I cannot vote for Bernie Sanders in the primaries because anyone who hires people in his campaign

[still_one]

who not only voted for Jill Stein, but have no regrets doing so, speaks to me of the divisive nature of his campaign, and his poor judgement

Briahana Joy Gray, David Sirota, and Nina Turner

[redstatebluegirl]

1. I would rather not, but if he is our nominee, I will vote blue.

Where BS is concerned he has shown with his hires that he has no respect for most of the Democratic party.

[PatSeg]

26. When I see what kind of staff he hires,

I really fear for what kind of people he'd hire as president. How a candidate runs his/her campaign is a glimpse into how they would run their administration. Bernie is an excellent activist and campaigner, but that does not necessarily mean he would be an effective president.

[redstatebluegirl]

31. I agree, but my dog would make a better president than 45.

I pray BS is not our nominee, he won't win, I feel strongly about that. I know the left wants to blow things up but if we don't win the White House, Senate and House we got nothin.

[secondwind]

40. Amen, vote Blue, NO MATTER WHO!!!

[DownriverDem]

81. Center/Left Country

I just don't understand why folks don't realize who will be voting in November.

[fleabiscuit]

178. IMHO, That phrase should never be uttered. It gives agency to disrupters.

[PatSeg]

41. I feel the same way

I really cannot see Bernie winning in the general election. I fear that too many loyal Sanders' supporters are not seeing the big picture and we could pay dearly for that.

[McKim]

108. This Sanders Supporter Votes Blue No Matter Who

This Sanders supporter will Vote Blue No Matter Who. Let’s stop bashing his base and focus on his platform of ideas which would be great for this country. I support him and if he is not the candidate I hope and insist that his excellent plans for our country are incorporated into the Democratic Party Platform. Keep your eyes on the prize!

[redstatebluegirl]

165. Why do you show Warren as your preference?

[AtheistCrusader]

109. I really can't see any candidate that can't win the primary, going on to win in the general, so...

[PatSeg]

122. Oh I do

I think Klobuchar would be a strong GE candidate if Biden doesn't win the nomination. Maybe Warren. Though I like Warren better, I'm not as confident that she would do well in a general election. She is a really good campaigner, so she might be able to overcome the negative attacks from the right.

I really like Buttigieg, but also not sure how he would fare in a general election. Maybe if he was a little older and had more experience.

Who knows, it is still early and our perceptions will undoubtedly change down the road.

[AtheistCrusader]

127. Warren is my first choice, Buttigieg my second.

But if either of them fail to win the primary, I will view them as 'not ready' and line up behind the winner.

It's definitely early. I had hoped Warren would be doing better, but time will tell.

[PatSeg]

139. Actually

I was surprised that Warren didn't do better in Iowa. I expected a stronger showing for her than Buttigieg, who I never viewed as a strong candidate.

It will be interesting how we view all this in a few weeks!

[Fingetti]

157. Bernie Cannot win

Bernie is too extreme to win a majority of the vote in a general. The party is not unified around him much less the country. But that being said I'm voting for him

[marble falls]

162. What if he's not the Democratic nominee?

[eilen]

164. Plus-- has he ever won a tough race? nt

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

153. I pray Bernie WILL be our nominee... Bernie's this country's only hope!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join The Revolution!!

[AlexSFCA]

176. only it will be ref revolution

as BS would cost us seats across the tickets and will guarantee EASY victory to trump. Media dreams of BS as a nominee, they’ll have a blast finally asking him tough questions watching him defending state means of productions. He is a classic socialist (not “democratic”), he does not believe in market economy, period. If he is the the nominee, the election will be about market economy vs state. We will every single moderate voter.

[LisaM]

101. I agree with that 1000 percent. It's a huge worry.

Biden is not my first choice, but I have no fears about his being elected. He'd hit the ground running and get good people (my boyfriend said he'd essentially be Chairman of the Board, and I think that's a good assessment).

[PatSeg]

107. Excellent assessment

I think too many people have a misconception of what being president entails and often are drawn to lofty rhetoric and a charismatic personality. Been there myself actually.

An effective president will surround him/herself with experienced, knowledgeable people, will exercise good judgment, and be able to make important decisions, often with short notice. No one person can possibly know everything necessary to lead the country, but will know who to consult. Of course, a good president will need to inspire the country and display strong leadership skills, but the job is far more complex than popular policies and memorable speeches. Often it takes great courage to do unpopular things when it serves a higher good. FDR was a master at that.

Our expectations of our leaders are often unrealistic and set us up for disappointment.

[druidity33]

180. You mean like Tim Geithner or Alan Simpson? nt.

[PatSeg]

182. Obama appointed a lot of people

that many of us disagreed with and did not appoint Warren to chair the CFPB that she helped create, but I don't think Democrats view his presidency as a failure. I think he would have been a more progressive president, if he'd had a more cooperative congress. This is a different time and Biden is a different person, who hopefully would have solid majorities in the House and the Senate.

[still_one]

44. I agree, I am talking about the primaries only

[Laura PourMeADrink]

83. See, there's a huge difference between voting and

REALLY working for him. It would be very difficult. For me, personally, too left to beat the monster. And trump praying (gag) to get that socialist label trashing going. They are already doing it.

[eilen]

163. I'm pretty sure that, if he were to win

he would change parties from Democratic to Independent.

Past performance is predictive of future behavior.

[trueblue2007]

186. i can't ever vote for him.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Hiring those divisive, nasty people is a foretaste

of how he might staff his administration. I agree with you.

[octoberlib]

3. Bernie doesn't vet. It'll be a repeat of the Trump

administration.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. That's what worries me.

It seems that, like Trump, he hires people who agree with him without looking into anything they might have done or said in the past. And then when bad stuff does come to light he doesn't do anything about it unless it's so egregious that it draws a lot of bad publicity. That's not a good thing.

[Cha]

161. Exactly.

[Nanjeanne]

4. That's fine. Lots of candidates I won't vote for

In primary. That changes in General.

Vote in primary for person you want to be President. That’s what they are for.

[KayF]

15. same here

and I think saying "won't" makes more sense than "can't". I can't vote for Bloomberg? who's making me?

[still_one]

45. Also, I was ONLY referring to the primaries, NOT the GE, where I will vote for whoever the

Democratic nominee is

[Cha]

184. Of course.

[still_one]

90. I agree

[katmondoo]

5. It seems eerie but Sanders at times reminds me of Trump

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

8. Trump has his thumb on the republicans

Sanders would never have majority of either to help him.

If he is the nominee I will vote for him but hold my nose doing it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Not having his (temporary) party's support

would make him an ineffective president. But how can he expect the Democrats to rally around him after he and his Steinist surrogates have bashed them at every opportunity?

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

18. They won't

Lame duck may be wrong term but omg at inauguration?

[ramen]

88. Did I miss a step where Sanders voted for Stein?

My memory is that he campaigned for and voted for Clinton. Lumping him in with that destructive assclown Stein is counterproductive. He is nothing like Jill Stein, and that will not change regardless of how much some folks ring that bell.

I've vacillated between pushing for Warren, Buttigieg, and Sanders. I vote Tuesday, and I am leaning Sanders. He is the person whose policies align most closely with my priorities. He has been almost entirely consistent for his long political career, which makes me think I can trust him to keep being who he has been: one who actually cares to tackle income inequality, the climate, and health care.

My two cents about how he relates to Jill Stein's nonsense: he does not.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

117. Suit yourself. Sanders campaigned for Clinton only grudgingly,

and not until several weeks after the DNC convention which his bros tried to disrupt because they didn't like the result. Several of his top-level campaign staff are proud Stein voters. His ideology aligns more with hers than with mainstream Democrats, whom he bashes at every opportunity, and he refuses to join the party except every four years when he wants to run for president. He has also filed for his state primary as a Democrat to keep real Democrats off the ballot, then re-filed as an independent for the general election.

I don't care about my personal ideology as much as I care about winning this election. I'll support Bloomberg if I have to because he might be able to win. Bernie will give us another four years of Trump.

[DENVERPOPS]

120. Amen to that VO

I think BS would expect all other candidates to IMMEDIATELY get behind him, unlike what he did when Hillary won.
I have to believe that that was one of the things that hurt Hillary and ended up causing many of his followers to vote for Jill Stein.
Re Jill Stein, I saw one too many pictures of her dining with a dinner table full of Russians.

My mother's old adages: Actions speak far louder than words and you are judged by the company you keep.....Still True today....

[Jim_S]

141. That is Soooo wrong. Bernie went to around 40 rallies for Clinton--what the heck are you talking

about? As I mentioned already when Clinton lost she only went to @ 12 for Obama--and don't forget she did not get out of the 'race' till @ June. And one of her 'excuses' was that Kennedy was assassinated during his campaign. Scheeeeze!

[Jim_S]

137. Bernie went to @ 40 rallies for Clinton--she only went to @12 when she lost to Obama.

And so far Bernie is the first one who has said, that if he looses he will campaign for whoever wins the primary. And what do you mean by ..."His ideology aligns more with hers than with mainstream Democrats"... ? If it wasn't for Bernie running in the last primary there would not be the force behind this conversation of 'universal healthcare'. Is Bernie not 'corporate' enough for you? He will not get the support of the 'lame-stream media', he will not get the support of Wall Street, he will not get the support of most CFO's and CEO's. Sounds good to me.

[eilen]

166. He was also selling his book.

[ramen]

143. When you say that he campaigned for her grudgingly,

do you mean after he lost the nomination? Meaning you think he should have campaigned for her while competing with her for that nomination? His enthusiasm seemed pretty straight-ahead genuine. Sanders no more wanted Trump than any of us do. He did what I will do if he fails to get the nomination: vote blue at all costs, because the stakes are far too high. The fact that Stein or any of her supporters were too boneheaded to have done so is not to do with Sanders.

[secondwind]

42. Same here!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. In the sense that he seems to inspire almost cultic worship in his supporters,

me too.

[madibella]

29. I actually think there is some truth to this. And of course this does not apply to all

or even most of his supporters but there is a faction that exhibit cult like devotion to their candidate.

[redstatebluegirl]

34. Me too, he has some cult followers for sure and he is so angry.

[Dream Girl]

72. Cult like following too

[ramen]

84. In what way?

[thesquanderer]

7. That's one of the reasons I prefer Warren. That said...

...every candidate has a "deal killer" if you look hard enough. Ultimately you have to look at the whole package.

[still_one]

87. Perhaps, but there are only two in that cateogory for me, Bernie and Gabbard

[LeftTurn3623]

9. are people not allowed to vote their conscious?

people like that who throw their vote away (in my opinion) annoy me also but its not going to stop me from voting for a candidate who hires someone that didn't vote the way I wanted.

One of my good friends wife voted for Jill Stein in 2016. Granted she said she will never make that mistake again but at the time she thought voting for who she wanted was more important.

[scheming daemons]

21. Voting for Stein was a effectively voting for Trump.

If she didn't realize that when she went to the voting booth in 2016, then she wasn't an informed voter.


But the people who actually worked on her campaign...the Sirotas, etc..... they were *VERY* informed. They knew exactly what they were doing. They KNEW they were helping Trump.

I believe their motive was to make sure Hillary lost.... so that Bernie would have an opportunity in 2020. That's how David Sirota rolls.

[LeftTurn3623]

35. I cant argue what is in peoples minds

you might be right. I tend to think people thought Hillary was going to win. I did. And figured they would support someone more left and help the green party.


Not trying to start a fight here but a lot of Amy supporters do not want Bernie getting the nomination in anyway. I can make the case that voting for Amy is effectively voting for Bernie.

Look at the polling in NH. If you do not want Bernie as the nominee than people should be voting for Pete cause he has a chance to win NH. Amy has no real chance of winning the nomination. Its mean to say but its also the simple truth.

Bernie is going to get this nomination simply because the moderate vote is split. Biden is now polling in 4th in NH. Why cast a vote for him at this point?

I say all this and I do not mind Bernie getting the nomination. I like Bernie. I actually like him a lot. I just like Pete more and think he gives us the best chance to beat Trump.

[scheming daemons]

60. I don't disagree with you.

If I lived in NH, I might switch my support to Pete..... just to stop Bernie and to give a more sensible choice (Pete) a chance to get the nomination.


I live in PA. Our primary isn't until April 28. By the time it gets to me, I will vote for the strongest non-Bernie candidate remaining.

[SilasSouleII]

100. That sounds like a sensible plan

[LisaM]

110. Aside from the obvious pitfalls of throwing the election to Trump

what was it about Jill Stein that your friend thought was so compelling her conscience forced her to vote for her? Did she even have any issues she was strong on? (Not trying to put you on the spot, I'm genuinely curious).

[LeftTurn3623]

159. I have to ask. It was my friend's wife

I do know he tried to talk her out of it

[scheming daemons]

13. I don't believe Jill Stein's goal was to "beat Trump". I believe it was to HELP Trump.

So I question the motives of people who worked for her in 2016.

[ehrnst]

24. She and Sanders were indeed promoted by Russia.

[scheming daemons]

30. I want to beat Trump

That's why I want to vote for a non-divisive candidate that can win in November.


Bernie is not that candidate.


Bernie as nominee will tear the Democratic party in two.... will cause us to lose the suburban mom vote we worked so hard to get in 2018... and result in a general election wipeout for the Democratic party.

Bernie as nominee will make the election a referendum on the economy instead of a referendum on Trump. And we lose that contest.

[scheming daemons]

56. I will vote straight Dem, no matter what.

I would vote for a garden gnome before I'd vote Republican.


But you and I aren't the ones that will decide the general election. As with *EVERY* general election in our history, the party that grabs the majority of the voters in the middle will win.

The political left will vote Democratic. The political right will vote Republican.

The political middle will decide the election... as it always does.



And Bernie will lose the political middle to Trump. I'll vote for him... but that won't matter. All those suburban moms that we brought over to our side in 2018 will abandon us if Bernie is the nominee.

[ehrnst]

119. The candidate we democrats chose in 2016 got more votes than anyone not named Obama.

Our nominee must both inspire the base to vote and attract enough independent voters or new voters to come out and vote. Sanders can do both.

Why do you think he wasn't able to do that in enough people to come any closer than nearly 4 million democratic voters to HRC in 2016?

Why do you think it will be different this time around, especially since he started out weaker in IA than last time?

[SilasSouleII]

102. I believe this.

Russian asset.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. Stein voters wouldn't have voted for Stein if they wanted to beat Trump.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

33. They seem willing to support a Democratic nominee only if

that nominee is fair-weather Democrat Sanders. They spend more time bashing the other candidates and Democrats in general than they do Trump, so I'm not convinced they'd support Biden or Buttigieg or Warren.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

47. Stein voters don't want to beat Trump.

Stein is a Putin ally. The Greens want the Democratic party to fail so as to bring about the "revolution" or some such nonsense.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

58. How are you going to persuade people who think they have to destroy the system

in order to bring about their revolution?

[ehrnst]

79. +1000.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

118. He sure doesn't speak to me.

He yells a lot, though.

[still_one]

97. Then why doesn't the Sanders campaign seem to "welcome" what he characterizes as centrist Democrats?

[ehrnst]

99. How about this voter?

[Cha]

177. And, if stein hadn't Lied about Hillary and trump.. stein

voters might Not have voted for her.

[ehrnst]

23. What specifically do you mean when you say "welcome with open arms?"

No one is telling them not to support a Democratic candidate....

Specifically, what are your ideas on this?

Why do you think that Russia and the GOP will not repeat efforts to divide Democrats by trying to get them to support Stein against the Democratic nominee?

https://www.vpr.org/post/how-russian-social-media-effort-boosted-bernie#stream/0

[ehrnst]

80. So... the Mueller report findings are "divisive" and should not be discussed in 2020...

That sounds like something the Trump campaign would want.

Along with promoting lies about Biden.

[ehrnst]

135. You stated, falsely that the report didn't say that Russia supported Sanders...

That's SO not divisive is it?

Also, one can't get upset about a campaign maybe talking with a reporter about another candidate while at the same time using the Mueller Report to spread lies about the Sanders's campaign.

I have no idea what that sentence about "maybe talking with a reporter" is suppose to refer to - unless it's the debunked claim about Biden you seem to have swallowed whole.

But as for the Mueller report... Let me help you out again. It's not a lie that the Mueller report stated that Russia was helping Sanders. It's the truth, no matter how much it makes you sad to read.

The document, which spells out in detail how the Russians worked to support Trump’s campaign, alleges that on or about Feb. 10, 2016, the Russians internally circulated an outline of themes for future content to be posted on social media accounts.

“Specialists were instructed to post content that focused on ‘politics in the USA’ and to ‘use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump – we support them),’” the indictment said.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/17/indictment-russians-also-tried-help-bernie-sanders-jill-stein-presidential-campaigns/348051002/

Let me know if you have any questions.

[still_one]

95. That works both ways. His campaign sure doesn't seem to welcome what they characterize as "centrist

Democrats"

[still_one]

136. This is about the primary. Criticisms of a candidate during the primary is not an attack. Today

Bernie criticized Pete Buttigieg because he has received big money donations. Is that a criticism or an attack?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-pete-buttigieg-billionaires_n_5e3d80a2c5b6bb0ffc0fdf05

The polls indicate that all the supporters of the candidates will support whoever is the Democratic nominee, with one exception, and that that is the Sanders' supporters are mixed on that, not the "centrist Democrats", who are attacked by the Sanders campaign

https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-poll-warren-biden-2020-nominee-emerson-college-1483831


It is somewhat hypocritical to ignore the "attacks/criticisms" by the Sanders campaign against what he terms as centrist Democrats, and in the same breath say that other should not "criticize/attack" the Sanders campaign because it is divisive.

This is the primaries, and unless someone is intentionally pushing false information, criticisms are part of the vetting process

[democrattotheend]

131. I agree to a point

However, I don't think people who openly campaigned for Jill Stein in 2016 should be leading Bernie's campaign. The concern is that they will do so again if Bernie is not the nominee, and keep sowing division in the party.

[scheming daemons]

12. His answer in town hall last night about VP choice was cryptic, but revealing

He said he wanted a VP who shared his political outlook and was leaning toward a younger woman.


To me.... that screams "Tulsi".



And it will be VERY hard for me, and many Democrats, to vote for a Sanders/Gabbard ticket.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. I hope he's smarter than that.

Anyhow, all of the high-profile women in Democratic politics except for Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters are younger than he is, so that really isn't a very revealing hint.

[HarlanPepper]

25. I'm guessing it would be an academic type.

Someone who is wholly unqualified and would bring nothing to the ticket.

[njhoneybadger]

32. He would absolutely pick "Tulsi" as a running mate

[njhoneybadger]

68. Bernie has shown a pattern of going against the Democratic Party to gain a perceived

Political advantage

[redstatebluegirl]

36. If he does that we need to prepare for 4 more years of Trump.

[still_one]

49. Geez, I would have problems believing he is that self-destructive

[scheming daemons]

62. I would hope so. There is no place for a Tulsi Gabbard in any Dem administration....

....especially not VP.

[eilen]

167. You say that with the supposition that Bernie will remain a

registered Democrat if he wins the general. I have no faith he will do so. He like the Democratic Party train so long as it carries him where he wants to go. Once delivered, he gets off and resumes his Independent journey.

Additionally,
Look at what President Carter went through without the full support of Congress. It certainly cost him effectiveness and ripened the office for Reagan to pick off.

Of course I highly doubt he could win the general. I have heard about polls etc. but I think looking at past performance we can see that there was no large surplus of caucus voters in Iowa, in fact, less people showed up than in 2016. Also, look at 2018 midterms. There was not a progressive seachange d/t his Revolution. The seats that were flipped were won by moderates.

[Rider3]

14. What a cluster f'

The Dems should have chosen 1 candidate to push months ago. All these choices are providing a path for 45 to be re-elected (not to mention he's got Putin's help). Now, the votes are split, and we won't get a majority. So, we lost this election because of candidates' egos; there are too many people involved. We MUST take back the Senate and keep the House. It's our only chance of getting back to checks and balances.

[squirecam]

48. One state has voted

Relax a bit.

[still_one]

50. Wouldn't happen. Too many candidates in the race. After Super Tuesday, that will be cleared up

[Kurt V.]

19. all candidates pick the ppl they think gives them the best chance to win.

[still_one]

51. Absolutely

[RogerM]

22. Guaranteed to lose to turm

We will have the George McGovern nomination if Bernie is nominated. Trump will win for sure. Hopefully sanity prevails and someone else is nominated. We do not need fake democrats.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

38. Another divisive thread

[ehrnst]

67. Well, there is this...

https://www.mediaite.com/news/appallingly-sexist-bernie-sanders-supporters-are-blanketing-elizabeth-warrens-tweets-with-snake-emojis/

[ehrnst]

71. Just stating the facts. (nt)

[ehrnst]

85. Really stung, did it?

Clutching one's pearls and accusing someone of 'divisiveness' when they civilly talk about why they won't vote for Bernie... and bemoaning that Bernie is always the target of "divisiveness.'

But then a 'lol' in response to being shown evidence of misogynistic and ugly attacks on Warren by Sanders supporters.

That is what is known as politics as usual. Old school, status quo divisive "who me?" tactics.

[ehrnst]

152. Well, you clearly missed all the discussion on that. On this very thread.

[ehrnst]

116. And this?

The rising popularity of the tactic among Sanders supporters may help explain the scores of images bashing Sanders’s opponents that have appeared in nearly simultaneous bursts in recent weeks, pushed out by highly networked clusters of Facebook users, according to Davis’s analysis. He did not find evidence that the campaign itself was involved in this activity, focusing instead on the informal Facebook activity by supporters.

No other Democrat’s supporters are engaged in behavior on a similar scale, which is more characteristic of the online movement galvanized by Trump. The president’s campaign aides have credited Facebook with his victory in 2016, when he poured money into advertising on the platform while also using organic posts on social media to speak directly to his followers, who responded with a torrent of posts backing him and lacerating his opponents.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287446314

[still_one]

98. Are you equating divisive with being critical of a candidate or campaign?

[Sucha NastyWoman]

124. Yes, I don't know what good it can do us.

[still_one]

128. The answer to that is simple. That is what the primary process is about Sucha. In the general

election we all have to come together and vote for the Democratic nominee regardless, and vote blue

[Sucha NastyWoman]

133. My approach must be different. I want to decide which one is best

Not which one is least bad.

[still_one]

138. IMHO, I think judgement is a part of deciding who is best. Everyone has their own criteria

though

[defacto7]

39. I knew from day one that he was off my primary list for that very reason.

[redqueen]

52. I cannot vote for Sanders in the primary because of his policies.

They're ill-thought-out, and I've seen little to no details on some of the most critical ones (e.g. the FJG)

[NurseJackie]

53. His campaign staff is filled with Jill Stein voters/supporters AND he's a Socialist.

speaks to me of the divisive nature of his campaign,

That's not a winning combination for me. Frankly it's a slap in the face. It's confirmation that he's not serious about any commitment to the Democratic party. It's a snub. I just can't support or reward that type of behavior.

Briahana Joy Gray, David Sirota, and Nina Turner

I find them all to be offensive.

[Gothmog]

54. sanders has shwon some very poor judgement in his staffing decisions

sanders has shown very poor judgement in hiring a liar like Sirota and a ton of stein supporters. These people are not Democrats and should not be running a campaign for a Democratic candidate

[still_one]

61. That is my concern also. His NY Daily News interview a while back, added more questions

https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/transcript-bernie-sanders-meets-news-editorial-board-article-1.2588306

[Gothmog]

86. That interview was a pure train wreck

That interview would make a ton of great negative ads

[Docreed2003]

59. I agree with your concerns and I would add

Everyone seems to be intentionally glossing over the fact that the man had a heart attack less than six months ago, during the campaign, and played coy with the media about how serious it was. That's a huge issue and cannot be easily ignored.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

65. Cheney had already had several by the time he was elected

And 20 years later, he just keeps on ticking, unfortunately.

[azureblue]

73. that's really stretching for it

Why not make it easier and say you won't vote for him because he puts the toilet paper roll on backwards?
Get real. You know Sanders does not have a direct hand in hiring. By the same token, you should not buy groceries because they hired a person with a criminal record.. Or buy gas from a station that hired a guy who voted for Bush.

Jeez

[Me.]

76. Are You Sating He's Not Responsible For The People In His Campaign?

because if you are, you are saying as president the buck wouldn't stop with him and we could not trust the people he had his administration.

[MH1]

77. Validating that vocal support for Stein in 2016 was okay, is NOT okay. nt

[still_one]

89. Excuse me. Are you saying he wasn't involved in hiring Brianhina Joy Gray, David Sirota, or Nina

Turner?

[Demsrule86]

93. Oh please...he is responsible for hires...period...the buck stops with him. Stein voters and toilet

paper...well that is kind of fitting.

[yaesu]

74. That is what the primaries are about, lets everyone choose who they feel is best to meet their needs

[UniteFightBack]

78. The thought alone is giving me anxiety. nt

[calimary]

82. That is a VERY good point.

I will not vote for Bernie until/unless I have to.

But if it comes to Bernie versus trump, I will choose Bernie.

[still_one]

96. Of course. Voting blue regardless for 2020

[calimary]

183. Yep. Vote Blue No Matter Who.

[Demsrule86]

91. but but ...Jane said that is only important that you vote not who you vote for...I think she said

that on the day we lost to Trump...just vote.

[ctyankeedude]

92. bots?

bots?

[R B Garr]

94. KnR!

Well said. He never would be where he is if he had to start his own party.

[Botany]

103. You can tell a lot about people by the company they keep

And didn't Bernie hire a hispanic person to confront Joe Biden in public about his
views on latinos and immigration too?

[murielm99]

104. I lived through McGovern and Mondale.

I won't do that again.

NO to Bernie!

[ehrnst]

105. I think that it shows what his judgement would be like when picking cabinet heads

I would prefer appointees who aren't hostile to the Democratic party.

[still_one]

106. +++

[blakstoneranger]

111. TRUMP'S JUDGEMENT IS WORSE!

Would you rather have trump as opposed to sanders. Because that is what will happen if sanders get the nomination and you don't vote for him. I can tolerate sander for 4 years, not trump. This is the problem, the media and the candidates are dividing the democratic party while uniting the republicans. We need to stay focused on getting rid of trump!

[still_one]

125. You do realize I am referring to the primaries, NOT the general election

[masmdu]

113. Trump thanks you for your support...

[grantcart]

115. As odious that is there are much more important reasons to not vote for him

[lark]

123. Not a fan of his, but I have good Democratic friends who are.

I agree his staffing is very troubling and that's one of the reasons I won't vote for him in the primary. However, I will 100% vote for him and even volunteer with the FL Democratic party to try to help him win the general, if I'm able.

[Jirel]

129. Lordy. Of all the reasons...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It certainly doesn’t mean “bad judgment.” Surprise, people working for the leftmost candidate of the center-left party might vote farther left sometimes. What a load of drama.

[democrattotheend]

130. I agree

It's one of several reasons I don't support him in the primaries now, even though I did in 2016.

[pampango]

144. No candidate is perfect. I like Bernie's policies and consistency.

I don’t agree with all of his staff hires but he is far, far from being another Trump. As with most people here, I’ll vote for whomever the DP picks to rub against Trump.

[scheming daemons]

145. Yes, he is consistently for policies that have 0% of ever being enacted in our lifetimes

pie-in-the-sky

unicorns and rainbows.




But NEVER happening.

[pampango]

146. Sorry you feel that way. FDR had grand ideas that were pie-in-the-sky too.

I don’t accept that incremental change is all we can hope for. It may be what we end up having to settle for in the end - but aim high. FDR did. (He was accused of socialism too by his conservative opponents.)

[scheming daemons]

149. Differences now

- FDR had the attention of the nation because of a massive economic collapse.

- FDR had supermajority, filibuster-proof majorities in both houses.



So unless you think the US economy is going to have -30% GDP growth anytime soon... or that Democrats will have 60 seats in the Senate.... it won't happen.


Like I said.... we're in the "reality caucus".

[pampango]

158. Save our 'grand ideas' for the next economic collapse?

If there is a 2007-style meltdown in the coming months - then ‘big ideas’ might sell?

If you prefer a candidate whose ideas are more ‘realistic’ to deal with republican opposition that is fine.

[scheming daemons]

160. the point is that your "grand ideas" won't *SELL* in an election absent economic panic

Nobody wants an economic revolution when the economy is stable.

[totodeinhere]

168. That's the sort of negativity that will get us nowhere. If we can elect Bernie

and if the people rise up in support of his positions then we have a chance to change this country for the better. Most of Bernie's proposals including Medicare for All have wide public support.

[scheming daemons]

171. Background checks have 90% public support. And can't get through the Senate.

And if Bernie is the nominee, we have no chance down-ballot to take the Senate.

[totodeinhere]

172. I guess we will just have to respectfully disagree.

Also, I like Amy a lot and of course I would enthusiastically vote for her in GE if she gets that far.

[Scurrilous]

148. ...

Link to tweet

[Cha]

156. Point of fact..

[Progressive dog]

154. I will not vote for Bernie in the NY primary.

I will vote for the Democrat with the best chance of winning the nomination.

[totodeinhere]

169. What if by the time the NY primary rolls around it is apparent that Bernie has the

best chance of winning the nomination? Will you vote for him then? Some observers already think that he has the best chance. Mayor Pete is riding high right now, and personally I like him a lot, but unless he can increase his support in communities of color I think he will peter out.

[Progressive dog]

173. I will not vote for Bernie Sanders in the NY primary

Period. I want someone with the best chance of beating Trump.

[Cha]

155. Mahalo for speaking for so

many of us!

[Skid Rogue]

174. Given we're dealing with Trump...

I'll hold my nose and vote for him, but it's going to burn. I'd rather vote for Bloomberg.

[betsuni]

175. K&R

[krissey]

179. Who he hires, and who he proudly puts out as his endorsements tells us something.

I could not trust him with VP pick.

[Dennis Donovan]

181. Is it fair to say you weren't going to vote for Bernie anyway?

[Gothmog]

185. I worry that sanders will be blown out by trump

Link to tweet

?s=20

[still_one]

187. I don't think it will be as bad as what happened to McGovern, but it will be bad

[Gothmog]

188. I fear that sanders will be as bad as McGovern

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[still_one]

189. Demographics are a lot different than back in the 70's, however, Nixon's Southern strategy is still

alive and well unfortunately

[Gothmog]

190. This makes me smile

Link to tweet