Why Bernie Sanders isn’t going to be president, in five words

[riversedge]

The Fix
Why Bernie Sanders isn’t going to be president, in five words

By Chris Cillizza October 12 at 9:34 AM

Here's an exchange from Bernie Sanders's appearance on "Meet the Press" on Sunday:




TWEET:
Meet the Press @meetthepress

CHUCK TODD: Are you a capitalist?

@BernieSanders: No. I'm a Democratic Socialist.

8:33 AM - 11 Oct 2015



And, in those five words, Sanders showed why — no matter how much energy there is for him on the liberal left — he isn't getting elected president.

Why? Because Democrat or Republican (or independent), capitalism remains a pretty popular concept — especially when compared to socialism. A 2011 Pew Research Center survey showed that 50 percent of people had a favorable view of capitalism, while 40 percent had an unfavorable one. Of socialism, just three in 10 had a positive opinion, while 61 percent saw it in a negative light.

Wrote Pew in a memo analyzing the results:.......................

[Angry Dragon]

1. Yet runaway capitalism is working out so well for everyone

[deutsey]

2. +1

[orpupilofnature57]

40. 99% To be exact .

[We Want Bernie]

3. Brutal truth....

And I stand and applaud him, and back him up.

I'm a Gen-X'er

[orpupilofnature57]

39. + 1000 for Courage and Vision !!!!!!!

[deutsey]

4. Oh. The horror.

Perhaps people need to know more about Democratic Socialism before yelling "Booga-booga!"

http://www.dsausa.org/about_dsa

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. DSA's members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in American communities and politics.

At the root of our socialism is a profound commitment to democracy, as means and end. As we are unlikely to see an immediate end to capitalism tomorrow, DSA fights for reforms today that will weaken the power of corporations and increase the power of working people. For example, we support reforms that:

decrease the influence of money in politics

empower ordinary people in workplaces and the economy

restructure gender and cultural relationships to be more equitable.

We are activists committed to democracy as not simply one of our political values but our means of restructuring society. Our vision is of a society in which people have a real voice in the choices and relationships that affect the entirety of our lives. We call this vision democratic socialism — a vision of a more free, democratic and humane society.

[madfloridian]

26. Agreed, deutsey

Thanks for the post.

[sadoldgirl]

5. If you are right on this,

then it only shows the magnitude of willful
ignorance of the electorate.
They love Medicare, SS, Medicaid, school
luncheons, Highways, etc, but are too
preconditioned to call these by their
correct name.

[Thinkingabout]

10. Do you or have you ever paid FICA or Medicare taxes?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

45. People are so manipulated by cable "news" blowhards,

the pundit class that stands for nothing other than lining its own pockets, etc.

I'm just hoping Sanders can *uncondition* potential voters in a VERY short amount of time.

[BernieFan57]

6. Five words: "No, I'm a Democratic socialist." And, crickets.

Nobody cares.

Younger voters, especially, don't care- they didn't live though the red scare.

High information voters, thinking voters, they don't care because they know we already live with socialist programs like highways and social security.

So, who is going to care?

Maybe low information voters who have a grudge to bear or want Hillary just because or who hate Jews and are looking for excuses not to vote, but these people weren't going to vote for Sanders anyway.

I don't think this changes a thing, these five words.

[Bread and Circus]

12. ^^ a lot of this

[Thinkingabout]

7. I can jump up and say everything is free but the tab comes and there has to be a way to pay for free

[aidbo]

8. I heard we aren't supposed to take Cillizza seriously because he's anti-Hillary

[restorefreedom]

9. why hillary will lose in 11 words

people get it now...capitalism is rigged for the one percent.

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. Well ...

the 50 percent of people had a favorable view of capitalism and the 61 percent that see Socialism in a negative light.

And the vast majority of the electorate that doesn't really care about socialism/capitialism.

[Cheese Sandwich]

31. actually you're right about that

I take it back

[left-of-center2012]

13. "capitalism remains a pretty popular concept" ?

Everyone loves those folks on Wall Street.

[stillwaiting]

23. People just need to put one and one together.

Most people hate Wall Street.

Wall Street IS capitalism.

Come on people, time to wake up! Time to break thru the programming.

Let's choose to live in a society that operates to take care of the needs of the many and not the avaricious desires of a few.

[1StrongBlackMan]

33. No ...

most people don't think/care about wall street.

[frylock]

14. WOLVERINES!!1

[cascadiance]

15. People are discovering the truths of what they want and what system works best for that!

Looks to me like those polled blindly on what society best represents their wishes is more aligned with Sweden (A Democratic Socialist country!) rather than what we have now in our corporatist mess that most people are getting screwed by. I think many will want a system that gives them what Sweden has than what we've been "given" up over the last forty years by Republican/Neo-liberal "leadership" that is being shown to be an epic FAIL for most of us!

[DianeK]

16. red baiting does not pack the same kind of punch..

that it used to..obviously stark capitalism has been shown to be a colossal failure

[dalars]

17. America IS a Democratic Socialist country

I think someone needs a reality check.

Social Security is Democratic Socialism.
Medicare is Democratic Socialism.
Medicaid is Democratic Socialism
Public libraries are Democratic Socialism. (and in the Constitution)
The US highway system is Democratic Socialism (and in the Constitution)
our electric grid is Democratic Socialism
Public Utilities are Democratic Socialism

I can go on.

a majority of Americans support universal health care

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2014/may/14/ralph-nader/70-years-most-americans-have-supported-single-paye/

a majority also support all the social programs.

your problem is thinking Democratic Socialism IS Socialism.
That is just silly.

[NuclearDem]

22. You don't seem to understand what democratic socialism is.

Democratic socialism is the implementation of a socialist economic model in place of a capitalist model through the democratic process, as opposed to the revolutionary process of Marxist-Leninist and Maoist socialism.

Social democracy is the coexistence of capitalism and a strong welfare state. Social Security, Medicare and food stamps are part of the welfare system.

So, no, the United States is not a democratic socialist country. Not by a long shot.

[riversedge]

18. Bernie Sanders is Not a Capitalist

MTP also has a video --


http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/bernie-sanders-is-not-a-capitalist-542522435717



Bernie Sanders is Not a Capitalist

The Democratic Presidential Candidate explains to Chuck Todd on Meet the Press why he is a 'democratic socialist' and not a capitalist.

[artislife]

19. 5 words why H isn't going to be president

She is just not likable.

[99th_Monkey]

20. Funny how Sanders has been trumpeting his DEMOCRATIC Socialistic views for 40 years

and people keep loving on him more and more every time he opens his mouth, especially about
the inequities of unfettered Capitalism.

I think you're indulging in a wee bit of wishful thinking on this one.

[Truprogressive85]

21. Dear Lawd ring the alarm

The Commies are coming oh noes

lmao

Who would of thought we would had a catholic president or black president

So i do not buy into this notion that Democratic Socialist cant win

[angrychair]

36. Sorry, your last statement

Gives the impression you are using the "red scare" tactic. Saying "...members of my commune to help me do this?" is a disingenuous statement. That is not how DS would work. I would bet you know that or are not as verse in the subject as you claim.
What is very clear is that Capitalism is as much a failed political philosophy and economic philosophy as Marxism or Communism. We have reached a level of unsustainable economic inequality. The rights of a few now matter more than the many. In this brave new world, corporations are people too (my friend).
The first step is admitting there is a problem.
Hey, it worked on Star Trek.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. Honesty is breathtaking in a politician.

[GeorgeGist]

27. Capitalism wins.

Democracy loses. End of story.

[BainsBane]

43. Capitalism won 200 years ago

We live under a global capitalist economic system, in a capitalist state. People can say they aren't capitalists from now until eternity but it doesn't change the fact we all participate in that system. Capitalism isn't an ideology. It's not like saying I'm a Buddhist or I'm an existentialist. Capitalism is an economic structure that determines how we work, social relations, as well as the nature of the state. I find his statement ludicrous.

The point, however, is that the public in general fears and dislikes socialism. Whether they understand it or not is apart from the point. All the GOP needs to do is run statements of Bernie saying he's a socialist and they win the presidency and down ballot races. THAT is why they are exerting so much energy trying to destroy Clinton. Bernie is their dream come true as a candidate to run against.

[Aerows]

28. I am voting for Bernie.

Those are the only five words you need. These passive aggressive posts that suggest that Democrats on DU and Democrats in general are too naive or stupid to know what is good for them just make me all the more convinced.

I don't want more of what hasn't been good for the country, I want more of what is good for the country and it isn't Republican-Lite triangulating.

[Broward]

29. My hope is that when Bernie gets his message out those poll numbers will change.

How about the following words from Hillary's floor speech on the IWR though? "So it is with conviction that I support this resolution as being in the best interests of our nation." These 19 words should prevent her from winning the Democratic nomination.

[orpupilofnature57]

34. + 1000 for Courage and Vision !!!!!!!

[orpupilofnature57]

32. Chuck Toad tried to marginalize that fact that Bernie has paved the way for most of her views,,NOW

Fascism is not a popular concept but it's what the war in Iraq, the TPP, and unchecked surveillance are all about .

[Thinkingabout]

37. Hillary has paved the way on voter suppression, gun control and caregiver assistance.

[left-of-center2012]

35. why hillary will lose in 9 words

"I did not have email with that internet server"

[Thinkingabout]

38. Or where is Bill's golden parachute?

[Motown_Johnny]

41. He Wants That Fight! He has been winning it for 35 years.

You just don't get it.

He has defined the debate and it is exactly what he wants.


The (R)s will call any (D) a Socialist. We should have a nominee who knows how to win that argument.

[thesquanderer]

44. He will expend much effort differentiating Scandanavian Democratic Socialism from Marxist Communism

Probably about as much time as HRC is going to have to talk about email.

It will get wearisome for them, and wearisome for us.

But ultimately, most people are not going to choose a candidate based on either one of these things.

Of course, in the abstract, in this country, people tend to say "socialism, bad!" But that doesn't mean they will automatically tune BS out, and once they hear him speak, they may like what they hear. They have never heard someone espouse democratic socialism before. Most have never spent time seriously thinking about it. A kneejerk negative reaction to the word doesn't really tell you what they will think once they watch the debates, for example.

One author at wapo who wrote about this--and actually agrees with you that it's a major problem for BS--at least also had the counter insight to suggest another possibility,

He could also, I would point out, move to change people's perceptions of socialism altogether — help it go more mainstream. That is also completely plausible, especially since we haven't had much of a conversation about socialism in this country for a very long time.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/08/17/could-a-socialist-actually-be-elected-president/

And while a whole lot of people believe a socialist is simply unelectable today, a lot of people thought that a black man would be unelectable 8 years ago. And BS isn't even really the kind of socialist most people polled are thinking about when they hear the word socialist. OTOH, Obama really was black.