Bernie Sanders Goes All-In On California Primary, Plans Big Rallies

[think]

Bernie Sanders Goes All-In On California Primary, Plans Big Rallies

April 27, 2016 2:23 PM

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Facing an uphill battle to defeat frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders is reportedly laying off staff and focusing his campaign on the California primary in June.

In an interview with the New York Times, Sanders said he would lay off hundreds of staff, particularly in states which already held primaries. The senator from Vermont also said he plans to move staff to California, where the primary will be held on June 7th.

“Symbolically and in terms of delegates, if we can win the largest state in this country, that will send a real message to the American people and to the delegates that this is a campaign that is moving in the direction it should,” Sanders told the newspaper.

Sanders also said he hoped to hold rallies for “hundreds of thousands” in the Golden State in the coming weeks....

Read more:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/04/27/bernie-sanders-california-primary-big-rallies/

[CrowCityDem]

1. Good luck, but she can clinch before California.

[CoffeeCat]

7. Hillary can get to 2383 in pledged delegates before California?

I don't think so.

[morningfog]

67. Wrong question. Can she get to 2,026 PDs before CA, same answer. No.

[morningfog]

66. No she can't. Math!

[Gomez163]

2. In 2008 Hillary was all big on big rallies. She learned her lesson.

Now she does small gatherings.

[Svafa]

3. Small gatherings of extremely wealthy people is better strategy

than speaking for free at large rallies. It also speaks volumes about her.

[Gomez163]

6. Its easier for her to listen.

[Svafa]

9. As we saw in the BLM protest video, she sure does a lot of listening.

[CoffeeCat]

10. Not true. I heard so much about the listening

that she was doing so I went to a rally myself.

Nope. No listening. Just talking.

She can't draw the crowds. Bottom line.

Listening...oh boy.

[Gomez163]

12. She seems to have gotten more votes than Bernie. How did that happen?

[Svafa]

14. Closed primaries

[Gomez163]

19. They worked fine when Obama beat her.

[Svafa]

24. Were independents Obama's biggest base? Closed primaries are a very big obstacle

for anyone with greater appeal among independents than the party base.

[onenote]

26. You're not going to like these numbers:

Number of open primaries to date: 13

Popular vote in those 13 open primaries:

Clinton: 5.5 million
Sanders: 3.95 million

[CoffeeCat]

20. Well, she's received half of the campaign contributions that Bernie has received

She's lucky to draw 500 to a rally, while he attracts 28,000.

She has to pay people to maintain a supportive internet presence, because apparently not enough organic support exists.

It's odd, isn't it? Makes you wonder...especially after watching all of the unprecedented chaos in all of these caucuses and precincts.

[Gomez163]

21. Elderly people dont go to rallies. They just show up and vote and go home.

[CorkySt.Clair]

42. +1

The Berners will never understand this.

[Marr]

15. lmao.

Right.

[dinkytron]

45. ...to billionaires.

[MFM008]

8. well

HUUUGGGEEEEE rallies have gotten him nowhere. Hes losing.
But gather away..............

[think]

13. Very important issues matter to Sanders and his supporters. single payer, breaking up TBTF banks,

a living wage, ending the death penalty, ending the war on drugs, reducing prison populations, working to reduce climate change, paid family leave...

And many other issues...

America is the only one of the 25 wealthiest nations that doesn't provide universal health care

http://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2015/sep/01/dan-gecker/dan-gecker-says-us-only-wealth-nation-without-univ/

Tens of millions still have no health insurance. Thousands dies every year in the US due to lack of adequate healthcare.

Issues matter to Bernie Sanders and his supporters. Some of us want to catch up with the rest of the civilized world.

[Demsrule86]

22. Again how exactly can Bernie fix this?

We have gerrymandered House...do you think the GOP will cave to Bernie? Never happen. The only thing we can hope for is court picks and to win in court and end the gerrymander by 2018 or elect Dem governors and legislatures in 16 and 18.

[think]

28. How can Bernie fix it? Bernie is doing what he can by discussing it. As people begin to realize

America is being left behind hopefully they'll join in the fight.

It's a national disgrace that American continue to die and go deep in debt due to health care when so many other wealthy nations have already accomplished the goal.

It may take years still but if you don't fight for it we'll always be the only wealthy nation that fails it's citizens in this area.

Hopefully Hillary and her supporters will quit being a negative force against single payer. Single Payer is or should be an issue all Democrats support.

[lanlady]

48. He can end it by DISCUSSING it?

So as president he will "discuss" single-payer and all those Republicans who have voted 60 times to repeal ACA will somehow magically go along with him?

Surreal!

[think]

49. Hillary won't even discuss it and has been a complete road block. She even took money from the group

trying to stop single payer in Colorado.

You and Hillary can continue to mock single payer on behalf of the insurance industry that paid her $225K while America remains the only wealthy nation on the globe that doesn't provide universal health care.

Keep being a road block and mock what every other wealthy nation has achieved. Thanks...

[lanlady]

71. I am not mocking single-payer

I've always been in favor of universal health coverage, thank you very much. Lived in Europe for many years and know quite well that it is preferable to the mess we have in this country now.

What I AM calling into question is this pie-in-the-sky notion that Bernie will be able to get anything past the GOP-dominated Congress we have now, much less by "discussing" it. I guarantee you he will get nothing done, and end up discrediting the Left's entire agenda. He'll be run out of town in 2020. If not sooner.

Are the past 8 years of GOP obstructionism and attacks on a moderate Democratic president not clear enough to you? Good grief - What are you Bernie supporters smoking that you think a self-described socialist will fare better than Obama? Give me the specifics of what pieces of legislation a President Sanders would introduce as of January 2017 and how he will steer them through a hostile Congress. Please, just this once, I'd like for a Bernie supporter to say something that is grounded in the reality-based world.

[think]

72. Bernie never claimed getting single payer was going to be easy and has suggested it would take

a fight where people needed to become involved including working to change the makeup of congress.

But if you think single payer or any form of universal healthcare will ever come to be without bold leadership that not reality.

And when Hillary is taking millions from health care corporations who don't want the system to interrupt their profits and Hillary says single payer will never happen it's obvious she is not the leader we need to make these changes happen.

Thank fully now very late in the game she's bringing up a public option again but this is after slamming single payer and claiming it will never happen.

Hillary Clinton Once Again Backs the Public Option. What Took Her So Long?

By Jordan Weissmann - FEB. 23 2016 10:11 AM

Hillary Clinton is once again embracing the public option. As Politico noticed Monday, the presidential candidate has added a section to her website stating that she still supports the concept of creating a government-run health plan to compete against private insurers, which she also backed backed during her 2008 campaign.

The public option was a deeply popular idea among progressives during the legislative battles over the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010. Advocates argued it would lower costs and possibly serve as a bridge toward a single-payer system. The proposal also polled extremely well with the public. But it died rather brutally thanks to opposition from more conservative Senate Democrats, including Nebraska's Ben Nelson, and independent Joe Lieberman. (In its place, we got Obamacare's nonprofit health care co-ops, which seem to have been a flop so far.)

Read more:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2016/02/23/hillary_clinton_once_again_backs_the_public_option_what_took_so_long.html

[thesquanderer]

63. As Think said, it may take years.

And another Congress, or two, or three. But you need to start somewhere. Assuming Bernie doesn't get the chance to start it with this election, it will be at least another 8 years before another president will have the opportunity to take up the mantle (since after 4 years, either Hillary gets re-elected, or she gets displaced by a Republican).

[Gomez163]

46. Plenty of Free Mumia at those rallies.

[democrattotheend]

11. I don't remember that

In fact, I recall her mocking Obama's big rallies while doing primarily smaller events, just as she has done this cycle.

[alcibiades_mystery]

36. Drive for show, putt for dough

Same everywhere.

[CorporatistNation]

65. Because Her Entire Public Campaign ... IS FAUX! Remember The Legal Issues... The Are On The Way!

Watch THIS...

[workinclasszero]

4. Plans Big Rallies...

Because they have worked so well for him in the past.

I bet they will be on or next to colleges and Universities as well.

[think]

17. Bernie & his supporters care about big issues Hillary isn't addressing. Single payer for starters

America is the only one of the 25 wealthiest nations that doesn't provide universal health care

http://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2015/sep/01/dan-gecker/dan-gecker-says-us-only-wealth-nation-without-univ/

Some of us want to catch up to the rest of the civilized world...

[Armstead]

23. They HAVE worked for him -- Won some states, close in others

Don't keep perpetuating the falsehood that sanders campaign has been a failure.

All of the conventional wisdom was that he would be lucky if he got 10 percent in the votes and polls.

He's getting around 40 percent ion votes overall, and close,l tying or leading on polls.

[artislife]

16. My brother texted me today that he will vote for Bernie

and we discussed what we will do in November.

[think]

18. Good to hear. It's not over until all the votes are counted. /nt

[Ferd Berfel]

31. Yeah but the problem is who's been doing the counting

[FlatBaroque]

38. You mean the HillVac 3000 Personal Vote Tabulator is not good enuf?

[Ferd Berfel]

70. LoL

HillVAc 3000


How else can the Elite assure the Corporate puppets are anointed?

[amborin]

25. we are hosting two staff members who will arrive this evening....

[think]

29. Very cool Best of luck to you in the days to come! /nt

[moriah]

27. Does anyone know WHY California's primary was pushed so late?

I know there were issues in the 2008 process with some states jumping the gun and not really having a great deal of interaction with voters because so many states voted at the same time, but personally I would rather have redder states like mine be the late showers up at the party if there have to be some, rather than bluer ones.

And I am asking for, like, Party document minutes or something like that, or explanations for the decision contemporary to the time it was made, FYI, please. (i will count suggestions that Hillary is capable of single-handedly running a machine that really has destroyed every bit of Democracy in the Democratic Party as an endorsement of her being the most qualified to do whatever it takes to keep the GOP from winning in November.)

[Ferd Berfel]

30. Cal should be first - I't representative of teh Nation

Iowa , NH and the Confederacy sure as hell aren't

[moriah]

32. In 2008, California voted on Super Tuesday.... so it really is something I wonder about.

Arkansas did, too, but we kept our date. I can see why our state's party might have fought hard to keep the early date with a Clinton in the race -- that it could take Arkansas back purple, and maybe undo the fact we lost a LOT of our Blue Senators and Representatives to Congress.

But if a state has no possibility of ever, ever going Blue.... if anyone has to be disenfranchised in choosing the Blue nominee.... it's them, not California.

[Ferd Berfel]

33. Well....Dosen't the DNC have ALLOT to say about the Schedule?

dunno - just askin'

[moriah]

35. That's what I want to see... when, and the reason given...

... for the change.

Hence my snark about the idea that if people suggest someone is really capable of such horrific things (as the GOP has been messaging about Hillary for decades) it's giving them power.

[Retrograde]

50. It was a Schwartzenegger think, IIRC

He though California would have more clout and attention if it went earlier. All it ended up doing was costing the state more money, since we regularly have elections scheduled in June anyway.

[Samantha]

53. I believe DWS scheduled southern states likely to favor Hillary first

so she could rack up an early lead and start the "I am inevitable" mantra. During the time frame those states were voting, Bernie and O'Malley were still impeded by The Big Ignore. At that time, a high percentage of the people had not even heard Bernie's name. To place California in the first round would not have served their political goal. IMHO

Sam

[moriah]

56. I understand that's what you believe... but do we know of anything about...

... when the decision was made?

Here's an actual article I just found, though.

http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2016/03/15/why-is-californias-presidential-primary-so-late

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. ROFL Rallies

Election Day is a big rally.

[dana_b]

37. Yay! Yay! It's our turn!

FINALLY!

So glad that my daughter and I will get to see the person that we think should be the President.

[JimDandy]

39. Woo hoo! Go Bernie! You do us proud. n/t

[Rebkeh]

40. Kandrnt

[JaneyVee]

41. LOFL.

[Tarc]

43. It's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

It is also a shame that he is still planning rallies, which are huge resource rains on local towns & cities and police & fire personnel and the like.

[savalez]

47. If you're gonna lose, lose BIG!

[shanti]

44. please, please hold a rally in sacramento, bernie!

can't wait to vote for him here in cali!

[litlbilly]

51. If Bernie can crush Oregon and California, hold on to your hats. We can make it happen:)

[highprincipleswork]

52. Onward to the West Coast, to the Left Coast kind of Progressive.

[beachbum bob]

54. I saw how well big rallies worked in new york

So spend more money to fall further behind...

[think]

58. Issues my friend. The issues matter. Single payer, ending the drug war, breaking up criminal banks

These things matter and people should be able to vote for the candidate that is making an effort to do something....

[brooklynite]

60. They have up to now...hasn't made a difference.

[think]

61. America is the only one of the 25 wealthiest nations that doesn't provide universal health care

Thanks for your help with that.....

[brooklynite]

62. So we shouldn't have passed ACA because it's not as good as the SP program we couldn't get passed?

[think]

64. We shouldn't work to make sure EVERY American is covered? The ACA isn't going anywhere and it's

better than before. But it shouldn't be the end game.

You should know better than others how America ranks for health care compared to the rest of the world. We're not number one. In fact far from it.

Tens of millions of Americans still have no insurance now. Millions more can't afford their deductibles and prescription drugs.

We are the only wealthy country that fails to provide universal healthcare for it's citizens.

Why shouldn't America catch up with the rest of the civilized world in this regard?

[litlbilly]

55. If we can help Bernie crush Oregon and California, the games changes dramatically.

Lots of time till June 7th. All in on CA is a good move. Oregon is a lock, so CA all in...

[brooklynite]

57. There's NO BUSINESS like SHOW BUSINESS...

[think]

59. William K black would make a great Attorney General. What do you think?

[morningfog]

68. Love it. Go Bernie!

[2banon]

69. Can't wait.. Heard on the news tonight HRC just set up camp in town today. (Oakland)

Will be gathering with my peeps, it's going be an interesting set of events coming up.