2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumLet's try this: Suppose Bernie's opponent was ME.
Forget Hillary. There is no Hillary. I'm the only one running against Bernie for the nomination. I'm a 36 year old man from Minnesota, a blue collar worker, married, no children, no political experience, no trouble with the law, never even been accused of a crime, and my political position is somewhere to the right of Bernie (but left of, say, Obama).
Why should I vote for Bernie instead of me?
Remember, there is no Hillary. Only Bernie and me. Why should I vote for Bernie?
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Chichiri
(4,667 posts)Or did you mean something else?
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Thank you and you have earned my vote.
DURHAM D
(32,611 posts)because he has been in DC a long time.
djean111
(14,255 posts)Qutzupalotl
(14,327 posts)k8conant
(3,030 posts)enough said.
Chichiri
(4,667 posts)Downwinder
(12,869 posts)jeff47
(26,549 posts)highprincipleswork
(3,111 posts)And that movement seems to be to the Left of you, and is well, well, well to the Left of whatever Third Way/DLC politics will ever be.
Not interested in giving away more of our stuff to the very wealthy.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)Do you support TTP? Why or why not?
What do you think of ISDS as part of current and future trade policy?
What is your position on money in politics?
What is your tax policy?
Do you want to raise the cap on payroll tax for SS? What other ideas do you hold regarding SS?
What is your energy policy?
What is your position on our foreign policy adventures of the last 15 years? How would you work to further peace going forward?
Do you believe we should be able to provide health care to all of our citizens?
Do you think we should invest in education?
Do you think we should invest in a 21st C infrastructure? What would such a plan look like?
How would you address climate change?
How would you address police misconduct?
Drug policy?
Prisons?
Media?
Internet?
...
Chichiri
(4,667 posts)...that all my answers are satisfactory to a Bernie supporter, except that I'm willing to consider a ground war for humanitarian reasons, and I oppose legalization of pot.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)eom
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)This means a solid and sustained majority of voters in those States disagree with you and agree with Bernie. Your position is offered with no reasoning and that is in fact a secondary problem, you seem to be the sort of candidate who is 'for' and 'against' things arbitrarily.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)dana_b
(11,546 posts)about you.
Where did you stand on Iraq/Afghanistan?
Climate change - what would you do to stop mankind's contribution to it?
How do you feel on immigration?
What would you do to strengthen SS/Medicare?
Do you believe in single payer and what would you do with Obamacare after you were elected?
How would you reign in Wall St./Big banks?
See - those are issues that I feel very strongly on and in lock step with Bernie.
Do you agree with him on these issues? If so, then this is why you may consider voting for him.
Chichiri
(4,667 posts)Arazi
(6,829 posts)he's also pledged to reduce the incarceration by 500,000
So all other things being equal, I'd choose him
dana_b
(11,546 posts)and not talking out of both sides of your mouth, then maybe you should vote for you. Maybe you are younger, better looking, better with babies and old ladies. I don't know.
I respect Bernie's consistency, honesty and I truly believe that he is a giving person. Those are other reasons to consider voting for him.
randys1
(16,286 posts)If you and Bernie have the exact same positions, then...
oh wait, I got it.
Because Bernie is part of the establishment and can get things done, is that it?
thesquanderer
(11,992 posts)Experience, as mayor and in congress, has proven understanding of the system and an ability to work with people from both parties. Your experience is unknown.
Lots of history showing his positions are sincere and philosophically consistent.
Known reputation for integrity. (Nothing personal.)
Better chance of electability in November. (No one has heard of you. You're probably not even on the ballot. You've not shown you can motivate lots of people and raise contributions accordingly.)
What's your point?
Response to Chichiri (Original post)
cyberpj This message was self-deleted by its author.
Arazi
(6,829 posts)by 500,000 in your first term like your opponent Senator Sanders?
Do you support the former SOS on her proposal to institute a no-fly zone in Syria (sparking a near certain war with Russia)?
Will you pledge to work towards tuition free higher education and fully fund Head Start?
What is your position on social security?
Will you work towards a universal healthCARE system in the US?
That's enough to start
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)I've seen your posts.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)DemocraticWing
(1,290 posts)Betty Karlson
(7,231 posts)Do you hold speeches for Goldman Sachs, for how much money, and when may we see the transcripts of those speeches?
How much of the rest of Wall Street is pooring money into your campaign coffers, and what do they want in return?
Are you happy with the status quo?
Do you care about the burden that has been laid on millennials?
Are you in bed the the prison industry?
What is your position on police reform?
What is your position on spying on people who have done nothing wrong?
How did you vote on the Iraq War?
How long have you opposed my right to marry, and can you give a clear reason why you changed your mind (and please let it be more than a poll that said your bigotry made you unelectable)?
Is the Third Way chair of the DNC heavily biased in your favour, and doing everything she can to make your primary campaign the only game in town? Are you, in short, corrupt and corrupting?
Chichri, this would not be about Bernie versus you, it would be about the issues.
-----
So far for the hypothetical. Now the reality:
There is Hillary, and like 52 % of all Americans, I don't trust her and never will. She has net negative coattails and will jeopardise our chance to pick up senate and house seats in the GE. In fact, she'd lose the GE against 2 of the 3 remaining main contenders of the GOP, given the hypothetical match-ups. Sanders would win against all of them. The status quo has become untenable and Clinton is oblivious to that perilous state of affairs: she campaigns as if the 20th century has never ended and as if millennials are still children who can be safely ignored. She (not you) is a liability, irrespective of whichever position she holds in comparison with Sanders.
If Martin O'Malley was the remaining candidate instead of Clinton (also to the right of Sanders) I'd have happily supported him in the GE, probably even in the primaries (I was actually on the fence between those two). But voting for Clinton is espousing disaster for the party and for my generation. I will not do so. Ever.
lloebigt13
(2 posts)https://m.
https://m.
https://m.
http://vetsforbernie.org/2016/02/yes-bernie-sanders-protested-for-civil-rights/
Bernie Sanders has a long and consistent record of standing up for those in need. This is the exact kind of strength of character, forceful speaker & moral compass that we need at the Bully Pulpit in this country to move the dialogue away from the lies and weak rhetoric of defeats, and back towards the famous and emotional speeches of strong leaders such as FDR, JFK, MLK, etc. We need somebody who will stand up for the underdog and who won't just sit back and let lobbyists and corporate CEOs influence the discourse in government. He has consistently taken strong moral stances:
-He opposes labor wrecking trade deals that hurt American & International workers
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/29/so-called-free-trade-policies-hurt-us-workers-every-time-we-pass-them
http://www.progressive.org/news/2011/10/170238/look-record-bernie-sanders-2011-denounces-free-trade-pacts
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Free_Trade.htm
-He opposes infringements on our civil liberties in legislation such as the Patriot Act
https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/27110/bernie-sanders/13/civil-liberties-and-civil-rights#.VtiVFoo8LCQ
https://m.
https://m.
-He has vocally opposed wasteful, murderous militarism, and stands with the men and women sent to fight in these inexcusable conflicts
https://m.
http://www.legion.org/pressrelease/224420/sanders-miller-receive-legions-patriot-award
https://m.
-He wants us all to have wider access to healthcare and educational opportunities, and weaken the voices of for profit entities in these decisions
https://m.
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/12/fact-argue-experts-sanders-medicare-all-numbers-do-add
http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/08/news/economy/sanders-income-jobs/
-He speaks out against the legalized bribery and borderline extortion that plagues both major parties and the disproportional voice given to those with power and wealth.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/dear-america-please-get-your-bernie-sanders_b_7536276.html
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/01/31/bernie-sanders-strikes-blow-citizens-united-contributions-record.html
And first and foremost he is a person of compassion and dedication. He also get things done:
REPRESENTATIVE & SENATOR:
https://pplswar.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/what-bernie-sanders-got-done-in-washington-a-legislative-inventory/
https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/71225/bernie-sanders-is-loud-stubborn-socialist-republicans-like-him-anyway
https://pplswar.wordpress.com/2015/10/21/fact-bernie-sanders-got-more-done-in-the-senate-than-hillary-clinton/
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-gets-it-done-sanders-record-pushing-through-major-reforms-will-surprise-you
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/2015/12/26/bernie-sanders-has-filed-more-bills-for-veterans-than-any-congressman-in-the-past-30-years/
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/defense/259677-bernie-sanders-champion-of-vets
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/6/1428616/-Bernie-Sanders-What-the-Hell-Have-You-Done-for-Us-Lately
MAYOR OF BURLINGTON:
http://inthesetimes.com/article/18806/this-1983-profile-of-bernie-sanders-shows-how-his-success-in-burlington-mir
http://www.thenation.com/article/bernies-burlington-city-sustainable-future/
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/bernies-burlington-what-k_b_7510704.html
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)Note: If you were running against Bernie, I would vote for you because .... my political position is somewhere to the right of Bernie (but left of, say, Obama).