Sanders is what I wanted Obama to be.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

The choice is real this time - do not let this chance slip away.

[AtomicKitten]

1. He is what I thought Obama was.

[Octafish]

2. He's what Obama said he was.

Yet, Larry Summers and Robert Gates took over.

[ohheckyeah]

10. You hope.

Gullibility reigns.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

18. lesser of two evils - I like to think

do you think we have a real choice this time?

[ohheckyeah]

20. Yes, I do think we have a choice.

I'm pretty much a pacifist, but the state the world is in I think a leader with foreign policy experience is critical. We need experience not hopey change. Even if Sanders was to win his supporters will be disillusioned the first time he doesn't do what they want, just like with Obama.

[ohheckyeah]

22. They blame everybody and thing but their naivety.

Time to grow up and deal with reality. What happened to "we are the ones we've been waiting for" ?

[joshcryer]

46. Obama was not a populist.

Those who thought so were ignorant and naive, unable to actually read his policy proposals.

[Bleacher Creature]

3. Good grief. Do you really think the problem was Obama's lack of will?

He accomplished what he could accomplish under the circumstances, and using the system that we have (as opposed to the one we want).

Even if Sanders is elected, you're bound to be disappointed again. Either he learns that he'll have to compromise, or his push to purity will lead to nothing at all. My guess is that he'll go with the former.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

5. no

Obama appears to me to believe that you can have a rational discussion with people that bring snowballs to congress, anti-science nuts, anti- abortion nuts, anti-environmental nuts, goddamn nuts who are against almost all rational ideas.

[BillZBubb]

7. That is correct. It took him over one term in office to realize how foolish that was.

There is no working with people who will oppose you no matter what you are offering. Had Obama understood that before he took office, he could have achieved much more.

[Deny and Shred]

74. Too bad his first actions

involved looking forward, installing Rahm, Penny, Tim, Hillary ... not to mention the Grand Bargain that extended the Bush Tax Cuts.

Despite his personal brilliance, he relied on the establishment wing of the party to populate his administration. Most of his presidency's shortcomings can be traced to those early appointments.

[FrenchieCat]

33. These are the same people Bernie Sanders will have to content with IF

he won the election....

and not attempting to have rational discussions with the opposition will
reap even less than accomplishments for him, especially compared to what he has promised!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=latest_threads

[TIME TO PANIC]

13. You see, that's the problem with Obama and the democratic establishment.

You can't work with the current (Tea-Party) republicans. I would rather have a real progressive in the WH, fighting the good fight, than have a moderate/corporatist democrat who compromises and impedes progress.

[jhart3333]

4. Sanders is what Obama was before he changed course.

[BillZBubb]

6. Candidate Obama was very vague on what he would do.

He let people fill in the blanks. Many assumed way too much. It was a great campaign strategy.

Looking at his record at the time and what he was saying, Hillary was actually slightly more liberal. You have to remember, Obama was all about "changing the culture in Washington", but it wasn't to change it to insist on Democratic goals, it was to change it from bitter partisanship to a cooperative endeavor. It was doomed to fail.

[CorporatistNation]

8. Obama Governed Antithetical to His Campaign Rhetoric!

Hillary Controls the TRANSCRIPTS from her speeches... DEMAND THAT SHE RELEASE THEM AND FACE PUBLIC SCRUTINY! Like and SHARE WIDELY! https://www.facebook.com/Hillary-Be-Accountable-Release-The-Damn-Transcripts-209952662689158/?skip_nax_wizard=true

[Ferd Berfel]

9. Obama ran as a progressive then abandon it

sent everyone home, and governed as a 'centrist' (at best). But Pushing the TPP puts him in another category far to the Reich.

I am confident that Bernie is what he project himself to be and will rally us together even AFTER he's in the White House.

That is what a Political Revolution is about.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

17. TPP - damn - just #&$?! it.

He has said that he does not want to be on the Supreme Court

What is one to think - a post president life like - J. Carter or B. Clinton

[m-lekktor]

11. I guess I was one of the few who knew Obama was not all that from the beginning.nt

[SoLeftIAmRight]

14. I knew also - I "wanted"

what are you thinking this time?

[Fumesucker]

15. His Chicago roots were unfortunately maculate

By the FISA vote I had him largely pegged.

[BillZBubb]

31. Yes, the FISA vote was a dead give away.

I remember the big arguments I had on DU about that. The supposed progressives argued it didn't really mean anything, blah, blah, blah. It actually was the best tell about how he would govern. He wasn't the progressive leader they dreamt him up to be.

[Hydra]

80. The big excuse given at the time was that he needed to give that away to become president

I find it interesting that doing the right (and lawful) thing is supposedly antithetical to the electorate.

The theatrics get a little thick at times.

[ViseGrip]

12. This is the chance of our lifetime. I used to write him years ago, begging him to run!

[FrenchieCat]

34. a chance to get nothing done,

although much was promised. Wonder how long the honeymoon will last with
those who voted for radical change and end up with absolutely nothing.

[Ed Suspicious]

76. This schtick of yours is a real downer.

[FrenchieCat]

78. It's called my opinion.

just like you have the right to yours.

I tend not to get personal on these boards....
especially after having been here as long as I have.

[Ed Suspicious]

79. It's not personal. I just find what you said to be dreary.

[Hydra]

81. "No, we can't! And neither can you guys!"

Great line to run on

[TIME TO PANIC]

16. I'm very disappointed, but it could have been worse.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't demand better.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

19. yes - It is time to panic.

far too few know this truth

[TIME TO PANIC]

28. I'm a little more optimistic these days.

It's now time for the 1% to panic.

[Renew Deal]

21. Obama is a great American president

Sanders is not Barack Obama

[SoLeftIAmRight]

23. Yes and no

thank god

[Old Codger]

26. for sure

And thankfully so

[Dem2]

24. "I hope Sanders is what I wanted Obama to be"

Fixed it for you. So do I, although I am also with those who say Obama's done more than any President for a long, long time.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

29. ouch

me too

[Romulox]

25. Yep. The Real Deal, this time. nt

[thereismore]

27. I actually want an amalgamate of Sanders and Obama.

In many ways, Obama's optimistic disposition would be a plus.

[Odin2005]

30. Obama's betrayal is why I now consider myself an Independent.

[BillZBubb]

32. Obama didn't betray anyone.

He let people project on him what they wanted. Many progressives ignored his record and imagined him an aggressive progressive. He never was that. He was a centrist and remains one to this day.

[zappaman]

35. Cool, back to bashing Obama now.

I suppose it's a nice break from the 24/7 Hillary hate.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

36. So - you must love TPP

???

[treestar]

38. Still after 8 years thinking it is as simple as getting the Presidency

Not a single plan about Congress or a single mention of any congressional seat that might be turned or any progressives running it.

They'd be bashing Bernie within 6 weeks of his being in office. And looking for another Messiah.

[Ed Suspicious]

77. You misunderstand us and the nature of our expectations of our candidate/president.

[valerief]

37. I knew Obama was more like Clinton than a Sanders-type candidate.

That's why I voted for Kucinich in the 2008 primary. I knew he would't win, but I wanted the candidate with the "shariest" message, so that's who I voted for. Of course, I voted for Obama in the general. I had no choice.

Obama talked so much about Pakistan and Afghanistan in his campaigning and didn't really say anything concrete about policies that would affect average Americans (except they'd get non-stop war, which benefits the wealthy only).

[NastyRiffraff]

39. I would post a list of Obama's major accomplishments, but

I know exactly what would happen. Not "pure" enough. He compromised to get it done! The ACA isn't single payer, so we'd rather have nothing (since single payer failed in Congress).

Etc, etc. You can bash Obama all you want, but among other things, he steered the country from a horrible recession, including 71 consecutive months of job growth (as of January 2016) and unemployment dropping below 5% for the first time in 8 years.

If you want more (doubtless some of you do not): here

[Hekate]

40. +10000

[SoLeftIAmRight]

43. yes he has done well

better than would be expected with the right blocking most of his moves

But - he has done some very bad things - TPP is just one

Reality check - this one is on him and him alone - no excuse

[RiverLover]

41. We Won't Get Fooled Again

Bernie has lived his whole life as he is today. Working for People & Planet before Profits.

[SHRED]

42. Yep

[stevebreeze]

44. Like many progressives, I thought I pretty much knew what Hillary would be, and hoped for more.

When President Obama nominated his cabinet I could see he was less then promised. Yes I voted for him twice, and I will vote for the eventual nominee even if it is not Bernie, but I always work for the best outcome.

[OhZone]

45. Even less effective with no support from even more in "his own" party as well as the GOP?

Oh well.

Again, I'll vote for him if he's nominated, but he'll be in terrible position to get anything done.

[polichick]

47. I doubt Sanders would fill his cabinet with corporate insiders.

[RiverLover]

48. Like Obama did.

He also wouldn't cut $8 billion from the food stamp program, drone 1000s of innocent civilians in the ME, ramp up domestic spying on all Americans, authorize radioactive waste to be shipped on the Ohio River...

He certainly would never have signed the 2014 omnibus that Obama signed~

The oil industry and other special interest groups made out well in the agglomeration of legislative language. But it’s clear that Wall Street — and Citigroup in particular — came out especially well, not just getting a win but dodging a bullet. Given the industry’s lobbying muscle, a failure to pass the legislation would have been a stinging defeat.

The provision that caused the greatest heartburn for the largest number of lawmakers — some of whom voted for the bill anyway — would loosen regulations on derivative trading that were adopted after the economy crashed to rein in some of the risky practices of financial firms. The new language is widely viewed as a gift to Wall Street, and specifically Citigroup, whose lobbyists literally wrote the text of the measure earlier this year. In one sense, the fact that there was strong opposition to legislation so favored by Citigroup was surprising; the company is a lobbying leviathan, spending $4 million in the first three quarters of this year alone and $5.6 million in 2013. Separately, its PAC and employees gave more than $2.1 million in to federal politicians in the midterm election cycle.

The recipients of that largess include just about everyone who’s anyone on Capitol Hill, with one key exception: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was outspoken last night in her opposition to the bill, and particularly the Citigroup-penned provision.

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/12/wall-streets-omnibus-triumph-and-others/

Who could have known Obama & Hillary were so similar back in 2008?

Remember this ^^^ symphony of BS??

With Bernie, he would be just like FDR and advocate for Fair trade with jobs for Americans in manufacturing. Not get worried that Chinese workers want higher wages now so we have to go to Vietnam where they make less than a buck/hour. God forbid the jobs come back to America.

[polichick]

49. Really - two corporate servants.

[RiverLover]

50. Exactly.

Its so clear now, and they want us to fall for it again.

The arrogance & belief in our ignorance is astounding, really.

[polichick]

63. All true - and yet a whole bunch of posters here still fall for it.

[HassleCat]

51. Obama didn't do so badly

Let's be careful about the comparisons and contrasts.

[yourout]

52. Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner.

Could not have said it better.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

55. Please tell us more - I am all about info

please

[beam me up scottie]

66. He voted to intervene in a genocide, his supporters know about this already.

"adoring admirers"?

Seeing people who claim to be Democrats, liberals, progressives attack Clinton in the way the right wing crazy oil and money billionaires did is tough to watch

Where do you see that?

And how do you know they're not Democrats, liberals and progressives?

[beam me up scottie]

71. Yes, that's what it was about.

does Bernie always vote to intervene in a genocides

What other genocides are you referring to? I wasn't aware of any others that he voted on.

Bernie's war votes: are they consistent?

What "war votes"?

[Metric System]

54. Obviously this is no longer a forum for Democrats.

[RiverLover]

56. No longer a forum for republicans who call themselves democrats.

[Metric System]

59. Is President Obama a Republican who calls himself a Democrat?

[BuelahWitch]

73. He has publicly compared himself to a moderate '80s Republican

So...

[SoLeftIAmRight]

57. join the new world - we use the metric system

and have single payer

[Beacool]

58. Nope, GDP is Sanders Underground.

It's become a totalitarian board where no dissent is allowed. I wonder how many will vote in November if Sanders is not in the ticket.

[bkkyosemite]

60. On the local Bernie FB page for my area one person said this:

"We are facing the election of our lifetime in 2016...2008 was just a pony show"

[Beaverhausen]

61. Can't wait for the GOP led congress to do everything Bernie wants

That's going to be so great.

[gwheezie]

62. I really think Bernie would be a mediocre president

If he somehow got nominated however he'd still be better than the GOP. Obama is the best president in my lifetime. Bernie isn't smart enough to fill his shoes.

[redstateblues]

65. This place is so out of touch with the real world

The trashing of our Democratic President Barrack Obama on a site called Democratic Underground does not bode well for the next election. When I read all these overconfident, arrogant, vitriolic posts it reminds me of the mindset of me and my fellow students in 1968 and 1972. The belittling of our President's accomplishments in the face of an intransigent opposition is so disheartening. Considering the mess that he inherited, he has done a great job getting things back on the right track. He is a remarkable man. The fact that a majority on this site think his Presidency has not been successful is mind boggling. I really sense that we are on a path to give the White House back to Republicans.

[TTUBatfan2008]

83. Did the Republicans...

force Obama to hire a bunch of Wall Street executives to handle his economic policies? One of his very first decisions made it very clear that he was on the side of big corporations instead of the people. Both parties are just unbelievably corrupt.

Sadly it doesn't matter who we elect as POTUS. Congress is where the real problem is. You can't get a Constitutional Amendment to ban corporate donations without the Congress voting on it...and there is zero chance of them voting against the gravy train.

[LuvLoogie]

67. And Obama proved to so much more...

[KentuckyWoman]

69. It was real with Obama too.

The force that got him elected didn't keep pushing like hell after the election and eventually dwindled. Part of that is Obama's fault. At some point he gave up and stopped taking his case to the American public. That's when the good changes slowed down.

But part of it is the fact the American public is just flat out not ready to sustain the energy necessary to get real change for a long enough time. Obama told us "You are the change you've been waiting for." Collectively we did politics the way most people use their new gym membership for Jan and Feb and then vanish. Bernie is telling us the same thing. He's flat out said he can't do any of it without us.

I'm a Bernie supporter but I am still very skeptical America will show up consistently after the election.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

72. "The force that got him elected didn't keep pushing - Part of that is Obama's fault"

" skeptical America will show up consistently after the election"

Perfect!

[Hydra]

82. No...we were there after the election. He told us to pack up and go home

The "Adults" would take care of everything. I was still there anyway asking for the offshore drilling to stop.

"I got this!"

Then we got the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He asked us to "Pray" as his plan after he ignored us.

He talked a good game, then gave us "Moderate Republican" policies.

A lot of us were still there the whole time.

[TTUBatfan2008]

84. Here's the thing...

I agree that there were many millions of regular folks out there that wanted Obama to enact real reforms in the system. Problem is as soon as he was sworn into office, he brought in people like Larry Summers and Tim Geithner to run his economic policies. It was very clear right from the beginning of his administration that all the Wall Street donations he received during the campaign mattered more to him than the people who actually voted him into office.

[Bonobo]

70. Bingo. nt

[NanceGreggs]

85. And if Bernie were president ...

... the next guy who came along would be what you wanted Bernie to be.

And when THAT guy became president, the next guy to come along would be who you hoped THAT guy would have been.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

86. you will not need any ice water

I'll look into that - until then - cut it out