from Senator Sanders:

[elleng]

'When I return from Vermont and come to Capitol Hill, I am always amazed at how different the world view is here as opposed to the real world—whether it is Vermont or when I travel to other states around the country. It almost seems as if we are living on two separate planets. So I have a very radical idea for my colleagues. What about occasionally—we don’t have to overdo it— listening to the people who sent us here? What do the American people want?'

https://www.facebook.com/senatorsanders/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

[Docreed2003]

1. Excellent post...and a point I've been trying to drive home

And I know you have too...

In order to truly change the perception of the DNC as being out of touch elitists, our politicians must be willing to actually go out and sit down with people from all backgrounds and "get their hands dirty" so to speak. They would do well to emulate RFK and his Appalachian/urban/migrant farm outreach in the late 60's. We won't change hearts and minds until we do this. All the best plans in the world are meaningless unless you can connect with people on a visceral level. We may not change very many minds in very conservative areas, but we certainly won't succeed if we condescendingly speak down to the people in these areas or cut them off completely. If the political players within the DNC truly want to represent the people, then it's far past time for them to stop merely talking the talk, they must actually try to connect, empathize, and walk a mile in the shoes of their constituents.

[elleng]

2. Thanks, Doc.

Happy Holidays!

[Docreed2003]

12. Happy Holidays to you and yours elleng!!!

[tecelote]

5. "...we certainly won't succeed if we condescendingly speak down to the people..."

Great point!

Coastal elites. That's what I hear Democrats called all the time. Not the party of the people anymore.

Not to mention the outright hate for rural people or Bernie Bros. And phew, if you didn't vote, then screw you.

2016 should have taught us a lesson but to many, it seems to be the wrong lesson.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. If somebody couldn't get up off their ass and do the right thing to stop orange hitler then yes

screw them.

[murielm99]

3. I live in true blue Illinois.

I am proud to say that my senator, Dick Durbin, has always been remarkably accessible. Tammy Duckworth is much the same. They both listen to and meet with ordinary Illinoisans all the time.

Our senators don't need any advice from Bernie.

[elleng]

4. You are fortunate, that your senators are accessible.

Others are probably not so, and U.S. senators are not the only elected officials in the country.

[pnwmom]

6. What does that even MEAN? There are real people living in Washington, DC,

and in Los Angeles, and in Seattle, and in Chicago, and in New York City.

Real people who "sent us here." Real Americans.

Just as real as anyone living in Vermont.

Get off your high horse, Bernie. The election was stolen and it wasn't because Hillary wasn't talking to "the people who sent us here."

[white_wolf]

8. I'm pretty sure he was referring to Capital Hill rather than major cities.

And I don't think anyone could deny that Congress does live in a bubble, Bernie included.

[Docreed2003]

13. He's not talking about the people of D.C..

He's talking about the culture of politicians in the Capitol. We need politicians who strive to reach out to communities and hear their concerns, in a manner that is hands on, who actually fight for those concerns when in office, and, when caught up in the bullshit that is D.C. politics, don't forget where they came from and who they are fighting for. I, again, point to the example of RFK who actually visited and then fought for folks in Appalachian/Bed-sty/and migrant workers in California. Sanders isn't saying people in Vermont are more real than the citizens of D.C., he's saying that the culture of politics in DC does not represent the real America, from rural to urban, D.C to San Francisco. We must encourage and promote leaders in the party who will actively fight for their communities, and even if they make choices which might negatively affect those communities, have the guts to go back and look people in the eyes and explain why they made those choices and what they will do to lessen the impact going forward. Hands on, person to person politics is the only thing that will save us going forward. We certainly won't change every mind, but if we don't try to reach out and connect to communities, even if they are traditionally against our values, we only reinforce the idea that the liberals are "elitist and out of touch"

[pnwmom]

14. Hillary was doing more than talking -- she was LISTENING.

She wasn't waving her arms around at rallies -- she was meeting real people both in rural and urban communities -- but especially in the swing states -- and listening to them.

She lost because of voter suppression; because of the rigged electoral college; and because of Russia and James Comey's letter bombs. NOT because she wasn't listening to real Americans or attending to their needs and hopes.

[elleng]

15. "I said Clinton was in trouble with the voters I represent. Democrats didnt listen."

By Debbie Dingell November 10

Debbie Dingell, a Democrat, represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District in the House.

I was the crazy one. I predicted that Hillary Clinton was in trouble in Michigan during the Democratic primary. I observed that Donald Trump could win the Republican nomination for president. And at Rotary clubs, local chambers of commerce, union halls and mosques, I noted that we could see a Trump presidency. “That’s Debbie, it’s hyperbole, she is nuts.”

It’s now our reality , and as Americans we need to understand why. My district reflects much of this country’s diversity. Ann Arbor is a university- and start-up town. Ypsilanti is urban, and its issues mirror those of larger cities such as Detroit and Chicago. Dearborn is headquarters to Ford Motor Co. and has the largest Muslim population in the country. The “Downrivers” — a collection of communities south of Detroit — mean auto plants and manufacturing with strong union membership.

Much of the district is Democratic and those voters strongly supported Bernie Sanders in the primary. That result didn’t surprise me, but it did infuriate me that Clinton and her team didn’t show up until the weekend before the primary, when it suddenly became clear they had a problem. I took Bill Clinton grocery shopping that Saturday — too little, way too late. They never stopped on a campus; never went to a union hall; never talked to the Arab American community. Sanders was in my district 10 times during the primary. How would any sane person not predict how this one would go? It was fixable for the general election.'>>>

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-said-clinton-was-in-trouble-with-the-voters-i-represent-democrats-didnt-listen/2016/11/10/0e9521a6-a796-11e6-ba59-a7d93165c6d4_story.html?utm_term=.5801b2400194

[pnwmom]

16. Michigan was one of the worst states for voter suppression. Too bad Michigan

voters chose a Governor who pushed through voter suppression laws that prevented tens of thousands of Democrats from voting.

WA, OR and CA all had voter participation rates above 70% - and it isn't a coincidence that Dems win when Dems aren't prevented from voting.

[Docreed2003]

20. My post wasn't in reference to Sec Clinton...

I understand and I agree with you on most of your points. But I think you miss the gist of what I am saying. I'm not talking about political rallies. I'm talking about politicians going into areas and seeing conditions and speaking with people face to face, outside of the limelight and cameras. People on the extremes of society need to feel a personal connection with both their elected leaders and those who hope to represent them. To say this isn't an indictment on Sec Clinton, nor is it an apology for the obvious Russian interference in this election. What I am describing is a way forward, beyond the current bullshit. It's far to easy to sit back and criticize people you don't know without attempting to understand their motivations, their concerns, and their struggles. As a party, we must have leaders who not only see the struggles of urban poor and rural poor alike, but reach out and sit down with them and hear their complaints and their concerns. We may not always agree with them on solutions, but if we connect and show them why our solutions are better, then I think we will go a long way towards changing the current electoral landscape. President Obama suggested as much in his most recent press conference

[pnwmom]

21. But as long as we have voter suppression, a rigged electoral system,

and voting tabulators with cellular connectivity (as we have in 25 states), it won't matter what any Democratic candidate does.

[Docreed2003]

22. All of those issues are certainly things we must fight...

And nowhere did I suggest that we shouldn't fight them. What I am saying is that we do such work that even in the face of those mountains, that we can overcome the obstacles in our path. Those voting tabulators didn't just come into effect in 2016...they've been hackable since their inception. Obama won in the face of that not once but twice and I truly believe that if we fight on that we can overcome them again.

As an aside, those voting machines will stay in place until we fight to elect Dems on the local level that will force that fight to the state to change things, the same goes for the atrocious voter suppression tactics. "All politics are local"...you and I know that. So let's start building a local grassroots movement to combat the overreach and try to turn the tide that we are facing. I may be a peon with no clue how to make that happen, but I'm willing to fight for it.

An aside to my aside...Ugh...I have this recurring dream about running for congress against Diane Black, my local Rep who has about as much connection to my local area as the sand on Vero Beach. I grew up here in this area of TN on my grandparents tobacco farm, went away for school and the military, but I've recently returned. As a child and teenager, my district was blue as you could get with Bart Gordon as my representative. The tea party shit on all of that. All I can do, and any of us for that matter, is fight for our local communities and pray that the DNC follows suit. Maybe one day I will run against Mrs Black...her mansion on the lake makes me sick every time I think about it.

[yeoman6987]

62. Really? The voters in Wisconsin never spoke with her after the primary.

I wish they had the opportunity. I really really do.

[bettyellen]

31. He's literally dog whistling to the people who hate us they'd never consider leaving their white

bubble. Ignorant people dripping with entitlement who voted only to make sure brown people and women didn't get a cent more of their taxes. The media keeps kissing their asses as if they're the only people on earth who work hard. And they believe it - they only value back breaking work, doctors and especially teachers are shit to most of them. I'm sick of seeing people coddle them and perpetuating their worldview. We're just as important and more numerous. We're paying their red state welfare.
They don't want an education because then they'd have to face their own damn problems.

[kcr]

37. Well said.

It scares me that there is a segment of liberals that want to turn to what is essentially a form of Trumpism, even if it's branded in a way that goes down easier for them.

[bettyellen]

45. I found out from friends who've follow d Sanders for years that this aversion

To "wedge" or "identity" (hate those words!) politics has been a feature of his campaign method all along. Not that he disavows those issues but he constantly asks others to set them aside. Hoping to widen his base to those who are hostile to us. He's okay with that but not anyone to the right of him in economics is the devil.

Not only that, but when he realized he had to add them to his campaign site and stumps he bungled badly- using Mike Browns death to pivot to talk about free college, advising that there were no restrictions at all acceptable for abortion. Exactly like that PC crap the other day. He was deeply ignorant and is still messing up when it came to social civil rights issues.

And he can never tell the truth about how this election was about all forms of bigotry -aka "immigration and terrorism". As far as I am
Concerned he's promoting his book and assisting the media in this white wash that insists that we- and not well off self segregating bigots- are the ones in a bubble.
He maybe in a bubble up there, but we living in diverse cities are not self segregating and voting for hatred.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. Well, they want welfare recipients drug tested, they want Syrian refugees to die

somewhere else, anywhere but here.

They want millions upon millions of Hispanic immigrants without documentation rounded up and sent south - and some of the legal immigrants too!

They want non-whites kicked off of all public programs so that "real" Americans can receive those benefits.

They want a big, beautiful wall on the border with Mexico, and they think Trump is going to make Mexico pay for it.

They want to repeal Obamacare, because you know, secret black muslin and everything.

They want a LOT MORE JESUS; everywhere. In your school, your courthouse, in your uterus.

Oh yeah, and they want a whole FUCKton of guns.

[pnwmom]

11. Too bad he spent July, August, and September writing his book. n/t

[murielm99]

17. He didn't actually endorse Hillary until the convention,

did he? And it was lukewarm at that.

[JI7]

18. he endorsed her before the convention

[murielm99]

19. Well, this is no time for him to be out

tearing down Democrats. I am sick of hearing about Bernie. He is relevant to nothing right now.

[elleng]

23. He's relevant to everything.

Wake UP. Neither Senator Sanders nor POTUS tear down Democrats. They have useful suggestions.

POTUS said this, at his press conference:

'What I've said is that I can maybe give some counsel advice to the Democratic Party. And I think the -- the -- the thing we have to spend the most time on -- because it's the thing we have most control over -- is, how do we make sure that we're showing up in places where I think Democratic policies are needed, where they are helping, where they are making a difference, but where people feel as if they're not being heard?

And where Democrats are characterized as coastal, liberal, latte- sipping, you know, politically correct, out-of-touch folks, we have to be in those communities. And I've seen that, when we are in those communities, it makes a difference. That's how I became president. I became a U.S. Senator not just because I had a strong base in Chicago, but because I was driving downstate Illinois and going to fish fries and sitting in V.F.W. Halls and talking to farmers.

And I didn't win every one of their votes, but they got a sense of what I was talking about, what I cared about, that I was for working people, that I was for the middle class, that the reason I was interested in strengthening unions and raising the minimum wage and rebuilding our infrastructure and making sure that parents had decent childcare and family leave, was because my own family's history wasn't that different from theirs even if I looked a little bit different. Same thing in Iowa.

And so the question is, how do we rebuild that party as a whole, so that there's not a county in any state -- I don't care how red -- where we don't have a presence and we're not making the argument, because I think we have a better argument. But that requires a lot of work. You know, it's been something that I've been able to do successfully in my own campaigns.'


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/16/transcript-obamas-end-of-year-news-conference-on-syria-russian-hacking-and-more/?utm_term=.a3f6a252e8bf

[murielm99]

34. I heard and read what our President said.

Bernie did not say that, so dragging his name in is silly.

[white_wolf]

24. He's more relevant than ever. Especially considering Keith Ellison is on track to head up the DNC

Like Barry Goldwater, Sanders lost the battle but won the war. His ideas will be the ideas that define the Democratic Party just as Goldwater's ideas went on to define the GOP. At least that's my hope.

[elleng]

27. Thanks, white_wolf.

[murielm99]

33. Lost the battle but won the war?

Hillary did that, not your precious bernie.

[white_wolf]

41. No, Clinton won the battle and lost the war.

She lost to Donald Freaking Trump. I'll say it again, she couldn't beat Donald Trump. If that's not losing the war then I don't know what is. Sanders' ideas will be the ideas that shape the future of this party.

[seaglass]

39. He really isn't. His post election behavior has hardened people against him who already

had little appreciation for him. Previous supporters have not jumped back on board because he "sold out." He is not growing his supporters, while they are loud, the numbers are shrinking.

Now I guess he could run again for Prez and fuck up another election, but not as a Democrat. That ship has sailed.

[bettyellen]

25. Because Chocolate City ain't the real world?

There's some working class people right down the road but he thinks he needs to get on a plane? Wow.

[elleng]

26. You CAN, I assume, understand what he wrote.

'whether it is Vermont or when I travel to other states around the country. It almost seems as if we are living on two separate planets. So I have a very radical idea for my colleagues. What about occasionally—we don’t have to overdo it— listening to the people who sent us here? What do the American people want?'

Or just can't handle his 'radical idea,' to listen to representatives' CONSTITUENTS.

[bettyellen]

28. It's hilarious that the man who lectured at huge rallies non stop is telling us the woman who

Actually did spend more time listeneing to smaller groups all year how to do it. The hubris of a very sore loser. The smug righteousness is so off putting I can understand why he has difficulty working with anyone.
His post election book chore was a selfish and egotistical choice to cash out. He knows criticizing Dems is the only thing he gets press for, so he is milking it for all it's worth. He should concentrate on current events because this is just embarrassing.
Our cities are filled with wonderful hard working people but Sanders wrote us off to chase the bigots who hate us.
Lovely.

[elleng]

29. STILL can't face his suggestion.

Talk about hubris and righteousness!

Wrote 'us off,' right. 'listening to the people who sent us here? What do the American people want?'

[bettyellen]

30. His suggestion that these "real Americans" want to support his E Coast liberal tax and spend

Programs for social welfare? Oh please, they hate any thing that works for a diverse electorate - for women, children in poverty or brown people. They didn't want to have a conversation about the TPP or oligarchs. That's delusional. His advice is not helpful, it's embarrassing he thinks no one talks to the people except for him. What an ego trip.

[elleng]

32. More like 'real Americans' (and others not so real?) maybe not so real

should have the opportunity to inform him and other elected officials 'What do the American people want?'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512659125

[bettyellen]

35. Not sure what that has to do with "listening to people" because Sanders certainly

Didn't do it- he's still pushing a false narrative about what they wanted out there in the rust belt. Trump didn't listen either, he dazzled them with lies and a glimpse of his fancy plane.
Not even listening about how to do it from someone who promised to do "everything he can" and then took an entire month off. How people ever trusted him so completely is beyond me. He's a runoff the mill bullshitter and his advice is just more self serving bullshit. He's an embarrassment.

[murielm99]

47. What I can't figure out is WHY NOW?

Why did he choose to run in THIS election? I can't help but think that someone put him up to it. He agreed because his is an opportunist. Things are always about Bernie first.

Why this election? Because Hillary is a woman, and Bernie is essentially a misogynist? Because there are so many Clinton haters out there that they saw a chance to fuck things up by using someone who has always been critical of the Democrats, despite caucusing with them? I still think someone, or several someones, put a bug in his ear.

There is a long history of hate toward both Clintons. It exists on the left as well as the right. I have seen it on this very website for many years. There are people who will do anything to bring them down. Their popularity and talent is met with jealousy and suspicion. Bernie has always had a weak record of accomplishment. It could be the the Clinton haters saw this as a good way to divide our party. It could be that he was used as a useful idiot. Whatever he is, he is no Democrat. He has already reverted to an Independent, and will be running for Senate as an independent.

I have been through many election cycles. If Bernie had not lost the primary SOUNDLY, we would have been looking at another Mondale or McGovern debacle. Trump would not have needed any help from Comey, Putin, or voter suppression.

Don't tell me we need a better message. What we need is to get rid of people like Comey, make sure Putin stays out of our business, and make sure everyone who wants to vote gets that opportunity. Remember, Hillary won the popular vote, in spite of the obstacles thrown at her.

Bernie needs to stop grave dancing and go home to his new house. He has gotten his reward.

[bettyellen]

49. I agree. Lots of sexist crap with this "dynasty" nonsense and calling her too weak

(While complaining she is too tough)

We saw from his campaign that he had some really self interested hangers on. His campaign manager, people like Tulsi, Nina and Killer Mike using him to further their own careers by shredding Dems. Never again.

[TCJ70]

72. Get a grip. Was it sexist of Obama to run in 2008? After all...Hillary was a woman then, as well.

[alarimer]

36. He has the right idea

To bad so many are so full of Bernie-hate they can't see it. Capitol Hill is, of course, the ultimate bubble. All those Ivy League staffers with no actual fucking clue (whose could take the unpaid internships that got them there), all those professional lefties in the news media, those are the folks in the bubble. It's not us here and it isn't voters anywhere else. It's the DC establishment that is the problem. I guess it always has been.

[kcr]

38. More like too bad so many are so full of Bernie love

that they can't see that he's peddling dangerous crap. His "Real Americans" schtick should concern anyone who's paying attention. That's not the direction the left should be heading in.

[PotatoChip]

40. What is wrong with talking about real Americans?

It's good to have leaders like Bernie on Capital Hill who speak for all of us. I thought this is what we sent them there to do.

Why does this bother you?

[bettyellen]

48. It implies the bullshit that immigrants, women and urban dwellers are not "hard working" and fully

Human with equally important needs. We have to stop catering to this crap that is basically feeding the idea of white male supremacy being a norm.

[Emilybemily]

52. Exactly

I do not like Sanders. I used to, but his whiny followers and his attitudes during the election turned me against him.

[obamanut2012]

59. this this this

[ThirdEye]

63. Silly nonsense

it's hard to imagine why anyone would think Sanders believes immigrants, woman and urban dwellers are not "hard working."

The line in the sand he's drawing is between us and what he calls the "donor class" and their bought politicians. That's it. Period.

[bettyellen]

66. He said "other states" in "other parts" away from the "coastal elites"....

Which is as dismissive as your reply and playing up to RW framing of us as less important. Fuck that. We are the base, not these bigots who voted for a wall and forced deportation. He wants to talk to them? Let him try and educate their bigotry away. I'm just a woman from a coastal state, but they might listen to him since he like guns and ran from NYC as soon as he got a little inheritance. But first he has to start talking and acting like I matter as much. Still waiting for that.

[TCJ70]

67. Good grief, Betty...

...he means states other than Vermont! All 49 of the other states. No mention of coasts or anything! Take off your Bernie-hate blinders!

[bettyellen]

69. He has been pushing the "White working class" rust beltcrap since the

Election. Trying to spin the election results into being about HIS platform, trying to co opt even PC to mean can't insult the "oligarchs". Face it, he's a johnny one note and at this point everyone except his supporters are neo- liberal shills and corporate sell outs.

He's doing everything in his power to totally ignore what those voters cared about because it's awfully embarrassing they voted for the 1%. He'd have to admit his campaign to demonize the wealthy failed miserably.
His campaign to demonize fellow democrats did really well though.

[JudyM]

43. +1.

[LWolf]

42. I support Senator Sanders.

He has more empathy and more intelligence and is more ethical than so many.

His detractors are a big part of the problem, and part of the reason we are now facing a Trump administration. If only they'd been listening a year ago. If only they were listening now. Instead, they seem determined to continue on the same path that got us here. That makes me sad.

More listening. Less hate and fear. More community; less clannish warfare. That will get us through the next few years and beyond.

[JudyM]

46. Sometimes a person's view is distorted enough that they might miss what is actually real. This is

without doubt a serious problem in our party right now. Fortunately Schumer and others (possibly Obama too) are seeing the authentic value of Sanders' worldview to the party and are beginning to shift, even if far too late for this election.

[elleng]

58. Yes, and then there are those here who seem voluntarily to MISS what is actually real.

[elleng]

51. Yes Yes Yes!

AND emphatically His detractors are a big part of the problem.

[H2O Man]

44. recommended

[elleng]

50. HI, H20 Man!

[H2O Man]

53. Hello, Friend Elleng!

[ismnotwasm]

54. Oh for Gods Sake Bernie

My reps. Listen to me. Then Of course, they're Democrats.

[cwydro]

55. Please Bernie. Go away.

The sooner the better.

[ThirdEye]

64. and if he did, tomorrow...

... what would we be left with?

[asuhornets]

56. He didn't say anything profound, or unique...nt

[ThirdEye]

65. You didn't say anything profound, or unique either...

Bernie didn't ask for this to be posted to DU as some kind of earth shattering reflection on reality.

[asuhornets]

71. I'm not a Senator from Vermont...who thinks he could have done it better....nt

[obamanut2012]

57. Good God -- his career is as a mainstream politician

He is a career politician, he is part of the Establishment, he is part of the system as is his wife. There is nothing wrong with any of those things. He needs to stop denying he is some fringe candidate, because he isn't. And, there is nothing wrong with that.

[HassleCat]

60. Time for a Bernie Blamer page on DU?

They could post all that echo chamber stuff about how Bernie ruined everything, we hate him and all his supporters, he should shut up and die, etc. If anyone dared disagree, they could be banished from the "safe space." It would not bother me, since I would never go there, and it might allow some cathartic venting, which seems to be about the only way we're going to move forward. We do have elections coming up in two years, so we can't wallow in self-pity too much longer.

[Blue_In_AK]

61. +1

[TCJ70]

68. Best idea I've seen yet...

...it would certainly be a welcome addition to the groups section as far as I'm concerned.

[demmiblue]

73. It really has become an ugly obsession for some.

And it is always the same few over and over and over again.

Thank goodness for the ignore feature.

[gulliver]

70. That's a big bunch of mistakes all in once place.

Putting down Washington as not in the "real world" is bad if we take humanity as a good (and I do).

Putting down his "colleagues?" That's not a good sign of character. It's a bad sign.

I don't know what is meant by "the American people."