Froma Harrop: Sanders wants it both ways as party outsider

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On a recent “Saturday Night Live,” Bernie Sanders (played by Larry David) exclaimed, “l’m so excited to be back and to ruin things a second time.” The audience emitted a nervous laugh.

The Vermont senator’s fan base takes great offense at the notion that Sanders was a spoiler in the 2016 election who helped elect Donald Trump. But many Democrats believe that and remain bitter over his burnt-earth campaign against Hillary Clinton. This explains Sanders’ frequent shoutouts these days about how he avidly supported Clinton’s candidacy.

Sanders is recovering from his recent heart attack and has wisely eased the pace on his campaign. One of his key issues now is big money’s outsized role in elections. That’s fine, but why is he singling out the Democratic National Convention as the place that needs shaping up, demanding that it ban all corporate donations?

Because Sanders has long reserved his strongest critiques for Democrats who don’t conform to his worldview. From a practical perspective, Democrats can’t unilaterally disarm from fundraising. In any case, it’s odd to zero in on Democrats when the other party is far more bought.

Long after Trump became the Republican nominee, Sanders threatened to withhold his support from the Democrats’ pick if certain demands weren’t met. He never reined in the fanatics he had inflamed against Clinton. At the Democratic National Convention, Sanders delegates booed Clinton surrogates and even chanted, “Lock her up!”

Trump immediately picked up Sanders’ talking points about Clinton being a tool of Wall Street fat cats. Imagine that. And Russian trolls covertly fanned anger in the Sanders base to drain votes from Clinton.

-more-

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/harrop-sanders-wants-it-both-ways-as-party-outsider/

[comradebillyboy]

1. Excellent article. It's worth reading the whole thing....

[LanternWaste]

2. I never did get the "revolution" thing as it comes from a professional politician

But then again, commercial branding isn't about accuracy, just a series of appeals to emotive, hispter tag-lines and bumper stickers.

[Ztolkins]

7. Like "Hope and Change?"

[corbettkroehler]

10. Boom! That's The Point!

This attitude reminds me a little of Sarah Palin's old "Hopey, Changey Thing" line.

Medicare For All won't happen until millions of Americans stand up and demand it. That must be a coordinated. Warren and Sanders are the only ones who recognize that and, instead of declaring M4A politically dead, point us to how we could do it.

[melman]

3. Froma Harrop

[Cha]

9. She's not wrong.

[betsuni]

13. Your point?

[PhoenixDem]

4. This is a great article

Finally someone is calling a spade a spade.

[Cha]

5. Dead On.

[NurseJackie]

6. "In any case, it's odd to zero in on Democrats when the other party is far more bought."

In any case, it’s odd to zero in on Democrats when the other party is far more bought.

Things like that only create suspicion, resentment and division. A divided party is a weak party. That only serves to benefit the GOP, and Trump, and Russia.

[TidalWave46]

8. Won't be able to get away from it.

“ recovering from his recent heart attack ”

[betsuni]

12. Thank you, excellent article!

[aikoaiko]

14. Fromma's premise is wrong. Bernie has hammered Republicans and Trump more than Democrats.

True in 2016 and true now.

[ehrnst]

18. No, it's not wrong. (nt)

[Hortensis]

15. "l'm so excited to be back and to ruin things a second time."

Good article. Thanks, Yo Mama.

Sanders' illicit attempt to overset the choice of Democratic voters, every bit as contemptuous of representative democracy as Republican election theft, powerfully illustrates why I'm dismayed that any Democrat would support Sanders. And why I always speak out against him. We can only have national healthcare if the will of the people continues to rule. Sanders knew that when he attacked our sovereignty from the left as the Republicans and Russia seek to destroy it from the right.

When Clinton later amassed nearly 4 million more votes than he did, Sanders implored the superdelegates to bypass the primary voters’ choice and give him the nomination.

The article didn't point out Sanders' extensive piggybacking on massive Republican spending on anti-Clinton advertising by designing some of his own themes around theirs. Or his hiring once again of viciously dishonest attack staff to help create the 24% of his voters "he had inflamed against Clinton." 24% refused to vote for her, and most of those refused to vote for Democrats.

I believe politicians who misuse the power of their candidacies like this are giving the electorate huge clues to how they would use the real thing.

[aikoaiko]

16. A solid 15% of polled primary voters disagree.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Froma.

Bernie may not win this primary race either, but he has the support of enough rank and file Democrats and independents to stay in.

[ehrnst]

17. Source for that stat? (nt)