It's much more likely that, if HRC is nominated and Bernie's campaign gets nothing in Phily

[Ken Burch]

There will be Sanders people voting for Stein sitting it out rather than actually voting for Trump.

Nobody in this party would benefit from that, and most of us who are Sanders supporters will be trying hard to prevent that.

The best way to help us do that, if Bernie is not nominated, is for the Clinton campaign to NOT insist on running roughshod over the platform and convention process.

It's in this party's interest to bring as many of the Sanders independents over. Positive approaches at the convention, rather than hubris and demands for people to just get in line, are the way to make that happen.

This is simply a call for a creative alternative approach to unity.

Let's win in the fall by NOT crushing anyone in the summer.

[SusanCalvin]

1. It's a good thought.

It seems to me running roughshod is what they do, but one can hope.

[dflprincess]

2. This will only happen if the Clinton camp wakes up and realizes it will need Bernie's supporters

and can't assume that we'll just shut up and go along like we've been doing the last 30 years.

I'm not holding my breath.

[oldandhappy]

3. The platform will be everything for me.

If the issues from the Sanders campaign are included in the platform -- great.

If these issues are ignored -- that is OK, also. Choice.

I have choice also.

So the whole unity thing hinges on the platform for me. And my vote will follow the issues. Translation is yours!

I will be watching the platform.

[SusanCalvin]

5. Platform is the first step.

Getting her to adhere to it is the second.

[oldandhappy]

8. Yes, but at least we will have something to wave at her!

You are absolutely correct. Adherence is probably a fantasy, especially if we have to work hard to get something included.

[SusanCalvin]

9. Yep. Having something to wave at her is better than not. nt

[grasswire]

30. can't trust her

and don't want corruption and fidelity to 1 percent in the WH.

[highprincipleswork]

34. Platform plus VP choice.

[oldandhappy]

47. yes -- I am hesitant to hope.

I am afraid clinton will choose someone who will not outshine her and not push her. I of course want someone more progressive! We shall see. fingers crossed.

[Kalidurga]

4. Too late

We have been typing our fingers to the bone trying to reason with Hillarians and get them to understand where we are coming from. Some people I have seen bend over backwards to try to understand where Hillarians come from. I have seen to many olive branches taken from Bernie supporters only to be used to smack them around. So, now the question is how much is this going to hurt Democrats in the fall. Because I think there are enough Democrats that would like to see Bernie fail if he gets the nomination, just because he dared run against Hillary.

[mythology]

19. Perhaps if you weren't blatantly insulting them with Hillarians

It amazes me that people are so utterly oblivious to their own failings in this regard. You talk about how you've done all this reaching out and yet can't even stop yourself from throwing in a stupid infantile derogatory nickname and impugn their motives.

It's just baffling to me that people are this lacking in self-awareness.

[Gwhittey]

20. "It's just baffling to me that people are this lacking in self-awareness."

Says someone who Does not think taking millions from Wall Street influence someone towards them.

[Kalidurga]

21. You find that insulting odd

I find defending someone who does war for profit insulting.

[840high]

29. .that^ X100

[ChairmanAgnostic]

43. Bingo.

[DCBob]

42. +1

Boggles the mind.

[HooptieWagon]

6. The bridge has been burned, the well poisoned.

Hillary's supporters say they don't even want votes from Ssnders supporters (as if). What I hear on social media is split between writing in Sanders and voting for Jill Stein. Only very few have indicated they'll vote for Hillary...I suspect a large number will stay home, but they aren't proclaiming that. Probably going to be bad down-ticket also. Heckuva job, Debbie.

[Jester Messiah]

13. 2nd place still pays pretty well

In a 2 party system, anyway.

[HooptieWagon]

14. Yep. That's why they hate the left more than they do Republicans.

They share the corporate feed trough with Republicsns, win or lose. The Left is a threat to their gravy train.

[Jitter65]

27. No, heckuba job, Bernie. He wanted to destroy the Democratic party and he just might succeed. nt

[YOHABLO]

28. It was the Clintons who destroyed the Democratic Party my friend.

[grasswire]

31. Link? nt

[HooptieWagon]

35. I view it as a hostage rescue.

[yourpaljoey]

37. The number of write-ins will surprise many

[riderinthestorm]

7. The Clintons are vindictive. They're already set to shut him out of any speaking slot

They've already put that out there.

Bernie has nothing to lose by going all out til the convention to get his message to the widest audience.

Frankly I believe Bernie knows his career is toast. The Clinton machine will ensure he is stripped of committees and seniority. He has nothing to lose. He's in his mid 70s. What can they bribe him with? A lucrative career as a high paid health industry lobbyist (cough, Howard Dean, cough )?

Right now he's the tip of the spear. He's integrity personified.

I hope he decides to overthrow his Dem overlords and pick up a torch...

[SusanCalvin]

10. They've put it out that they're going to attempt to shut him out of a speaking slot

At the convention? Seriously??

ETA that if that's for real I'd rethink my "any Democrat" position..

[riderinthestorm]

11. Read it and weep...

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/the-democrats-10-point-plan-lose-election_b_9605608.html

2016, the Clinton camp, determined to offend Sanders and his supporters, has leaked that if he continues to do well — winning about half the delegates in the primary season post-March 1st — they’ll consider giving him a good speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

They may even, if he’s really good and plays really nice with everyone, let him chat with Secretary Clinton a few times about his priorities and maybe (if he’s lucky!) get her to adopt one or two of his positions that, in fact, she already has adopted-cum-stole via her largely plagiarized-from-Bernie stump speeches.

What? No Cabinet-level position, just a nice speaking slot on TV?

When Bernie’s been on TV more over the past six months than he was in the twenty-five years prior?

Yes, it’s true: the Clinton campaign is throwing maximum shade at Bernie regarding his future in the Party, and in the most condescending way possible.

[SusanCalvin]

16. That's insulting, but

not one way or the other about a speaking slot.

Of course, not one way or the other is insulting in itself - he's earned prime time beyond question.

I still have hope this will be moot.

ETA: Man, I just want to take a mallet and pound them flat. But that wouldn't be Democratic. Or even democratic.

[HooptieWagon]

17. Keep in mind the Clinton enemies list.

Besides not giving him a speaking spot at convention, which would cost her some votes from Sanders supporters, it's also likely she'll target his Senate committee assignments ...which would happen post election and cost her no GE votes.

[mythology]

22. Wait, so an article written by a guy who hates Clinton says something and I'm supposed to believe it

The guy believes Cruz or Kasich are most likely to win the nomination, in spite of Kasich having won I believe one state and Cruz being hated by the Republican establishment and a Republican primary system that is set up to have big states be winner take all. It's unlikely the Republican nominee is anybody other than Trump.

Claiming that leaking that Booker or Castro might be her VP nominee instead of Sanders as some sort of slight is just stupid. Those two have been talked about as potential VP candidates for years for obvious reasons.

Claiming that Sanders is calling for a 50 state general election campaign is laughable considering his own campaign is claiming they didn't contest southern states. Apparently it's different in the primary or something.

The author also apparently believed that the lack of early voting would harm Clinton's campaign in New York (oops), Clinton's support among non-white voters has collapsed (again oops based on New York and her commanding lead in Maryland) and he believes that Sanders is winning the race for the nomination based on some fantasy scenario.

The author is a buffoon and proves it with every new article.

[PyaarRevolution]

12. Ditto.

My message'll be: screw em'. I'm not going to take that shit. It crosses a line and I'll vote Bernie in or vote Jill Stein and go downballot Dems. if any aren't the ballot.

[winter is coming]

23. I guess Hillary doesn't want to witness another "Bernie! Bernie!" moment.

It's not a smart move.

[jillan]

18. Are you serious? That is NOT going to help her win over his supporters.

Grrrrrr!!!

[dreamnightwind]

15. Good OP, we need to push for platform considerations

I don't think any DU Bernie person is going to vote for Trump, at least I'd be shocked. I guess, given the large numbers of people, there's bound to be one or two, but overall, I don't see it.

But I'm definitely an issues voter, not a party voter, and I'm sure there are many others this is true for. Hillary is pretty much the worst of the worst Democrats from my perspective, doesn't support my issues with anything more than campaign rhetoric.

They'll need to incorporate some serious reforms we are pushing for, and its a good idea to push this. We'll only get small bones, IMO, on the party platform, but we might as well fight for the most we can get, and let them know we vote based on issues. The whole reason for Bernie's campaign is that the party has ignored our issues for too long, hopefully we can get something substantial on the platform out of this campaign, and then we can decide how to proceed from there.

Personally, some bones I would want would be to end fracking (edit: and to stop supporting it in other countries), to support a massive effort to retool our energy use to renewables, overturning Citizen''s United, ending private prisons, a financial transaction tax, or a platform plank that supports single payer healthcare with no health insurance industry. Getting the party to support these things, or at least some of them, in the platform, would be better than nothing.

Better yet, let's win the primary for Bernie. Still possible if improbable.

[LuvLoogie]

24. You don't "get" anything at the convention except the nomination.

The Party Platform is a philosophical statement, not a policy paper with a legislative agenda. Hillary isn't going to write the platform. That's something that the Party develops as a whole through consensus. Hillary would be under no obligation to implement Bernie's formless proposals. The Platform, when introducing new goals, speaks in generalities. Healthcare will be spoken of interms of affordable and comprehensive. College education will be spoken of in terms it being affordable--that's it.

The sausage will be made on Capitol Hill

[seabeyond]

25. Over 80% of Sanders supporters polled said they will vote Clinton.

[bkkyosemite]

26. I do doubt that poll from what I have seen

[YOHABLO]

32. Oh yeah? No one polled me

[Ken Burch]

36. It's going to be close in the fall. 80% won't be enough.

It will need to be more like 90%, and 90% of a high turnout of those voters.

It's not as though there's anything I laid out in the OP that Clinton supporters would have any reason to object to.

[HooptieWagon]

39. Obama won Florida twice by very slim margins.

Large voter turnouts, including youth and minorities.
Just a slight drop off in turnout, and Clinton loses. In fact I'll call it now...Clinton will not win Florida. I don't know about the other swing states, but I suspect the same.

[still_one]

33. You have a good point. However, I would not assume that Bernie's campaign will get nothing in Phill

[Joob]

38. I'll fight for Democracy, not Demockracy.

[silvershadow]

40. They have to do much more than that, i have to tell you. Unless those Superdelegates

snap to their senses and quickly, it will be a mess that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory against what should have been a cake walk. They cannot, in good conscience, move her candidacy forward under the current circumstances, never mind her horrid campaign. They cannot taint my name with her baggage. It would be an EMBARRASSMENT to me, and to my party of over 50 years. It is all right there, in the public domain.

Political campaigns are often managed stage shows for the mass consumption, but face it-to move her nomination forward while she is under investigation- would be so unimaginable that I can't. If we do, I have descended the rabbit hole. I cannot associate myself with the party that would do that, so please don't do that.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the vast swath of irregularities that have occurred in state after state. I won't address them here, but they are widespread on the internet and on DU. Take a moment to find a compendium thread and read it instead of all this nonsense banter back and forth.

There is NO way. NO way.
Why are we not talking about this openly already? Why?

[PyaarRevolution]

41. One big problem with the party system now.

Who here has heard of Franklin Pierce? Bush's great-great gf or whatever and he was an epic failure as a President, a big drunk. He got elected because Hawthorne wrote a book about how great he was at the time. Long story short, because Franklin was such a screw-up the Republicans didn't give him the nomination for the second term as he was such an embarrassment and they were likely thinking about the welfare of our country at the time.
So why didn't they do the same to George W. Bush in stead of covering for him? The same should go for Hillary the more of this damaging stuff that comes out, at least in terms of endorsements moving to Bernie. At best, the pledged Superdelegates where Hillary or Bernie have a clear majority in that state like Vermont or others should go completely for said candidate and after that it should be proportional.

[beachbum bob]

44. I expect to see unity come out of the convention and hillary has no reason NOT to incorporate

many sanders ideas into the platform....its only wishful thinking by those on the extremes that somehow clinton/sanders trash each other at the convention. Not going to happen, Too much at stake for america. The media wants a circus...that has always been their intent


and why the GOP is going to be stuck with trump

[randome]

45. So what issues should the Sanders campaign push to be addressed?

Income inequality? "Break up the banks"? I see a lot of these amorphous soundbites without anyone having a clue as to what specifically they want addressed.

Sanders' most vociferous supporters don't seem to have any clear ideas on what they want to see Clinton incorporate into the platform. It's either these wishy-washy nothing-burgers or petulantly crying and walking away.

So tell us...what do you want incorporated into the platform?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[madokie]

46. Oklahoma will go for the 'CON nominee

no matter what I do or who I vote for so it matters not even if I vote. To be honest with you. In that sense I'll vote my conscience.

You can bet your ass it won't be for a tRump or a cRuz