Sanders: Obama Couldn't Close Gap Between Congress And American People

[Justice]

Bernie Sanders: "advancing his own campaign promises requires mobilizing 'millions and millions of people' to get into politics and engage with our government in a way that does not exist right now." I generally agree with this statement.

Bernie, says Obama was unable to do it, despite making an effort to do so.

Whoa.

I am a little surprised about these early quotes attributed to Bernie. Need to watch this interview tonight.

Wondering how Bernie thinks he has the skill set to do what he claims Obama could and did not do?

Interviewed by MSNBC's Kasie Hunt (full interview tonight)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-obama-couldnt-bridge-congress-americans

(originally posted in General Discussion because it is about Obama and Bernie, not about the primary but Skinner disagreed and so I am reposting here)

[hollowdweller]

1. I think in a lot of ways Bernie is picking difft issues than Obama.

Obama wasn't so much about money and influence screwing the working class.

Obama's financial team was Wall Street guys.

Obama could have possibly closed the gap if he had denounced deregulation and trickle down and GOP Policies right off the way Reagan did the democrats in 1980.

Instead he put the financial insiders in charge and tried to reach across the aisle to a bunch of wingnuts, a lot of them Southerners that would never take suggestions from a black man.

Obama did not pick up the economic populist line till he realized in 2012 after Warren that it had traction with the public. He used it to defeat Romney, just as it may be used to defeat Clinton now, but he really did not adopt it till his second term after the GOP had time to develop the Tea Party as their answer

[Larkspur]

2. Obama abandoned OFA and embraced Rahm Emanual

and the pro-corporate Dem policies and that is why we do not have a public option and why Obama wanted to cut Social Security.

Obama did not rally the millions he inspired for change to help him bring in the change that we needed. He chose to employ Clintonism in his Admin. And that is why Democrats lost Congress and are now a minority party in the US.

[Beowulf]

3. Exactly. Eom

[JRLeft]

5. That he did do Obama should have utilized OFA.

[kstewart33]

4. Criticizing Obama will not be received politely by the black community.

Bernie sounds like he getting a bit full of himself.

[Kentonio]

6. The President is not a saint

And implying that all black people would be offended by any criticism of him is pretty awkward.

[Maedhros]

12. You're projecting.

Keep trying to drum up racial tension. You can do so from the ignore list.

[Justice]

7. I think this is also about the reality of governing versus campaigning

We can say anything we want when we campaign -- but when governing, there is that sticky bit about getting it through Congress.

Republicans met the night when Obama took office and plotted to make him a one term President. Every single day, they plotted to make him look bad - even if they agreed with him.

Iranian news today says some Republicans tried to get Iran to postpone releasing prisoners until after the election. If true, it is one more despicable thing they have done.

Any other candidate who is not a Republican is naive to think Republicans won't do all of that to him/her as President.

[SDJay]

8. He's Right, But

no Democrat, regardless of age, name, color, gender, whatever, could have ever, ever gotten anything done with these assholes. That gap was only going to get wider if anything unless Republican Jesus was POTUS.

It's an empty criticism even though it's accurate.

[rufus dog]

11. I agree with this

Obama couldn't and didn't close the gap. That being said, there is not a person alive that could in the current environment

The Rebublicans don't care about country one bit and the media won't call them out on it due to the potential lost revenue.

[jillan]

9. Can someone explain to me why it is bad to question your President? I don't understand why people

are making a big issue out of this.

All Bernie is saying is he would want to keep people involved after the election. What is wrong with that?

He's not throwing the President under the bus. He's not saying he doesn't like Obama. He's just saying what he would do differently.
He is allowed to not agree with our President on everything. Just as Hillary doesn't agree with everything.

BFD!!

[Justice]

10. Made it sound like if Obama had shown more leadership, Congress would have agreed with him.

Truly an off note and frankly a little naive - no amount of leadership would close the gap with the Republicans. Many believed in 2008 that Obama would help us turn the page from the Bush years and move forward. That was naive. So is this.

Also taking a swipe at Obama.