Bernie Sanders Is Showing Us the Socialist Way to Run for President

[brooklynite]

The Daily Beast:

Hillary Clinton has been the Democrats’ ace in the hole, the star attraction at rallies in liberal New York and conservative Kentucky. Elizabeth Warren has been barnstorming for fellow progressives, hoping to increase the numbers of the so-called Warren wing of the Senate. Martin O’Malley, the eager Maryland governor, has made appearances at seemingly every housewarming party for every county council candidate from New Hampshire to Nevada.

But what about Bernie Sanders? The socialist senator from Vermont has been perhaps more explicit about his 2016 ambitions than any of the aforementioned contenders, telling The Nation magazine in the spring that “I am prepared to run for president of the United States” and telling The Daily Beast this summer that “I am giving serious thought to it.”

But Sanders is no great demand in the swing states, and he hasn’t been collecting chits in the early primary states. Indeed, a review of his campaign schedule reveals a highly unorthodox approach in the pre-primary presidential process.

There was a fundraiser for Keith Ellison, the Minnesota congressman who is one of the most consistently liberal members of the House and who routinely wins election by 50 points or more (and who faces only token opposition this year). Sanders also fundraised and campaigned for Gloria Bromell Tinubu, a former member of the Georgia state legislature who is making her second run for Congress in deeply conservative South Carolina after losing in 2012 to Rep. Tim Rice by 14 points.

I thought Bernie Sanders was supposed to be able to appeal to Democrats everywhere and take on Hillary Clinton in a national primary. Why's he only playing to the base?

[JonLP24]

1. In my opinion

He is showing us the real interest, real discussion way to run for President if he decides to do it.

If you haven't watched his appearence on MTP, if you have note how he handled the Hillary bait by addressing it for what it is by first stating that he doesn't know if she is running or not or what she is running on the said "The truth is, there is profound anger at both political parties, more and more people are becoming independent, the issue is not Hillary, I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. The question is: At a time when so many people have seen a decline in their standard of living, when the wealthiest and largest corporations are doing phenomenally well, the American people want change. ... Let Hillary speak for herself. I know where I'm coming from."

If you ever looked at the rules of logical arguments (which apply to any sort of discussion, really) this was textbook. It also shows that he is serious, interested in real discussions & real results and so far, not playing electoral games but making complaints where it matters.

He realizes what is necessary to gauge what kind of shot he has but he understands as well as anyone how unlikely his chances are by saying it would take "an unprecedented grassroots movement". If it comes to appealing to the base he'll likely deal with it when it comes, general public doesn't know who any of these people are until media starts publicizing early poll & fund raising front runners next summer unless their name is Hillary Clinton.