC since he's now left the Dem Ticket?

I have no idea how that works or if the voter data was returned.
Just asking.

[murielm99]

16. I never thought it was an error.

Bernie's people took advantage of a glitch and stole data that they had no right to look at. Then they turned around and sued the DNC!

Talk about gall. We don't need people like that.

Yes, it does cost a lot to accumulate and maintain voter lists. I think that once someone has the list, it is impossible to demand that it be returned. I still have printouts of older lists from Vote Builder, from phone banking. No one ever asked for them to be returned.

I do know that I started receiving solicitations from BS after the lists were collected "in error." That never happened until after that incident.

[Wwcd]

17. ?! Wtf. That is really shitty. Gad I hate to even think of another election.

What a cutthroat dirty business.
Oh well, if they don't find a way to impeach trump, we wont have to worry about anymore elections.

Somedays I cannot believe this is really happening to our country.
Who let this happen!

[George II]

39. I started getting emails from the Sanders Campaign (as many as five or six a day!!) the next day.

[DFW]

20. Either Sanders is right, or the State of Vermont is right

Results of the Vermont Democratic primary last year, as per the New York Times:

Democratic Primary

Bernie Sanders won Vermont, according to A.P.
Candidates Vote Pct. Delegates
Bernie Sanders 115,863 86.1% 16
Hillary Clinton 18,335 13.6 —
Martin O'Malley 279 0.2 —
Rocky De La Fuente 94 0.1

Of the Democrats running in the Democratic primary in the State of Vermont, the winner was Bernie Sanders.
And now Sanders claims, "I am an independent and I have always run in Vermont as an independent"

Except when he didn't, that is.

Now, I don't care if he runs as the candidate of the Bull Moose Party, and of COURSE we all prefer having him in the Senate over some Republican. But I wish he wouldn't make ridiculous blanket statements like that when the one time he launched a high profile presidential campaign, he did NOT run in Vermont as an independent.

[ucrdem]

21. In his last book he says his proudest accomplishment is taking on the Democratic establishment.

I don't think he ever got over that first debate.

[DFW]

22. I would have seen helping pass the ACA as my proudest accomplishment in Congress

I know he has had that combative streak in him for many decades, even as mayor of Burlington, but I always thought winning the peace was a greater accomplishment than winning a war.

[ucrdem]

24. Something about the ACA really bothers him.

And I think I know what it is.

[RhodeIslandOne]

44. That it's not "the best we can do" as a country for health care?

Look, I'm not a Senator Sanders lover, but the ACA should not have been nor be the goal line of health care in this country.

And now, things are going to get worse before they ever get better....and better WILL FINALLY be single payer when people get fed up and sick of bullshit boogeymanism about "SOCIALISM".

Sadly, many will have to die, go broke and both before it happens.

Of course, I'll never see it my lifetime.

[ucrdem]

45. It's absolutely the best we can do.

And we only by a miraculous alignment of stars did it. Possibly Sanders wants something better but he has no clue how to get it. His "Medicare for All" plan was nothing but a slogan slapped on a meme and shopped around like an actual policy. It wasn't. So what's the point of making empty promises and worse, crisscrossing the country railing against the current healthcare system -- which, of course, includes the ACA? It looks like, well, like what it looks like.

[RhodeIslandOne]

46. Politically, it's the best we can do, you mean

And morally, that is not good enough.

[ucrdem]

66. Morally too. Morally especially.

Which is one reason the ACA drives the rabid right round the bend. They can't get their hooks into it.

[George II]

42. It's a matter of priorities.

[SaschaHM]

49. Meanwhile he has a sweetheart deal w/ the Democratic Establishment ...

that means VT Dems won't float a serious challenger and he gets to be a ranking member/chair of a committee. It's such B.S. His power in the Senate comes from the fact that he caucuses with this Democratic establishment, not because he pissed in their cheerios.

[George II]

58. My guess is that deal will no longer be operative in 2018.

[arthritisR_US]

23. So hes a Democrat when its convenient? The party needs to wake

up and not be pushed around by purists.

[still_one]

26. Actually it will be the Democratic voters who will determine their Democratic nominee, and I believe

that by him coming out like this and saying essentially that he doesn't want to be identified with the Democratic party, if he decides to run in 2020, and uses the Democratic label to further his political ambitions, it will fail miserably for him within the Democratic primaries.

That bridge has been burned.

[arthritisR_US]

34. Thats an excellent point!

[oberliner]

59. He is not a Democrat

He has never been a Democrat. He will never be a Democrat.

He has been very clear on this point.

[arthritisR_US]

64. I agree and they should cease coddling his minions.

[coolsandy]

25. He goes on FOX to make this announcement?

[democratisphere]

27. Great news. This clears the way for new Democrats to take charge

of our political party and move it forward.

[Vinca]

28. Good for Bernie. Rather than carp, Democrats should offer a viable opponent.

[Blue_Tires]

33. I'm not carping at all... Bernie does what he does

and we'll do what we have to do...

[R B Garr]

41. Yes, and "viable" in terms of showing tax returns so that the

"transparency for thee but not for me" hypocrisy can finally be exposed.

[Blue_Tires]

29. And that should be the end of that...

[Adrahil]

30. Fine. Then he cannot run as a Democrat for President, IMO.

Senator, you have had enough of having your cake and eating it too. Time to be like the rest of us and pick a side.

[k8conant]

54. Inside or outside?

[jalan48]

38. Great to hear he is running again. He's a strong voice for liberal/progressive issues.

[Demsrule86]

61. I think it is a bad thing...win or lose ...it risks helping the GOP win in 20.

[George II]

40. This is not a surprise since he'd already registered his 2018 campaign committee...

....with the FEC as an independent within days of the 2016 Convention. I actually think it happened before the Convention.

For those who will claim that Vermont doesn't have party affiliations, Patrick Leahy registered as a Democrat for more than 40 years.

[k8conant]

53. I don't think so...

Do I have to register as a Democrat, Republican, Independent or some other party in Vermont?
No. There is no party registration in Vermont.

All registered voters can vote in the primary election—but can only vote on one ballot. You will be given a ballot for each of the major parties. You mark one of the ballots and put the remaining unvoted ballots into a discard bin. Which ballot you chose to vote is private and not recorded (except during the presidential primary, where voters must publicly take one ballot or the other, and their choice is recorded on the entrance checklist).

https://www.sec.state.vt.us/elections/frequently-asked-questions/voter-registration.aspx

[George II]

57. The operative phrase is:

"Do I HAVE to register as a Democrat, Republican, Independent.....", but they CAN do so if they want.

And that's referring to voter registration, not candidate registration.

[k8conant]

65. Two points, here...

Voters in Vermont cannot register with a party affiliation.

Candidates in Vermont do.

[GulfCoast66]

47. Well bless his heart. I wish him well. NT

[SaschaHM]

48. That's fine to me. We all knew his "I'm a Democrat now" shtick in 2016 was bull anyway.

This just keeps him and his team from pulling it again in 2020.

[Stinky The Clown]

50. Color me surprised

Beyond that, I'll keep mum.

[Snackshack]

51. Good for him!

[procon]

52. Is this revenge? By splitting the vote, he'll hand the election to the Republicans. nt

[Demsrule86]

62. I hope not...surely Sen. Sanders would put the progressive agenda ahead of any personal animosity

he might have towards the Democratic Party.