Still feeling’ the Bern. How much longer will we have to wait for a political leader who insists on speaking—and listening—to everyone on the electorate. Here’s a guy who took his campaign out to Liberty University and came away with his dignity intact. He treats a corrupt plutocratic banana republic like a democracy and raises the self-respect of everyone who will face real social issues with him, whether they agree with his policies or not. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten the bitter lessons of attempting to act honestly in a morally compromised political order. Thank you for the conviction that sustains the good work you have done throughout your career. I believe we are beginning to see the emergence of a conscientiously democratic movement, a movement you have cultivated and Bernie has exemplified as an elected leader. Keep up the good work!
Bernie IS our future whether obsolete, useless billionaires like it or not! America IS quickly moving left, as is only natural progression. Bernie, Mr. Reich, Elizabeth Warren and a few others are to "blame" for this. God bless 'em!
I truly hope you're right. Unfortunately, the bigger the movement, the more it attracts negative attention and opponents bring out the cudgels, pitchforks and torches. Good news is that young Americans are used to that tactic and will not react well to such propaganda.
Young Americans! Smart! Bold! And much aware of how screwed up a lot of things are at present. I have faith in them to make their future better, while taking in the wisdom and experience of leaders they can see are trying to do good in the world. Couldn't be prouder of the young ones in Congress now! They need more representation, like women do!! Many say the young are "wild" today (like every generation before has said 😄); but being "wild" doesn't mean you're a dumbass! I believe they are going to be one of the "greatest generations" to come. They are "on the ready" to make their world a better one. And they're not going to put up with "the bullshit and corruption" from politicians or corporate monstrosities, that has been going on for decades. I believe they are a generation of "givers, and not takers"! I believe they are going to prove themselves to "be a blessing to the world"! (And, I hope I live long enough to see some of it!!🤞)
Media clearly played a role, but mostly because of the moribund legacy of the die-hard-core of the Democratic Party which had it in for Bernie since the days of Hillary Clinton, Donna Brazile, and what's-her-name Wasserman-Schultz.
Shel, interesting that you picked all women as those who "brought down Bernie." Bernie had and has a lot to offer this nation but so do and did the women you mentioned (during Women's History Month too).
I don't often disagree with you, Ruth, but I do here, about the women in question. They all caved to the corporate owners, played dirty pool, and combined to take down Bernie, who likely could have beaten the Orange Fungus (with apologies to fungi everywhere).
Denise. no problem that we disagree here. Debate is necessary in a democracy! However, it seems that when Democrats don't stand with whatever positions particular candidates stand for, they are corporate bought, an easy accusation. I don't agree with everything those women mentioned supported, but all of them have brought women a long way. Bernie is really special. There have been few like him in our history and probably won't be many after him. He didn't make it to be president, but he has pushed the Senate and Congress in general to work more for the people than it has in decades. Working with Biden, he has been the guide to getting things done, more progressive things than Biden would have done on his own. That's more than most Democrats or Independents anywhere can claim.
Agree with everything you say here, Ruth, except the "easy accusation" part. The women in question were, in fact, bought. Hillary has been a Wall Street shill for decades, for example.
As well as a chicken-hawk who never saw a war she wouldn't vote for. Too quick to jump to conclusions, too. Remember when she insisted immediately after 9/11 that the terrorists got in through Canada because of its supposedly lax immigration policies? (In case anybody forgot, they were all in the US on US student visas studying to be pilots.)
Ruth Sheets : careful who you defend, just because they are women! Would you vote for a MTG? A traitor is a traitor,' what she did to Bernie, along with Wasserman Shultz's help,, was evil and undemocratic.
Conversely, this is why I resent accusations of misogyny directed at people who don't support Hillary. She's just a thoroughly dislikeable, dishonest person. The fact that she's a woman is irrelevant.
Wow Laurie! A traitor! That is not fair and neither was the comment about Greene. I don't vote for just any woman as you well know. If a guy had run a campaign as Clinton did, that would have been seen as "politics as usual." I personally liked Clinton, still do. I liked Bernie Sanders too. It was a hard decision for me, but I liked her previous work related to education and trying to get health care for more Americans. I have supported male and female candidates based on their positions, hoping they will follow through with what they said they would do. That's my usual motivation, but sometimes if there is a male and female I like for the same position, I will choose the female since we have been excluded from so much for so long.
Interesting that you didn't add names of any men. How about John Podesta? Feel better? Curious as well that you associated my three women with Women's History Month. They are all history. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is still in Congress but not very visible. And still trying to live down getting fired as DNC Chair. 🙃
It doesn't matter if it's women or men, intra-party cannibalization is never a good thing (well, except for the practical effect of splitting votes of the *opposition* party, in this case the GOP, god willing). I understand the Machiavellian reasons for the DNC's actions in 2016 but I still can't believe they followed through. They really were blind to HRC's flaws in the face of a red meat "populist" who was clearly wiping the floor with tradition and traditionalists. And DWS should continue to hang her head in shame for her dirty politics. She's not alone...
Oh yeah, it wasn't as if DWS hatched the whole plan and executed it. But she certainly should have had enough integrity to stop it. I still find it unsavory that the judge in the case against the DNC and DWS stated that the DNC had no legal obligation to provide a fair and impartial primary process. Still, they settled for $6.5M , which in the court of public opinion should be considered tantamount to admitting guilt.
Agreed. Bernie is amazing because he actually fights for ordinary people (imagine that!). By the way, I would totally be for you as Secretary of Labor! That would be awesome!
Last August - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) clocked in with the highest favorability rating among a list of 23 potential 2024 presidential contenders, according to a new USA Today-Ipsos poll.
Thanks for this great news! 2015 deja vu all over again. I'm all in for Bernie for the third time. Biden has served his country well, but even Prof. Bob has asked him to reconsider 2024. Bottom line: Bernie has twice the energy and mental acuity as Uncle Joe.
I KNOW. Just saw Sanders on Bill Maher and he is clearly sharper and quicker than Biden. In fact he hasn't aged, I think he's holding steady at 81 and he is exactly as Robert describes him, oh, and I LOVE HIM too! Heartbroken that he couldn't be our president. I don't think Sanders would have done to Washington D.C. what Biden and the Dems did this past week, not Bernie. (just a small example of a political not beholden to his donor class) He is a treasure, amazing in his continued energy and intellect.
I don't agree that he "has twice the energy and mental acuity as Uncle Joe," as I see Biden as a phenomenal leader for his age. But despite his many achievements so far, Biden is too tepid in a time that cries out for radical action. Nevertheless, both Bernie and Joe are too old to lead this charge. Doesn't Sanders have a viable protegee who could stand up and represent him? I'd vote for Sanders if it came down to it and in the absence of such a protegee, but age is a real issue. And I'm saying that as a 71-year-old, so I'm not an ageist. I think 70-80 is probably the last truly productive decade for people in the public sphere
Does Biden have a viable protege who could stand up and represent him? You should have quit after "Biden is too tepid." You are clearly ageist when you put the beatdown on Bernie without referencing anything other than his age.
While it's not productive to make judgments solely on age, there is ample evidence of the likelihood, on average, of people their age suffering irreversible health issues, both mental and physical. But I suppose that just means they need to choose extremely wisely when it comes to VPs. I like KH too but if something were to happen to Biden, she doesn't have anywhere near the experience necessary to lead like he has or Bernie would. The same applies to the vast majority of "proteges" in the Democratic Party who could run effectively.
It applies equally to Biden. I love Bernie Sanders, and honor his long and illustrious service. He may be the person with the most integrity in the entire United States Congress, if not all of government. Calling the acceptance of the realities of aging and the inevitable loss of faculties "ageist" is absurd. I'm 71, as I said, and I see it in myself. Look at Diane Feinstein. Wonderful senator in her time, but she should have retired years ago. And yes, your point is well taken: Biden needs a protegee, too. However, the person in the VP position could make the difference in both cases. If Bernie Sanders can find a strong VP with his clear vision, I'd support his candidacy in a heartbeat. In the absence of Bernie on the ticket, I'd vote for Biden again, too, but don't think Kamala Harris is a strong enough backup. That said, Biden has totally surprised me - I didn't initially have much hope in him. Vice President Harris might well prove an excellent replacement in the not-insignificant likelihood she'd have to step in
Elizabeth Warren has pretty much the same positions as Bernie. She's in her 70s but looks & acts much younger, full of energy & as sharp as anyone around. She stands tough against bullies, devises & perfects plans to solve our problems. Biden should've chosen her as his VP. And he should now get out of the way & back her for President. We need a Roosevelt during these challenging times & Warren fits the bill.
100% agree. In another post, I said that I think that the decade between 70 years old and 80 is probably the last really productive period for most people in the public sphere - with an emphatic acknowledgement that there are exceptions
Seriously! The Bern looks better and seems sharper than when he was a presidential contender! He's gone full speed now on his "mission"!! Go Bern!!👍👏🏻💙 😸
Democrats do not control the media. I think that in effect Trump picked Biden as his weakest opponent.
Where I live, Baghdad By the Sea, any mention of "Socialism" connotes communism, and Bernie didn't do himself any favors when he addressed Cuba. When Biden ran in the general election, the media imputed Bernie's comments to him. IMHO the reasons why DeSantis and right wingers won in '22 was 1. because of that taint. and 2. The fact that BLM stupidly endorsed the Cuban government when there were riots in Cuba. .
Daniel, Bernie is a gifted communicator; more so in person. I met Bernie the day after his "Medicare-for-All" speech outside of my East Bay village coffee shop a couple of years back. We exchanged a few words on medical service billing issues. As I walked on I mentioned Bernie was in the Village to a very young person who was passing out Leaflets. She gathered up her stuff as I spoke & went running to feel-the-burn. BERNIE LIVE!
Notice that the corporate media (and sometimes others) never qualifies Sanders-style politics as "democratic" socialism. Huge difference. I have yet to see the two words together in the mainstream press.
BLM?? Black Lives Matter?? They endorsed the Cuban government? I never heard that. I also didn't realize BLM had such a cohesive, centralized structure that as a movement they could endorse any government.
John, you are right, BLM is rather fluid and works where needed. I don't know about the Cuba thing, but I suspect they would have been more likely to support protesters. Black Cubans have had a rough time over the years while many White Cubans have found a home here in Texas and Florida.
Not only the media, but more so the corporatist establishment that runs the DNC, which got Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar & Tom Steyer to all withdraw right before Super Tuesday to leave the field of moderates to Biden. Buttigieg & Biden were virtually tied at that point & no one in Pete's position would withdraw at that point (just before the biggest day of the primaries) without coercion.
I’ve always wondered about the media’s role in this. Bernie was ahead and suddenly it was Joe, the more conservative, the more acceptable, the one who didn’t stir things up with his bluntness. Just wondering.
There was a LOT of talk in 2016 about the DNC rigging the later primaries against Bernie, because he did so well early on. Personally, I have no doubt that happened.
I don't think they shoot themselves in the foot, but rather, they do the bidding of the corporations who own them. Such as Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and others. It stands to reason that Big Corp would never want Bernie in the Oval Office.
We have to be careful of the right wing press using polls like Ipsos (which gets a B- on 538) to divide Democrats. The Hill was happy to give us the news. The ironic thing is that in this case, they did plumb the sentiment of American populism.
I'd love to see that study. Would be very interesting. On the other hand, they have been exposed to years since of culting since. But didn't the majority of Nebraska Dems go for Bernie? I'd start studying Republicans in that state.
but democrats say he's not allowed to run. so that won't work. plus he's too working man oriented, and that would disturb the rich donors. plus he's for human rights and stuff, and that's not gonna work either, especially the part about voting, 'cause mansimena won't allow it. so that poll musta been rigged.
Prof. Bob deserves a pass on his been there done that reply to Bernie. BUT he could still do great work in another Cabinet office -- HHS, Education, whatever. Let him have his pick.
I love Bernie, too, for all the reasons you gave and one more HUGE one: he's one of the best I've ever heard at communicating complex issues in such a simple, clear way that everybody can understand. I would love to see him run again in 2024, but the fact that he's older than Biden probably makes that impossible. Even though he still has way more energy and stamina than most people 20 years younger!
I love Bernie madly also! But I wonder if he isn't equally or more effective now than he would be as president. Why do we always think president is most important position 🤔?
Right?! It's like they think the president would be doing the job themselves! The only president, (and I use that term loosely,) that I remember being like that was 45, and that turned out SO well!
There is a whole team of people that assist the president!
The reduction in superdelegates was a welcome change.
But it seems that the corporatist establishment always has tricks up their sleeves to ensure their candidate wins.
You know, I always wished that Biden had decided to run in 2016. It would've made it more difficult for the corporatists to take sides, & likely split the centrist vote, giving Bernie a better chance of winning. But even if Biden had won, I think he would've been a stronger candidate & better President than Hillary, & would've easily disposed of Trump. Both Biden & Bernie would have.
Well, I wish you would be Labor Secretary and I wish Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were President and VP, in whichever order of position they choose.
Although the same age, Bernie seems much more robust and vigorous than Biden.
I'm very gratified to read that you, Professor Reich, backed Bernie over Hillary in 2016. What the DNC did to Bernie and what Hillary and her followers continued to do to Bernie (even still) after the election was/is despicable, blaming him for her loss. Absurd and dishonest.
Holy crap! I just went to the news and saw this on CNN:
"Silicon Valley Bank collapsed Friday morning after a stunning 48 hours in which its capital crisis set off fears of a meltdown across the banking industry.
Its failure marks the largest shutdown of a US bank since 2008, when Washington Mutual fell during the financial crisis."
Last night, I rewatched "The Big Short" for about the fifth time. Jesus, this is scary. If Sanders and Warren had been listened to and not minimized by the corporate press, this might have been avoided. Wealthy legislators just can't bring themselves to hear their sacred capitalism criticized. But just as in the film above, disaster capitalists will always make out like bandits and banks are always "too big to fail."
Exactly, Terry J Wilson, exactly. If there were REAL representation in this country rather than perennial protection and enhancement and entrenchment of the power-brokers who play willing, gullible, wishful and too-often poorly educated, ill-informed, (not to mention desperate and anxious) citizens like fools, we might have a different country. The entrenchment of power, wealth, greed, corruption, debauchery and despotism in this country may be beyond traditional routes of correction.
It is an on-going point of interest to me: WHY do people GIVE their power away.
We GIVE it. It is not a law of physics that some people get power and wealth and authority and others' role is to fulfill that for the " leader." It is voluntary and temporary and a transactional agreement, a contract: we help each other, we do not hurt each other, your life and welfare are of no greater value than mine...etc.
Yet, like children, people bow to others and GIVE power, and all that power means, away.
Bernie is originally from Brooklyn, NY. The center of the universe afaic. His old neighborhood is near my old neighborhood, so he sounds like an uncle. An uncle that says the right things, sticks to them, and is always there. I love him. He should have been the candidate running against Tangerine Torquemada, but instead we got Mrs. Clinton, who was not in good favor with many. Bernie would have won. Oh well, cest la vie.
Well, after years of being battered by lies and misogyny from Republicans, how could she not be hurt by it. Yes she had her flaws, as does Bernie, but it had been more than time for the US to have a woman president- and Hillary was much more competent than the orange a**hole. It's not good vs bad. It's one version of leadership versus another version. I get tired of the Hillary bashing. It's smacks too much of misogyny.
I totally agree. She wasn't the progressive that some people wanted, even me, but she would have been a good president, and we would have avoided trump and the MAGATS. That's life, and votes matter.
Hillary shot herself in the foot not only because she was seriously flawed (e.g., unable to read the electoral map which left her with a 3-million vote surplus and a stunning loss and wasn't quick-witted enough to deliver fatal blows on the debate stage), but because of her abrasive persona. She's unfeminine. She doesn't laugh. She cackles. Hillary-splaining overtook man-splaining as a cultural thing. Next to James Comey, most American voters least want to hear anything from Hillary Clinton, the last of the Corporate Democratic Dynasty.
unfeminine!!! That is an anti woman way to judge her. I thought she was smart and well connected and just the right presence, but she .....damn, she was a hawk. She wanted to have a no fly zone an act of aggression, she was going to shoot down planes over some country, was it Libya, so my pleasure as a feminist had to switch. Bernie is not a hawk, I dont think Elizabeth Warren is a hawk. same with Alexandra Orcasio Cortez , She may be our first woman president. I do worry a bit that some men, well like you Shel would not accept her presidential authority or listen to, any woman leader. Eventually we will have a woman president. I hope I live to see the day. Besides being wise, Bernie does have charisma. He is too old, so is BIden, Biden is better than I expected, but this empire side of Biden "take our place as the leader of the free world."I don't like it. It sounds dated to me. Not our best aspiration . I do sure hope paid parental leave, and forgiving student debt can happen, and taxing the rich and corporation. Thank you Joe Biden. Working on getting rid of inequality like Bernie so eloquently analyzed,Biden learned a lot from Bernie, :Those he is splendid about. Biden is also good about race diversity. But there is another dreadful party on the right, Maybe in Thaddeus Stevens times the Dems were the pro slavery ,KKK , but now we need them to be pro union, pro working class. Who knows??? Maybe we will start hearing from Kamala Harris. Maybe she feels as Vice President she cant be too loud.
I admit that at times I felt really sorry for Hillary, since the Republicans were making stuff up about her that just wasn’t true. But she’s too much of a hawk and a corporatist for my taste.
Agree with the last part of your comment, but I've never felt sorry for Hillary. She's entitled, manipulative (does anyone doubt she demanded the Sec. State role in 2008 in return for bowing out of the race?), and is only concerned with her own status. Nope, not sorry.
My far right sister was fine with Hillary which I found interesting. Maybe remembering her days as a Goldwater girl? Fired for unethical behavior and lying in her role with the Watergate investigation. If she had not been Bill Clinton’s wife I doubt she would have made a dent in politics.
Girl, you went way back for that one. She represented the very liberal state of New York for 8 years and served as President Obama's Sec. of State. To denounce someone for being a different person 40 years earlier is disingenuous at best. I had a difficult time trying to decide for whom to vote in 1968 between Nixon and Humphrey as a sophomore in college, and as a 14 year old, I supported AuH2O since he claimed he would end the war in Viet Nam, and I was already concerned about that. People change. To base one's opinion on what someone may have been or may have done when they were 16 years old is so stupid. To have hated Hillary like many of Bernie's cultists baffles me. To disagree with her politics is completely acceptable if you are a right winger. To hate Hillary outright isn't.
Hillary invaded NY politics under cover of the farthest right of the state Dem party, a carpetbagger who had to do carefully choreographed "listening tours" to play-act caring about the state she thought she could best exploit upon leaving the White House. It was her turn, right? The state wasm't about to elect a GOP senator—even Hillary wasn't *that* bad.
To whom do you think I'm replying? You, Laurie. I'm replying to you. Is this clear enough? I'm not CLINTON, whatever that means. I'm not a troll. I've been posting on here for as long as I've been subscribed which is a while now, Laurie Blair. If you had a question, you could check my credentials. I think I'm always very clear as to what I'm saying. The problem could be on your side, Laurie Blair. I hope your day gets better, Laurie.
I like how you’re respecting other people’s opinions.
I also like how you explained how what I’m saying is “ludicrous” very clearly.
I also enjoyed how you added “eh?” to the end of your sentence.
I am being sarcastic.
Bernie only lost because of superdelegates. Bernie won every county in West Virginia — as it was reported on the news — and only lost because the superdelegates used their votes to go for Hillary. Next time, read up on your facts, eh? Cheers.
This is actually one of the first times I’ve posted about Bernie and Hillary. I’m mostly focusing on other things. You say that Bernie couldn’t even beat Hillary. As a matter of fact, he actually won the popular vote, which is undisputed. Hillary just won the most superdelegates, so… yeah. For example, Bernie won every county in West Virginia, but the superdelegates went for Hillary. If it weren’t for the superdelegates, Bernie would have beat Hillary.
You've got it all wrong. Hillary beat Bernie by over 3.5 MILLION VOTES. Where are you getting your numbers from? I a well informed man so you can't bullshit me.
That's exactly why I posted what I did because of all the misinformation on the Bernie side. It's exactly like the trumpers. You need to get your facts straight.
Facts: 16,847,084 Hillary (55.20%)
13,168,222 Bernie (43.14%)
It was a decisive victory for Hillary, and a big loss for Bernie. That's just the truth of the matter. Google it on Wikipedia if you don't believe it.
Without a doubt? I love the man and at the time I made arguments for why he might be more electable than Clinton, but I was never oblivious or naive enough to say any of that “without a doubt.”
You know what I mean. I don’t mean the chances are literally 100% in Bernie’s favor. In just saying that I personally don’t doubt that Bernie would have beat Trump in the general election.
I had a kid in high school named Rocco. I doubt it was you since I was in a competing Brooklyn high school with Bernie, at the same time. Erasmus Hall. Needless to say, I agree 100pct with your comments. Hell, Bernie is even popular here in Puerto Rico. He was, and still is, the best candidate to run against Trump.
Have we all forgotten the interference in the 2016 election by Putin and the Russians? Putin detested Hillary because she stood up to him as Sec of State, and, as president, would be fearless in keeping America strong against Russian oligarchy.
Putin badly wanted Trump to win because he was so easily manipulated by money. In fact, Russian cyber manipulation determined Bernie Sanders would not fly with most Americans, many who call him 'Communist,' the farther south and west away from Vermont the country goes. That was the reason he was promoted as Hillary's opponent, sure to lose against MAGA Trump.
Hillary won the popular vote by a good margin. IMHO, the gerrymandering and electoral college manipulations so deftly crafted by the Russo-Republicans, are the reason she lost. She was, and is, a loyal Democrat and American. She is a proponent of health and education, of racial fairness and minority rights. While both Clintons are a little too enchanted by wealth, they pale in comparison to Trump. As for the question of feminism, "yes, she is", but calling her brash, a person who cackles, diminishing her abilities by gender, is indeed misogyny.
Um, the unredacted Mueller Report for one. Andrew Weismann's investigation which led to the conviction of Paul Manafort, the arrest of Putin's henchmen who met regularly with Trumps' family members in attempts to sway legislation... Any number, Penguin, which you can readily access, and you should. As for Putin, he is an assassin and vicious...plenty of info about that.
Ok, thanks. But I would just like to say that I don’t understand why you think Putin wanted Bernie to go against Trump. Bernie beat Trump in a lot of the polls.
Bernie beat Trump in all the polls by a comfortable margin, significantly higher than Hillary. Bernie consistently held a positive favorability rating, while Hillary had the 2nd largest negative favorability rating of a presidential contender ever recorded, next to Trump's the same year, with the poorest favorability ever, around -30.
It is always refreshing to hear Bernie. He hits the nail on the head every single time, clarifying every confusion and distortion. His reason for criticizing the press for not covering the heart of issues came to light in his recent interview with Margaret Brennan on Meet the Press. He said the media would rather talk about elections than about the enormity of the wealth gap. Despite the fact that one in four Americans can not afford the cost of their prescription drugs, none of the networks are presenting specials on that. 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, fearing that one slip could plummet them into poverty, and republicans want them to struggle more! Bernie is the rock that I go to so I can fend off the spin and speculation and pure nonsense that proliferates out there and garner my strength and focus on my part to phone bank as much as possible to get progressives elected and to promote strong policy and clinch progressive appointees everywhere.
I love Bernie because he tells the truth, and he tells it in an excellent delivery that gets his message through clearly. I love Bernie because he never gives up and never sells out. I'm glad he doesn't come across like Obama, who has deprived so many of hope. Some of those $27+ Bernie donations came from me. I have a nice collection of Bernie stuff, including Bernie-wearing-mittens t-shirt and a Feel the Bern mug. I totally love Bernie.
I agree I love Bernie too. If only the American public were as educated in Civics as they should be they would know that Communism has never existed in any country any where, that Socialism can co-exist with regulated Capitalism, that unbound Capitalism requires regulation to prevent it from drifting into oligarchy. That names are meaningless - only practice, tells you the truth. Adolph Hitler's thugs and monsters called them selves the National Democratic Socialist Party - but in reality were cold-blooded dictatorial fascists. Instead, we have an electorate so clueless they only believe what they can absorb in 30 second sound bites. Heck, most people don't even know what a true democracy is or how it differs from a representative republic which is what we are currently in danger of losing to the MAGA maggots.
Yes, Fay, you’re right about the drift into oligarchy! Here’s a small correction: Nazi = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) = National Socialist German Workers Party. They didn’t claim to be democratic.
Thank you Stan for catching that error. Of course they weren't Socialist either (:-). This is one of the reasons I thing political parties should be named what their true beliefs and standards are, for instance, instead of the Democratic Party we should have two parties: The Liberal Progressives, and the Centrist Moderates. The old Republican Party should have been the Fiscal Conservatives. The party of trump shouldn't exist, but since it does, it should be called the Fascist Dictatorial Party. I realize this wouldn't fool the majority of people into voting for the trumpsters, but it would at least be honest.
Excellent point about names, Fay. I suspect, since maybe TR, anyway, parties have been named to conceal, not reveal, their ideologies. Or names have been retained that no longer describe ideologies.
Oh, it precedes Teddy Roosevelt Denise, what the heck did the Whigs or Tories stand for? And you are right. Few people know what Democrat stands for. It was used to describe the political system in ancient Athens when every MALE citizen had the right to vote for or against legislation proposed by the Senate. Athens was a city for heavens sake, and small at that when compared to say London or Paris. It would never work today in any country larger than Nepal. What we have is a representative republic where we elect a representative who we are supposed to know and trust (as opposed to hearing the lies expressed in 10 to 30 second blurbs on TV or internet). If political parties were forced to use the names they really stand for people would at least know for what and whom they were voting, that is provided they are at least semi-literate.
The Whig party was relatively short-lived in this country, but they had a conservative bent. Tories, on the other hand, were relegated to England, except for the pre-Revolution period here, and their philosophy is clear-cut: they've always been deeply conservative.
Thanks Denise, but my point was that from the name alone you couldn't hazard a guess what they stood for. Same with Democrat and Republican of today. From the mid 19th century to the early 20th century the Republicans were the more socially liberal party and the Democrats were the bad guys who supported racism, Jim Crow and Tammany Hall. Then in the in 1932 they flipped again and became the party of the people, socially liberal. That is the reason I think political parties should be named Liberal Progressives, Moderate Centrists, and Fiscal Conservatives. The nutcases could still be Fascists, Anarchists, Libertarians or just plain nutcases.
Yes, a lot of right-wingers will claim that Nazis were socialist, not fascist, because of their party's deceptive name.
North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but is certainly not a republic, the people have no political power, & it's probably the least democratic country in the world.
Thanks Jaime, The United Nations should require all political parties, anywhere in the world, to use their true policy in their name - never going to happen, of course!
Fay, I note that you, like most others, employ the term “regulation,” while somewhat synonymous with “protections” denotatively, connotatively elicits a meaningfully different emotional response, particularly among those who equate “regulation” with rescinding freedoms.
Accordingly, though “regulation” and “protections” fundamentally mean the same thing, do you sense a difference between “unbound Capitalism requires regulation to prevent it from drifting into oligarchy” vs. “unbound Capitalism requires” protections “to prevent it…”? I ask because, in my view, Democrats (the only Party whose interests I take to heart) employ a host of terms (a conversation for another day) that provides Republicans with far too many opportunities to distort Democratic messaging.
Janet, Perhaps as frustrating is how, instead of calling Republicans out, their misrepresentations and manipulations, too often, control the narrative. That said, platforms like this one affirm that increasingly more of us are intent on exposing deceptions and revealing verifiable truths the radical right doesn’t want told.
Well, I try to do my part by calling them "republofascists". Fascism should definitely be tied to most of the modern day GOP, & making it part of their name helps drive that in.
Jaimie, Admittedly, more so than linking an “ism” to “the modern day GOP,” I have found calling out their sectarian, economic, and political agendas that aim to transform the egalitarian and democratic ideals embodied in our founding documents immeasurably effective at enlarging a pro-democracy coalition.
People's rudderlessness is not new. Shakespeare eloquently dramatically elaborated on this disappointing phenomenon in Julius Caesar and in Coriolanus over 400 years ago. The hope that I offer is that in my phone banking all the time, but these days to Wisconsin, there are lots of people I speak to daily who do have rudders in good repair, and are clear about the direction in which they intend the country to move.
I love Bernie too. He is the only politician that actually understands what nurses are going through and how broken the Health Care system is. He knows that big hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are ripping off patients.
I too love how Bernie says it like it is even if it’s not popular. What I wish people would do is understand the nature of his truths and dwell on them.
Bernie’s truths often come out in staccato blasts that arrive too quickly to assimilate. If only he had a delivery like Obama, so we could catch up and hang on every word…
We watched him on Bill Maher last Friday night. Maher was getting rattled about Bernie's ideas on taxation. On "Overtime," Bernie refused to answer a couple of questions, saying he wasn't informed and had no opinion. How many politicians would do that? They would just fluff their way through an answer.
Jon Stewart is the opposite. I enjoy 'The Problem with Jon Stewart' program. Thoughtful, inquisitive with humor to drive home the point and lighten the often heavy topic. This recent episode is especially good.
Appreciate the link. I never watched a lot of Stewart, but am SO impressed with him now. He has a way of asking direct questions and cutting to the chase with reluctant guests that is amazing. The man is a genius.
(Edited segment of a program-length interview with Arkansas AG re: gender-affirming care. I believe one needs a subscription to AppleTV to see the full interview.)
Yeah, some of his AppleTV+ content is there - some shorter, edited segments, some full episodes other episodes only available thru the streaming subscription.
Terry Franzman : Yes. tRump ripped off some of Bernie's talking points, like bringing jobs back to the U.S. If only they knew who they were voting for! Money corrupted the process, and the media helped the money.
You said it in your comment, Penguin: "corporate Dems." That's the DNC and DCCC. They'd rather lose an election than nominate someone who isn't bought, as we saw in 2016.
Thanks, Robert, for this thoughtful post in support of Bernie Sanders. I no longer live in the USA, but have admired him from afar in New Zealand for a long time. What a guy! I too think you would make a great Secretary for Labor, to add my 2 cents worth, but understand why you don't want to do it.
America 🇺🇸 loves ❤️ Bernie too, not only for all the reasons you described, but because we know we always have him in our corner, fighting for the American workers 💙 and holding the robber baron corporations accountable, which is why they all hate him so 😉 💙
Just like we're glad we have you in our corner too, cuz we know you'll never sell us out, the American workers 😉
Bernie started his Political Revolution, and then turned it into an organization- OR, Our Revolution! The idea is to keep growing people power until we CAN win authentic democracy, of and by We the People. And to put an end to the institutional corruption created by SCOTUS decisions, such as Citizens United and the others that created corporate personhood and money as speech.
HJR48, the We the People Amendment, is the heart and soul of Our Revolution. Please help us grow the movement to pass it at movetoamend.org.
And make no mistake, this is system change that will create authentic representative democracy in the USA, and give us PEOPLE the POWER to save our planet- and never again another Trump!
Still feeling’ the Bern. How much longer will we have to wait for a political leader who insists on speaking—and listening—to everyone on the electorate. Here’s a guy who took his campaign out to Liberty University and came away with his dignity intact. He treats a corrupt plutocratic banana republic like a democracy and raises the self-respect of everyone who will face real social issues with him, whether they agree with his policies or not. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten the bitter lessons of attempting to act honestly in a morally compromised political order. Thank you for the conviction that sustains the good work you have done throughout your career. I believe we are beginning to see the emergence of a conscientiously democratic movement, a movement you have cultivated and Bernie has exemplified as an elected leader. Keep up the good work!
Bernie IS our future whether obsolete, useless billionaires like it or not! America IS quickly moving left, as is only natural progression. Bernie, Mr. Reich, Elizabeth Warren and a few others are to "blame" for this. God bless 'em!
I truly hope you're right. Unfortunately, the bigger the movement, the more it attracts negative attention and opponents bring out the cudgels, pitchforks and torches. Good news is that young Americans are used to that tactic and will not react well to such propaganda.
Young Americans! Smart! Bold! And much aware of how screwed up a lot of things are at present. I have faith in them to make their future better, while taking in the wisdom and experience of leaders they can see are trying to do good in the world. Couldn't be prouder of the young ones in Congress now! They need more representation, like women do!! Many say the young are "wild" today (like every generation before has said 😄); but being "wild" doesn't mean you're a dumbass! I believe they are going to be one of the "greatest generations" to come. They are "on the ready" to make their world a better one. And they're not going to put up with "the bullshit and corruption" from politicians or corporate monstrosities, that has been going on for decades. I believe they are a generation of "givers, and not takers"! I believe they are going to prove themselves to "be a blessing to the world"! (And, I hope I live long enough to see some of it!!🤞)
Experience and treachery beat youth and enthusiasm. LOL.
😄Oh my!
How about...
"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."
-Stephen Hawking
That's the advantage youth has...And, are not afraid of it! 🙂
Amen to that!
Media clearly played a role, but mostly because of the moribund legacy of the die-hard-core of the Democratic Party which had it in for Bernie since the days of Hillary Clinton, Donna Brazile, and what's-her-name Wasserman-Schultz.
Shel, interesting that you picked all women as those who "brought down Bernie." Bernie had and has a lot to offer this nation but so do and did the women you mentioned (during Women's History Month too).
I don't often disagree with you, Ruth, but I do here, about the women in question. They all caved to the corporate owners, played dirty pool, and combined to take down Bernie, who likely could have beaten the Orange Fungus (with apologies to fungi everywhere).
Denise. no problem that we disagree here. Debate is necessary in a democracy! However, it seems that when Democrats don't stand with whatever positions particular candidates stand for, they are corporate bought, an easy accusation. I don't agree with everything those women mentioned supported, but all of them have brought women a long way. Bernie is really special. There have been few like him in our history and probably won't be many after him. He didn't make it to be president, but he has pushed the Senate and Congress in general to work more for the people than it has in decades. Working with Biden, he has been the guide to getting things done, more progressive things than Biden would have done on his own. That's more than most Democrats or Independents anywhere can claim.
Agree with everything you say here, Ruth, except the "easy accusation" part. The women in question were, in fact, bought. Hillary has been a Wall Street shill for decades, for example.
As well as a chicken-hawk who never saw a war she wouldn't vote for. Too quick to jump to conclusions, too. Remember when she insisted immediately after 9/11 that the terrorists got in through Canada because of its supposedly lax immigration policies? (In case anybody forgot, they were all in the US on US student visas studying to be pilots.)
Ruth Sheets : careful who you defend, just because they are women! Would you vote for a MTG? A traitor is a traitor,' what she did to Bernie, along with Wasserman Shultz's help,, was evil and undemocratic.
Conversely, this is why I resent accusations of misogyny directed at people who don't support Hillary. She's just a thoroughly dislikeable, dishonest person. The fact that she's a woman is irrelevant.
Wow Laurie! A traitor! That is not fair and neither was the comment about Greene. I don't vote for just any woman as you well know. If a guy had run a campaign as Clinton did, that would have been seen as "politics as usual." I personally liked Clinton, still do. I liked Bernie Sanders too. It was a hard decision for me, but I liked her previous work related to education and trying to get health care for more Americans. I have supported male and female candidates based on their positions, hoping they will follow through with what they said they would do. That's my usual motivation, but sometimes if there is a male and female I like for the same position, I will choose the female since we have been excluded from so much for so long.
Interesting that you didn't add names of any men. How about John Podesta? Feel better? Curious as well that you associated my three women with Women's History Month. They are all history. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is still in Congress but not very visible. And still trying to live down getting fired as DNC Chair. 🙃
It doesn't matter if it's women or men, intra-party cannibalization is never a good thing (well, except for the practical effect of splitting votes of the *opposition* party, in this case the GOP, god willing). I understand the Machiavellian reasons for the DNC's actions in 2016 but I still can't believe they followed through. They really were blind to HRC's flaws in the face of a red meat "populist" who was clearly wiping the floor with tradition and traditionalists. And DWS should continue to hang her head in shame for her dirty politics. She's not alone...
When you’re throwing bricks, don’t forget the DCCC.
Oh yeah, it wasn't as if DWS hatched the whole plan and executed it. But she certainly should have had enough integrity to stop it. I still find it unsavory that the judge in the case against the DNC and DWS stated that the DNC had no legal obligation to provide a fair and impartial primary process. Still, they settled for $6.5M , which in the court of public opinion should be considered tantamount to admitting guilt.
Agree completely, Marc.
Media, including NPR and PBS, are beholden to the corporate interests that have seized control of both parties.
Preach!
For the people...
Jacque Leighty : HearHear!
Well said!
Alas, we'll never have another Bernie, one of a kind, flawless.
Imagine, if the party had let him win!
Sweet. :-)
So true. Same here!
Absolutely! I am proud of my 2016 vote for him. No regrets whatsoever, Bunkerboy be damned!
Me too!
Agreed. Bernie is amazing because he actually fights for ordinary people (imagine that!). By the way, I would totally be for you as Secretary of Labor! That would be awesome!
Yeah, this was probably the most persuasive piece on Bernie that I've ever read. I kept thinking of him in his gloves while reading it! lol
And also that time that bird was on his podium for so long. Bernie is definitely a legend.
Last August - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) clocked in with the highest favorability rating among a list of 23 potential 2024 presidential contenders, according to a new USA Today-Ipsos poll.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3617170-sanders-has-highest-favorability-among-possible-2024-contenders-poll/
Thanks for this great news! 2015 deja vu all over again. I'm all in for Bernie for the third time. Biden has served his country well, but even Prof. Bob has asked him to reconsider 2024. Bottom line: Bernie has twice the energy and mental acuity as Uncle Joe.
I KNOW. Just saw Sanders on Bill Maher and he is clearly sharper and quicker than Biden. In fact he hasn't aged, I think he's holding steady at 81 and he is exactly as Robert describes him, oh, and I LOVE HIM too! Heartbroken that he couldn't be our president. I don't think Sanders would have done to Washington D.C. what Biden and the Dems did this past week, not Bernie. (just a small example of a political not beholden to his donor class) He is a treasure, amazing in his continued energy and intellect.
I don't agree that he "has twice the energy and mental acuity as Uncle Joe," as I see Biden as a phenomenal leader for his age. But despite his many achievements so far, Biden is too tepid in a time that cries out for radical action. Nevertheless, both Bernie and Joe are too old to lead this charge. Doesn't Sanders have a viable protegee who could stand up and represent him? I'd vote for Sanders if it came down to it and in the absence of such a protegee, but age is a real issue. And I'm saying that as a 71-year-old, so I'm not an ageist. I think 70-80 is probably the last truly productive decade for people in the public sphere
Why not Bernie with Elizabeth Warren as veep? Or Katie Porter, one of her students?
Works for me in both scenarios :)
Does Biden have a viable protege who could stand up and represent him? You should have quit after "Biden is too tepid." You are clearly ageist when you put the beatdown on Bernie without referencing anything other than his age.
While it's not productive to make judgments solely on age, there is ample evidence of the likelihood, on average, of people their age suffering irreversible health issues, both mental and physical. But I suppose that just means they need to choose extremely wisely when it comes to VPs. I like KH too but if something were to happen to Biden, she doesn't have anywhere near the experience necessary to lead like he has or Bernie would. The same applies to the vast majority of "proteges" in the Democratic Party who could run effectively.
It applies equally to Biden. I love Bernie Sanders, and honor his long and illustrious service. He may be the person with the most integrity in the entire United States Congress, if not all of government. Calling the acceptance of the realities of aging and the inevitable loss of faculties "ageist" is absurd. I'm 71, as I said, and I see it in myself. Look at Diane Feinstein. Wonderful senator in her time, but she should have retired years ago. And yes, your point is well taken: Biden needs a protegee, too. However, the person in the VP position could make the difference in both cases. If Bernie Sanders can find a strong VP with his clear vision, I'd support his candidacy in a heartbeat. In the absence of Bernie on the ticket, I'd vote for Biden again, too, but don't think Kamala Harris is a strong enough backup. That said, Biden has totally surprised me - I didn't initially have much hope in him. Vice President Harris might well prove an excellent replacement in the not-insignificant likelihood she'd have to step in
Elizabeth Warren has pretty much the same positions as Bernie. She's in her 70s but looks & acts much younger, full of energy & as sharp as anyone around. She stands tough against bullies, devises & perfects plans to solve our problems. Biden should've chosen her as his VP. And he should now get out of the way & back her for President. We need a Roosevelt during these challenging times & Warren fits the bill.
100% agree. In another post, I said that I think that the decade between 70 years old and 80 is probably the last really productive period for most people in the public sphere - with an emphatic acknowledgement that there are exceptions
Biden is not tepid: he just wants to stay alive in our treacherous government.
Fair enough. He seems tepid beside Bernie, but he's actually doing a fine job navigating this insane political environment.
I'm 71, and a nice 91 year old told me just yesterday, that I'm "Just a kid".
Was that Fay? She's by no means the only nonagenarian who comments on this forum though.
John Thompson ; better old than evil.
Seriously! The Bern looks better and seems sharper than when he was a presidential contender! He's gone full speed now on his "mission"!! Go Bern!!👍👏🏻💙 😸
I’ve always wondered about the role the media played in picking Biden. Seems like when I went to bed Bernie was ahead and when I woke up it was Joe.
Democrats do not control the media. I think that in effect Trump picked Biden as his weakest opponent.
Where I live, Baghdad By the Sea, any mention of "Socialism" connotes communism, and Bernie didn't do himself any favors when he addressed Cuba. When Biden ran in the general election, the media imputed Bernie's comments to him. IMHO the reasons why DeSantis and right wingers won in '22 was 1. because of that taint. and 2. The fact that BLM stupidly endorsed the Cuban government when there were riots in Cuba. .
Daniel, Bernie is a gifted communicator; more so in person. I met Bernie the day after his "Medicare-for-All" speech outside of my East Bay village coffee shop a couple of years back. We exchanged a few words on medical service billing issues. As I walked on I mentioned Bernie was in the Village to a very young person who was passing out Leaflets. She gathered up her stuff as I spoke & went running to feel-the-burn. BERNIE LIVE!
Notice that the corporate media (and sometimes others) never qualifies Sanders-style politics as "democratic" socialism. Huge difference. I have yet to see the two words together in the mainstream press.
Notice that it took DNC until after the '22 election to take on Republican undermining SSA and Medicare. State of the Union.
IMHO had this been the lead issue in '22 we would have retained the House.
You're right. Bernie's actually a democratic capitalist: he likes Denmark.
BLM?? Black Lives Matter?? They endorsed the Cuban government? I never heard that. I also didn't realize BLM had such a cohesive, centralized structure that as a movement they could endorse any government.
Now you have. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/black-lives-matter-misses-point-about-cuba/619471/
This has been the number 1 issue here.
I passed this on to the DNC ... crickets.
Here in Florida we had a viable Black senate candidate. Even the Black community failed to show up.
John, you are right, BLM is rather fluid and works where needed. I don't know about the Cuba thing, but I suspect they would have been more likely to support protesters. Black Cubans have had a rough time over the years while many White Cubans have found a home here in Texas and Florida.
Not only the media, but more so the corporatist establishment that runs the DNC, which got Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar & Tom Steyer to all withdraw right before Super Tuesday to leave the field of moderates to Biden. Buttigieg & Biden were virtually tied at that point & no one in Pete's position would withdraw at that point (just before the biggest day of the primaries) without coercion.
I agree. The field was cleared. I had hoped for a younger candidate and I loved these two.
I’ve always wondered about the media’s role in this. Bernie was ahead and suddenly it was Joe, the more conservative, the more acceptable, the one who didn’t stir things up with his bluntness. Just wondering.
There was a LOT of talk in 2016 about the DNC rigging the later primaries against Bernie, because he did so well early on. Personally, I have no doubt that happened.
All true. Despicable.
I don't think they shoot themselves in the foot, but rather, they do the bidding of the corporations who own them. Such as Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and others. It stands to reason that Big Corp would never want Bernie in the Oval Office.
We have to be careful of the right wing press using polls like Ipsos (which gets a B- on 538) to divide Democrats. The Hill was happy to give us the news. The ironic thing is that in this case, they did plumb the sentiment of American populism.
I saw another recent poll, maybe about a week ago, with Bernie the favorite.
How many former Bernie supporters now vote MAGAt?
If we can identify them, they may be persuaded.
In head to head competition, would they pick Bernie?
Why would Bernie supporters vote for MAGA candidates, they do not have much in comment with that group.
Got me. BUT THEY DID.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanders%E2%80%93Trump_voters
Gosh, that sounds like a far reach, but that thought’s going to fester with me or a while. What do they want, anyway?
I'd love to see that study. Would be very interesting. On the other hand, they have been exposed to years since of culting since. But didn't the majority of Nebraska Dems go for Bernie? I'd start studying Republicans in that state.
but democrats say he's not allowed to run. so that won't work. plus he's too working man oriented, and that would disturb the rich donors. plus he's for human rights and stuff, and that's not gonna work either, especially the part about voting, 'cause mansimena won't allow it. so that poll musta been rigged.
The bird was most excellent! Hollywood couldn't have made that up.
And no one would have believed it even if they had. Like, you have to see it to believe it.
Animals can detect good people.
Mr. Reich is clearly enjoying his "retirement" as he has EARNED. Bernie Sanders appears NOT done helping the common man, so he is a PERFECT fit!
Prof. Bob deserves a pass on his been there done that reply to Bernie. BUT he could still do great work in another Cabinet office -- HHS, Education, whatever. Let him have his pick.
I've gotten e-mails from more than 1 Political Action Pac recommending that Robert Reich
be nominated for Post Master General to replace Louis DeJerk...
I think R.R. would be great ! but it's R.R.'s decision - one way or another -
Special advisor for dinner chats!
Defense!
Somebody needs to clean up that mess, fiscal and otherwise.
I love Bernie, too, for all the reasons you gave and one more HUGE one: he's one of the best I've ever heard at communicating complex issues in such a simple, clear way that everybody can understand. I would love to see him run again in 2024, but the fact that he's older than Biden probably makes that impossible. Even though he still has way more energy and stamina than most people 20 years younger!
Just for fun, how about Bernie/Porter in ‘24 ?!!
Now that's a powerful duo
WOW! Truly a dream ticket! Between them, they actually would accomplish change we could believe in.
Great people. I think my preferred combo would be Warren/Merkley.
Much as I like Warren—a *lot*—Bernie's comparative voter appeal is in a different dimension. She is persuasive, he is compelling.
Agree
That would be a great combo too!!
Would they push for Medicare for All and a Green New Deal?
Ooh la la!
I love Bernie madly also! But I wonder if he isn't equally or more effective now than he would be as president. Why do we always think president is most important position 🤔?
Right?! It's like they think the president would be doing the job themselves! The only president, (and I use that term loosely,) that I remember being like that was 45, and that turned out SO well!
There is a whole team of people that assist the president!
Exactly. Bernie is in the right place at the right time.... forever! 🥰🎶👏🏻🤗
True, he is now in a relatively powerful position that he likes & suits him well.
Regardless of age, the DNC would deep six him again as it did in 2020.
I wonder what would happen if the government was really run by the people and for the people??
We would actually have a democracy rather than the current plutocracy!
And in 2016.
Not sure about that. The Progressive Wing's platform has wrought immense change in our culture over the past seven years. Hope springs eternal!
But the DNC is still run by the same people, essentially.
Maybe a few more progressives and fewer superdelegates?
The reduction in superdelegates was a welcome change.
But it seems that the corporatist establishment always has tricks up their sleeves to ensure their candidate wins.
You know, I always wished that Biden had decided to run in 2016. It would've made it more difficult for the corporatists to take sides, & likely split the centrist vote, giving Bernie a better chance of winning. But even if Biden had won, I think he would've been a stronger candidate & better President than Hillary, & would've easily disposed of Trump. Both Biden & Bernie would have.
If only every politician was as ideological and honest as Bernie.
That’ll always be the dream...
Bernie and Bob are birds of a feather.
I’d pass on the ideological if I can have the honest.
It’s people voting on purely their ideology that has overturned Roe, suppressed voting rights, etc etc etc.
Well, I wish you would be Labor Secretary and I wish Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were President and VP, in whichever order of position they choose.
Although the same age, Bernie seems much more robust and vigorous than Biden.
I'm very gratified to read that you, Professor Reich, backed Bernie over Hillary in 2016. What the DNC did to Bernie and what Hillary and her followers continued to do to Bernie (even still) after the election was/is despicable, blaming him for her loss. Absurd and dishonest.
Annie Cross ; yes, it was the other way around ; Hillary kept Bernie from winning the primary, with help from the media and the DNC.
Holy crap! I just went to the news and saw this on CNN:
"Silicon Valley Bank collapsed Friday morning after a stunning 48 hours in which its capital crisis set off fears of a meltdown across the banking industry.
Its failure marks the largest shutdown of a US bank since 2008, when Washington Mutual fell during the financial crisis."
Last night, I rewatched "The Big Short" for about the fifth time. Jesus, this is scary. If Sanders and Warren had been listened to and not minimized by the corporate press, this might have been avoided. Wealthy legislators just can't bring themselves to hear their sacred capitalism criticized. But just as in the film above, disaster capitalists will always make out like bandits and banks are always "too big to fail."
I watched An Inside Job several times, worthwhile, lots of interviews and research 2008.
Obviously, even the Dems do not want to tax the rich their fair share.
Some do, like Bernie, Warren, Merkley, AOC, etc.
Exactly, Terry J Wilson, exactly. If there were REAL representation in this country rather than perennial protection and enhancement and entrenchment of the power-brokers who play willing, gullible, wishful and too-often poorly educated, ill-informed, (not to mention desperate and anxious) citizens like fools, we might have a different country. The entrenchment of power, wealth, greed, corruption, debauchery and despotism in this country may be beyond traditional routes of correction.
It is an on-going point of interest to me: WHY do people GIVE their power away.
We GIVE it. It is not a law of physics that some people get power and wealth and authority and others' role is to fulfill that for the " leader." It is voluntary and temporary and a transactional agreement, a contract: we help each other, we do not hurt each other, your life and welfare are of no greater value than mine...etc.
Yet, like children, people bow to others and GIVE power, and all that power means, away.
“The Power Paradox”. by Dacher Keltner
Annie Cross ; Thousand hearts!
Fear not. A 4-party system is coming, maybe sooner than later.
And don’t forget how they screwed him in 2020.
Bernie is originally from Brooklyn, NY. The center of the universe afaic. His old neighborhood is near my old neighborhood, so he sounds like an uncle. An uncle that says the right things, sticks to them, and is always there. I love him. He should have been the candidate running against Tangerine Torquemada, but instead we got Mrs. Clinton, who was not in good favor with many. Bernie would have won. Oh well, cest la vie.
I feel like Hillary was in denial about how unpopular she was. If it were Bernie, Trump would’ve totally lost without a doubt. *sigh*
Well, after years of being battered by lies and misogyny from Republicans, how could she not be hurt by it. Yes she had her flaws, as does Bernie, but it had been more than time for the US to have a woman president- and Hillary was much more competent than the orange a**hole. It's not good vs bad. It's one version of leadership versus another version. I get tired of the Hillary bashing. It's smacks too much of misogyny.
I totally agree. She wasn't the progressive that some people wanted, even me, but she would have been a good president, and we would have avoided trump and the MAGATS. That's life, and votes matter.
As a woman, I'd love to see a woman President, but NEVER Hillary. She's totally owned by Wall Street, and is too much of a hawk, IMO.
As I commented elsewhere, Hillary never stopped being the Goldwater Girl she was in the beginning.
Elizabeth Warren was my top choice in 2020 & is my favorite for 2024.
Hillary shot herself in the foot not only because she was seriously flawed (e.g., unable to read the electoral map which left her with a 3-million vote surplus and a stunning loss and wasn't quick-witted enough to deliver fatal blows on the debate stage), but because of her abrasive persona. She's unfeminine. She doesn't laugh. She cackles. Hillary-splaining overtook man-splaining as a cultural thing. Next to James Comey, most American voters least want to hear anything from Hillary Clinton, the last of the Corporate Democratic Dynasty.
unfeminine!!! That is an anti woman way to judge her. I thought she was smart and well connected and just the right presence, but she .....damn, she was a hawk. She wanted to have a no fly zone an act of aggression, she was going to shoot down planes over some country, was it Libya, so my pleasure as a feminist had to switch. Bernie is not a hawk, I dont think Elizabeth Warren is a hawk. same with Alexandra Orcasio Cortez , She may be our first woman president. I do worry a bit that some men, well like you Shel would not accept her presidential authority or listen to, any woman leader. Eventually we will have a woman president. I hope I live to see the day. Besides being wise, Bernie does have charisma. He is too old, so is BIden, Biden is better than I expected, but this empire side of Biden "take our place as the leader of the free world."I don't like it. It sounds dated to me. Not our best aspiration . I do sure hope paid parental leave, and forgiving student debt can happen, and taxing the rich and corporation. Thank you Joe Biden. Working on getting rid of inequality like Bernie so eloquently analyzed,Biden learned a lot from Bernie, :Those he is splendid about. Biden is also good about race diversity. But there is another dreadful party on the right, Maybe in Thaddeus Stevens times the Dems were the pro slavery ,KKK , but now we need them to be pro union, pro working class. Who knows??? Maybe we will start hearing from Kamala Harris. Maybe she feels as Vice President she cant be too loud.
She’s no more unfeminine than Rhonda Santis.
I admit that at times I felt really sorry for Hillary, since the Republicans were making stuff up about her that just wasn’t true. But she’s too much of a hawk and a corporatist for my taste.
Agree with the last part of your comment, but I've never felt sorry for Hillary. She's entitled, manipulative (does anyone doubt she demanded the Sec. State role in 2008 in return for bowing out of the race?), and is only concerned with her own status. Nope, not sorry.
My far right sister was fine with Hillary which I found interesting. Maybe remembering her days as a Goldwater girl? Fired for unethical behavior and lying in her role with the Watergate investigation. If she had not been Bill Clinton’s wife I doubt she would have made a dent in politics.
Girl, you went way back for that one. She represented the very liberal state of New York for 8 years and served as President Obama's Sec. of State. To denounce someone for being a different person 40 years earlier is disingenuous at best. I had a difficult time trying to decide for whom to vote in 1968 between Nixon and Humphrey as a sophomore in college, and as a 14 year old, I supported AuH2O since he claimed he would end the war in Viet Nam, and I was already concerned about that. People change. To base one's opinion on what someone may have been or may have done when they were 16 years old is so stupid. To have hated Hillary like many of Bernie's cultists baffles me. To disagree with her politics is completely acceptable if you are a right winger. To hate Hillary outright isn't.
Hillary invaded NY politics under cover of the farthest right of the state Dem party, a carpetbagger who had to do carefully choreographed "listening tours" to play-act caring about the state she thought she could best exploit upon leaving the White House. It was her turn, right? The state wasm't about to elect a GOP senator—even Hillary wasn't *that* bad.
I'll tell you what. Have you got some sneakers? Put them on and bounce right up my ass, chicky.
That's ludicrous! Still clinging to that one, eh?
Charlie Jervis ; To whom are you replying? Since you are not specific as to what you are saying, I think YOU are the Cling - on Or troll, at least!
To whom do you think I'm replying? You, Laurie. I'm replying to you. Is this clear enough? I'm not CLINTON, whatever that means. I'm not a troll. I've been posting on here for as long as I've been subscribed which is a while now, Laurie Blair. If you had a question, you could check my credentials. I think I'm always very clear as to what I'm saying. The problem could be on your side, Laurie Blair. I hope your day gets better, Laurie.
Charlie Jervis ; it is clearer when a reply is addressed to a particular post. I'm sure my day is better than yours!
Laurie Blair
I had a fabulous day so yours must have been uptight and out of sight.
I like how you’re respecting other people’s opinions.
I also like how you explained how what I’m saying is “ludicrous” very clearly.
I also enjoyed how you added “eh?” to the end of your sentence.
I am being sarcastic.
Bernie only lost because of superdelegates. Bernie won every county in West Virginia — as it was reported on the news — and only lost because the superdelegates used their votes to go for Hillary. Next time, read up on your facts, eh? Cheers.
Ludicrous? How?
Yet, that's what everybody is doing. Bernie couldn't even beat Hillary or Biden in '20. He would never have beaten trump.
“Yet, that’s what everybody is doing.”
This is actually one of the first times I’ve posted about Bernie and Hillary. I’m mostly focusing on other things. You say that Bernie couldn’t even beat Hillary. As a matter of fact, he actually won the popular vote, which is undisputed. Hillary just won the most superdelegates, so… yeah. For example, Bernie won every county in West Virginia, but the superdelegates went for Hillary. If it weren’t for the superdelegates, Bernie would have beat Hillary.
The Misinformed Penguin
You've got it all wrong. Hillary beat Bernie by over 3.5 MILLION VOTES. Where are you getting your numbers from? I a well informed man so you can't bullshit me.
That's exactly why I posted what I did because of all the misinformation on the Bernie side. It's exactly like the trumpers. You need to get your facts straight.
Facts: 16,847,084 Hillary (55.20%)
13,168,222 Bernie (43.14%)
It was a decisive victory for Hillary, and a big loss for Bernie. That's just the truth of the matter. Google it on Wikipedia if you don't believe it.
The Penguin ; Totally!
Without a doubt? I love the man and at the time I made arguments for why he might be more electable than Clinton, but I was never oblivious or naive enough to say any of that “without a doubt.”
You know what I mean. I don’t mean the chances are literally 100% in Bernie’s favor. In just saying that I personally don’t doubt that Bernie would have beat Trump in the general election.
Rocco?
I had a kid in high school named Rocco. I doubt it was you since I was in a competing Brooklyn high school with Bernie, at the same time. Erasmus Hall. Needless to say, I agree 100pct with your comments. Hell, Bernie is even popular here in Puerto Rico. He was, and still is, the best candidate to run against Trump.
Have we all forgotten the interference in the 2016 election by Putin and the Russians? Putin detested Hillary because she stood up to him as Sec of State, and, as president, would be fearless in keeping America strong against Russian oligarchy.
Putin badly wanted Trump to win because he was so easily manipulated by money. In fact, Russian cyber manipulation determined Bernie Sanders would not fly with most Americans, many who call him 'Communist,' the farther south and west away from Vermont the country goes. That was the reason he was promoted as Hillary's opponent, sure to lose against MAGA Trump.
Hillary won the popular vote by a good margin. IMHO, the gerrymandering and electoral college manipulations so deftly crafted by the Russo-Republicans, are the reason she lost. She was, and is, a loyal Democrat and American. She is a proponent of health and education, of racial fairness and minority rights. While both Clintons are a little too enchanted by wealth, they pale in comparison to Trump. As for the question of feminism, "yes, she is", but calling her brash, a person who cackles, diminishing her abilities by gender, is indeed misogyny.
Read this article by USA Today:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/09/bernie-sanders-could-beat-donald-trump-2020-column/4694526002/
I’m sorry, but what evidence is there that Russiagate exists? Trump is an awful, awful person, but we shouldn’t make stuff up about him, or Putin.
Um, the unredacted Mueller Report for one. Andrew Weismann's investigation which led to the conviction of Paul Manafort, the arrest of Putin's henchmen who met regularly with Trumps' family members in attempts to sway legislation... Any number, Penguin, which you can readily access, and you should. As for Putin, he is an assassin and vicious...plenty of info about that.
Ok, thanks. But I would just like to say that I don’t understand why you think Putin wanted Bernie to go against Trump. Bernie beat Trump in a lot of the polls.
Bernie beat Trump in all the polls by a comfortable margin, significantly higher than Hillary. Bernie consistently held a positive favorability rating, while Hillary had the 2nd largest negative favorability rating of a presidential contender ever recorded, next to Trump's the same year, with the poorest favorability ever, around -30.
It is always refreshing to hear Bernie. He hits the nail on the head every single time, clarifying every confusion and distortion. His reason for criticizing the press for not covering the heart of issues came to light in his recent interview with Margaret Brennan on Meet the Press. He said the media would rather talk about elections than about the enormity of the wealth gap. Despite the fact that one in four Americans can not afford the cost of their prescription drugs, none of the networks are presenting specials on that. 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, fearing that one slip could plummet them into poverty, and republicans want them to struggle more! Bernie is the rock that I go to so I can fend off the spin and speculation and pure nonsense that proliferates out there and garner my strength and focus on my part to phone bank as much as possible to get progressives elected and to promote strong policy and clinch progressive appointees everywhere.
I love Bernie because he tells the truth, and he tells it in an excellent delivery that gets his message through clearly. I love Bernie because he never gives up and never sells out. I'm glad he doesn't come across like Obama, who has deprived so many of hope. Some of those $27+ Bernie donations came from me. I have a nice collection of Bernie stuff, including Bernie-wearing-mittens t-shirt and a Feel the Bern mug. I totally love Bernie.
THIS, a hundred times, Judy!
We're a Bernie household through and through. Mug, t-shirts and all...but especially deep down inside.
I agree I love Bernie too. If only the American public were as educated in Civics as they should be they would know that Communism has never existed in any country any where, that Socialism can co-exist with regulated Capitalism, that unbound Capitalism requires regulation to prevent it from drifting into oligarchy. That names are meaningless - only practice, tells you the truth. Adolph Hitler's thugs and monsters called them selves the National Democratic Socialist Party - but in reality were cold-blooded dictatorial fascists. Instead, we have an electorate so clueless they only believe what they can absorb in 30 second sound bites. Heck, most people don't even know what a true democracy is or how it differs from a representative republic which is what we are currently in danger of losing to the MAGA maggots.
Yes, Fay, you’re right about the drift into oligarchy! Here’s a small correction: Nazi = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) = National Socialist German Workers Party. They didn’t claim to be democratic.
Thank you Stan for catching that error. Of course they weren't Socialist either (:-). This is one of the reasons I thing political parties should be named what their true beliefs and standards are, for instance, instead of the Democratic Party we should have two parties: The Liberal Progressives, and the Centrist Moderates. The old Republican Party should have been the Fiscal Conservatives. The party of trump shouldn't exist, but since it does, it should be called the Fascist Dictatorial Party. I realize this wouldn't fool the majority of people into voting for the trumpsters, but it would at least be honest.
Excellent point about names, Fay. I suspect, since maybe TR, anyway, parties have been named to conceal, not reveal, their ideologies. Or names have been retained that no longer describe ideologies.
Oh, it precedes Teddy Roosevelt Denise, what the heck did the Whigs or Tories stand for? And you are right. Few people know what Democrat stands for. It was used to describe the political system in ancient Athens when every MALE citizen had the right to vote for or against legislation proposed by the Senate. Athens was a city for heavens sake, and small at that when compared to say London or Paris. It would never work today in any country larger than Nepal. What we have is a representative republic where we elect a representative who we are supposed to know and trust (as opposed to hearing the lies expressed in 10 to 30 second blurbs on TV or internet). If political parties were forced to use the names they really stand for people would at least know for what and whom they were voting, that is provided they are at least semi-literate.
The Whig party was relatively short-lived in this country, but they had a conservative bent. Tories, on the other hand, were relegated to England, except for the pre-Revolution period here, and their philosophy is clear-cut: they've always been deeply conservative.
Links below for anyone who may be interested.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tory
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Whig-Party-England
Thanks Denise, but my point was that from the name alone you couldn't hazard a guess what they stood for. Same with Democrat and Republican of today. From the mid 19th century to the early 20th century the Republicans were the more socially liberal party and the Democrats were the bad guys who supported racism, Jim Crow and Tammany Hall. Then in the in 1932 they flipped again and became the party of the people, socially liberal. That is the reason I think political parties should be named Liberal Progressives, Moderate Centrists, and Fiscal Conservatives. The nutcases could still be Fascists, Anarchists, Libertarians or just plain nutcases.
The names of political parties are even worse overseas. You can't tell what the heck they really stand for unless you Wiki them.
Agreed, I guess they figure the constituents are so dumb, why enlighten them (:-)
Many Democrats aren't particularly democratic, & Republicans are even less republican.
Yes, a lot of right-wingers will claim that Nazis were socialist, not fascist, because of their party's deceptive name.
North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but is certainly not a republic, the people have no political power, & it's probably the least democratic country in the world.
If there’s such a thing as Original Sin, I’ll bet it’s the mis-use of language.
Some are really expert at the misuse of language. I'd put Russia, the GOP & their propaganda outlet Fox at the head of the list.
Thanks Jaime, The United Nations should require all political parties, anywhere in the world, to use their true policy in their name - never going to happen, of course!
Fay, I note that you, like most others, employ the term “regulation,” while somewhat synonymous with “protections” denotatively, connotatively elicits a meaningfully different emotional response, particularly among those who equate “regulation” with rescinding freedoms.
Accordingly, though “regulation” and “protections” fundamentally mean the same thing, do you sense a difference between “unbound Capitalism requires regulation to prevent it from drifting into oligarchy” vs. “unbound Capitalism requires” protections “to prevent it…”? I ask because, in my view, Democrats (the only Party whose interests I take to heart) employ a host of terms (a conversation for another day) that provides Republicans with far too many opportunities to distort Democratic messaging.
Janet, Perhaps as frustrating is how, instead of calling Republicans out, their misrepresentations and manipulations, too often, control the narrative. That said, platforms like this one affirm that increasingly more of us are intent on exposing deceptions and revealing verifiable truths the radical right doesn’t want told.
Well, I try to do my part by calling them "republofascists". Fascism should definitely be tied to most of the modern day GOP, & making it part of their name helps drive that in.
Jaimie, Admittedly, more so than linking an “ism” to “the modern day GOP,” I have found calling out their sectarian, economic, and political agendas that aim to transform the egalitarian and democratic ideals embodied in our founding documents immeasurably effective at enlarging a pro-democracy coalition.
I do that, too!
People's rudderlessness is not new. Shakespeare eloquently dramatically elaborated on this disappointing phenomenon in Julius Caesar and in Coriolanus over 400 years ago. The hope that I offer is that in my phone banking all the time, but these days to Wisconsin, there are lots of people I speak to daily who do have rudders in good repair, and are clear about the direction in which they intend the country to move.
I love him too, and voted for him.
We need many more Bernies... and fewer Rs.
Natalie Blasco ; Me too! I voted for him. He has mentored some good people, it will make a difference!
I love Bernie too. He is the only politician that actually understands what nurses are going through and how broken the Health Care system is. He knows that big hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are ripping off patients.
I too love how Bernie says it like it is even if it’s not popular. What I wish people would do is understand the nature of his truths and dwell on them.
Bernie’s truths often come out in staccato blasts that arrive too quickly to assimilate. If only he had a delivery like Obama, so we could catch up and hang on every word…
We watched him on Bill Maher last Friday night. Maher was getting rattled about Bernie's ideas on taxation. On "Overtime," Bernie refused to answer a couple of questions, saying he wasn't informed and had no opinion. How many politicians would do that? They would just fluff their way through an answer.
Bill Maher is full of shxt and himself. He believes his own bullshit, always dangerous. He loves the sound of his own voice.
Yep. Seems he chooses comedy over intelligence.....and ends with something stupid.
Jon Stewart is the opposite. I enjoy 'The Problem with Jon Stewart' program. Thoughtful, inquisitive with humor to drive home the point and lighten the often heavy topic. This recent episode is especially good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOiXmMnyw4
Appreciate the link. I never watched a lot of Stewart, but am SO impressed with him now. He has a way of asking direct questions and cutting to the chase with reluctant guests that is amazing. The man is a genius.
Check this one out. Talk about being direct, challenging and controlled!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPmjNYt71fk&t=308s
(Edited segment of a program-length interview with Arkansas AG re: gender-affirming care. I believe one needs a subscription to AppleTV to see the full interview.)
Thanks for the link. Good to know he's got some presence on YouTube.
Yeah, some of his AppleTV+ content is there - some shorter, edited segments, some full episodes other episodes only available thru the streaming subscription.
I can't watch Maher......he reminds me too much of Tulsi Gabbard in her early stage.
Poor Bernie did not know the difference between equality and equity. Sad.
A LOT of voters like Bernie. The media was against him, along with many in the party he caucused with, along with the DNC.
Yes, and a lot of people that like him and were denied a chance to vote for him because of all that....voted for Trump. And Michael Moore called it.
Terry Franzman : Yes. tRump ripped off some of Bernie's talking points, like bringing jobs back to the U.S. If only they knew who they were voting for! Money corrupted the process, and the media helped the money.
Michael Moore did call it!
Then he wouldn't be Bernie. Besides, it works.
I personally enjoy Bernie’s style. It’s straightforward and no-nonsense.
I guess they teach that in Brooklyn.
Todd Telford ; Nothing wrong with Bernie's delivery. Just ignore the talking heads commentary.
I guess that the Brooklyn in him - even tho he’s been in Vermont for decades!
Good analysis. Too bad other politicians can't see that Bernie's approach gets votes... Lots of votes.
The Corporate Dems need to open their eyes. This stuff is really popular!
You said it in your comment, Penguin: "corporate Dems." That's the DNC and DCCC. They'd rather lose an election than nominate someone who isn't bought, as we saw in 2016.
Thanks, Robert, for this thoughtful post in support of Bernie Sanders. I no longer live in the USA, but have admired him from afar in New Zealand for a long time. What a guy! I too think you would make a great Secretary for Labor, to add my 2 cents worth, but understand why you don't want to do it.
America 🇺🇸 loves ❤️ Bernie too, not only for all the reasons you described, but because we know we always have him in our corner, fighting for the American workers 💙 and holding the robber baron corporations accountable, which is why they all hate him so 😉 💙
Just like we're glad we have you in our corner too, cuz we know you'll never sell us out, the American workers 😉
Bernie started his Political Revolution, and then turned it into an organization- OR, Our Revolution! The idea is to keep growing people power until we CAN win authentic democracy, of and by We the People. And to put an end to the institutional corruption created by SCOTUS decisions, such as Citizens United and the others that created corporate personhood and money as speech.
HJR48, the We the People Amendment, is the heart and soul of Our Revolution. Please help us grow the movement to pass it at movetoamend.org.
And make no mistake, this is system change that will create authentic representative democracy in the USA, and give us PEOPLE the POWER to save our planet- and never again another Trump!
PS: Check out Ca AB83! Fight for it too!