Bernie Sanders’ Senate colleagues stunned by his ascent

[Capt. Obvious]

Bernie Sanders’ Senate colleagues have come to know him as a bit player in the Democratic Caucus, a gruff, rumpled protest voice to the left of even the most liberal senators. Now the Vermont socialist is drawing crowds by the thousands seemingly everywhere he goes — and his cohorts in D.C. can hardly believe it.

“Man, when I was away on recess, I kept seeing Bernie here and Bernie there,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), recounting a conversation he had with Sanders. “It was like ‘Where’s Waldo?’”

Yet many are also implicitly — and some explicitly — warning voters not to jump on the Sanders bandwagon. He’s too far out there to win a general election, a number of Democrats who’ve worked alongside him — most, or all, of them Hillary Clinton supporters — say.

And they fear the stronger he gets, the more he’ll pull Clinton to the left, hurting her chances in the general election.

“I just hope they don’t move Hillary so far left that people believe she is out of the realm,” said Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate West Virginia Democrat who supports Clinton. “I’ve seen bases move people.”

....

Politico

[ljm2002]

1. “I’ve seen bases move people.”

Oh, the horror! Politicians being affected by what their base wants, rather than by what their handlers want.

Granted sometimes the base can be extreme (e.g. the tea party). But poll after poll shows a majority of Americans agreeing with Bernie on the issues.

Our politicians are bought and paid for, and the population at large has begun to notice. Hence Bernie's rise.

[marym625]

2. Yeah, let's be sure to keep Clinton to the right

So Bernie wins the nomination and general. Hillary shouldn't have to change her views, again, just to be mainstream

[artislife]

3. Herd mentality

And not a leader amongst them. They think if they attach themselves to the so call leader, their political careers will flourish instead of thinking what they were voted into office for. That is to represent and protect the constituents who voted for them . ---The ones that can actually be drowned in a bathtub, I might add.

Go Bernie, go.

[CrispyQ]

4. “I just hope they don’t move Hillary so far left that people believe she is out of the realm,”

Don't worry, Goldman won't let her stray to the left, in spite of what she may say on the campaign trail.

[Autumn]

5. OMG those fucking bases!!!!!!!!!

Bad bad bases. What an idiot

[pipoman]

6. Most of Washington doesn't get that

The base on both sides will demand actual change this election cycle...which ever candidates emerge the primaries better be a outside the box populist or they will lose.

[kenfrequed]

7. Politico is full of crap

Bernie Sanders was one of the founders of the progressive caucus.

'Bit player' feh.

[djean111]

10. Yes, "bit player", indeed. And the remarks illustrate perfectly why I support Bernie.

They don't need to worry, Hillary will not move to the Left, actually, by even a millimeter. All talk.

[Wilms]

8. Joe Manchin is concerned.

I am sooo upset.

[Autumn]

9. Manchin should be more than stunned. Much of the base he doesn't seem to give a flying fuck about

is pretty damn sick and tired of their business as usual. Some democrats like him need to learn they had better Lead, follow or get the fuck out of the way. Myself? I prefer they get the fuck out of the way because their past words and actions do not instill and trust and inspiration in me. Bernie does.

[winter is coming]

11. Has anyone told them they're more conservative than their electorate? n/t

[fredamae]

12. A measure of the Depth

of their selective Disconnect with the people they say they serve
"Bernie Sanders’ Senate colleagues stunned by his ascent"

IF "they'd" been positively responding to "us" over the past 10 Years they would Not be compelled to create a Façade of being "Stunned", Surprised, Shocked and Bewildered. I call BS. They Knew and they Know Now Exactly Why!
After the election, they instead chose to tell Us..who worked So hard for Them/Elected them in 2008 believing in Hope/Change/Transparency/Feet Held to Fire etc etc etc...What "we" ended up with...after all that...is thanks but no thanks as they tossed our seat at the table out the door and quietly, firmly closed it in our faces........
Oh, they listened....Why else would Rahm call "us" "eff'n retarded"?
Why else would Schumer compare the progressives/populists/liberals to the Tea Party?
They knew then and they know now...why. Don't let them distract you with This bs!
"We" have called, emailed, visited and expressed our dissatisfaction regarding Dem Party Job Performance.....and they ignored, deleted, tossed and otherwise "dumped us" and our feedback. Even as they Suffered Huge Losses in 2010/2012/2014...they still, with a Straight Face say "they're stunned"? lol
Willful Ignorance, I say.

They brought it upon themselves.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

13. I hope they can re-evaluate what 'mainstream' means when Bernie takes the nomination and the WH.

Maybe stop believing the Luntzes out there who tell them they have to go to the right to win elections.

[QC]

14. Amazing what you can find out when you talk to someone

other than rich people and their functionaries.

But then I'm sure Louis and Marie had no idea how angry the peasants were on this day in 1789.

[NorthCarolina]

15. My guess is they'll also be 'stunned' when he wins the primaries.

I realize that attempting to instill doubt about his chances is all the Hillary camp really has. Undoubtedly she would like to be able to attack him on issues using nebulous statements, but the fact is the base is overwhelmingly aligned with Sanders views and policies, and doing so would expose her corporatist friendly agenda. The debates will be quite interesting.

[LWolf]

16. Stunned, and at least in one case,

hitting back with a lie to try to regain control of the message.

“The likelihood that Bernie Sanders becomes president is very, very low,” said Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut. His views “are not where the majority of the American people are. I think it’s very hard for a guy who calls himself a socialist to ultimately win the trust of the majority of the American voters.”

And, of course, the scary "socialist" word.

http://billmoyers.com/2015/06/01/mainstream-bernie-sanders/

[HooptieWagon]

17. Heaven forbid a politician represents people rather than corporate interests.

The Horror!