Louisiana? What For?

[think]

Louisiana? What For?

Crashing Vor - SUN JUL 26, 2015 AT 09:13 PM PDT

I was among the 5K or so who gathered at the Pontchartrain Center tonight to hear Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders make his pitch of economic populism and opportunity expansion in deep red Louisiana.

Why, exactly? The chances of our state's eight electoral votes going to any Democratic presidential candidate are slim to none and the pros from Dover of both parties have long treated our state, quite rightly, as an unnecessary stopover. So why would the senator from Vermont bother with li'l ol' Kenner, no matter how enthusiastic the Orleanians in from next door may cheer?

The senator opened by addressing that very question, and reiterated the truth demonstrated by fellow Green Mountaineer Howard Dean: if you're everywhere, they have to fight you everywhere. It's 50-state and it's smart, and the senator from Vermont understands how stupid we were (the president and his chief of staff were) to stop persuing it.

"My colleagues in the Democratic Party have made a very serious mistake," said the senator tonight in Kenner. "They've written off half of America. Where people work 40, 50 hours and can't get out of poverty, where kids have no food, where people have no health care... That's where we should be!"..

Read more:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/27/1406007/-Louisiana-What-For

[delrem]

1. He's starting to deliver it with a sledgehammer, now.

He's speaking in Louisiana but beyond Louisiana too.

TPTB don't like that one bit.

[Enthusiast]

2. Kicked and recommended to the Max!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. The Dems act like they're trespassing in "red states".....

Keep in mind that most of the "red" is areas that would benefit from policies geared towards the working class.

That's why Republicans use hate, prejudice, greed and fear. They've claimed the Liberal message of peace is a weakness since the 60s.

[localroger]

4. Because the Democratic primary isn't winner take all

No, it makes no sense to campaign in Louisiana for the general election. But Bernie isn't campaigning in the general election right now, he's in the primary, and every district he can grab sends him a delegate to the convention.

It was a basic failure to understand that which cost Hillary the nomination in 2008.

[Flying Squirrel]

5. Another point...

By forcing Hillary to compete with him in these states, he prevents her from ignoring them for at least the time being. Whether he wins or loses, this is a good thing for the Democratic party in the long run.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. Dean said if we don't contest every state

it looks like we're conceding the argument.

He's right. We have to at least have volunteers in every state armed to rebut the ridiculous lies from the right. And who knows, some red state might flip to blue by 2016. It certainly won't happen if we give up.

[bvar22]

7. Louisiana has a strong Populist legacy, a la Huey Long.

#!

LBJ said the South would be lost for a generation.
Well, THAT generation is OVER.
It is past time the Democratic Party started running Populist candidates in the South.
Gawd knows, poverty and lack of opportunity are high enough where some will listen to other options.

Thank You, Bernie, for having the sense to realize this fact instead of just writing off the South.