These 74 words are a major political reality check for Bernie Sanders’s revolution

[riversedge]

Last edited Sun Jan 31, 2016, 04:42 AM - Edit history (1)

A few things might change if there were day after day marches on DC--like the Million man march.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/28/heres-a-big-serving-of-political-reality-for-bernie-sanders-spooned-out-in-just-74-words/

These 74 words are a major political reality check for Bernie Sanders’s revolution


January 28
)

The Washington Post editorial board published a scathing indictment of "Bernie Sanders's fiction-filled" presidential campaign Thursday morning. Here's the key paragraph:

Mr. Sanders tops off his narrative with a deus ex machina: He assures Democrats concerned about the political obstacles in the way of his agenda that he will lead a “political revolution” that will help him clear the capital of corruption and influence-peddling. This self-regarding analysis implies a national consensus favoring his agenda when there is none and ignores the many legitimate checks and balances in the political system that he cannot wish away

.

Oomph. The Democratic candidate responded Thursday in Iowa by asking: "Where was The Washington Post to express concern that the middle class was shrinking?"

Let's start with what exactly Sanders has said on the subject of his ability to get things done as president. Here's what he said at a CNN-sponsored town hall event in Iowa on Monday night:

If we are serious about rebuilding the American middle class, if we are serious about providing paid family and medical leave to all of our people, if we are serious about ending the disgrace of having so many of our children live in poverty, the real way to do it is to have millions of Americans finally stand up and say, "Enough is enough," for people to get engaged in the political process, to finally demand that Washington represent all of us, not just a handful of very wealthy people.

It's important to read between the lines of that response. Sanders is saying, in essence, that if he is elected, he will bring in lots and lots of liberal members of the House and Senate on his coattails — fundamentally altering the governing dynamic in this county for, at least, the past 15 years.

That the Republican majority in the House — the GOP's largest since World War II — and its five-seat Senate majority would simply be washed away by a Sanders tidal wave is, of course, possible. In the sense that it is possible that I, at age 39 and less than a year removed from ankle surgery, will dunk a basketball later today. But, possible is not probable — or even close.................

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. Nicely written...by someone else. You may want to give credit to Chris Cilliza.

Once you do that, I'll be able to properly disagree with the op-ed.

[riversedge]

10. Thanks for the heads up. I inserted it into the OP

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/01/28/heres-a-big-serving-of-political-reality-for-bernie-sanders-spooned-out-in-just-74-words/

[immoderate]

2. WaPo is a neocon organ. This is all about defeatism.

Bernie will easily flip the senate.

--imm

[mythology]

4. The Senate changing control is more related

to the states up for election. These are seats that were last up in 2010, a major Republican year.

[Hortensis]

3. Reality checks do not exist in the revolution.

I ideally would love a growing swell of support for strongly progressive solutions that would continue to affect the race, and America, but then Hillary would go on to become our nominee anyway and go into the general with a strong mandate for change. As well as a majority in the Senate, a much better deal in the House, governorships, etc.

I'm not a "dream-on" type, though, and the possibility of Bernie facing the GOP nominee instead is way too scary to entertain, so I'll be hoping he does not do well enough in Iowa -- Monday!. Fivethirtyeight.com feels that Bernie must get the press's "Iowa boost" from a win there or have effectively no chance of winning the primary.

BTW, this evening the Des Moines Register will be publishing the predictions of the apparently extremely well regarded Iowa pollster Ann Selzer.

[Fawke Em]

5. Here's my four word reply:

"Fuck the Washington Post."

[MissDeeds]

6. [phone]

[tokenlib]

8. Agree. +1000

[w4rma]

7. Was that editorial written by Jeff Bezos, billionaire Libertarian owner of the Washington Post? (nt)

[mhatrw]

9. What exactly has Obama gotten through Congress through compromise?

What makes you think Clinton will be any less reviled by Republican majorities?