Sanders admits he took the Democratic name just to suit his ambition to be president

[bigtree]

Bernie Sanders on Monday told NBC’s Chuck Todd that he ran as a Democrat to get more media coverage.

During a town hall-style event in Columbus, Ohio, the independent Vermont senator said, “In terms of media coverage, you have to run within the Democratic Party.” He then took a dig at MNSBC, telling Todd, the network “would not have me on his program” if he ran as an independent.

Money also played a role in his decision to run as a Democrat, Sanders added.

“To run as an independent, you need — you could be a billionaire," he said. "If you're a billionaire, you can do that. I'm not a billionaire. So the structure of American politics today is such that I thought the right ethic was to run within the Democratic Party.”

POLITICO has previously reported that Sanders initially resisted running as a Democrat, but was convinced by his advisers that it was necessary.

read: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/bernie-sanders-2016-inside-213692


...media coverage? So the party is just a stepping stone for his personal ambition to be president. Not very inspiring.

I notice that he's still planning on keeping his independent status if he goes back to the Senate. No wonder so few of his legislative peers choose to line up behind his opportunistic candidacy.

[hollysmom]

1. and there si nothing wrong with that. because he is proposing FDR like ideas.

if that is not democratic, what is?

[farleftlib]

4. It doesn't matter what Sanders does

If he had run as an Independent they'd be whining that he's a spoiler.

So he chose to run as a Dem and he's an opportunist.

AFAIC he's more of a Dem than Hillary and I've been a Dem for over 40 years.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Yep. He's caucused withe the Democrats since day on in the House and Senate.

He's been a more reliable liberal/progressive vote than a lot of life long Democrats.

[FreakinDJ]

56. The Clinton's Democratic party is not the Democratic Party I grew up with

They completely abandoned the Working class

[pandr32]

106. He says that now for political points, but it isn't true

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christophermassie/despite-claims-bernie-sanders-hasnt-always-caucused-with-dem#.wox0Wzyqp

[Peace Patriot]

78. Democrat for 50+ years here. Bernie Sanders is the real Democrat.

Clinton is a fake Democrat, a DINO, a Reaganite in 'liberal' clothing. The rich get richer and 'trickle down' to the rest of us. Har-har-har! That's urinate on the rest of us. So-o-o sorry to be so crude. But that's exactly what it feels like to most people with Clinton's "free trade for the rich," her $200,000 secret Goldman Sachs speeches, and her lo-o-o-o-ong list of donors who screw the American people over every chance they get. Board member of Walmart! Good God!

Sanders is the closest thing to FDR that any of us will ever get to vote for. FDR, Harry Truman, even Dwight Eisenhower (a Republican!) wouldn't have put up with her corporate corruption for a minute. She's not only not a Democrat, in any meaningful sense of the word, she's a transglobalist, making deals all over the planet to our detriment, including an arms deal with Saudi Arabia (where women are slaves) in exchange for big bucks to the Clinton Foundation.

The Democratic Party means absolutely nothing in the hands of the Clintons. THEY are the ones using it as a vehicle for personal gain and power, while fooling people that they are democratic. They serve the oligarchs, not us!

Bernie Sanders, who couldn't stomach this growing corruption in the Democratic Party, remained independent, to his credit, and now claims his rightful place as one of the few Democratic leaders left who actually serves the majority of people and actually believes in the "big tent" party that we used to be. He actually believes in the New Deal's socialist programs like Social Security, fair taxation and strong regulation of the banksters. He actually believes in public participation, in public education, in development of "the Commons," and all the things that created a decent life in this country after the first gang of greedy oligarchs crashed our economy in 1929.

The Clintons tried to undo the New Deal--the same goal as Reagan. They are NOT Democrats! And, by God, they are directly responsible for causing the second Crash. This time, all their rich pals made lots and lots of money, even as they bankrupted the rest of us. And those very uber-rich pals are now their donors!

The Clintons have turned the Democratic Party into the Goldman Sachs Party. It is unrecognizable. And Bernie Sanders is absolutely the right leader to reform it. And I welcome that reform with all my heart!

I canvassed for JFK in 1960, when I was 16. I know what the party was like then. I know what we stood for. What does the Democratic Party stand for now? Nada! It's an empty shell. So let's fill it up again with a candidate we can believe in, and a platform we can believe in, and bring all the people who fled away, or who remained Democrats but have no say, or who are so disgusted they don't vote, or whose unions were busted, or whose union leaders were bought, all the people who work so hard for a living and get less and less, all the young people punished with crushing debt for going to college, bring them all back into our "big tent."

Hillary Clinton can't do that--and doesn't want to. She wants a crown handed to her by us peons. She doesn't stand for anything except personal ambition and greed.

Bernie Sanders is the REAL Democrat!

[mythology]

112. Sanders is the one who has called the Democratic party ideologically bankrupt

and said he'd be a hypocrite for running as a Democrat given the things he's said about the party.

That said, I have no problems with him running as a Democratic candidate, I have serious concerns how he's going to answer questions about that in a theoretical general election and how it's going to impact downstream races.

[roguevalley]

100. and OP, I would say hillary did the same.

[CentralMass]

2. Well I'm in the very long line of people who are glad he did.

[NWCorona]

5. +1!

[saltpoint]

6. I'm right behind you in that line.

Bernie Sanders is the most refreshing candidate who has campaigned for president in ages.

Long may he run, many be his delegates, and it's on to Philadelphia.

If the people in his large and enthusiastic audiences did not wish to hear his message, they wouldn't keep packing arenas from one end of the country to the other.

Go, Bernie!

[Bjornsdotter]

13. Count me in that line!

I am voting for Bernie, not a political party.

[Jackilope]

51. In the line and proud to back Sanders.

He is far and away more of a Democrat than HRC.

[Ned_Devine]

61. Me too!

[Live and Learn]

86. +10,000 nt

[kcr]

118. Absolutely.

I'm so glad he decided to run as a Dem instead of splitting votes running 3rd party. It's the reason he gets my support while Nader didn't. Even if he doesn't win, his actions will affect more positive change than anyone running 3rd party as a spoiler ever has, in my opinion.

[arcane1]

3. Even worse: he doesn't always wear a flag pin!!!1

[hollysmom]

8. goodness how I hate those flag pins

to me it signifies how a hypocritically we treat the troops, everything for war and death but when they come home,let them live in the streets,

[Else You Are Mad]

15. That's it...

... no politician can win without the flag pin!!!

[Vattel]

31. He treats the flag pin like it is just a stepping stone for his personal ambition to be president.

[pangaia]

34. yea, yea. I noticed that. Where the hell is it?

He's got some other thing pinned on his lapel often... maybe it's a communist party pin.
Hell, I don't know....

[FreedomRain]

58. senate id pin

nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. All the more reason to like him

He knows quality when he sees it.

[cherokeeprogressive]

10. And that's why I'm casting all six of my primary votes for him.

And then; all three of my GE ballots as well.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Hillary: "I can see Nancy Reagan from my house!!!"

"It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s and because of both president and Mrs. Reagan — in particular Mrs. Reagan — we started a national conversation, when before nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it, and that too is something I really appreciate with her very effective low-key advocacy. It penetrated the public conscience and people began to say, hey, we have to do something about this too."

Next, Hillary lauds the Civil Rights efforts of David Duke!

[marions ghost]

29. Good to see the Boomers react strongly to this

--because Boomers remember...

Not saying that younger folks don't agree, but it hit a visceral nerve with Boomers who remember the early HIV/AIDS years vividly.

What Hillary said about Nancy was a prefab untruth of mega proportion.

[Fawke Em]

53. Hell, I'm a Gen-Xer and I remember it!

Granted, my mother and grandmother were in the nursing profession and AIDS effected our daily lives more than the average person, but I do remember it.

I even remember, "And the Band Played On" and how angry the Reagan Administration made me feel.

[marions ghost]

63. Ah thanks

You're right--gen xers would remember too...

And now, thx to Hillary, Millennials will also be getting the picture

The Reagan era sucked so bad.

[grasswire]

12. no one believes your insinuation

There isn't a self-serving bone in Sanders' body. None.

[marions ghost]

16. Oh, twist it...

He ran as a Democrat because it IS the only way to get to the oval office and initiate the changes this country desperately needs. He definitely would NOT be on MSNBC if he had run as an Independent. You must be seen on Corporate media to have a hope.

Sanders aligns with Democrats and we support his candidacy. So now he's bad because he is succeeding along that road? Because the voters are coming out for him?

I see, he was supposed to run but not win.

[imagine2015]

17. What's your point? If Sanders was running as an independent you would support his election?

He clearly has a much better chance of being elected as the Democratic nominee than running as an independent.

He's not taking money from big business or Wall Street to fund his campaign.

And if Sanders had decided to run as an independent candidate you would have engaged in unending mud-slinging attacks against him. Isn't that right?

Plus big business funded PAC's would have financed a huge propaganda campaign against him.

[uppityperson]

18. So? I'm glad he did.

[nichomachus]

19. So pretty much like Hillary nt

[restorefreedom]

28. (mic drop) nt

[Marr]

36. LOL, +1

[Roland99]

117. That Goldwater Girl!

[k8conant]

20. Wrong:

op·por·tun·is·tic
ˌäpərt(y)o͞oˈnistik
adjective
exploiting chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a general plan or moral principle.

Bernie has a general plan AND moral principle. He is pursuing that with our help.

[silvershadow]

21. thank God he did. nt

[revbones]

33. Hear-hear!

[Beowulf]

22. I don't think personal ambition had much to do with it.

He's not like Hillary in that regard. I think he was concerned about the narrow range of ideas being expressed, ideas that were mostly neoliberal and neoconservative. By running as a Democrat he was giving his ideas the best opportunity to be put in front of the American people. And he's being proven correct. His ideas do resonate with large numbers of Americans.

There's no mystery why so few of his peers have endorsed him. The Clintons exert much influence over the big money donors. Crossing the Clintons could mean their ability to raise money takes a huge hit. There's no risk crossing Bernie.

You fundamentally misunderstand Bernie by projecting Hillary onto him. He's a different kind of politician with different motives.

[Armstead]

26. Bingo

"You fundamentally misunderstand Bernie by projecting Hillary onto him."

[ms liberty]

110. This. n/t

[panader0]

23. I don't believe that Bernie has this "ambition" thing you speak of.

Certainly not in the sense that Hillary does. I believe that Bernie, even as an old fart, took on this
task because he truly believes he can help this country, and beyond, more than any other candidate.
In a country this big, with over 300 million people, it seems bizarre that the choices are between some
crazies on the right, and a Clinton. So Bernie jumped in, not for self-aggrandizement, but because he
REALLY cares. He's been amazing in his stamina.

[democrattotheend]

67. I'm not sure he even got in it to win it initially

I am not sure he expected to be as successful as he has been when he started out.

[Armstead]

24. You really can;t stand him, can you?

Would you rather he lie about why he's running as a Democrat?

[Joe the Revelator]

25. Yet he represents the parties so-called ideals much more so than any other Candidate.

Funny, that.

[beam me up scottie]

27. Yes because if Bernie is anything it's a power mad political opportunist!

All those decades in the trenches pretending to be fighting for us - all a clever ruse!

Thank the dog we have you to show us the REAL Bernie Sanders!

[saltpoint]

40. Big smile & thumbs up to that, bmus. eom

[farleftlib]

47. This has been an ongoing mission

since M O'M dropped out of the race. I noticed the reek of desperation to bring Bernie down has gotten stronger with each victory. It's as if every day Sanders remains in the race is a thorn in the side.

[beam me up scottie]

54. The op despised Bernie even then.

He's just gotten more desperate because at least when he backed MOM he had an easy time finding positive articles to post about his candidate so it wasn't quite as obvious.

Mighty slim pickings when you support Hillary.

[PoliticAverse]

30. You could always go with the candidate that actually attended a Republican party convention instead.

[dchill]

32. And EVERYTHING Hillary does or says...

is to suit her ambition to be president. At least Sanders is telling the truth. At the very least.

[pangaia]

35. Well, big fella, looks like you stepped in that one.. :>)))))

[bigtree]

37. you seriously think the defensiveness by a majority of Sanders supporters here

...reflects reality about their candidate?

The laughter you hear is merely an echo.

[EffieBlack]

45. What are you gonna do?

Posting anything less fawning than "Bernie's so dreamy" goes straight into the wind here on BU ...

[pangaia]

46. Beware the Ides of March.

[Gore1FL]

50. It really doesn't reflect at all.

But I must say, the whole premise of the OP looks to be a pretty weak-sauce attack on Sanders. It deserves the general ridicule it has received.

[Lucinda]

38. KNR Thank you!

More interesting reading!

[Barack_America]

39. I changed to "Democrat" just so I could vote in closed primaries.

12 years ago.

Can I stay, or is my loyalty now insufficient?

[bvf]

41. And?

[pkdu]

42. "“It would be hypocritical of me to run as a Democrat because of the things I have said about the

party" - Bernie Sanders.


His words - he should own them.

[Scootaloo]

43. And in so doing he brings new voters to the party

And refreshes the liberal ideas and principles at the core of why we're all Democrats.

[brewens]

44. Did it for all of us. Better than a republican claiming to be a democrat in my book! n/t

[morningfog]

48. This was never a secret! Lol.

[Kalidurga]

49. Bernie can now eat a kitten on stage and I would be like so....

[Kalidurga]

52. Oh and just let me know if you have any other threads you want kicked and recc'd

I will be more than happy to oblige.

[berningman]

55. LOL try again

[RandySF]

57. OK

"Media Coverage'

[saltpoint]

59. Wanted to take this opportunity to

thank Sanders volunteers in tomorrow's primary states.

The OP should join me in so doing, because the Sanders campaign has attracted many new people to the process, a great great many of them Democratic voters, and in general Sanders has changed the debate.

So I call on the OP to acknowledge this heightened citizenship in the Sanders volunteers and to acknowledge the campaign that inspired it.

[Paulie]

60. He is following in the footsteps of others

At the 10:10 mark he explains how he felt then. But saw what was accomplished by running as a Democrat.

The whole video is worth a watch. You'll hear the same themes then as is today:

[HERVEPA]

62. You're a sad little man.

[edbermac]

93. Jury results.

I was juror 4

On Mon Mar 14, 2016, 11:46 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

You're a sad little man.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1492168

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Nasty and completely unnecessary personal attack. Refute the OP or just leave, the name calling is unnecessary

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Mon Mar 14, 2016, 11:56 PM, and the Jury voted 0-7 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Lol, nope
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Are you kidding? You're a sad little man...that's it? Forgetaboutit...it stays.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Mommy, someone was mean to me on the internet! Boo hoo hoo!
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[HERVEPA]

98. Thanks

[bigtree]

111. from this point on you're invisible to me

...and I'm a little less sad.

I'm really going to be smiling after today.

[Ilsa]

64. "Ambition" ??? Really? If he was "ambitious"

about being prez, I think he would have launched his campaign before turning 70.

We had to beg him to run. Viewers and listeners of Thom Hartmann's talk show begged him to run.

[democrattotheend]

68. I agree

If he had run 3 times as an independent for president and then decided to run as a Democrat, the OP might have a point. But I am pretty sure this is his first time running for president. And like you said, his age suggests that being president is not a long-held ambition. Not that it would be a bad thing if it was, necessarily.

[brewens]

65. If Bernie was like Hillary, he would have had a sex change, "because it's time for a woman in the

White House!" LOL

[jg10003]

66. An old friend of his said that Bernie was the only socialist he met that actually wants to win.

Leftists can complain on DU and vote for 3rd party candidates forever. But the only way change will occur is by electing a Democrat like Bernie.

[dogman]

69. Can you address his point?

Which Independent candidate who is not a billionaire gets media coverage? Did you prefer Nader's 3rd Party run?

[jalan48]

70. This is the kind of ambition I support. It's about us, not him.

[Go Vols]

71. K&R

Someone had to be the D.

[Loudestlib]

72. You know if he ran as an independent that the democrats would lose the WH.

You Clinton supporters complain about Nader all the time. Nader hardly pulled any votes. Sanders could crush it. You should be grateful that Bernie decided to run with the Democrats.

[Major Hogwash]

73. Wow, he must be some kind of evil genius, or sumpting.

Probably calls himself Bernie just to make him sound friendlier, too!

[Bonobo]

74. Apparently you think the label "Democrat" is a magical incantation.

You apparently think that, with this label, one acquires traits and characteristics that make them desirable rather than the reverse.

It is clear to me that you are not a serious poster but have become infected with a kind of reflexive hatred.

[HooptieWagon]

75. And he was never a Republican!

The nerve of him, firing up Democrats to take the party back from corrupt corporatists!

[ConsiderThis_2016]

76. Ya do what ya gotta do!

[saltpoint]

77. A Democratic socialist is packing yet

another hall, tonight in Chicago, to a decidedly thrilled audience.

He happens to be running as a Democrat in this year's primary election.

Deal with it.

[Kall]

79. I guess you'd prefer he run as an Independent.

Like Nader. Oh wait, that's wrong too.

[IdaBriggs]

80. As long as he is extolling democratic policies, I'm good with it.

I wish the other candidate would, too, but frankly, she seems like she fits in more as a "non-crazy Republican" than a real deal Democrat. Which liberal group hasn't she thrown under the bus: labor, LGBT, environmentalists, women (limiting abortion - wtf?) -- whose party is it, anyway?

I guess that is what this primary is all about.

I support Bernie.

[bigwillq]

81. Cool. I really don't care what letter is after anyone's name.

It's what they bring as a candidate that interests me.

And he's right about the structure of American politics. I think he did the right thing.

[DefenseLawyer]

82. There are two kinds of political party members

Those that are it as a means to an end to accomplish things in government and those that see it as a civic club. Those people see it no differently than the Rotary Club or the Kiwanis or the Shriners. They love the meetings, the titles and offices they can hold, the fundraisers, the parties and the joy of belonging to the club. Those that see the party as an exclusive club are never going to understand or appreciate a politician like Bernie Sanders.

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

83. Wrong...

He ran as a Democrat because the two party system has a stranglehold on the power in this country and he would rather not split/spoil the Democratic vote.

[Beacool]

84. Oh, but he's such an honest politician.

He's just another opportunist trying to hijack a political party. Trump is not the only one.

There's also this:

Sanders has gotten nastier. Does it help explain his staying power?

CHICAGO — When Bernie San­ders launched his long-shot bid for the presidency 10 months ago, there were two words that rarely crossed his lips: Hillary Clinton.

Now he can’t seem to stop talking about her — and not much of what he has to say is very nice.

During a boisterous rally here, the senator from Vermont dinged Clinton for supporting a series of “disastrous” trade deals. He mocked her for refusing to release transcripts of paid speeches she gave to Wall Street firms. He said she was wrong to vote for the Iraq War in 2002.

The transformation has been stark. What’s less clear is whether Sanders’s rhetoric helps explain his lasting power in a nominating contest that appears likely to drag on for weeks, considering the mounting number of victories he has scored in key states.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-has-gotten-nastier-does-it-explain-his-lasting-power/2016/03/13/a9e30ebc-e92c-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

He's an ideologue. Promising not to run a negative campaign was just lip service. Then again, he's good about making promises that he will never be able to fulfill.

[ucrdem]

90. Yeah how bout that promise eh?

The truth is he's been running on RW oppo from Day 1, namely "Clinton Cash," a short-lived bash of the Clinton Foundation, launched the same day that he declared. Some of us can see this plainly but most just don't seem to give a damn.

[Beacool]

92. He is a true believer in "democratic" Socialism.

Becoming a Democrat, after years of criticizing them, is just opportunism. Trump is doing the same to the Republican party, unluckily for them, he seems to be winning the nomination. They won't be able to stop him.

[ucrdem]

95. That's putting it very politely.

It's going to be a long race.

[Impedimentus]

94. Such a bitter, nasty post.

Reminds me of Richard Nixon's campaign against John F. Kennedy.

Why can't we all just get along?

[Beacool]

99. The diatribes against Hillary on this board far outweigh the ones against Sanders.

[ThePhilosopher04]

85. Hillary should be thankful he's not running as an Independent, which would mean zero chance she

becomes President. Not so sure her chances are much higher than zero as it is now.

[Beacool]

87. They're higher than his.......

[basselope]

88. Good for him.

I LOVE his honesty... one of the best things about him.

He's the only reason I came back into this party.

[Aerows]

89. You know, bigtree

I liked you a hell of a lot better when you were in the O'Malley camp.

Then you had some positive things to say.

When everything becomes damage control for a candidate, that is a political race that is doomed to fail.

I'd like the real bigtree back.

[JackBeck]

96. Did you see bigtree's OP from earlier today written by a TERF?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1487152

And yet when this was pointed out to them, the OP still stands.

[AtomicKitten]

108. +1

[Impedimentus]

91. The Clinton Campaign Is Shocked By Honesty

No Surprise here. I'm proud to be in that line of Sander's supporters.

[thucythucy]

97. I wish we had a thousand more Democratic candidates like Senator Sanders.

And ten or twenty or fifty million more voters like him.

BTW--I despised Ralph Nader for running as a third party spoiler in 2000. Not that I want to uncork that whole can of worms again, but Bernie running as a Democrat in 2016 is fine by me--better than fine, it's awesome.

PS--the whole purpose of a political party is to be "a stepping stone"--or more accurately it's to provide the infrastructure needed to win elections by people who generally agree with the party's platform and principles. What else is a party for, if not that? Some insiders' club, a fraternity, a discussion group?

Or to put it another way--the party exists for the candidates and the people they hope to represent, and not the other way around.

[highprincipleswork]

101. You will be lucky if he is nominated to represent this almost derelict Party.

[Betty Karlson]

102. He's not the one running a campaign about "me me me my turn!" - I think you are projecting.

n/t

[snowy owl]

103. Pretty smart move, huh? He outsmarted Toad.

I mean, if he wants to be president, I guess you go where the candidates can get the publicity. Would you expect him NOT to do that? That would be pretty stupid.

I watched that debate. Funny, Toad thinks he's smart and tried to veer Bernie away from issues into the Trump (gawd more trump on MSNBC!) mess but Bernie caught on real fast and inserted Clinton exactly where Toad thought he was going to say "trump." I loved it. Thank god Bernie didn't have to deal with Mathews. He'd have gotten no words in at all. They all thought the Toad was the clever one. Bernie stalled him at every distraction. We need a smart canny President. Obama is smart but he ain't canny. Bernie? Wow!

BTW, all those "special interest" jabs Toad took when going to commercial spots? Bernie should have commented on the profits for Comcast and suggested to Toad and the young people that Comcast could afford to air one or two less commercials per hour. Yes, they are special interests, aren't they? Toad would have walked right into that one.

We so need you, Bernie

[Zira]

104. I think he made a wise decision.

And I consider him a Democrat because he stands for my Democratic values.

I think he's just not part of political corruption that the Democratic party would have gotten into over the years.

[ucrdem]

105. Basically he's capitalizing on anti-Clintonism and playing it for all it's worth.

And from the fear-mongering campaign he's running it's pretty clear that he feels no loyalty whatsoever to the Democratic party. Far from it.

p.s. thanks bigtree for keeping it real.

[azurnoir]

107. I understand your frustration really I do

without Bernie Hillary would already be the sole candidate wouldn't she?

[eridani]

109. You would have preferred he run as an independent spoiler in the GE? n/t

[mainer]

113. I respect him more for first being an Independent

It shows he's not beholden to any machine. He used his noggin, understands that this is a two-party system, and to best serve his country, he became a Democrat.

[UglyGreed]

114. Better than being Nadered

he did the Party a HUGE favor.......

[Gwhittey]

115. Look at voting record.

See which of two had voted more along (D). Kinda stupid to try and hit sanders on being a democrat when you support a RAIN (Republican Except In Name)

[Arkana]

116. I fail to see what's wrong with this.

Especially considering he's a better Democrat than most Democrats.

[kcr]

119. No. Bernie actually wants to change things for the better.

His advisers were smart and convinced him of the right way to go about it. He is smart and listened to them. If only Nader had listened to such good advice. This is how you change the party and make it progressive. It's the only way you can change anything in our two party system right now. He is garnering far more attention for progressive ideals and showing that they can win.