Bernie Sanders: I Want To Revitalize the Democratic Party PoliticsNation MSNBC

[Donkees]

Published on Jan 8, 2017
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., discusses holding president-elect Donald Trump accountable on his promises on Social Security and Medicaid, and whether the Democratic Party needs more diversity.

[tecelote]

1. Yes, the Democratic Party needs more diversity.

Around 40% of Americans are Independents. We need to reach at least half of them to win.

[wryter2000]

2. I love his policies

There are a lot of things I love about him, but if he wants to revitalize the Democratic party, wouldn't it help if he joined it?

[Donkees]

4. Imagine 'interdependence' being shaped on both sides, some function as bridge-builders

[jehop61]

3. Perhaps

he should join the Democratic Party first before telling us what to do? He may have great ideas, but he is showing a bit of arrogance that tanked his campaign last year

[baldguy]

5. +1000

And maybe drop the RW talking points while he's at it.

[tecelote]

6. What tanked the Democratic party's campaign is arrogance.

Nearly 40% pf Americans are Independents.

their voice matters.

[Trust Buster]

8. What "tanked" the nation was, despite watching a mad man on the campaign trail for 18 months,

Last edited Sun Jan 8, 2017, 08:31 PM - Edit history (1)

46% of eligible voters could not bring themselves to get off their asses and vote. Don't kid yourself, this problem goes well beyond the Democratic Party.

[tecelote]

15. Yes. All the way to Independents.

The ones that voted did not join "us". That's the problem.

[RKP5637]

26. I'm unaffiliated and I vote democratic over and over again, I guess my vote doesn't count! n/t

[cstanleytech]

14. jehop61 was refering to the campaign Bernie ran to win the Democratic Party nomination

(a party which he still refuses to join) against Hillary not the campaign Hillary ran against Trump which she lost with almost 3 million more votes than Trump.
Now maybe if Bernie had decided to officially join the party rather than just caucus with it he might have won its nomination but he didnt and that cost him.

[PotatoChip]

31. He's been there, and done that (when he ran for the D POTUS nomination).

http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/533/15031422533/15031422533.pdf (PDF file warning).

But people within my/our party treated him like crap, even when he had that 'special' D by his name. It was a sickening thing to witness.

Furthermore, as Bernie just said in the video, he was elected to serve as an Independent Vermont US Senator. He wants to honor that commitment to his constituents. I think that is the noble thing to do... I'll never forget how in the 90's there was a nearby State Representative who was elected as a D only to change her party affiliation to R in the middle of her term. That literally threw the entire Maine State House into an uproar because it meant having a 75/75 D & R ratio (along w/one Independent). Committee chairmanships had to be altered to share 50/50 w/the R's. And it was all because of this one woman w/a bee in her bonnet. She was never elected to serve again, even though she tried. Her constituents were rightfully pissed, and I don't blame them.

So, the point here is that Bernie does not think changing his party affiliation mid-term is the right thing to do. Maybe if/when he runs for US Senate again, he'll run as a D?... Somehow tho, I doubt doing so would silence his critics here at DU.

Personally, I don't care what letter he has beside his name, as long as he continues to fight hard for the benefit of the people of this country.

[bec]

30. That is such a shortsided argument.

Bernie has caucused with the democrats for years. Funny when he did switch parties he was attacked for not being a "real" democrat. You guys crack me up. Go on and defend "democrats" like Joe Manchin because he has that D next to his name, even though his policies are very republican leaning, and demonize the guy whose polices and actions over the years have been way more of what a democrat should be and what most of us non-sheep democrats want it to be.

[Me.]

7. A Fully Functioning 3rd Party Would Be A Real Asset To This County

And break the 2 party stranglehold. Why doesn't he revitalize his own party?

[baldguy]

17. A fully fuctioning 3rd party would be a tool of the RW.

It also assumes there's no difference between Democrats & Republicans. Which is total fucking RW propaganda bullshit from top to bottom, front to back & beginning to end.

Republicans don't believe that shit. Why do you?

[Me.]

21. My Point...Which Totally Escaped You

is... I wonder why Sen. Sanders never advocates for his own party. And the rest of your reply was total nonsense.

[baldguy]

23. Because he doesn't have a party - **HE'S AN INDEPENDENT!!**

When & how did that little bit of information escape your powerful intellect?

[Me.]

25. THAT Is Precisely My POint

Why isn't he revitalizing and giving his party advice, instead of the Dems.

And if you really have a need to be insulting, have at it.

[baldguy]

27. You have no point. An independent candidate has no fucking party.

THAT'S WHAT THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD "INDEPENDENT" IS!

One independent candidate could preach peace & love & a brick of tofu in every pot.

Another independent candidate could claim to be the lost love child of Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler with the ideology to match.

They're still both independents. This simple fact just totally escape you.

[RBInMaine]

18. This is DEMOCRATIC Underground and not 3rd Party Underground! Period!

[Me.]

22. Exactly

So why do we keep hearing about an Independent who thinks he should be the one to revitalize the Democratic Party.

[4bucksagallon]

9. An honest man. He says he ran as an Indy.

Won as an Indy and will finish his term as an Indy, before he makes any decisions about joining the Democrats. How refreshing to hear that and know he means what he says and says what he means.

[George II]

12. I think he already made that decision:

http://www.fec.gov/fecviewer/CandidateCommitteeDetail.do?candidateCommitteeId=S4VT00033&tabIndex=1

Name: SANDERS, BERNARD (I - INCUMBENT)
Office Sought: S - SENATE
Election Year: 2018
State: VT - VERMONT, District: 00
Party: INDEPENDENT

[pansypoo53219]

10. FDR the bitch.

[George II]

11. "I Want To Revitalize the Democratic Party" - you can start by JOINING it!!!!!

[cstanleytech]

13. Well Bernie then you might start by joining the party if you want help revitalize it

otherwise some Democrats might suspect you of having ulterior motives or accuse you of wanting to have your cake and eat it to by remaining a registered Independent.

[Thinkingabout]

16. I don't recall asking for Sanders help in revitalizing the DNC. He ask to run in

Our primary and said he would follow our rules and now he thinks he should run the DNC. Democrats are quiet capable of running the DNC.

[asuhornets]

19. So tired of this man...n/t

[portlander23]

20. Show up on Jan 15!

[dlk]

24. How About Joining the Party You Want to Revitalize?

if Bernie truly cares so much about the Democratic Party, why doesn't he first join it?

[RazBerryBeret]

28. why would he join a party

that clearly has a huge amount of dislike/disdain/envy of him?

[jg10003]

29. Bernie IS a democrat if being a democrat means believing that government should.....

actively promote social, political, and economic equality. Bernie is NOT a democrat if being a democrat means being a dues paying member of a private club. Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp are members of the club, Bernie is not. of the three, who do you consider to be the real democrat?