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The math is clear: Hillary Clinton has better odds of becoming president than anybody else — by far
Hillary Clinton had a brutal summer-long news cycle that has bled into fall. She has lost ground to Bernie Sanders in Democratic primary polls, and she may draw a new and formidable challenger, Vice President Joe Biden, in the coming days.
Despite all that, she's still the candidate you'd bet on at even odds to be the next president, no matter what your personal views. It's not even a close call.
If you had to bet $100 on any single person to win the 2016 general election—to win $100 if you guess correctly—every rational gambler would chose Clinton. According to online betting markets, she remains the overwhelming favorite to win the nomination of the Democratic Party, which is the party that is favored to win the general election. There is no clear favorite in the very crowded field for the Republican nomination. As such, Clinton as more than four times as likely to be the next president as her closest rival, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/20/the-math-is-clear-hillary-clinton-has-better-odds-of-becoming-president-than-anybody-else-by-far/
67 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
My argument that the peer reviewed research suggests the best predictor of electoral success is to ask folks who they think will win can be found here:
Simple surveys that ask people who they expect to win are among the most accurate methods for forecasting U.S. presidential elections.
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
pg 1
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
pg 1
My argument that the peer reviewed research suggests that predictions/betting markets have also proven to be efficacious when predicting electoral success can be found here:
Studies of prediction market accuracy for election forecasting commonly compare the
daily market forecasts to results from polls published the same day. These studies generally find
that prediction markets yield more accurate forecasts than single polls.
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
pg. 4
daily market forecasts to results from polls published the same day. These studies generally find
that prediction markets yield more accurate forecasts than single polls.
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
pg. 4
I'm not asking you to spam your argument. I am asking you to support it.
I cited the peer reviewed research that buttresses my assertions.
I am going to the laundry room in my apartment complex to move the laundry to the dryer.
Please use that time to cite peer reviewed research that refutes it, if you can.
Thank you in advance.
Who'd a thunk it ???
It's Stockholm Syndrome.
Sid
Learn2math.
By your argument, it says 93% odds say someone will beat Bernie in the general.
Sid
to find out if "Corp Polling Math" is correct: Let's all VOTE
And please see Post #3
Again, the peer reviewed research suggests the best way to find out who will win is to actually ask voters who they think will win:
Simple surveys that ask people who they expect to win are among the most accurate methods for forecasting U.S. presidential elections
http://tinyurl.com/p9rdflr
http://tinyurl.com/p9rdflr
When we do that we discover this:
And I find is graph interesting:
Which of those 26 pages supports your argument?
-Gore1FL
Here:
Simple surveys that ask people who they expect to win are among the most accurate methods for forecasting U.S. presidential elections.
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
and here:
Studies of prediction market accuracy for election forecasting commonly compare the
daily market forecasts to results from polls published the same day. These studies generally find
that prediction markets yield more accurate forecasts than single polls.
http://forecasters.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/7-2a51b93047891f1ec3608bdbd77ca58d/2013/07/Graefe_vote_expectations_ISF.pdf
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to amplify on my previous comments
I'm going to go ahead and copy and paste a reply I left yesterday in one of my responses.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=701962
In a general, she's not electable.
This is what I have been saying. She doesn't have the reach across the aisle power that Bernie does. No where even close.
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.
?1435025656
?1435025656
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.
?1435025656
?1435025656Want 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.
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.
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.
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
'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
I've been pretty pessimistic on her I will admit lately.. but i think she did well in the debate the GOP shot themselves in the foot and more with Bngahzi , Gowdy, Mcarthy big time.. hence, you now see in CNN and Morning Consult and I think a few others her favorables have rebounded decently so far... and she still leads the GOPs at least according to Morning Consult and I think another one.. we will see.. i want the strongest person we can field next year.. i want to win.. i just hope her team is ready.. as i would hope any Democrat will be next year.. i am willing to eat crow if she has truly turned around these numbers lol.... 
