Sanders: Surprisingly Mainstream--Why Bernie Sanders is Beating Hillary Clinton (Wow! From CNN)

[CoffeeCat]

Terrific accompanying video at link! Great clips of Sanders on The Daily Show and The View--as well as commentary about his successful campaign.

(CNN)Bernie Sanders' stellar victory in New Hampshire showed that his campaign has some serious legs. He won 6 of 10 voters and led in virtually every demographic category, except for those over 65 and households earning more than $200,000.

Slowly, Sanders has been undercutting Hillary Clinton's electoral strength and putting together a campaign that could go all the way into the summer convention.

(snip)
But Sanders' political appeal is based on much more than the thrill of an anti-establishment insurgent or some unexpected love affair of millennials with a Brooklyn socialist. Part of what has given Sanders his strength is how mainstream many of his standard political arguments are. If one listens to what he has been saying, it is possible to see that Sanders is not that radical at all. In many respects, his campaign directly addresses fundamental concerns that a wide range of Americans

more at link:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/10/opinions/sanders-views-are-mainstream-zelizer/index.html

[CountAllVotes]

1. Aww the rich people don't like Sanders

I guess this means that D. Trump won't be voting for him!

[PatrynXX]

14. yeah well Donald Clinton or Hillary Trump

state the all around obvious. I'm one of them but I know voters from the right that won't vote for either of them as well and will go Bernie long before they vote for anyone else.

[TwilightGardener]

2. He's not a flake, a gadfly or a crackpot. That was an important factor in my decision

to support him. Politically I've been more center-left than left, so anyone who's an irrational extremist wouldn't appeal to me--I don't get that from him.

[KingCharlemagne]

7. Sanders is a Keynesian-Galbraithian (?) Social Democrat, not a Marxist-Leninist, nor

a Maoist. He would be center-right in the European political landscape

[hifiguy]

17. Or smack in the middle.

Americans have been force-fed reichwing and neoliberal quasi-fascist corporate horseshit for so long - and so many believed it! - that Bernie's very mainstream views only seem radical.

But I suppose compared to those of the Repugs (and HRH on economic/foreign policy) he does sound radical. So would RFK or Hubert Humphrey or Paul Wellstone, mainstream Dems all.

[KingCharlemagne]

18. As the results came in from New Hampshire a couple days ago, I was thinking that

those who are old enough to remember RFK must be feeling some real stirrings now. I was a little boy in 1968, too young to understand at all what was going on. But since then, I have read about RFK and Bernie's victory feels like his legacy.

[hifiguy]

19. I was a politically precocious 12-year-old

when he was killed. He was my first hero who wasn't a baseball player. I was devastated that such a humane, caring and decent man had been taken from us.

[KingCharlemagne]

20. Don't mean to piss on the hagiography, but RFK had evolved immeasurably from the

sharp operator of the 50s and early years of JFK's administration. I'm not sure 'humane, caring and decent' were words commonly used to describe him in the 50s.

[hifiguy]

21. Without question.

He became the man we remember after Jack was killed. A very different man than the one he was before. When tragedy touched him he changed, dramatically, and all for the good.

[HooptieWagon]

27. I think of him as taking 1930s-1990 Democratic ideas into the 21st Century.

It's working well in Scandanavia and Iceland. And getting the corporate dollars out of politics is sorely needed. Nothing radical at all about Sanders platform.

[Punkingal]

3. The mainstream comment is so true....that alone is enough to recommend the article.

[mikehiggins]

4. Somebody is going to be looking for a new job pretty soon.

I'd love to think this is a sign of a new willingness to talk about Sanders' issues (or even just give them the media exposure they deserve) but I think it is more likely just one trial balloon to generate more interest in the upcoming debate and the HRC campaign will do their best to make sure it never happens again.

[kath]

5. Around 70% of Americans agree with him on virtually every item in his platform!

[jillan]

6. They just finished up a very interesting discussion about why Hillary should not

count her chickens before they hatch when it comes to the African American vote! They were discussing the Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote article in the Nation.



When it comes to fairness between Bernie and Hillary, CNN is doing such a better job all around over the
Must Shill Nonstop Boasting Clinton network.

[cui bono]

8. Maybe they just really want Bloomberg to run.

.

[CoffeeCat]

22. I heard a fascinating interview with a reporter on NPR who spoke with Bloomberg

This reporter had a British accent. I'll see if I can find a link.

The reporter said that three months ago, he spoke with Bloomberg about running for President. This was before Bloomberg went forward and said that he may run.

The reporter asked Bloomberg if he would ever consider running for President and Bloomberg told him, "No way in hell" and he laid out his very cogent reasons for why he wouldn't do it.

Bloomberg said it would be absolutely impossible for him to amass the infrastructure to put together a cohesive ground game in all of the states. He said the money, staff and strategy needed were beyond what he would ever want to do.

He also talked about the impossibility of amassing an Independent base that would support him--it just wouldn't be enough.

This reporter said that Bloomberg laid out a very strong, very personal case for why he would never run.

Then...several weeks later, Bloomberg came out, practically threatening to run. This reporter said that was baffled because of what Bloomberg had previously communicated to him.

I think Bloomberg's rumblings about running were hot air, after hearing that. Because everything Bloomie told that reporter was correct.

[cui bono]

25. Interesting. You really have to have a populist message like Bernie to get that ground game running.

So much of Bernie's is people who are so excited they are out there as volunteers. No way Bloomberg would get that.

Seems people are just panicking now that Hillary is in jeopardy.

.

[greiner3]

34. Hot air as in a Biden run also

[Duval]

9. I'm really surprised CNN is doing a better job, but glad. nt

[CoffeeCat]

23. They go back and forth

but I do appreciate that Sanders is getting some fair stories from them--even positive stories.

I noticed yesterday that CNN really capitulated to favoring Clinton. Sanders victory was leveraged along side Trump's victory--and the two were equated. It was a bit of a blow to Sanders really...equating him with Trump.

Clinton was barely mentioned in the articles. Her loss was downplayed.

Yesterday's coverage was a gift to Clinton. Maybe today's is a bit of a gift to Bernie.

God knows what tomorrow will be.

I just wish reporters would do their damn jobs and report the news.

[HooptieWagon]

29. The firewall may be crumbling...

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/us/bernie-sanders-intrigues-a-south-carolina-town-that-loves-hillary-clinton.html?_r=1&referer=

[AlbertCat]

10. If one listens to what he has been saying, it is possible to see that Sanders is not that radical...

... at all. In many respects, his campaign directly addresses fundamental concerns that a wide range of Americans

This.

This is basic.

[AzDar]

11. Bernie!!

[SheilaT]

12. And she couldn't have had that much of a lead in the over-65 demographic,

considering how badly she lost.

Plus I, like so many here, am over 65 and I and everyone else I know my age are Bernie fans.

[HockeyMom]

13. We over 65's have children and grandchildren

and are concerned for their issues and problems too. It is not just a matter of only ME for us over 65's.

[SheilaT]

15. Yep.

[azmom]

28. Yep

[cui bono]

26. My mom is 84 and she's voting for Bernie!

.

[hollowdweller]

16. I read that previously. Amazingly even handed.

What is interesting is there are so many issues that Dems could run on to get more votes, which are popular with both parties but money prevents it.

For instance I have heard negotiating for prescription drug prices and ending tax advantages for offshoring since 2004, the dems have held the presidency and congress during that time and nothing has happened.

Securing Social Security would only take like .2 increase in the payroll tax and we can't do that?? Come on!

[amborin]

24. knr

[JDPriestly]

30. Great article. Thanks.

[Hydra]

31. Bernie is only considered a "radical" because the RW in both parties have dragged us...

...so far to the right that we're falling off a cliff.

As I've said before- I'm a proud loony lefty. I would know if he was occupying my space.

[Enthusiast]

32. Kicked and recommended!

[Live and Learn]

33. I will donate every last dollar I have to Bernie becauseI honestly believe that if he doesn't win

none of it will matter anyway.