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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHas Bernie Sanders declared himself to be a Democrat yet?
I haven't seen anything to that effect.
empedocles
(15,751 posts)TomCADem
(17,378 posts)Of course he has declared himself a Democrat. Heck, back in 2016, Bernie's campaign made clear that he was a Democrat for life, so this really is a non-issue. He has not been an Independent since 2016.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/277086-sanders-will-be-democrat-for-life-campaign-says
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders will remain with the party if he does not get the nomination, his campaign manager said Wednesday.
n an interview on Bloombergs With All Due Respect, host Mark Halperin asked campaign manager Jeff Weaver if the Independent senator will stay in the Democratic Party if he doesn't become the nominee.
Well, he is a Democrat, he said hes a Democrat and hes gonna be supporting the Democratic nominee, whoever that is, Weaver responded.
But hes a member of the Democratic Party now for life? Halperin pressed. Yes, he is, Weaver said.
underpants
(182,270 posts)Sits down to see how this goes.
Response to MineralMan (Original post)
Post removed
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Party rules, right? At the time of or before announcing? So, I'm asking if he has done that. I don't see a problem with the question.
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)Don't the new party rules require that if elected, the declared Democrat must serve as a Democrat?
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)kstewart33
(6,551 posts)June 8, 2018: "The new rule, adopted by the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee, requires all Democratic presidential candidates to be a member of the Democratic Party, Yahoo News reported.
A presidential candidate running for the Democratic nomination must be a member of the party, accept the Democratic nomination and run and serve as a member."
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)hughee99
(16,113 posts)Im skeptical they have the power to force him to serve as one. They may have some sort of punishment system, but they cant actually prevent him from leaving the party after the election.
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)Put real teeth into the requirements: 1) put the requirements in the form of a legal contract and 2) attach substantial financial penalties if the candidate violates the contract.
Polybius
(15,235 posts)n/t
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)What makes the contract illegal?
hughee99
(16,113 posts)But they can certainly refuse to help in a re-election bid. I think they could loan money to his campaign, and require him to pay it back immediately if he leaves the party.
Theres probably ways to do some of this (diffeeent mechanism but same effect), but they wouldnt be able to keep him in the party against his will if he really wanted to leave.
It would definitely be a bad sign if the party trusted him so little that they made him sign a contract, though.
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)By signing the contract, he is aware of the penalty if he violates it. If he intends to leave the party after the election, he can certainly do that but the penalty applies. If he believes the financial penalty is wrong, then he should not sign the contract.
The problem here is that Bernie wants all the resources that being a member of the Democratic Party provides. He will be a Democrat for as long as he gets the advantages. When he no longer needs them, he quits the party.
He is not a Democrat but he plays one as long as he gets the money and promotion. That's what galls many actual party members. We do not like being played.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)That even his own party doesnt trust their own nominee (if he wins the primary). Just last year he refused the Dem nomination for VT senate. There didnt seem to be any benefit to doing that, but he did anyway.
kstewart33
(6,551 posts)The contract should apply to any non Democrat who wants to run as a Dem.
Bernie ran as a Dem in the Democratic primary and when he won, he declined the nomination and ran as an Independent. Running as a Dem had its advantages. He played the VT Democratic Party too.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)So they'd be making the contract with Bernie only after he became a Dem. If you don't trust that the person you just gave your nomination to stay in the party, that's an issue the republicans will try to exploit with undecided voters.
Fla Dem
(23,339 posts)interests to stay a Dem at least for his 1st term. Although he may be egotistical enough to think once he's in the WH he doesn't need the Democratic Party anymore, that he can get re-elected on his own.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)Having said that, as shocked as I would be to see a then 79 year old Sanders become president, Id be even more surprised to see an 82 year old Sanders announce his re-election bid.
Polybius
(15,235 posts)How can they enforce that? If Mr. Sanders were to miraculously win the Democratic nomination and beat Trump, what can stop him from switching back to Independent after taking office as President?
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)At some point he needs to declare or I think he cant run. Correct?
Baltimike
(4,123 posts)"Don't bash Democrats"...except he *isn't* one...and if he wanted to make a showing to the Party, he never should have left in 2016.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)was seen as a bash? If so, that boat left long ago. He did just that but is now very proudly NOT a Democrat.
Baltimike
(4,123 posts)Methinks there are some left over Bernie Bro/Russian ratfuckers lurking around on behalf of someone who isn't a Democrat.
IF he gets the nomination, I am voting for him...But, like Gilibrand and Gabbard, he won't be.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)For the life of me I can't figure out if Sanders would regard that as a best or worst case, though. Surely he understands the role he played in 2016 and that he he could repeat that in 2020 but couldn't possibly win?
LongtimeAZDem
(4,494 posts)is what has made me distrust his intentions.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)His vision of proximity to the WH seemed to lead him to pursue that power with a ruthlessness I at least strongly reject for Democrats. I see no reason to think he'll be different in his late 70s from his earlier 70s.
Apollyonus
(812 posts)Baltimike
(4,123 posts)LongtimeAZDem
(4,494 posts)kstewart33
(6,551 posts)Don't see how asking whether Bernie's declared yet is in any way offensive.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)Will the DNC reject his application to be a nominee if he doesnt declare. Can he just fake it like last time?
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I assume that Senator Sanders is aware of that, so I wondered.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)But I doubt he sincerely becomes a Democrat. That's not his shtick.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I don't know him. But, if he's going to announce, you'd think he'd get ahead of that, to prevent questions.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)he announces he candidacy. We will see soon I suppose if that is the case. If he doesn't I would not consider him a serious candidate.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)he can somehow win, as he came to in 2016? Trying to remain in the spotlight may be an ego thing. I came to suspect he, at heart, believes only he can fix it.
Perhaps it'd be to split a faction off the Democratic Party, as seems the most possible outcome? Why? To remain the relevant gadfly he became in 2016 after decades of just being "I-Sanders" in group photos? Regardless of his reason for doing the latter, it could help defeat Democrats and keep Republicans in power, of course.
In every possible instance, I expect Russia and the Repubs to once again be very helpful.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I dont think that is true but even if it was to some extent, the damage he would do to our nominee in the process could result in another 4 more years of Trump Hell. Not worth the risk.. imo.
Mike Nelson
(9,903 posts)
heard. I did see some reports that he has made a video announcing his candidacy. Maybe he said that in the video?
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)That's why I asked. Perhaps we will soon.
Mike Nelson
(9,903 posts)someone involved leaked that it existed. We will see it, soon, I think...
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Response to MineralMan (Original post)
Post removed
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Mr. Quackers
(443 posts)quicker than anyone here can.
Shoot, I bet you could find a phone number within 5 minutes on the digital yellow pages (teh Google).
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Mr. Quackers
(443 posts)MineralMan
(146,189 posts)honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I am sure its a huge issue on how to deal with it. For some reason they have a hard time conforming to be members of the Democratic party.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Once I started making money from my writing, I bought an IBM Selectric. I used that until 1984, when I bought a PC clone with the advance on my first book.
I keep the old Royal nearby, in perfect condition, with a brand new ribbon, just in case.
TCJ70
(4,387 posts)I doubt hell run at all.
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Under the old rules, there was never a requirement for sanders to join the party https://medium.com/@blairdurkee/scorched-earth-politics-bernie-sanders-and-the-dishonest-campaign-that-gave-us-trump-eb0bc82ab2c1
The new DNC rules hopefully will fix this issue. The new DNC rule will force sanders to actually join the party and force sanders to campaign as a member of the party
Link to tweet
In addition, new ballot access laws will require sanders to release five or ten years of tax returns.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)That was my understanding. The tax returns thing is another matter. Perhaps he has found them all now.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)Odd I've never seen a link to these new rules.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,110 posts)Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Harris released her returns when she announced
mcar
(42,206 posts)DownFromTheMountain
(226 posts)The move was to declare as a democratic member, join Hillary as Vice President then run the table. Duh!
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,110 posts)Paladin
(28,202 posts)That's what repeatedly encountering Bernie people here at DU during the 2016 campaign did to me. Particularly memorable: the taunts about my age, simply because I could recall details of the McGovern campaign in 1972. Anything that renders Bernie moot this time around has my support.
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)He'll get my vote.
There's no one that has declared so far that would not although there are some i dont care for.
shanny
(6,709 posts)Um, OK.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I asked a question.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)Then we have a problem.
shanny
(6,709 posts)He ran as a D last time to prevent a split in the vote.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)and blame the Democratic party for these new restrictive rules which they perceive as causing him not getting the nomination and decide to run independent to teach us a lesson.
shanny
(6,709 posts)are stupid and counterproductive.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)As I feared.
shanny
(6,709 posts)and counterproductive? That is unsettling.
honest.abe
(8,556 posts)I fear Bernie and his supporters like you are willing to go independent if things dont go your way.
LongtimeAZDem
(4,494 posts)shanny
(6,709 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)awesomerwb1
(4,256 posts)Some Bernie "supporters" would vote for Bernie if he changed his stripes to republican. Zero doubt about that.
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Bleacher Creature
(11,235 posts)In the meantime, he needs the flexibility to be able to bash our party whenever it suits him.
aikoaiko
(34,127 posts)You'll have plenty of time to change your mind if you do.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Amy Klobuchar. I think she'd make a great VP candidate and should help in the Midwest. I'd like to help her get the nod.
Then, I'll wait and see who becomes the Democratic presidential nominee, and vote for that person in the general election. I'm not going to be taking a position on candidates for President in 2020. I'll let the Convention decide.
disillusioned73
(2,872 posts)How about issues & a platform..
[link:
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)for President must be declared Democrats. For me, refusing to make such an open declaration disqualifies a person from running for that high office as a Democrat.
Sanders has an option if he does not wish to join with the Democratic Party in his quest for the presidency. He can simply run as an Independent and satisfy all of the state laws to gain a place on the ballot. That is his option.
Issues and platform are important. The Democratic Party has a platform. It will have a new one after the 2020 national convention. Have you read the current Democratic Party platform? If not, you can find it at this link:
https://democrats.org/about/party-platform/
I suggest that you read it.
al bupp
(2,164 posts)Joe941
(2,848 posts)MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I'm asking a question, not proposing anything. Do you have an answer for my question?
DinahMoeHum
(21,737 posts)The Truth Is Here
(354 posts)This is the qualification he needs.
Gothmog
(143,998 posts)Here is the oath that sanders must sign if he wants to run https://www.thegreenpapers.com/P20/2019-01-03-2020_Call_for_the_Convention_12.21.18_w-attachments.pdf
Pursuant to Article IV of the Call for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, I hereby affirm that, upon publicly announcing my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2020 election, I am a member of the Democratic Party. I will run as a Democrat, accept the nomination of my Party, and I will serve as a Democrat if elected. I understand that signing this form does not supplant any legal or Party requirement by any state or territory to qualify for ballot placement in that jurisdiction.
Further, I acknowledge that in submitting this form to the National Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, I am subject to the provisions of Rule 13.K of the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2020 Democratic National Convention and Article VI of the Call for the 2020 Democratic National Convention that authorize the National Chairperson to determine whether a presidential candidate has established substantial support for their nomination as the Democratic candidate for the Office of the President of the United States, is a bona fide Democrat whose record of public service, accomplishments, public writings and/or public statements affirmatively demonstrate that the candidate is faithful to the interests, welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States, and will participate in the Convention in good faith.
___________________
NOTARY AFFIDAVIT
STATE OF ______________
COUNTY OF _______________
I, ____________________________________, a Notary Public, do hereby certify that on this ____day of ___________________, 20____, personally appeared before me ______________________________, known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument, and swore and acknowledged to me that they executed the same for the purpose and in the capacity therein expressed, and that the statements contained therein are true and correct. _______________________________________________ Notary Public, State of __________________ Name, Typed or Printed: __________________________________________ My Commission Expires: ___________________________