‪Bernie may have committed a fatal error by letting Kamala go first.‬

[RandySF]

I think Bernie operates on the assumption that everyone who voted for him in 2016 will do so in 2020 and that may do him in with Kamala adopting his platform in the most appealing presidential announcement so far. If she peels away his softer support and reaches into Hillary’s base, what remains for Bernie except the hardcore left?

[redstatebluegirl]

1. Bernie is NOT A DEMOCRAT!

He can't compete with the group running this time. Last time it was just Secretary Clinton, this time he has a ton of great people. He will NEVER be allowed to run as a Democrat again. I swear I will leave the party if they let him.

[disillusioned73]

34. OK...

[leftynyc]

42. Same here

No way should he be allowed to shit all over our party and then use that party for his own ego. I will leave the party before I go through that garbage again. 20 REAL Democrats can duke it out and I have no problem but unless you're a Democrat, stay the fuck out and run under your own label.

[NinaNeon]

119. I agree with you there

I’ve always thought Bernie should run as an independent.
The DNC isn’t going to let him have the nomination anyway. So why waste campaign money on it.

[leftynyc]

129. He'll never run

As an indie. Too much work, have to raise the kind of money he's always railed against. He'd have to poll at 15% to be allowed into debates. Never happen, that's why he wants to use us.

[leftynyc]

133. Spare me the drama queen BS

Of course he's going to run - he thinks he'll be allowed to USE the Democratic party again. Not going to happen. I think it's hilarious you think he's going to get 100 million people to throw away their money on someone who only craps on our party. There are several other candidates who represent the "far left" as you call them who are proud to be called Democrats. And I'll support every single one of them.

[George II]

143. "The 99% of the people he represents"? He's Senator from Vermont, he represents....

....only 0.2% of the nation's population (that two-tenths of one percent)

[leftynyc]

144. That poster is delusional

I know several people who supported bernie in 2016. He's turned them all off. Every one of them. He waited too long to concede and they all feel he hurt THEIR party and THEIR candidate. These are all good,solid Democrats and he spit in the face of every single one of them when he switched back to indie. He nauseates me.

[MrsCoffee]

136. Clinton did not lose. The election was stolen.

Your framing is bullshit.

[trueblue2007]

49. bernie is NOT A DEMOCRAT!!! if he changes just to run .... that is just opportunistic.

get that through your heads people. he is just an independent senator from vermont. a very good senator i might.
The Democratic party should not have let him run last year. YOU NEED TO BE A DEMOCRAT TO RUN IN OUR PRIMARIES !!!

Would our party let a Repuke run ??? Well then, i feel that Bernie doesn't qualify.

[onit2day]

105. Bernie IS a Democrat in every way that counts but the label. More democrat than many others

who label themselves as democrat.

[corbettkroehler]

110. Thank You!

Why can't people seem to grasp that Vermont has different rules regarding party affiliation, including among congressional candidates?

[LiberalFighter]

117. He ran in the Democratic Primary for Senator in Vermont.

He also ran on the ballot for the Progressive Party in the Primary.
There was no ballot to be an Independent in the Primary.

In order to be on the ballot in the Primary election the candidate must consent. He consented to have his name in both primaries.

Each time he was an Independent before filing to run in both primaries. Once the primaries were over he filed to have his name removed from those party affiliations and ran as an Independent. During the General elections, the Democratic and Progressive Party did not have a candidate on the ballot in the General.

[LiberalLovinLug]

111. For some here, labels are the ONLY thing that matters

No matter how closely they resemble the unlabeled ones, or live and work and fight with them.

[Catch2.2]

124. Agreed

I wish people would look at candidate's views/policy and not just the letter next to their name. I would take Bernie over Munchin any day!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

128. Ding! Ding! Ding!... We hava winner!!!

[peacefrogman]

153. I disagree. It has to do with building our party strong. Investing in the party.

Sanders does not have the history of time and effort to make a strong party and is only benefiting from the work of others. That is offensive to many that have spent a lifetime supporting the Democratic Party and not something he can change. If he had remained in the Democratic Party like he said he would in 2015, then we could let go of that. But twice he walked up to the political race and used our resources, and twice he walked away, in the last two years.

That counts.

[hughee99]

160. Actually, the DNC passed a new rule last summer, one of the

“Ways that count” is the label itself. All candidates for the democratic nomination must be members of the Democratic Party now.

[PTWB]

159. I like how progressive he is

I don’t think he belongs in the WH. The thing is - if he runs as an independent he’s going to be a much bigger spoiler than Nader was or Schultz could be. Politically it makes more sense to have him run in the primary - pull the party a little more to the left - and have a REAL Democrat win the nomination.

[David__77]

60. The DNC would let him do so should he make that choice.

...

[Honeycombe8]

114. That's true. I was perplexed last time: He's not a Democrat. So WTH?

Why is he running under the Dem Party banner?

[Catch2.2]

123. I look at policy not party

I would take Bernie over Munchin any day of the week. One should not vote for someone just because of the letter next to their name.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

127. Almost forgot... but if Bernie runs in 2020, what else would he do but run as a Democrat?!

[liberalnarb]

140. "Bernie's not a Democrat!"

[NastyRiffraff]

2. It wouldn't have mattered if he'd have gone first

and Kamala last. People are paying attention since the 2016 disaster; ALL candidates are going to be vetted, including the sainted Bernie Sanders.

[CentralMass]

8. The view of Sanders outside of this forum is a different reality.

The race has just begun.

[redstatebluegirl]

57. Think what you want. Every Democrat I know thinks he is not a democrat and

caused us to lose the last election. If you are delusional go right ahead.

[Canoe52]

80. Honest question here, how did Bernie cause us to lose the last election?

[ProudLib72]

112. He partially added to the vilification of HRC and the DNC

I wouldn't say he "caused us to lose the election". That's a stretch. But the way he was treated by the DNC left a nasty taste in a lot of people's mouths. On the other hand, he did come out in support of HRC after he lost the primary. It's more that his hardcore base decided not to trust the DNC.

[Sherman A1]

132. He didn't

But never confuse the issue with the facts.

[Kahuna7]

134. He wouldn't concede and encouraged his supporters to protest

the DNC convention. When you convince your most avid supporters that the opponent is not worthy of your vote, they tend to believe you the first time, not when you claim to now support them.

[David__77]

61. Yes.

Posters expressed support for superdeletgates retaining their powers. In the end, superdelegate first ballot vote was eliminated.

If Sanders runs for Democratic nomination, DNC will treat him as a valid Democratic candidate.

[tblue37]

67. Better he run as a Dem than as an Independent. As a Dem he can be eliminated in the

primaries, but as an Independent, he would just siphon Dem votes in the General.

[CentralMass]

71. He has stated that he is seeking the nomination for the Democratic party.

It will be interesting to see what he does to meet the requirements to do so. I suspect that he will or he wouldnt be running.

[LisaM]

76. He was eliminated in the primaries last time, but he still wouldn't go away.

Long after he was mathematically eliminated he kept campaigning anyway, and went right up to the actual convention, where he behaved abominably.

I see a fair chance of that happening again.

[BlueMTexpat]

118. Same here

unfortunately.

Like Trump, he craves attention and is all about himself.

[Doremus]

66. Yes agreed.

It seems most of his opposition is here at DU. Which makes sense since he's an Indy. But reading here might give one a skewed outlook as to his popularity elsewhere. It hasn't waned. And most folks couldn't care less if he's a registered (D) or (I).

It all boils down to the issues. And voting records vs. hyperbole.

[R B Garr]

84. Outside this forum is much harsher towards him. We

cannot discuss him here in the same manner, so it’s much nicer, actually. You can’t see here the same clarity that is all over the web about him. People realize what was sacrificed.

[onit2day]

106. So many republicans have told me they would vote for Bernie so maybe they will Kamala also

[liberalnarb]

141. + a million

[joshcryer]

72. Very true.

And not releasing tax returns is the most important part.

[oasis]

3. Another fatal error: Dodging release of tax returns. nt

[dameatball]

17. I preferred HRC but I have always liked Bernie. The tax return thing does bother me. It basically

nullifies one arrow in our quiver against Trump or any other Repub who refuses to release tax returns. Why give them that gift?

[oasis]

31. Release taxes, problem solved. nt

[EffieBlack]

33. It doesn't bother you that he doesn't seem to want anyone to see his tax returns?

[dameatball]

46. Of course it does, that is a given, but that is just part of the equation. The point I was making is

aside from that. In other words, whatever political capital we may have against Trump over his tax returns becomes nil if we don't require the same from our own candidates. I could have explained that more completely, was just assuming people understood. At my age I should have learned about assumptions by now.

[Mariana]

53. "The tax return thing does bother me." - dameatball nt.

[True Blue American]

115. Yes, it bothers me

But I have other reasons, such as the fact how he bad mouthed Democrats, promised to go back to the Senate as a Democrat. He lied. That offends me.

[Andy823]

27. I thought

Some states were demanding candidates show back tax returns to get on the ballot, or at least are thinking about it. That would be a problem if a candidate did NOT want to do that.

[oasis]

30. It should be entirely voluntary. If you've something to hide

maybe a high office isn't a place you need to seek.

[pnwmom]

32. Why should it be voluntary? It could be a requirement to run as a DEMOCRAT.

[Andy823]

38. Exactly!

It would let the voters know who is, and who isn't afraid of something in those returns. If you have nothing to hide, show them up front, don't keep making excuses like "someone" did last time.

[oasis]

44. I'm very much pro-tax release for all presidential candidates.

Don't show 'em, stay the hell out of the race.

I like the idea of voters taking into account a candidate's reluctance to be transparent. It gives them added insight into the character of the politician.

[helpisontheway]

48. He might have Russian ties too. Why didn't he show up for the votes regarding sanctions?

I never understood his appeal. I understand Obama’s large crowds but Bernie? Grumpy old man that constantly bashes the party.

[onit2day]

101. What the hell is "the hard core left"? Also "Russian connections? Please

[trueblue2007]

51. Another fatal error: Bernie's #MeToo problem. Women being harrassed

[Liberty Belle]

55. Kamala had an assistant with that issue, too.

so they can't really attack each other on that point.

neither of the candidates are accused of being harassers, but rather of not realizing or not acting on staffers doing it.

Compared to Trump, who has personally sexually harassed, groped, and maybe even raped women, this is a non-issue for any Dem running against Trump unless they are a convicted rapist, IMHO.

That said, I do believe that Bernie's voters have more viable choices than last time. If they were concerned about, say, Hilary's corporate money from Goldman Sachs, they can choose Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris who negotiated a settlement that got a lot more money from big banks for people ripped off over mortgage frauds than the other 49 state attorney generals were willing to do.

Delegate-rich California has an early primary this year and so I'm guessing that Kamala will win her home state and be hard for anybody else to beat, unless she has a major misstep or some huge skeleton in her closet that comes out.

The one advantage of Bernie would be he might be more apt to appeal to some of those disgruntled white male out of work factory workers, miners, etc. who are less apt to support a progressive woman of color, and he seems to have done well at exciting students to get involved.

But I just can't see him pulling it off this time around, unless someone else drops out after the early primaries and he adds a popular running mate. He would do better to get behind a candidate of his choosing and campaign like hell for them and motivate what even his detractors must concede is a large base to get out and support a Democrat who can unite Dems and beat Trump.

[Blue_true]

87. If Senator Harris corrected the issue as soon as it came to her, they are not the same.

Several lingering issues concerning Bernie is that he knew about the sexual harrassment and agressive behavior and did not act. He will be compared unfavorably to Hillary2008 in a similar situation, she handed the abuser and made things right for the victim in real time.

[R B Garr]

85. Exactly. One person is not the same as a pervasive campaign

ethos—the damaging accounts coming straight out of multiple staffers who insinuated it came from the top because they wanted Jeff Weaver there. Bernie met with them for an hour where apparently no cell phones were allowed ...so much for transparency.

[msongs]

4. nah his bots will activate soon as he is officially in. nt

[Tribalceltic]

77. Haven't they already? NT

[Still In Wisconsin]

98. All of Bernie's supporters weren't bots. n/t

[onit2day]

104. That's a divisive demeaning description used by Bernie haters to attack

all the young voters Bernie energized and brought into the party. Bernie may not get the nomination but he did more to energize and change our party to be more progressive and mainstream. He did more for the direction of our party than anyone else. The old guard or DLC is almost gone as our party is going back to the people's party agenda. btw...too early to predict candidates but the agenda, our policies should be discussed more than candidates. It's the issues our candidates stand for and Bernie brought all these issues into the party's discussions. New Candidates will reflect his platform.

[Bradshaw3]

5. Warren will take more from his base than Harris

Warren has better credentials on those issues than Harris does, even if Harris has "adopted his platform" recently.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Spot on

Warren (lacks pizzazz, ya know) has quietly been packing the room wherever she goes and is laying on the economic policy details without boring people. Must have something to do with the urgency of the subject matter and her mastery of it.

Meantime, it’s funny to watch people undersell her here.

[Bradshaw3]

40. Yes it is

We have very few declared candidates and much more work to do in evaluating them, but some here have already made up their minds. But there is one area where, based on past experience and actions, Warren is clearly ahead and that is when it comes to fighting economic inequality and having the knowledge on how to do it. To me, and I believe the majority of voters, that is the number 1 issue for 2020.

[dansolo]

62. Warren actually has accomplishments

For all his years in the Senate, Sanders' record is pretty flimsy. Warren has gotten a lot more accomplished to help people than Bernie has, in a lot less time. Progressives would be better backing her if they actually want something done more than just speeches.

[dogman]

54. They had a meeting before she announced.

I think there might have been a nod from Bernie. She might have a level she needs to reach and he would stay out. She hired his Iowa caucus master right away. He has influenced the platform and she seems the likeliest to follow that direction. I don't think the media want her. She was attacked for the Native American claim by T-Rump which of course the media amplified. When she sought proof, they once again attacked her for not being sensitive enough. Again T-Rump's slurs were repeated and again amplified.

[Bradshaw3]

86. I think that is some good insight

[LongtimeAZDem]

6. Not his first

[RockRaven]

9. Another fatal error: voting against Russia sanctions and Magnitsky Act

I don't care what he or his fans think was a good reason for doing so, the optics of that in a 2020 race (after HPSCI and Mueller have had their say) are going to be terrible.

[Renew Deal]

10. Bernie said he ran in 2016 to provide a "progressive" alternative

He claimed that he wouldn't have run if people like Elizabeth Warren ran. Well this time we have Warren, Harris, and others. In theory, his reason for running in 2016 is not there in 2020. It would be in his best interest to not run this time around. He will lose and may take Harris/Warren with him.

[JHB]

14. +1

[Adrahil]

16. And this time...

He said he would run if he thought he was the best candidate. Surpise, surpise, Bernie think s he’s the best candidate. The rest are, apparently, just running as a woman, or person of color.

[Renew Deal]

25. We figured out pretty quickly that he's his favorite person

[Adrahil]

56. Yup. NT

[sheshe2]

78. Ouch.

[Blue_true]

88. Bernie moves the goal posts to where they are convenient.

He likely has another reason for not releasing his tax returns this time around.

[sheshe2]

89. True, blue.

[Nonhlanhla]

11. It will make no difference

Bernie won't be the nominee either way. He will likely retain some of his previous fans, which is fine, but he has also lost some already, and he will be running against an even stronger field this time. And he is not a Democrat...

[Hekate]

12. "Let" her? I doubt she asked his permission. Also, one of them is not a Democrat.

By the way, did you see that speech of hers? She hit all the points that progressives say they want to hear, and she did it without claiming Dems are just into "identity politics" for wanting to expand the realm of concerns.

I think Senator Kamala is on to something.

[JHB]

13. I think there are a few other fatal errors that loom larger

- Not a Democrat. Joined the party for the 2016 primaries, then went back to being an Independent.

- Tax returns. Never released them, and still hasn't.

A lot fewer people will be willing to give him passes on those this time around.

[Andy823]

28. Yep

The tax return thing is going to come up again.

[comradebillyboy]

15. She's running on his platform? Really?

[trueblue2007]

52. Kamela Harris is RUNNING ON HER OWN PLATFORM. She didn't "borrow" it from anyone.

[comradebillyboy]

74. Thank you, that's what I thought but

OP seems to think otherwise.

[murielm99]

100. It is the Democratic platform.

Bernie is the borrower. He "borrowed" a party affiliation and "borrowed" his ideas.

[LuvLoogie]

75. Bernie invented progressive taxation...

and ghosted the Magna Carta.

[peggysue2]

18. Warren and Harris will take . . .

modified versions of his positions, refine them and effectively steal Sanders' thunder. This is not 2016; we've seen this picture show before.

Does anyone really think that Bernie Sanders will take the AA vote away from Kamala Harris? I don't care how many outreaches he does belatedly. As for Warren? She's a far better explainer of the Left's position than Sanders can ever dream of being because she's smarter and less the ideologue.

In addition, there will be thorough vetting this time out, as in 10 years worth of tax returns and inconvenient questions about Sanders continued unwillingness to vote for sanctions against Putin's mafia state. And other awkward lines of questioning.

This is not 2016. I predict the glare of 2020 will make short shrift of Bernie Sanders' presidential ambitions.

[CrispyQ]

19. I caucused for Bernie in 2016 but I wouldn't do it again.

If he won the dem nom, I'd vote for him, but I hope he's not our candidate.

[JI7]

20. it makes no difference. he will not win the nomination even if she dropped out tomorrow

[SidDithers]

21. Bernie's fatal error was not remaining a member of the Democratic party after losing in 2016...nt

Sid

[honest.abe]

37. +1

[True Blue American]

116. + 2!

[calimary]

121. + another 1, 2, and throw in a coupla million more!

[TDale313]

22. I don't think Bernie will have the traction this time.

I say that as someone who supported him in the primaries last time, voted for Hillary in the General. Both Warren and Harris are far more appealing candidates to me this time around. Other possibilities as well. We can’t afford to replay 2016. FWIW I feel the same about the prospect of Hillary going again, but that seems less likely at this point. Of course they both have the right, but I’d prefer neither did and doubt seriously that either will be our nominee if they do get in.

[MineralMan]

23. Will Someone Please Let Me Know When Bernie Sanders Becomes a Democrat?

Thanks. Until then, I'm snoozing...

[wasupaloopa]

24. What makes you think everyone who voted for him in 2016 will vote him again?

Nobody is adopting his platform.

Kamala is an intelligent woman. She came up with her own platform.

[The Truth Is Here]

26. I already see fatal flaws on Harris.

I'll keep this to myself, and say that Ms. Harris is already a non-starter.

[Andy823]

29. Good thing

You are "keeping" it to yourself!

[SidDithers]

50. Welcome to DU...nt

Sid

[Hekate]

64. Do tell

[LanternWaste]

69. "I'll keep this to myself" "I have nothing of substance...

and would be unable to support my premise with any evidence..."

[Blue_true]

90. Sounds that way. nt

[obamanut2012]

70. hahahaha

[LuvLoogie]

79. Oh noes!

[sheshe2]

83. Aaah.

[stonecutter357]

103. "I'll keep this to myself"

[Maru Kitteh]

108. So the Russian bots and trolls tell us

They are sometimes very talented, but still manage to mess up little parts of the English language, giving themselves away. Have you seen any?

[marble falls]

137. Whats your concern, shouldn't we get to know about a fatal flaw/s?

[betsuni]

142. The Truth Is Not Here

[The Truth Is Here]

157. Oh im here. She already made a mistake this week.

On Medicare for All. Either shes for it or for private insurance. Cant have it both ways.

[Squinch]

156. I kind of wish the truth was way, way, way over there.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

35. I would be happy with Harris or Bernie as the nominee

They would be light-years better than Drumpf. I see the white hot hatred towards Senator Sanders and in some cases Senator Harris. I will keep my eye on the ball and leave the insults to others. Vote dem up and down the ballot.

[TheFarseer]

36. No way

There is very little or no overlap of Bernie fans and Kamala Harris fans. If you said Warren, I would probably agree with you.

[apnu]

39. Who cares?!?! Bernie is not a Democrat

And he's probably not going to get on the Democratic ballot this time. Not with the width and depth of the field of real life-long Democrats throwing their hats in the ring.

Bernie is DOA in the Democratic Primary. If he manages to get on the docket, he'll get maybe 10% of Democratic Primary voters.

[honest.abe]

41. Bernie needs to come clean as a sincere Democrat or forget about him.

Simple as that. We have no room for Bernie's party identification footsie games.

I'm a Independent
I'm a Democrat
I'm a Socialist
I'm a Democratic Socialist
wait nope, I'm an Independent!

[Apollyonus]

43. Bernie's time has come and gone

He is better off retiring and enjoying his lake-front mansion. He won't have to release his tax returns either.

[we can do it]

45. NottaDemocrat needs do his job in the senate.

Too divisive.

[Mike Nelson]

47. I don't think...

… it matters. She's got that "It" quality now...

[shanny]

58. lol

I think Bernie doesn't operate on the assumption that this is all about him...despite the opinion of many here.

[jalan48]

59. Who cares? If Bernie isn't your candidate why worry about it?

[Hortensis]

63. Our Democratic platform is NOT Sanders' platform.

Our liberal principles have been in place long, long before he came along. Kamala's one of many good, competent liberals carrying forward the torch of responsible mainstream progressive liberalism, a can-do person determined to build on what we have already created.

One to look at as a possible competitor for Sanders for the resentful populist vote is that Starbucky billionaire, Schwartz. He and Sanders both claim Democrats and Republicans are all corrupt "establishment" and must be removed from office and be replaced. By them, of course. Starbucky claims Sanders' rhetoric is foolishly left wing, and Sanders will be claiming Starbucky is really just a corrupt capitalist, but they're both trying to draw the same people.

Those inclined, enjoy. And look for Russia to support them both against those Democratic candidates with the stuff to become our nominee.

[comradebillyboy]

107. Well said! ++good

[lark]

65. No, not just the hard core left.

I consider myself hard core left and I tossed Bernie to the trash pile back in 2016. He has a specific set of followers who are not Dems and who give a shit about Dems, but they just want their boy. Some of them voted for drumpf, to show you how non-Democratic they are. This far lefty now supports Warren - love her wealth tax proposal, so radical so workable and so perfect for our country.

[LanternWaste]

68. If he runs, he runs. But with a number of progressives already running, his time is soon up.

To be honest, I'd consider myself an idiot if I went low-road on him and began throwing around idiot-statements like "it's his turn!!!" or "I s'pose he's the anointed one, arble-garble..."

I hope we get to avoid those dimwit t-shirt slogans in the upcoming campaign season.

[NurseJackie]

73. I only support DEMOCRATS!

[sharedvalues]

81. Platform? Warren has his platform, but with more detailed plans

Harris’s platform is quite different from Bernie’s.

[karynnj]

82. I doubt the timing matters

Imagine that Sanders did have an announcement -- say 2 weeks ago. What would that do? Mainly turn people saying they are for Bernie if he runs to saying they are for Bernie. Note that saying that does not mean that they can not change their minds.

Not to mention there is a real sameness to Bernie speeches. What could he say or do in an announcement that would suddenly make more people decide they are for him? In early polls, Biden and Sanders were high. I would argue that just as their name recognitions made them poll higher, they might have less upside potential.

What would cause people - not already picking them, when they know them well? The only thing I can think of is that ALL the unknowns would - upon examination - by less interesting. I honestly think that we have some great possibilities, so I think the early percents for both Biden and Sanders will decrease as new people announcing and putting out what they are for.

Whether Warren, Harris, or any of the others are first will ultimately not matter -- as people can wait to make their choice and - even then - change their minds. In fact, in Biden's case, he has the luxury of waiting but signalling he is interested. He can even make speeches on issues like cancer or anything he wants as an issue. Then, if as people enter, he loses the lead, he might decide that life as an elder statesman, former VP looks better than a tough primary. I suspect this will not be an easy primary for anyone.

[randr]

91. Did the boat sail away while Bernie was still campaigning for the last election?

We have had two years of Trump disruption and I don't recall any congressional action from the Bern.

[milestogo]

92. "letting her go first"

Did he step aside and say "ladies first"?

[RandySF]

94. No but he didn't get out front

[Skidmore]

93. Sanders commits many

errors, which keeps him low on my list. And he's not a Democrat.

[Texin]

95. Sanders is NOT a Democrat and he doesn't even WANT to be.

He calls himself an independent, but if you look at his actual voting record, some of his consistent voting over the years has been with the rethugs. He has voted consistently to back the NRA by voting against gun legislation, and more dangerously, he has recently voted with the rethugs to block sanctions against the Russians and Oleg Derispaska and Blavatnick - despite what we've learned and continue to learn on a daily basis now about the Russian interference in our elections. I'd be interested to know how in the tank with the Russians Sanders is. Oh, and he voted against the Magnitsky Act several years ago. In my view, he's as dangerous to this democracy as Putin, McConnell or Trump is.

If he wants to run, he should enter it as an Independent and duke it out with Schultz. Frankly, I'd just as soon he sit it out - and the same goes for Schultz. We don't need a fucking Nader element in the 2020 election to peel away what will be essential Democratic votes and again forfeit it to tRump - provided he's still standing by then.

[themaguffin]

96. He's committed many fatal errors.

[Still In Wisconsin]

97. I donated to, campaigned for, worked for, voted for and all but bled for Bernie Sanders in the last

primary. I will NOT vote for him again. I think if he does run again he will find that most but not all of us have moved on.

My fear is that Bernie is going to trash his own legacy. I hope he doesn't.

[murielm99]

99. Kamala adopting "his" platform?

[OhZone]

102. OP, Lets hope! n/t

[corbettkroehler]

109. I Fear You're Right - Sanders/Harris Would Be Ideal Ticket

Per CNN's John King, Harris expects South Carolina to help her secure the nomination.

Video

http://cnn.com/videos/tv/2019/01/27/ip-2020.cnn

Sanders' activities in South Carolina last week reflect a similar strategy.

[OhZone]

113. Please no non-Democrats!

I mean, I would vote for him over Trump, but not over almost any Democrat on earth.

Oh well.

[NinaNeon]

120. Clinton / Sanders would be the true ideal

I just don’t see it ever happening.
Should be Clinton/Harris
Sanders/Turner (as independents)

[MrsCoffee]

135. Your ticket is so wrong.

You really think Harris is gonna wanna be on a ticket with a guy who just said:

“Many of my opponents do not hold that view, and they think that all that we need is people who are candidates who are black or white, who are black or Latino or woman or gay, regardless of what they stand for, that the end result is diversity.”

AND put him at the top of the ticket?

Good luck with that.

[iamthebandfanman]

122. I, like a lot of

Bernie supporters have accepted that the likelihood of him winning isnt very high..
so a lot of us only want him to run again so that others in the primary will move some of their positions further to left.
win/win situation regardless of Bernies out come in the primaries.
Seems like just the possibility of him running is already doing that very thing.

[Catch2.2]

125. Here's a thought...

Instead of this board constantly bashing Bernie, why don't we try and unite. Maybe be a little more open to Progressives. We will get a lot more accomplished if we unite! Bernie has done and continues to do a lot of good. I'm not saying you have to vote for him but let's come together instead of tearing each other down.

[MrsCoffee]

139. How about you get that message out to Bernie ASAP.

He spends an extraordinary amount of time attacking a party he refuses to join unless they make him leader.

Seeing the words unite and Bernie in the same sentence makes me gag a little every time.

[Catch2.2]

145. .....Sigh

Senator Sanders does not spend an extraordinary time attacking the Democrats. He doesn't demand to be the leader. Your statement that you "Gag" when you see the words Unite & Bernie is quite sad. It's obvious you won't change your views so I won't continue to waste effort on you. For the rest of the DU community, I urge us to come together. Let's unite to keep Traitor Trump & the retags from ruining this country.

[MrsCoffee]

146. People are going to disagree with you about Bernie. That doesn't make them divisive.

There is absolutely no reason to have to all unite around Bernie Sanders. It just isn't going to happen unless he joins the party and somehow wins the nomination. Then you will get your unity.

What you see as bashing, others see as serious issues with a candidate. Bernie will be fully vetted this time around. Just the way it goes.

[Catch2.2]

148. I never said...

I never said that we "have to all unite around Bernie Sanders." As Liberals and Progressives, we need to unite. I would hope that we could focus more on policy, issues and ideas instead of if a candidate has a "D" next to his name. Senator Manchin has a "D" next to his name, but I would take Senator Sanders over him any day. By continuing to bash Bernie Sanders because he doesn't have a "D" next to his name, really turns off a lot of progressives. Bernie Sanders has helped shaped the current Democratic platform. Lets unite and keep moving in a Liberal Progressive direction! Or we can continue to say Bernie Sanders doesn't have a "D" next to his name and needs to go away.

[MrsCoffee]

149. It's completely possible to be liberal and move forward without supporting Bernie Sanders.

Unfortunately for some, any constructive criticism of Sanders is going to be represented as bashing and divisive.

You realize this board is full of people criticizing all the potential Democratic candidates for some reason or another? Bernie isn't gonna get treated with kid gloves. He certainly doesn't use kid gloves on the Democratic Party.

I'm doubtful he will become our candidate. If he somehow does, I'll have to get behind him 100%.

[Catch2.2]

150. Constructive Criticism?

I have yet to see "constructive criticism". Also, I am well aware that every candidate is exposed to criticism on this forum, I have been known to criticize some myself. I never said Bernie Sanders shouldn't be criticized. If people disagree with his policies, I would love to hear them. I think that would be a very constructive discussion.

[MrsCoffee]

151. Yes, I know, every criticism of Bernie is bashing.

We already established that this is your position.



By the way, Bernie is terrible on gun control. He is also tone deaf when it comes to diversity. And it's kind of shady not showing his tax returns.

None of that is bashing. A lot of people have brought up concerns about the issues.

You see what you want to see.

[Catch2.2]

154. Once again...

You are trying to put words in my mouth. I never said every post is considered bashing. I just noted that the majority of his criticism, is that he doesn't have a "D" next to his name or something along those lines. Just look at the second post of this thread. Instead of people screaming that he is not a Democrat, I would love to have a discussion on the topics you brought up. I disagree with you on his gun control and diversity, but agree on the tax returns. But that will have to be a debate for another time. I would like to end my post by going back to my original message. Liberals and Progressives need to unite. I hope we can focus on policies and ideas and move forward as a united party to put an end to the destruction Traitor Trump and the rethugs are doing to this country.

[MrsCoffee]

155. Sorry if bringing up the fact that he isn't a Democrat bothers you.

He is actually proud of that fact himself.

Perhaps you could email him and encourage him to join the party instead of taking issue with those who believe that the leader of our party should be a member of our party.

[Catch2.2]

158. The issue I have

Is that people care more about if a person has a "D" next to their name as opposed to what their policies/beliefs are.

[MrsCoffee]

161. Except people have given examples of his policies and leadership style that they don't like.

So, yeah, no.... they don't just care about if a person has a "D" next to their name. That's like Bernie's recent statement that his opponents just want women, minorities and LGBT candidates because they are women, minorities or LGBT regardless of their stances on the issues.

It's lame and insulting.

But you really shouldn't be surprised that his not being a member of the Democratic Party, his aversion to being a member of the Democratic Party and past broken promises about being a member of the Democratic Party for life would be taken into consideration.

[Catch2.2]

162. Please post a link

Please post a link to these statements. Also, as you can look at post #2 on this thread, all is ever mentioned is "He's not a Democrat", rarely are issues mentioned.

[Catch2.2]

163. And one last thing...

My whole point was to try and bring unity. It doesn't seem like you want anything to do with that. Once again my message seems to fall on deaf ears. I probably won't convince you to change your opinion so I will focus on others who may be more open to bringing Liberals & Progressives together.

[NNadir]

126. One wonders, reading around here, whether we should hold, um, primaries.

It would seem that "Kamala" is about to be nominated by acclimation.

I for one, know very little about her. It seems to me that a lot of people are running for President, which I consider to be a good thing, so we can see a broad range of ideas and approaches.

I do know, however, about Bernie Sanders. I just wish he would go away. He's an old useless egotist, not very bright or interesting, rather like the putative President of the United States.

[JI7]

131. of course there will be a primary. Harris is the first one with a major announcement along with

large events.

other candidates who decide to run will do the same and then the attention will be on them.

even the starbucks guy is getting attention now although it's mostly negative for good reason.

[LexVegas]

138. Why put her name in quotations?

[TeamPooka]

147. Bernie's fatal errors were in 2016. He will not be a factor in 2020's Year of the Woman.

#Harris2020

[MrsCoffee]

152. Well said.