Republicans for Bernie

[eridani]

Bernie can appeal to Republicans with a populist streak who hate banksters. Hillary can't. 'Nuff said.

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.

[malokvale77]

1. Well, well, well.

Republicans for Bernie surely beats Reagan Democrats any day.

To this day I will not have anything to do with the traitorous Dems who voted for Reagan.

They deserve every bit of scorn true Democrats put upon them.

[nikto]

4. To this day I will not have anything to do with the gullible Americans who voted for Reagan.

ftfy


(Hey, it's an issue with me ).

[malokvale77]

9. Indeed nikto

It is an issue. An unforgivable issue.

Glad you're here.

[MissDeeds]

11. It's an issue with me too

A Reagan Democrat is a Republican. Period.

[dreamnightwind]

2. A two-edged sword

First, I very much believe in the left and the right getting together to wrest control of this nation back from corporations. We have many common interests, which are basic human interests of personal well-being, financial security, and having a decent environment in which to live (the Republicans will need a lot of education on that issue, but I think some of them are waking up to the reality of it).

Some Republicans are afraid of going up against Hillary's huge donor base, seeing her as the more formidable candidate. That's the edge of the sword I have no use for.

Others, though, either are aware or can be made aware that the same forces are screwing all of us, and voting for the corporate candidate of our party of choice is letting the corporations rob of us all that we treasure, including, increasingly, our sovereignty, which is an issue Republicans care about a lot.

There's a huge frustration out there that all of the politicians are crooks who don' represent our interests. They're prety much right about that. It has caused most people I know to lose any interest in politics. Bernie, to me, is the antidote to that hopelessness.

Thom Hartmann has been using his show to reach out to these people, referring those on the right to Obamatrade.com. That site makes me sick, I can't stand RW B.S., but I find it interesting that Hartmann is using this tactic, as I have a lot of respect for Thom.

I think we can reach some of those people in a better way, by truth-telling rather than by fear-stoking as Obamatrade,com does. Many Americans have literally never heard the issues of today explained to them from someone with the perspective of Sanders.

[sabrina 1]

3. Good post. "Bernie, to me, is the antidote to that hopelessness".

Let's face it, decent Republicans must be wondering what is going on in that party. Their registered voter numbers are down to 29%. So there are a lot of disaffected voters around who just want to hear straight talk about the economy, they have kids too and want to be able to afford to send them to college.

Republicans also support SS according to polls I have seen lately.

A lot of people are waking up and realizing that this country badly needs help.

First, I very much believe in the left and the right getting together to wrest control of this nation back from corporations. We have many common interests, which are basic human interests of personal well-being, financial security, and having a decent environment in which to live (the Republicans will need a lot of education on that issue, but I think some of them are waking up to the reality of it).

Yes, the keep the people divided because if they ever became united with that one goal in mind, to end Corporate control of this country, it would be all over for those who are destroying this country, like the Kochs, Monsanto, Wal Mart.

Bernie will probably get the Independent Vote, AND he is going to go after non-voters. And I think he can bring some hope to those voters who have given up.

[dreamnightwind]

6. Yes, I actually see the primary as the biggest obstacle

I'm pretty sure Bernie can handle anyone the Reublicans put out there, and as the Democratic nominee, he will have a lot of opportunity to be heard.

The battle is in the primary, where he has no guarantee of being heard by most people, the debates are controlled and the media will ignore him as a fringe candidate if they can get away with it. Hillary has tons of corporate money and sadly she intends to use plenty of it against Bernie. Hard for me to understand a Democrat supporting her in the primary, though there are some Democratic voters who are that far to the right, I think most are just ready to vote for the next in line, rather than take a close look at who that is and what she stands for.

The disaffected pool is HUGE, Bernie will get a lot of people to come vote in the general who haven't felt like voting in a long time, and most all Democrats would vote for him in the general too rather than vote for a Republican. Then there are the disaffected Republicans who would love to vote for a trustworthy public servant if they could find one.

[nxylas]

5. Conservative Catholics seem to like him

While they side with the Republicans on social issues, they also tend to be pro-labor and against oligopoly. Some of the comments I've seen on Facebook from Catholic friends are saying that they need to get past what one poster disparagingly called "abortion Tourette's" and choose Bernie as the lesser of two evils (from their point of view).

[BrotherIvan]

7. I have seen on reddit that Republicans are switching parties just to vote for Bernie

If these are people who identified as Republicans because they were emulating their parents, I am glad they woke up. But I won't ever trust a Republican. I do think though that this is a good argument of why Bernie is a more viable general candidate. He will get votes from lots of independents, and some from libertarians and even moderate Republicans. Hillary can't do that. In fact, I believe the reaction will be for Republicans to be fired up and for Democrats to stay home, leading to the same results we have had in two midterms.

But Clinton is playing identity politics and that is very strong. I hope that people aren't fooled this time but I have little hope. The Julian Castro rumor before she has even announced her platform is a very smart move.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Reagan cut taxes for the very wealthy

The top rate went from 70% all the way down to 28% during his administration, while taxes on certain capital gains went all the way down to 20%, before they were readjusted to 28%.

And Reagan raised taxes on people at the bottom of the economic ladder-- that includes both the bottom income tax rate, and the FICA tax.

[Skittles]

10. Reagan was a piece of SHIT

he made greed and idiocy fashionable

[tk2kewl]

12. And Republicans for Hillary...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026729006

[Mopar151]

13. The thing is, in the New England Town Meeting worldview

Bernie is the most conservative canidate going - as in, careful with OUR money, maintaining infrastructure 'cuz fixin's cheaper than throwin' away, not running up huge defecits, taxing responsibly - all the things that moderates of both parties have advocated for years.

And there are plenty of Republicans who are having a little trouble keeping their Cornflakes down when they look at the current Clownbus contenders.