Bernie winning is important to me in my decision going forward

[mmonk]

whether to remain in the Democratic Party or become unaffiliated. I should at least explain why. The primary reason has to do with finance, protection of the welfare of the American people, lack of prosecution of those that sank the economy through fraud including defrauding government agencies, etc. and not adequately guarding against systemic risk. I also do not support primacy of budget hawking over any other economic matter. And in the end, neoliberal foreign policy has been primarily a failure instead of strengthening the United States. I have a different value system. Thanks for your patience and I will post my thoughts and information going forward. Sometimes when I log into GD P, this place seems childish in many of the arguments which at times seems issue or substance free. Talk later.

[merrily]

1. You are not from alone, especially given how the Party has behaved. It's difficult, no matter what.

Let's just focus now on supporting Bernie.

[onehandle]

2. Hostage taking and threats is all the 'Not Hillary' Party has left. nt

[timlot]

17. Exactly. If things don't go there way. Blow it up.

I say bye. Everybody get one vote. Use it wisely.

[Joob]

3. I agree and submitting to Hillary because of "The lesser two evils" devalues my values

The values my vote was based on.

[geek tragedy]

4. if one primary campaign is enough to get you to leave

I would wager you've had at least one foot out the door for a while.

[tk2kewl]

6. This primary is the exclamation mark on 30 years of DLC/3rd Way neoliberalism

[Nay]

18. Thank you. So many people act like this primary is business as usual, and

it isn't. We can make our stand here or not, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that it doesn't really matter who wins. It does. We're looking at the confluence of several very large systemic problems that MUST be addressed if destruction is not to follow. Feel-good words, fake science, the-market-will-fix-everything bullshit will not fly in the face of reality this time; it's worked for years, but not now.

[tk2kewl]

5. Me too... If the Democratic Party doesn't get behind these positions...

I will be registering with the Working Families Party

[HereSince1628]

7. The question for me is will Sanders' populist movement find a home in the party?

although, at this time, it's not entirely clear if Sander's movement will survive his campaign.

[Joob]

9. The movement will survive if he's not nominated but..

it certainly won't be in this party, that's the only way it would survive. And I know Bernie has said he will do anything to make sure a Republican is not nonimated but he never really said he'd be behind Hillary Clinton and if he did, remember he just said Hillary is not qualified. Now I'm just thinking about this logically. The movement would find a third party, which won't be easy.

Let's say he does back Hillary up if he loses, he's made it clear that she would have to adjust to some of his ways even more (from the TYT interview) sure some would follow suite if that's the case. However, many people do not like the Establishment and don't Trust Hillary, she's changed many stances, flip-flops, and many first time voters such as myself have no loyalties to either party and just can't get the thought of money in politics out of our head.

I don't see the movement dying until corporations backing politicians for agendas that don't work for America end.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

8. For me, it's climate change.

Pro-fracking, pro-drilling 'all of the above' energy policy is going to drive humanity into extinction. No amount of 'correct' positioning on any other other subject is going to prevent that extinction. For the survival of humanity, I think we MUST have a candidate that is against fracking, against oil and coal as strongly as possible.

Survival of the species is first, after that comes everything else, including my own personal survival, or any other individual's.

[dreamnightwind]

11. My feelings exactly - eom

[bigtree]

10. the DU poutrage is getting old

...I'm tired of being talked down to by a losing campaign and its sore supporters.

As I recall, you were a republican for some time before you came to our party. Either you choose to be part of a Democratic coalition which has the potential of changing those things you say you care about, or you relegate yourself to some fringe, marginal political posturing which does little but provide background noise and cover for the real opposition to a progressive agenda.

[disillusioned73]

12. I really don't think the op..

would be joining some "fringe" - on the contrary, I think registered D's & R's will soon be the "fringe" as you put it.. I've been a registered D all my adult life here in PA.. but may go Indy no matter what happens in this primary.. just my little "protest" to the establishment so to speak.. a small message that may or may not be heard, after all we're all just numbers to these folks..

[link:http://ivn.us/2015/07/06/poll-independents-will-soon-outnumber-republicans-democrats-combined/|

[bigtree]

13. it's always amazing to me how people who regularly speak with utter disdain for Democrats

...are so put out that there's no welcome mat with their name on it at the Democratic party platform.

I think most Democrats would agree that their interests and concerns have not always found ready consensus among elected Democrats, but still would agree that the Democratic coalition is still the most accommodating political vehicle available with the potential and opportunity to actually advance progressive ideals and initiatives into action or law.

[seattleite]

20. "Most accomodating" is relative.

The Democratic Party, on the whole, isn't progressive. At all.

[bigtree]

21. neither is the electorate, on a whole

...there's isn't a more relevant political platform for progressives than the Democratic party, and that's more than some invention or manipulation.

Humanistic and responsible politics is a characteristic of the majority of our party and our coalition reflects that reality. But there are myriad interests and concerns from many diverse regions of the country which seek recognition in our legislative process. The challenge has always been to reconcile those often disparate ambitions and needs into some sort of progressive action. The difficulty in that is more of a consequence of that diversity of interests, than some flaw in our party.

Point is, progressives' influence within our party - ostensibly through the expansion of support among voters - will continue to be relative to their influence at the voting booth.

[CalvinballPro]

15. I've never seen a better term to describe it than "poutrage." Thank you very much!

I'd been using fauxtrage, because it's all so manufactured, but I like yours better.

[CalvinballPro]

14. Don't let the door hit you where the evolutionary process split you. nt

[seabeyond]

16. Another hostage vote. This is the new PUMA 2016, worse than PUMA 2008.

[Demsrule86]

19. Sure.

I am certain that Trump and/or Cruz would be everything you ever dreamed. Free Republic would probably be more to your liking...talk soon.