How Bernie Sanders’ supporters are planning to shake up the Democratic convention

[DonViejo]

STEVEN ROSENFELD, ALTERNET
20 JUL 2016 AT 00:16 ET

Veep protests, amendment fights, interrupting Hillary.

Different camps inside Bernie Sanders’ 1,900-member delegation to the Democratic National Convention next week are anticipating varying degrees of protests—some telegraphing their intentions now, others planning in secret—if Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party do not make additional major concessions.

These protests go beyond high-profile public announcements in recent days, such as scholar and activist Cornell West, who was appointed to the Platform Committee at Sanders’ request, announcing he would be supporting Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee in November.

On Saturday, a group called the Bernie Delegates Network announced that more than 250 Sanders delegates had responded to its poll about the acceptability of six possible centrist vice presidential picks: Sen. Tim Kaine, D-VA; HUD Secretary Julian Castro; Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA; Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ; Admiral James Stavridis and Admiral Mike Mullen. All were overwhelmingly rejected, with a majority of respondents saying they would “seriously consider” publicly denouncing a centrist VP pick and/or “nonviolently and emphatically protesting in the convention hall during Clinton’s acceptance speech.”

“You see in the survey if they close Tim Kaine, or someone like Tim Kaine, it could be a somewhat unruly convention,” said Jeff Cohen, co-founder of RootsAction, which conducted the poll in partnership with Progressive Democrats of America. “To have two corporate centrists on the ticket when 45 percent of voters were voting for a transformative progressive agenda is a slap in the face to them and to 1,900 delegates.”

more
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/07/how-bernie-sanders-supporters-are-planning-to-shake-up-the-democratic-convention/

[chillfactor]

1. OMG!

WE do not NEED a convention circus like the rethugs are putting on....what in the hell is wrong with these people?

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

4. I know...

That's not going to help the democrats, that's for sure. I guess they'd like to risk having Trump as president. They must not think he is all that bad.

[Hoppy]

14. All she has to do is select a running mate who supports the 99%.

[sharp_stick]

20. Then the goalposts

move again.

[AgingAmerican]

90. Helping actual people is 'moving the goalposts'

Wow, how did the Democratic party get to this place?

[brooklynite]

58. ...most of which voted for Clinton.

[Hortensis]

193. Yes. We're fine. Most Sanders delegates are already with Hillary,

without any feeling that they abandoned their goals, merely going after them on a different time table.

And, btw, acting out at a convention is an entirely different thing from checking a box on a poll.

[mythology]

111. Considering Clinton won people making less than 50k a year

I think she's got a pretty good handle on what the average American voter wants.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

141. I and many people here are in the 99% and would support those running mates. Are all of them

PERFECT? No. But they are a hell of a lot better than Trump/Spence. There's a bunch of people here who will NEVER be satisfied and will have a tantrum for one reason or another. Just face it you are a lost cause. Many have shown it over and over again that they are never going to vote Democratic. They should move on to a Trump site, libertarian or socialist.

[brush]

169. Why would Sanders supporters think they should have a say in picking the running mate?

The primary is over. They should get behind the nominee and her pick.

I certainly hope the Sanders people don't pull some of the stuff that we're seeing at the repug show.

[Bohunk68]

181. This is an example of what could cost us the election.

It is not a winner take all, compromise and inclusivity are important. If you do not want people voting for you, then you exclude anything that might bring them over. Otherwise, it is sheer arrogance.

[brush]

197. So what changed all of a sudden? The vp pick has always been up to the nominee

Now Cornell West, who is now backing Jill Stein btw, and others, want a say in the Dem vp pick.

There's lunacy afoot with that reasoning.

The primary is over yet some seek to prolong the tussle with this unprecedented demand to have a say in the vp pick.

[Bohunk68]

205. Unprecedented? Seriously?

It is a decision of the convention because.............they have to vote approval.

[brush]

207. What are you talking about? There is no decision and approval by the convention

It's the nominees choice. He/She vets who is on their short list and makes the decision. There is no approval by the convention.

This must be your first time getting involved in a campaign, right?

[pnwmom]

210. And the Hillary will have almost a thousand more delegates

than any other candidate.

[JTFrog]

221. Stunningly inaccurate. NT

[pnwmom]

209. Why should listening to the large majority of voters in the Dem primary cost us the election?

She also listened to Bernie's supporters, and Bernie himself says the platform is excellent now.

[pnwmom]

212. Bernie supporters aren't the only people whose support she needs, and they don't even constitute

the large majority of the support she needs, or the majority AT ALL.

She must represent a wide variety of voters with all kinds of different life experience and views. And she has already compromised a lot. The arrogant ones are people who think they are so special that every single thing they want must be granted or they'll take their little balls and go home.

[Lil Missy]

220. Pardon me for saying so, but she can win without the few who haven't already "crossed over".

Responsible ADULT Democrats understand that they vote for the nominee. Those who would withhold their vote as an act of extortion to get their way need to grow a skin and get over it.

[arcane1]

203. How sad it is that "better than Trump" is how low the bar is set n/t

[pnwmom]

208. All of them do, so that's not an issue. n/t

[tonyt53]

7. Well, it is going to happen. The DNC gave into some of their demands, and they still want more.

You think that the Republican show on the first day was anything? Watch the debacle of ours. Many of the people supporting Sanders aren't Democrats, they are anarchists. There is nothing that will placate them. Nothing. There will be screaming and major disruption both inside and out. They like to cite 1968 as their model. How'd that show at the convention work out for the Democrats in the general election?

[AgingAmerican]

116. lol so now we are anarchists?

[KMOD]

128. Are you on board with electing Hillary and

keeping the White House blue?

[pnwmom]

211. Most Bernie supporters are NOT -- and that's why the overwhelming majority

says they're going to vote for Hillary. But the holdouts could be anarchists or other disruptors.

[OnDoutside]

19. It's the nominee's choice, not yours.

[Hoppy]

47. But it's our choice to vote.

[840high]

81. Yes it is.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

145. Let's face it, most of you were never going to vote for Hillary no matter what. Don't know what

you're still hanging around here for when you are NOT Democrats.

[OnDoutside]

179. +1000 To whine is to reason apparently.

[Hortensis]

192. Yes, and we did. Btw, it would be impossible

to choose someone to "represent the 99%" because what that 99% wants differs on many issues. No one gets all they want. That's democracy.

Compromise. Acceptance. Respect for the wishes and rights of others. These aren't dirty words. They are words borne of wisdom and understanding. It's like not railing against gravity every time it gets in the way. Instead we accept its reality, admire its power, and work with it.

[AgingAmerican]

91. Actually it is our choice

[KMOD]

126. Choose wisely.

That's all I ask.

[geek tragedy]

22. She won. Get over it or go somewhere else nt

[auntpurl]

41. Sorry, who are you referring to as "Third way Republican Light"? nt

[geek tragedy]

44. you do not speak for all progressives, and there's no one advocating 3rd way Republican Light here n

[AgingAmerican]

93. Well that's some authentic GOTV there!

Sheesh

[silvershadow]

140. They are trying real hard aren't they? At this rate, expect President Trump. nt

[KMOD]

149. Take your shit, somewhere else.

The folks at this site are committed to electing democrats.

If that's not your goal, GTFO.

[silvershadow]

150. Thank you. I fully understand the rules. Perhaps you are upset at the position we seem to be in? nt

[KMOD]

156. Your position should make you cringe.

Mike Pence just went on national television and hijacked your message.

He said Trump was creating a movement. He said Trump was bringing in independents and Democratic voters. He said Trump will bring Yuge change.

You can support his position, or you can support Hillary's. Those are your choices.

Your position is asinine. Your scorched earth policy is bullshit that will do great harm to people.

Here's what you need to deal with in your position.

You have two choices.

Let the whole world go to hell, or get off of your high horse, grow up, and realize the world doesn't revolve around you.

[silvershadow]

157. Thanks for the lecture. I will remember all of that. As luck would have it,

I have no intentions of letting Trump get to the White House. I do have grave concerns about Clinton's ability to win, though. Not sure why you are laying whatever it is at MY feet. I haven't done a damn thing to thwart her efforts to win the general. But it is all up to her. David Sirota I think it was that predicted just this sort of behavior would be coming, though if I remember correctly I think he placed it AFTER November. I see we have started early.

[KMOD]

159. GOTV or GTFO

We don't have time to risk your petty, shitty games.

[silvershadow]

160. Exactly why are you so hostile, and in particular to me? I don't even get it.

What is your actual problem? I feel like your demeanor is sufficient to warrant an alert. WTF? Really? Wow...

[KMOD]

162. Go ahead and alert me.

PS. David Sirota is an idiot.

[silvershadow]

163. Nah, I will pass. But I do suggest you work on your own GOTV demeanor. I do find it

a little hostile, and I would certainly be pulled of crew if I acted like that at someone's doorstep.

[KMOD]

164. Yeah, lol

as if I would take advice from you.

I'm going to continue to work at getting the non delusional vote. Thankfully, they are the majority.

You, eh, you talk and walk like a trumper. Not going to waste my time with you.

[silvershadow]

167. You are so very wrong about me. nt

[NBachers]

188. You know, there are other options besides your authoritarian My Way or the Highway blustering.

One option: Full, enthusiastic participation and generous donations.

Another option: Low-wattage VP choice brings disillusionment, lack of participation, and a hold-the-nose vote.

And please, refrain from the boilerplate "If you're fine with Trump getting elected, then you've made your choice!" comment.

[lapucelle]

37. And we didn't need a Jill Stein supporter

on the Democratic party platform committee.

So who exactly is the "we" you're talking about?
And can you actually define what you mean by "corporatist"?

[bluedye33139]

102. Oh how I adore "corporatist"

I especially love the fact that corporatism is a feature of Marxist, libertarian, liberal, neoliberal, socialist, communist, theocratic, Medieval, modern, and even prehistoric social organization. Kids in the past 12 months have thrown the word around as if it doesn't mean "indicating a society broken up into bodies or corpora."

[AgingAmerican]

122. Too late

Platform committee is done.

[lapucelle]

206. The final draft is done.

It still needs to be presented at the convention.

It was a shame though, to see Sanders so badly pwned by West.

[uponit7771]

51. we dont...now what?

[yeoman6987]

52. See how much the never trump groups got? Exactly

This will also turn into a nothing burger.

[CrowCityDem]

2. Watching the Trump shit-show, what morons would want to replicate that on our side?

[JNelson6563]

43. Morons not "on our side".

[BlueCaliDem]

131. Bingo! eom

[silvershadow]

142. Exactly! It has been explained over and over for months that not all Bernie supporters

are partisans. I fully expect a significant number of lost potential Democratic votes. Some might well go to Trump, others just won't vote. It will be anything but a cake walk to November, as it appears the Republicans have looked past Trump's baggage.

[brush]

170. Nah! Make no mistake. We're going to win because we outnumber them

Hell, nit even half of the 17 former repug candidates are there at their convention,

Kacish is in Cleveland and won't even go to show support for Trump.

No they are in disarray. We just need to maintain, not do anything stupid at our convention and get out our vote.

[silvershadow]

171. Well that is true. Still, I don't ever put anything past them. I just need to stay calm

as you say...

[liberal N proud]

184. Exactly

How they got in to the Convention should be looked into.

[etherealtruth]

63. No one wishing for a Democratic victory does n/t

[still_one]

3. Hillary is the nominee. Bernie has endorsed her. Its over

[tonyt53]

8. Endorsed and conceded are two separate animals. Sanders still has his delegates.

[csziggy]

40. This sure sounded like a concession speech to me

Full Transcript of Bernie Sanders' Speech Endorsing Hillary Clinton

by Fortune Staff
July 12, 2016, 12:45 PM EDT

<SNIP>
Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process, and I congratulate her for that. She will be the Democratic nominee for president and I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States.

I have come here today not to talk about the past but to focus on the future. That future will be shaped more by what happens on November 8 in voting booths across our nation than by any other event in the world. I have come here to make it as clear as possible as to why I am endorsing Hillary Clinton and why she must become our next president.

<SNIP>

It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues. That’s what this campaign has been about. That’s what democracy is about. But I am happy to tell you that at the Democratic Platform Committee which ended Sunday night in Orlando, there was a significant coming together between the two campaigns and we produced, by far, the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party. Our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratic Senate, a Democratic House and a Hillary Clinton president – and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.

<SNIP>

Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her here today.

http://fortune.com/2016/07/12/transcript-bernie-sanders-endorsement/

Emphasis added by me.

If Bernie supporters are willing to undercut Hillary Clinton for some pipe dream that Bernie Sanders will be able to take away her nomination, they are working AGAINST everything Sen. Sanders said in his speech.

If Bernie Sanders cares about this country he needs to get in front of cameras and tell his followers to support Hillary Clinton. He needs to tell them that childish antics are not good for the country or for for the movement that supported him.

[Sheepshank]

61. The Primaries are OVER!!!

[pnwmom]

213. And Bernie did both. He announced that she had enough pledged delegates -- several hundred more

than he -- to make her the nominee, and he endorsed her.

[bluedye33139]

5. What is a party

What is a political party for? Should I belong to a party only if every member of that party agrees with every one of my ideas?

Of course not. The party is a coalition, and there has to be a balance between ideology and policy goals in real time. We have objectives, we argue about whether they are important and how to reach them, and then we craft legislation aimed at that. Legislation in the real world always falls short, always. There is no perfect legislation. Somebody's Pet Project is going to be put on the back burner. That is reality. You deal with it and you move on.

I often get offended by non Democrats who thought they could install a non Democrat as the party's nominee. I don't want to be argumentative, but didn't they lose?

[Exilednight]

54. There's a problem with coalitions.Everyone wants their

Issue to be at the top of the agenda.

They have a right to protest, it's guaranteed in the first amendment.

You don't have to agree with what they're protesting about, and YOU also have the right to protest against their protest, bit to argue that they loss and need to be silent and accept the outcome goes against the very fabric of this country.

As long as it's peaceful, it's legal and as a lifelong Democratic Party member and former employee of the party I welcome their right to protest.

[bluedye33139]

74. No 1st amendment issue here

Delegates do not have an absolute right to protest and create mayhem within the private space that is a political National Convention.

[Exilednight]

80. That's what conventions are about. Would you prefer if it was called lobbying?

[bluedye33139]

83. The space is private

I wonder if you understand the actual protocols going on here. A party convention and a party's bylaws and officers are all private matters, subject to the discretion of party leadership. Can I name the Green Party's nominee? Can I exclaim my rage when I see by-laws in the Green operating rulebook that I disagree with? No, because the Green Party is a private organization of private citizens, and it governs itself.

[Exilednight]

86. So...you want a political party, but you only want members who

Will not upset you because they hold a different viewpoint.

I am so happy that this party is not like that.

[bluedye33139]

92. Categorically false

I want a party that is a coalition of liberals, progressives, centrists and moderates working together by a playbook and creating intelligent policy. Democrats tend to disagree with each other on many things, and until 2016 we did so with passion and with an understanding that just because someone doesn't agree with you, you don't get to throw chairs at them or call them a whore. I want a party in which children don't have meltdowns because their little Pied Piper hasn't hypnotized the entire world.

You really didn't know that the government was distinct from the political conventions until today? You're learning that now? I am glad to be of help to you, and the answer to my rhetorical questions above is: No, I can't name the Green Party nominees, that is a job for people who actually belong to the Green Party. The parties are distinct from the state. First amendment protections do not compel conventions to allow all attendees to speak, because the First Amendment does not govern private space and private organizations.

[Exilednight]

187. Oh lordy, not the chair meme again. this is getting old and quite sad.

I know that political parties are distinct from government, and nowhere did I suggest otherwise.

The purpose of the convention is to listen to the people as well as the people listening to the nominee. Many meetings take place out of site from the cameras, policy is discussed and triaged to figure which issues should be tackled first.

If you don't know that protesting goes on behind the scenes of the stage, then you really know nothing about the DNC convention.

I've been to every DNC convention since I WAS 6 years old and my most vivid memory from that convention is when President Carter sent my father to speak with Jesse Jackson and I sat quietly in the corner as my dad and Mr. Jackson got into a screaming match that ended with Mr. Jackson walking out

People also protest outside.

[bluedye33139]

194. First Amendment

No one has a First Amendment right to speak at any political convention because the conventions are not the state.

People primarily protest outside. People also attempt to get attention inside the convention at times but the behavior inside the convention is subject to rules. On this topic, we are as one as long as the idea that everybody can protest to an unlimited extent within a convention is discarded.

I wouldn't tell that Jackson story when the question of white progressives and their disdain for people of color comes up. As this primary demonstrated, people of color are one of the primary strengths of the Democratic Party.

[Exilednight]

195. First amendment applies to outside the convention hall.

[bluedye33139]

196. Again we are as one

[Exilednight]

200. What about Bernie's delegates that have a right to be there?

[bluedye33139]

204. Democratic delegates at a Democratic convention

have an absolute and total right to be there, in fact they have a duty to be there. O'Malley delegates and Sanders and Clinton delegates
I recommend and support their attendance.

[JustAnotherGen]

198. +1

[NCTraveler]

88. What?

"They have a right to protest, it's guaranteed in the first amendment."

[Walk away]

6. There is no way that I can post what I am thinking.

[tallahasseedem]

9. +1

Me neither. Maybe the DNC should expand the vote over a couple of days in order to prevent interruptions and lengthy counts.

[LWolf]

12. Neither can I. nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

21. Do it, I dare you and the others to speak up!

[Walk away]

25. Why bother? I save my best efforts for places that are fully interested in electing Hillary Clinton

I'm not even sure what is going on here but it's soul sucking.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

29. So you won't say what you're thinking? nt

[Walk away]

49. I just did....

but not here anymore. I use this place to keep up with old friends and find links to news etc.

When you are in the middle of a history making presidential campaign and you want your candidate to win, you might prefer to be in an atmosphere that is excited and positive about her.

I rarely stop in these days and almost never stray into any general discussions. I'm looking for news about the upcoming convention to chat about on some Democratic web sites. I thought I would forage around here and see what I could dig up and look what I found!

[frankieallen]

110. Yet, here you are, posting in GD

[Walk away]

199. Just a post once in a blue moon....

I'm surprised that my innocuous comment generated such sincere wishes to hear my thoughts on Bernie Sanders and his supporters. I feel honored! But, as I said, I use this site to keep in touch with friends.

[NCTraveler]

89. I double dog dare you!!!!

[Walk away]

107. You do it for me....I'll enjoy the freedom of posting on a pro-Hillary web site.

I don't have to figure out what is "legal" and what isn't.

[silvershadow]

143. Understood. nt

[cosmicone]

10. Self-entitled spoiled brats n/t

[ChisolmTrailDem]

27. Hahahaha, that's rich! nt

[KMOD]

55. +++++

[AgingAmerican]

94. And you don't want their votes

...right?

[Loki]

180. And you expect someone to grovel at your feet to get your vote?

That's a rather interesting idea. You want complete satisfaction and complete compitulation? I'm sorry you feel so left out. I think the Democratic Platform is very inclusive, but if you feel differently, then by all means, vote for whom you think BEST represents you in its entirety , and if there is a viable candidate that does, by all means support them. I will, and do intend to support the Democratic party and its candidate, as you will do yours, whomever that may be.

[giftedgirl77]

11. Fuck those pretentious delusional spoiled brats.

They need to keep that crap in their mothers basement.

[KMOD]

57. I second that.

[AgingAmerican]

96. Do you want them to just stay home on election day?

Way to GOTV! Bravo!

[giftedgirl77]

99. Lol,

[KMOD]

129. How are you getting out the vote?

And who are you getting out the vote for?

[BlueMTexpat]

177. I doubt you'll receive

an answer to that question.

[auntpurl]

15. I am getting very nervous about our convention.

The last thing we need is a bunch of disruption. We need a united, positive event that sharply draws the distinctions between the kid's table of the Repub convention and the adult's table of the Dem convention.

Unfortunately, we've got some "kids" in our own party that seem willing to risk a Trump presidency just to...I don't even know.

I am worried. Bernie's endorsement was marred somewhat by the yelling of the Bernie supporters in the crowd. I really don't want to see that writ large at the convention. I very much hope the DNC has a solid plan for shutting down disruption before it's on camera.

[AgingAmerican]

97. A corporate ticket is the biggest risk

A corporate ticket guarentees Trump wins.

[TreasonousBastard]

16. "Shake up" or destroy? I've seen this before...

a group of pretentious little shits gets a taste of power and runs with it instead of working with the greater powers.

End result-- they waste their time and everyone else's while getting nothing done.

If they try hard enough, they could lose us the election.

[BlueMTexpat]

175. "Pretentious little sh**s!

Exactly, and you are too kind in that description, IMO. I agree with all but the last comment. Those who would disrupt the Dem Convention were never going to support the Dem candidate anyway - unless it was Bernie. We CAN win without them. We just have to work harder.

The more they continue like this, the less credibility they - and Bernie - have insofar as I am concerned. They become exactly like the GOPers in Congress - obstructing everything until they get their own way, no matter the cost to everyone else, the country, or the world. That is, unless Bernie shuts this down. Which he will not do, IMO.

If he does, I will be impressed and give him full kudos for doing so.

People have literally bent over backwards in unprecedented ways to accommodate the LOSER of the Dem primaries. For these holdouts (and they are only a tiny percentage of Bernie supporters, thank heavens), NOTHING will EVER be enough except perhaps for the Convention to declare Bernie the nominee.

That is simply NOT going to happen.

[Paladin]

17. If Bernie and his acolytes end up putting Trump in the White House, I won't like it. (nt)

[reflection]

78. No one except anarchists will end up liking it if Trump becomes President, that's for sure.

But Bernie and/or his "acolytes" can't put Trump in the White House. They can only vote like anyone else.

If HRC feels that she has to capture more of the Bernie supporter vote, then she will make the necessary adjustments to do so.

If she feels that she's already peeled off enough of them, and the others are beyond hope, then she'll stand pat.

Time will tell if she miscalculates. I still think she mops the floor with Trump either way, wait until the debates are over (if Trump even agrees to debate) and I bet the differential between her and Agent Orange will become huge.

Disclaimer: I am a Bernie supporter, I will reluctantly vote for Hillary, and I think most others will vote for her also.

YMMV

[AgingAmerican]

98. By derailing a corporate ticket?

[lapucelle]

105. What's a corporate ticket,

and why are you characterizing Hillary as being part of one?
What exactly are you talking about?

Hillary was my senator. In NY, she worked very hard for middle and working class families.

My husband, an FDNY 9/11 survivor, became seriously ill after working for months on the pile and at the dump, but he wasn't the right kind of sick to qualify for specialized programs for the first responders. There were many others in the same boat. Hillary learned about the problem and got funding for a medical monitoring program at one of the best hospitals in the city for people like my husband.
Hillary also persuaded a pharmaceutical company to provide medications at cost. The price of my husband's meds went from $800 a month to $60.

I can't begin to tell you what a difference Hillary's hard work and persistence made for me, my three children, and especially for my husband who the GOP had celebrated and then forgot. Hillary was there for us.

[auntpurl]

172. Amazing post! Post as an OP please!

Oh, also, you'll never get an answer re: "corporate ticket". The word (along with oligarch, establishment, and third way) has become meaningless.

[pnwmom]

214. What a story. Thanks so much for sharing. n/t

[xmas74]

222. This.

Stories and anecdotes like this need to be brought up every single time someone claims she's never done anything for anyone outside of Wall Street.

[OnDoutside]

18. Can someone explain to 1,900 delegates that they LOST ? Is their politics for the slow learners ?

[AgingAmerican]

117. No

They can do whatever they wish.

[KMOD]

130. Of course they can.

But that doesn't exclude them from being selfish jerks.

[BlueMTexpat]

178. It seems to be a comparatively

small subset, certainly not all.

[madokie]

23. Castro is my man

I really like this family

[JaneyVee]

24. One final temper tantrum.

[geek tragedy]

26. the vast majority of Sanders delegates will behave like adults.

The whiny adolescent narcissists who want to throw a temper tantrum on the floor in order to get attention for themselves are a small minority.

People who can't process the idea that others disagree with them have no place inside that hall.

[auntpurl]

33. I very much hope you are right. nt

[geek tragedy]

34. the children are always the loudest in the room nt

[AgingAmerican]

115. So Sanders supporters are children?

You really don't believe in getting out the vote, do you?

[geek tragedy]

123. The adolescents throwing temper tantrums are not representative of

Sanders supporters, as I said in my first post on this subject.

They're a fringe group who attached themselves to his campaign like barnacles to a ship.

Same kooks who voted for McKinney/Nader/Stein in the past.

“There are adherents to that strain of thinking, but it’s not very big,” said Karen Bernal, a Sanders delegate from Sacramento elected as a co-representative of the California delegation, the nation’s largest. In a half-hour interview, she described a half-dozen different camps under the Bernie umbrella: the Bernie or Bust crew, reflected in the Q&A e-mail; a similar subset that thinks the party’s superdelegates, or hundreds of party insiders and elected officials, can still be swayed to pick Sanders; people, like those in the VP poll, who say they are willing to publicly protest on the floor; those who agree with those protesters but would not disrupt the proceedings; those who will follow whatever directions Sanders or the campaign says; and “eventual nominee” types, who tend to be elected or aspiring politicians, who will back Clinton.

“As you can imagine, we have everything from the most die-hard Bernie Busters,” Bernal said, speaking of the 200-member California delegation and its counterparts. “In terms of the people who occupy that universe, they are almost indistinguishable from protesters you will see outside the convention. Under no circumstance will they ever vote for Hillary. They’re very protest-minded… That goes all the way to the other end of the spectrum, which is the ‘eventual nominee’ types. These are all Bernie delegates.”

Most Sanders supporters will behave as dignified adults.

[AgingAmerican]

124. Were you a Sanders supporter?

And as such are you qualified to speak for us?

GOTV is to some as Kryptonite is to Superman.

[KMOD]

127. We are all Hillary supporters now.

She won the primary.

[geek tragedy]

136. I predict that the vast majority of Sanders delegates will not engage in the kind of boorish

narcissism being contemplated in this article.

We will see for ourselves.

[pnwmom]

215. Of course not. Only disruptors planning events like "fart-ins." n/t

[GoneOffShore]

36. ^This^

[AgingAmerican]

125. "People who can't process the idea that others disagree with them"

Perhaps you should listen to your own advise?

[geek tragedy]

135. There was an election. The Crybaby Caucus refuses to accept the legitimacy of voting

that didn't go their way.

Most Sanders supporters, as adults, recognize that Clinton won because she got more votes, so temper tantrums are inappropriate.

[BlueMTexpat]

176. + a million! eom

[cosmicone]

28. More members for the hate site JPR ..... n/t

[Mike Nelson]

30. Huh...

...Bernie should release his delegates and move to make Hillary's nomination unanimous. Let's win this!

[GusBob]

35. Interrupt her acceptance speech? Proceed please, chauvinistic Bernie bros!

It would be the most disrespectful thing they could do. It would make a lot of headlines.

It would make a lot of waves too. Women and minorities across the country would recognize the burning feeling.

Go for it you tough guys

[Politicub]

39. Hate to be sitting next to a protestor whose fart

ends up being a shart. But I guess that's the luck of the draw.

[GeorgeGist]

42. Just like the PUMAs?

“This is where you see the civil war!” burbled Chris Matthews, experiencing near-asphyxiatory pleasure on an outdoor stage in the sweltering Denver heat, while behind him two competing groups, Obama supporters and the PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) backers of Hillary Clinton, chanted “Obama! Obama!” and “Hillary! Hillary!” at each other. Matthews looked as though he might wet himself as a camera panned the crowd, and he declared, “We’re at ground zero!”

[bigwillq]

45. I don't know why anyone would be upset, mad, angry over this

Hillary is going to be the nominee no matter what they do.

If they want to protest, good for them. That is their right.

[Sheepshank]

66. spoken like a true believer in promoting a unified front

...or not

[bigwillq]

76. The party is united

And there will be a unified front.

A small group of protestors is not going to change that.

[Bohunk68]

185. Yours post is one of the sanest in this whole thread.

I thought there were new rules, but I am seeing the same old nastiness being exhibited.

[NightWatcher]

46. Or here's a crazy idea, how bout we show how sane we are and we prevent Trump from winning?

No, you wanna be selfish because you didn't get your unicorn. Guess what THERE ARE NO UNICORNS!

[jonno99]

68. Exactly! The last thing we need is a circus that eclipses the current rethug 3-ringer.

A freak-show will definitely leave a bad impression on the indys that are on the fence - watching & listening to both campaigns...

[JNelson6563]

48. Ok, let's look at this rationally.

The committees will meet and do their work, the outcomes voted on at convention. This will be yet another situation where having roots in politics matters. Showing up to convention and making a scene will achieve nothing. Bernie has stated his support for electing Hillary and will do what he needs to at convention to formalize that. A group of folks carrying on out on the convention floor will be just that, nothing more.

You have to have an insurmountable block of support to overcome a realistically expected outcome. I witnessed it once at a MI Dem convention in Detroit. Nomination for AG. It was exciting and, indeed, the masses prevailed with a landslide vote. This situation is very, very different.

I just hope they don't embarrass themselves too much but they do not have the power to turn our convention into a shit show, though I reckon it's a fun daydream for some.

Julie

[leftynyc]

50. Assholes

They didn't get the candidate they wanted, they didn't get ALL the concessions they wanted so now here comes the pathetic childish hissy fit. They make me sick.

[AgingAmerican]

118. Do you believe they should leave the party and go elsewhere?

Or do you think that we need their votes?

Simple question...

[leftynyc]

173. Easy answer

There's an obvious choice to be made in November - they need to make it and stop whining for their pony.

[silvershadow]

144. Oh my. Really? Wow.. nt

[uponit7771]

53. These kind of acts makes people want NOTHING to do with the far left, they act like the far right...

... but with more snark

[KMOD]

64. Some of them were actually republicans.

[KMOD]

70. No it's not.

It was evident in the open primaries that some republicans voted for Senator Sanders.

[Sheepshank]

67. no...the term existed well before the "Pro Bernie group blames everything on Brock" phenomena

[AgingAmerican]

100. lol @ 'Far left'

It's pretty obvious you don't even know what far-left means LOL

[uponit7771]

108. If it means anything like how these guys act then fuck it, I know it when I see it again and...

... I'll stay far away from it

[AgingAmerican]

119. They are barely to the left of center.

The alternative is to move to the right. Are you moving far to the right to get away from them now?

[KMOD]

132. Please just stop.

Have you actually watched the Republican convention?

[lunamagica]

56. If they go ahead with this, it will only show the kind of leadership Sanders has :none

He has already said that he will do anything in his power to elect Hillary...but they wont have it. Sound like these people are just anarchist who were using him.

Yes, I remember the PUMAS. I also remember that when Hillary asked for unity and support for Obama, she got it...That's a true leader

[silvershadow]

146. Yes, because Sanders himself is directly responsible for others' voting habits.

[lunamagica]

152. That's not what I said, and you know it perfectly well. Stop twisting my words

Don't you know what a leader is?

From Merriam-Webster:

b (1) : a person who directs a military force or unit (2) : a person who has commanding authority or influence

That's what leader means. If these people go ahead and disrupt the convention after Sanders said he will do everything to get Hillary elected, well, it shows he has no influence, IOW, he's no leader.

If those followers are only with him when he does what they want, then, who is the leader? Sounds more like they were using him to push their agenda.

[silvershadow]

155. Sanders' "leadership" depends on people following him. Once he is not in contention, his

(or anyone's) sway will drop off dramatically and sharply. So there is no sense including him at all in any equation. Now, what did you mean other than that?

[Sheepshank]

59. and these are the groups that demand respect, recognition and......

a seat at a table they really don't want to be seated at.

hard to give these people my respect when they want to turn the DNC Convention into a bigger, more divisive circus than what is occurring this week in Cleveland.

[seanbnewyork4]

60. I support their cause 100%

Bernie is a wake up call for the establishment. Thanks to him, the Democratic platform has become more progressive.

[dvduval]

71. Or a loss to Trump

Go too far left and the Democrats lose. It is that simple. I am more left than Bernie, but I'm smart enough to know the voters in the center will decide the next President.

[AgingAmerican]

120. Bologna

Go to the left and the Democrats win.

[silvershadow]

147. and yet it is a free country. People will vote as they wish. It is fully up to the

candidate herself to win the votes. That is always how it works.

[prayin4rain]

77. I doubt Bernie supports this behavior. n/t

[840high]

82. .+1

[The Midway Rebel]

87. Yup.

And they are young. The handwriting is on the wall.

[cherokeeprogressive]

106. +1

[m-lekktor]

114. as do I. nt

[lunamagica]

154. Bernie said he will do everthing to get Hillary elected

[OregonBlue]

72. Gosh I'm sick of these sore losers. They lost. They need to get over it.

We don't need a three ring circus like the RNC convention but that's what they are planning. Do they really want Trump to win so that things will get so bad the nation will reject conservatism. Because, it's starting to seem like they are working to defeat Hillary and elect Trump.

[AgingAmerican]

101. Sanders supporters will not allow a corporate convention

And they are correct in doing so

[pnwmom]

216. They are going to be part of the same convention that Hillary and Bernie will be part of.

Maybe you wanted to have the convention held on blankets on a farmer's field-- kinda like Woodstock or something. But most delegates would rather attend the convention in a comfortable conference hall owned by . . . a corporation.

Deal with it.

[Blue_Tires]

75. I thought we were all supposed to be on the same team now

and everything was hunky-dory?

[mike_c]

79. this entire thread seems like an attempt to bait DUers into violating site rules....

Sorry, not gonna play.

[LuvNewcastle]

95. Agreed.

[uponit7771]

109. +1

[arthritisR_US]

84. One day they will grow up, we can always hope. nt

[Scurrilous]

85. One last hurrah!!

[liberal N proud]

104. This will go badly for these spoiled brats

And will put another black eye on BS.

[AgingAmerican]

121. Yes, how dare they reject right wingism

The nerve of them!

[KMOD]

133. You need to check yourself.

Are you seriously calling our Democratic nominee a right winger?

[AgingAmerican]

134. "Centrist" vp choices

Centrist = to the right

[KMOD]

137. Her VP choice has not yet been announced.

Cut the shit, already.

[liberal N proud]

182. You don't even know who the VP is going to be and you are decrying her choice

I doubt anything Hillary does will appease you.

[geek tragedy]

138. Being a shrill crybaby isn't a sign of ethical principles.

Bernie Sanders is handling this like a mature adult. I am confident most of his delegates will follow his example.

[Warren DeMontague]

165. "shrill"?

I thought Shrill was on the bad word list.

[geek tragedy]

191. Not if used in an obviously gender neutral context nt

[Democat]

161. If they help Trump and act like Trump supporters

They are endorsing right wingism.

[liberal N proud]

183. Don't know how protesting the "DEMOCRATIC" convention is rejecting right wing"ism"

What ever wingism is.

But it will help donald trump and that will not be good for the protesters or the country.

[frankieallen]

112. The differece between this election and the last one is clear to me

We were united, and voted FOR Obama, this time we are split, and voting AGAINST Trump.
Were fucked.

[Avalon Sparks]

113. Good point Frankie

[cwydro]

139. Did you mean "we're fucked"?

Good lord.

Grammar is not that hard.

[HereSince1628]

189. But, to this point that's the resonating message, RNC events invite even more Trump bashing

There's going to be a tremendous temptation for speakers at the Dem convention to stomp on the still warm corpse.

[Hekate]

151. This week we stare naked authoritarianism & brazen fascism in its face....

...and what is the response of our dear friends on the Left?

Pardon me while I do a rendition of a norovirus sufferer

[Warren DeMontague]

168. It's true. The GOP plays queen while they roll out an anti-LGBT agenda.

They stand for war, bigotry and authoritarianism. They want everyone to be able to buy AR-15s with no background checks, but their platform calls pornography a "public health crisis".

Do you support bigotry, greed, or censorship?

I don't.

I doubt this "Sanders group" in the article really speaks for very many people, frankly.

[pnwmom]

217. They try to chew off each other's feet. Yes, it is sickening. n/t

[Lil Missy]

153. They have NO SAY in who Hillary picks for HER VP. I hope they get an escort out the door.

Self-entitled brats.

[democrattotheend]

218. If they are elected delegates, then technically they do

I believe the delegates have to vote to approve the VP nominee. The custom is to defer to the nominee's choice but technically the delegates have the power to nominate or not nominate a proposed VP candidate.

I remember reading in 2008 that if McCain picked Joe Lieberman the Republican delegates might have refused to nominate him because he was pro choice.

[Lil Missy]

219. There are not enough of them to outnumber those Hillary delegates who support her choice.

It's not going to happen. Those who didn't support her in the Primaries are likely the ones who want to dictate terms to her now. i.e., choice of VP. They need to let it go already.

[nitpicker]

158. Link to the Alternet version (with other views)

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/sanders-delegation-plotting-public-and-secretly-shake-democratic-convention

(snip)

((in reaction to a Q&A email suggesting that there was a way for Sanders to win))

“There are adherents to that strain of thinking, but it’s not very big,” said Karen Bernal, a Sanders delegate from Sacramento elected as a co-representative of the California delegation, the nation's largest. In a half-hour interview, she described a half-dozen different camps under the Bernie umbrella: the Bernie or Bust crew, reflected in the Q&A e-mail; a similiar subset that thinks the party’s superdelegates, or hundreds of party insiders and elected officials, can still be swayed to pick Sanders; people, like those in the VP poll, who say they are willing to publicly protest on the floor; those who agree with those protesters but would not disrupt the proceedings; those who will follow whatever directions Sanders or the campaign says; and “eventual nominee” types, who tend to be elected or aspiring politicians, who will back Clinton.
(snip)

[Warren DeMontague]

166. Meh. Sanders is on board. Most Sanders supporters are on board.

I think our convention is going to be GREAT, and we are going to be united in support of our ticket, our candidates, and our platform.

It will stand in stark contrast to this slo-mo dumpster fire in Cleveland.

[MFM008]

174. Any Democrat

I'm sure after watching this slow-motion disaster in Cleveland most Democrats are going to make sure that we look pretty darn good next week.

[Android3.14]

186. We will see whether she can unify the party or not

I'm counting on you, Ms. Clinton, to prove you are the person who can lead this parade.

[book_worm]

190. It won't happen it will not be an unruly convention like we are seeing now.

[Takket]

201. Unacceptable

Bernie has endorsed Hillary. If they really claim to support Bernie, they would follow his lead. Otherwise they are only interested in disruption for their own amusement. The RNC is coming off one of the absolute worst conventions maybe in the history of this nation. Don't lower the DNC to their standards.

[Vinca]

202. I'll always love Bernie, but it's time to unite against Trump.