Conservative Enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders Suggests He Can Unite a Divided Public

[portlander23]

Conservative Enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders Suggests He Can Unite a Divided Public
Rick Perlstein
The Washington Spectator

Sanders has been extraordinarily clear about the kind of shift he’d like to effect: Republicans “divide people on gay marriage. They divide people on abortion. They divide people on immigration. And what my job is, and it’s not just in blue states. . . to bring working people together around an economic agenda that works. People are sick and tired of establishment politics; they are sick and tired of a politics in which candidates continue to represent the rich and the powerful.”

The theory suggests that when upwards of 60 percent of voters consistently agree that rich people should have their taxes raised, a candidate who promises to do so might be identified as what he actually is: middle of the road. That if Democrats give Democratic speeches on economic issues, voters suckered into Republicanism by refrains like Jihad! Jihad! Jihad! just might try something else. And that new voters might be attracted into politics if they could just hear a candidate cut to the radical quick of the actual problems that are ruining their lives. My new Republican friends didn’t know they were not “supposed” to like a “liberal” like Bernie Sanders. Then they heard what he was saying, and liked what they heard. How many are there like them? That’s what I’ve been trying to begin to find out.

Eleven days later, I’m at a Bernie Sanders house party in the depressed steel town of Griffith, Indiana, in a state that places in the bottom quartile on Silver’s chart. I approach a young man in his twenties wearing a thrift store T-shirt. I ask him what brings him here tonight.

“I’m just helping out my friends because they asked me to help out,” he tells me. He adds that he’s a conservative: “But I approve of some of the stuff that Bernie stands for. Like appealing to more than just the one percent and just trying to give everybody a leg up who’s needing it these days.” Data-driven analysis is only as good as the categories by which you sift the information. If you’ve already decided that “liberals” are the people who prefer locally sourced arugula to eating at McDonald’s, or are the people who don’t watch Fox News, it is a reasonable conclusion that there aren’t enough “liberals” out there to elect Bernie Sanders. Yet political categories shift. One of the things the best politicians do is work to shift them.

The speech begins. I’ve rarely heard one more electric. Bernie gets to the part about how America could increase its competitiveness and move toward full employment by spending a trillion dollars rebuilding bridges and roads, and a fashionably dressed young woman next to me with a swallow tattoo on her wrist cries out like a cheerleader.

At the 21-minute mark comes something extraordinary. After a reverberating ovation for a call for pay equity for women, a promise to fight for 12 weeks of paid family leave, and an excoriation of the fact that “the American people work more hours than any other major country on Earth.” Then the senator announces his marquee platform plank.

“To make every public college and university tuition-free.”

The crowd’s response is so ecstatic it overdrives my tape recorder. It continues into a chant: “BERNIE! BERNIE! BERNIE! BERNIE!”

In Griffith, I met a remarkable black retiree named Martha Harris. Her grandparents were slaves, and she remembers going into hiding at the age of three when her father was run off by the Klan for being “uppity.” She had been following the story of Sanders’s public encounters with Black Life Matters activists at the Netroots Nation gathering in Phoenix. She just wondered why people were still going on about it. “I saw him flub. And like any white man, his staff put him out there without his underwear on. So he ran home and he got his long johns on. And I’m okay with that. He’s learning.”

In 2005, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes published some remarkable journalism on his experience canvassing for John Kerry in Wisconsin, where voters didn’t seem to have any idea that their economic distress was something for which voting could make a difference.

“One thing that nearly all Americans share is debt.” His idea? “Building a movement around credit reform—through the formation of local ‘debt clubs’ that would be part of a national campaign, for example—would be one way for progressives to reach out to non-believers.”

Now “debt clubs” are being formed. They’re being formed around the Sanders campaign. I wouldn’t argue that this will add up to a presidential nomination. But I’ve seen enough in places like Dallas, Houston, and on David and Gypsy Milenic’s front lawn in Griffith to know that something is happening here, something that reminds us that our existing models for predicting winners and losers in politics need always be subject to revision.

[Tarc]

1. The key point

In 2005, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes published some remarkable journalism on his experience canvassing for John Kerry in Wisconsin, where voters didn’t seem to have any idea that their economic distress was something for which voting could make a difference.

The premise of the argument rests upon conservatives voting in their own self-interests while ignoring the GOP's "Guns! God! Gays!" hate rhetoric.

I do not have faith in conservatives being intelligent enough to do this.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. Perhaps ...

"Guns! God! Gays!" ARE the self-interests of those voting gop. Perhaps, they prioritize these over their economic interests.

Actually ... No perhaps, about it.

[Chitown Kev]

21. Thank you.

I don't know why people assume that this isn't the case.

Unlike what some white people (or at least 31 or 32 of the, apparently) seem to think and assume about POC and LGBT's, I don't assume or even think that "working, hard-working" white folks suffer all that much from Stockholm Syndrome.

[NCTraveler]

2. Emanuel endorsing Clinton? Bad.

Conservative enthusiasm for Sanders? Good.

I don't want to unite with conservatives. I want to send them to the dustbin. And it's working. Much of their hate doesn't work as it once did. Their base has gotten smaller and smaller. We need to keep up the good work. The very last thing we should do is get excited about their enthusiasm.

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. +1 ...

I don't want to unite with conservatives. I want to send them to the dustbin.

[JaneyVee]

9. Yup, I love conservative hate of Obama and Hillary.

It has driven them insane, which is driving people away from the Republican party.

[cprise]

15. Yes and there's a huge difference

Voters are... voters. Emmanuel is an establishment politician.

Now, with that established... which politician panders to conservative causes when they're not standing in front of a TV audience? And who keeps changing (public) positions to chase public opinion?

I'd rather see a consistent politician like Bernie convince conservative voters to reconsider than have gross people saying President Hillary is 'one of us'.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Or, perhaps, conservative support of Sanders is ...

evidence of conservatives gaming the election(?).

[portlander23]

6. How does that work if conservatives vote for Sanders in a general election?

I know we pick on conservatives for not being bright, but that's seriously not bright.

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. Who says conservatives will vote for Sanders in the general election ...

I mean other than those most trustworthy of creatures ... conservatives.

[portlander23]

8. That's the thesis of the article

And it's not like the Washington Spectator is the Washington Times.

[mythology]

10. But his n is 1

He derided Nate Silver's statistical analysis and tries to claim an example is enough to contradict data. It's kind of like claiming that because a particular day is cold, that means climate change/global warming isn't happening.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. Do you think that rush limbaugh ...

in his Operation Chaos moments would argue against this article?

[portlander23]

12. OK we're just going to have to disagree on this one

Mr. Limbaugh was attempting to get people to vote in primaries. And no, I do not agree that Mr. Obama won because of conservative involvement if that's your implication.

This article is an opinion about Mr. Sanders garnering support from conservative voters in a general election. I do think he can make inroads with those voters on economic issues; to what extent I cannot say.

If that is not your point of view fine, but that's what this article is about.

[AgingAmerican]

18. There was no 'operation chaos'

It was never more than a figment of Rush Limbaugh's warped imagination.

There is no conspiracy either. Watch Sanders speech to Liberty University and you will understand why they see him the way they do.

[marlakay]

13. I am staying on base in Texas visiting my military kids

They are both independant leaning R voted for Romney last time.

I was very surprised when they said they would vote for Bernie if he is up against most of R's especially the far right wing ones, they are more like old fashioned moderate republicans. There really isnt a party for them now.

They are not super political only reason I even know how they would vote is I mentioned volunteering for Bernie in new area hoping to meet people and help my daughter then told me how they feel.

And edited to add she would really vote for him if Donald is the person, they think he is crazy. But they won't vote for Hillary...

[pinebox]

14. Bernie reaches across the aisle.

This is what I have been saying.

You're traditional Republicans are completely disenfranchised with their party and feel they no longer represent them. They have no love for Hillary either, absolutely none but Bernie is another story entirely and this is why he's far more electable in a general than Hillary. I've been saying this all along. Hillary supporters either refuse to believe it or their minds are so blown that they can't fathom it.

Read here please

Republicans for Bernie Sanders
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/23/1395700/-Republicans-for-Bernie-Sanders
It is a real thing.
Now before you all naysayers say "It's just Republicans who want Bernie to win so they can beat them in the GE!" Well maybe the politicians think that... but not the people who are calling themselves Republicans for Bernie Sanders. I believe that there are lot of Republicans who would actually going to vote for him in the general election.

What is my proof for this? Take a look at that sign in the top there. It's from Vermont. A sign on a rabid anti government person's store. Tea party to the extreme. And guess what... there's a sign promoting the "socialist" Bernie Sanders.

"Experience that money just can't buy." <--- That, right there, in a nutshell, is the essence of his crossover appeal.

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?1435025656

Want more? Ok I can provide that.

Republicans for Bernie
http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/05/24/republicans-for-bernie/

In the past few days, I’ve run into two Republicans who said that they want Bernie Sanders for President. Republicans for a avowed democratic socialist. How did that happen?

The first one was on Facebook. I later learned his name, Everett Clifford. He commented on a pro-Bernie post that I put up. He told me that he was a Republican, an ex-Marine, and a minister. “Have been living in Vermont for many years, have voted for Bernie every time, very proud of him, he tells us what’s wrong, and how to fix it, never ran a dirty campaign, so as a Republican, Marine vet, and Minister, I’m voting for Bernie Sanders.” I made a poster with him on it and told him I thought that Bernie’s campaign should find more Republicans like him. (I contacted Bernie.org and told them the same thing). If Republicans could supported a democratic socialist, that would show that his message of battling the billionaires has broad appeal. Everett Clifford told me that he thought that there were others like him. (He said he liked my poster. Someone reposted my Clifford poster on a liberal Facebook page and it drew 86 “likes,” which I thought was good, even though I didn’t find my poster that attractive).

Then, a day later, I found a post by another avowed Republican. This post went to great lengths, explaining why the person was supporting Bernie Sanders and was against the Republican party.

I am a long-time GOP supporter. During my teenage years, I witnessed Reagan, contrary to the narrative today, being a very pragmatic moderate Republican. After providing the economy with some Keynesian stimulus in the form of tax cuts, as the economy got back on its feet we saw him increase taxes to help reduce the deficit. He closed loopholes for the wealthy. He granted amnesty (something I oppose but it shows how he was willing to compromise.) He worked with Tip o’Neill to salvage social security. While I did not support Iran Contra, I proudly registered to become a Repbulican just in time for the upcoming election of 1988. I voted for H W Bush, and after being impressed with his pragmatism (I.E. raising taxes although they were unpopular) I voted for him again. During the Clinton Presidency, however, I began to notice a substantial shift to the right. They pushed legislation like DOMA and NAFTA which I could absolutely not support. However, they showed willingness to compromise with Clinton on major issues such as welfare reform and balancing the budget, so I was not yet ready to abandon the GOP, although I did vote for Perot in ’96.

Want more? Ok I can provide that too.

My story as a Republican that is supporting Bernie Sanders for President.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/comments/35wpgr/my_story_as_a_republican_that_is_supporting/
I am a long-time GOP supporter. During my teenage years, I witnessed Reagan, contrary to the narrative today, being a very pragmatic moderate Republican. After providing the economy with some Keynesian stimulus in the form of tax cuts, as the economy got back on its feet we saw him increase taxes to help reduce the deficit. He closed loopholes for the wealthy. He granted amnesty (something I oppose but it shows how he was willing to compromise.) He worked with Tip o'Neill to salvage social security. While I did not support Iran Contra, I proudly registered to become a Repbulican just in time for the upcoming election of 1988. I voted for H W Bush, and after being impressed with his pragmatism (I.E. raising taxes although they were unpopular) I voted for him again. During the Clinton Presidency, however, I began to notice a substantial shift to the right. They pushed legislation like DOMA and NAFTA which I could absolutely not support. However, they showed willingness to compromise with Clinton on major issues such as welfare reform and balancing the budget, so I was not yet ready to abandon the GOP, although I did vote for Perot in '96.
In 2000 I voted for W, noting the pragmatism of his father and his seemingly reasonable 'compassionate conservatism.' However, I quickly noticed things were a bit off. He began the war on terror and simultaneously cut taxes, even though wars are generally financed through tax hikes. He then expanded Medicare, and again he did not pay for it. I was upset with this, but I was also sucked into the whole "we need a strong leader to defeat terrorism" which I was convinced John Kerry was not, so I voted for him. Deficits kept rising, the wars were failing, and the WMD claims turned out not to be true. Then the economy collapsed thanks to deregulation, and I strongly regretted my decision to vote for him. In 2008, I refused to vote for McCain, because he seemed way too far right on foreign policy, abortion, and gay marriage (shouldn't small government supporters be pro choice,) but I also didn't vote for Obama as his rhetoric seemed extremely far left.
Of course, when Obama got into office, I quickly realized that he was actually, if anything, a moderate Republican. He passed the ACA (Heritagecare) bill, extended the Bush tax cuts (even for the wealthy at first!) and steered us out of the worst recession since the Great Depression. After the 2010 wave elections for the Tea Party, I was disgusted with how far right the Republican party had gone, and began noticing the blatant racism. I found republicansforobama.org, a group of people closely reflecting my views, and voted Obama in 2012 and Democrat in 2014. I lurked on reddit for a few months, reading r/politics regularly, and was amazed by Bernie Sander's policies. Everything he did was for the American worker, from protecting them from outsourcing and cheap foreign labor, to fixing the budget deficit by hiking taxes on the rich, to boosting the minimum wage. He'd be considered a centrist back in the 80s, which is why he has my vote.

Want more? I can provide that some more!

Republicans for Bernie Sanders: Why the democratic socialist is sweeping his home state
If Bernie Sanders ends up being the Democratic nominee for president, and it looks more and more every day like he will be, his Republican opponent is going to have a very hard time beating him.

And that’s because of all the Democratic candidates running, Bernie Sanders has the best chance of capturing Republican votes.

I’ve seen how Bernie does this, up close and personal.

Despite its reputation as a place filled with liberal hippies, Vermont, like most of rural northern New England, is home to a lot of conservatives.

Anyone running for statewide office there needs to win these conservatives’ votes, and Bernie is great at doing that.

Back in 2000 when Louise and I were living in Vermont, it wasn’t all that uncommon to see his signs on the same lawn as signs that said “W for President.”

Seriously, I’m not kidding.

And as NPR’s “Morning Edition” found out last year, some of Bernie’s biggest fans are in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the poorest and most conservative part of the state.

It’s people from the Northeast Kingdom who’ve overwhelmingly elected Bernie to almost 20 years in Congress and two straight terms as senator, and it’s people like them in the rest of the country who will probably send Bernie to the White House if he gets the Democratic nomination for president.

Want more? Alrighty!

How about this from the Republicans For Bernie facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/republicansforbernie

FAQs about Republicans for Bernie Sanders...

'As a Republican, how can you possibly agree with Bernie on every issue?'

Speaking only for myself (the page administrator), the truth is that I don't. Can any of us actually claim that? There are some issues on which I am to his "right," and at least one issue on which I am to his "left." But then hey, Bernie Sanders may be deemed to be to the right of Hillary Clinton on a couple matters as well. It sorry if seems like only a narcissist would demand a politician who agrees with him/her on every point. Good politics are about honesty and compromise, and there may be no politician alive who understands this better than Bernie.

'Are you REALLY a Republican?'

I believe we have a wide assortment of Republicans, former Republicans, and "recovering Republicans," as well as supportive Independents, Greens, Libertarians, and Democrats represented here. Speaking for myself, yes indeed, I am a card carrying Republican and have been for a long time.

'If you hold so many progressive values, why not just become a Democrat?'

That's a good question, and one about which people have expressed many opinions on this page. Allow me to try to summarize: Exactly why should I become a Democrat? My membership in a political party does not dictate how I have to vote. Furthermore, political parties are by nature (at least to some degree) collectively organized entities in a state of constant flux. It is only relatively recently that the two major U.S. parties have become so polarized and rigidly aligned with modern notions of "liberal" and "conservative." Historically - and we're not even talking that far back - both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have included significant numbers of liberal, moderate, and conservative members. I would venture to say that there's been something of a mass exodus of moderates and progressives from the Republican Party in recent times toward non-party affiliation. This event is often hailed by liberals as an evolutionary step, but I would contend that it has also been a major factor in the Republican Party becoming increasingly conservative. If you have a room filled with introverts, extroverts, and inbetweeners, and the latter two groups leave, then what is the reason for the room suddenly getting so quiet? Perhaps that's not the most apt metaphor in the world, and I truly don't mean to lay blame at the feet of independents whom I actually admire greatly, but I think you get the point. Moderates and progressives are needed in the Republican Party in order to help steer the ship. Otherwise, it just becomes a ship of fools - as it largely has already - captained by religious fundamentalists and billionaires. I, for one, have no interest in letting those folks have their own ship for even one second longer. Many U.S. presidential elections seem to end up becoming a fight for the halfway point between the platforms of the two major political parties. So until our two-party system changes into something more sensible, it's important that we establish the Republican Party in a more moderate position in order to render the halfway point at least somewhat palatable. But does our party leadership really listen us? Well, that's debatable. At least we periodically get censuses in the mail from them asking our opinions on future party directions. There are myriad other ways of influencing the direction of a party, but it takes numbers to do that. Also I must ask in return, if you support the politics of Bernie Sanders (and don't live in a closed primaries state), why not become a Green? Isn't that closer to the mark? And is the Democratic Party really all that great? Hillary Clinton sure wants us to believe so. I'm not so sure. There are certainly lots of good Democrats, but many Democratic politicians seem to be wolves in sheep's clothing. At least with most of the current Republican politicians, you simply know that they're wolves. wink emoticon

'Will you register as a Democrat in order to vote for Bernie in the primaries?'

Again, speaking only as the administrator of this page: You're darned tootin'. I have the day marked, and plan to register a week early just to be on the safe side. The reason for this decision, of course, is that I live in a state with closed primary elections. Many Republicans actually live in states with open primaries where registering as a Democrat is not required to vote amongst the Democratic contenders.

'Do you have ulterior motives for supporting Bernie?'

No. There is (or at least was) another Republicans for Bernie page whose self-described purpose was to defeat the Democratic Party in the 2016 election by ensuring that the Democrats nominate a candidate who is not electable. My guess is that they don't know they're playing with fire. Bring it on.

'But the Republicans have _______ [fill in the blank with the atrocity of your choice]. Doesn't that bother you?'

Of course. Probably. It depends on the atrocity, and it depends on the Republican. Again, speaking for myself as a U.S. American Christian Caucasian male rural gun owner whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower, I'm a clearly a member of several privileged groups responsible for great atrocities. Rather than dwelling on the many ways I am guilty by association, I instead endeavor to use my humble life to serve the Earth, humanity, and the Spirit of Love with all my heart. On a good day, I maybe even succeed a little.

Have a good weekend, y'all

#BernieSanders2016

[reformist2]

16. A good chunk of conservatives would vote for Bernie over Jeb. Few would vote for Bernie over Trump.

It's all about insider vs outsider this election.

[Kentonio]

20. I'm not sure that's true.

Trump's brand of rudeness and self aggrandizement is a big turn off to a lot of conservatives.

[brooklynite]

17. I'm sorry; where is the conservative enthusiasm?

The OP is about a House Party so, say 50 people? is that a model for the rest of the Country?

[Ron Green]

19. Socialism is good for local economic activity and

entrepreneurship. Let's not forget that.