Bye bye, Bernie: He's not fit to captain the Democratic ship if he can't stop chasing the great...

[DonViejo]

Bye bye, Bernie: He’s not fit to captain the Democratic ship if he can’t stop chasing the great white male

The Democratic Party is selling out women and all marginalized groups in favor of Bernie Sanders’ dangerous myths

ANNA MARCH

Anna March’s writing appears frequently here in Salon as well as in The New York Times' Modern Love column, New York Magazine and The Rumpus. She is the Publisher of the magazine Roar. Her essay collection, "Feminist Killjoy," and novel are forthcoming. Follow her on Twitter @annamarch or learn more about her at annamarch.com.

To the extent that Democrats are looking for their progressive soul, Sen. Bernie Sanders is not where they should be fixing their gaze. Sanders is clear that he is not a Democrat — except when he needs to be one in order to run for president. Yet he is demanding that the Democratic Party head for what Rebecca Traister last week called “third-way centrist bullshit.”

Economic populism and what are commonly erroneously and dismissively referred to as “social issues” — such as reproductive rights, immigration reform and civil rights for people of color, those who have disabilities, people of all faiths, LGBT people and women — are indivisible. Sanders routinely demonstrates his own lack of progressive values by dividing them.

There is no economic populism without abortion rights and civil rights. No one can have economic justice if he or she doesn’t have fundamental rights. Yet Sanders has made it plain that abortion rights are negotiable and brushes off “identity politics.” He consistently argues that his values — and his alone — should define what it is to be progressive. (Which can’t help but remind one of Donald Trump’s unilateral defining of terms.)

Further, Sanders routinely divides matters of race and gender and class — which, again, cannot be untwined — by discussing the “pain” and needs of working-class voters and perpetuating the dangerous myth that the Democrats have ignored them. Sanders has insisted that Democrats have failed to reach these voters, while dismissing the fact that 75 percent of working-class voters of color voted for Clinton, not Trump, last year.

more
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/24/bye-bye-bernie-the-self-appointed-captain-of-the-democratic-ship-needs-to-stop-chasing-the-great-white-male/

[Sculpin Beauregard]

1. Oh for fuck sake...

[SCantiGOP]

23. I agree

What's the point of a post like this? Ignore and Trash any Bernie/anti-Bernie post. Just my opinion.

[gtar100]

34. Yep, to the trash!

As garbage.

[TDale313]

33. Exactly.

Sick of this shit. I'm a woman, a feminist, and I supported Bernie in the primaries and still think his message is incredibly important and resonates with many, many people.

[FailureToCommunicate]

39. Yup. Give it a rest.

Circular firing squads don't help one bit.

[joet67]

73. I would argue they hurt. I would say more, but I kind of fear the other 50% of

OUR party.

[Mojorabbit]

97. It never ends. Nt

[stopbush]

2. BS has never been a Dem and never will be.

He's a dead end for the Party. Should never have been given the position in the Party he enjoys.

We need to move on from a person who was conveniently a D for less than 1% of his political career and who lost more than Hillary and the Ds did last year.

[ProfessorPlum]

96. You don't say?

I've never heard that before.

[NurseJackie]

3. A thoughtful and well-reasoned essay. Thank you for sharing this, DonViejo.

This bit stood out to me. It's important because it directly contradicts much of what I've been reading (here and elsewhere) when others claim that the Democratic Party is "out of touch" and "failing" and "ideologically bankrupt" (blah-blah-blah, etc, etc, etc.)

Further, Sanders routinely divides matters of race and gender and class — which, again, cannot be untwined — by discussing the “pain” and needs of working-class voters and perpetuating the dangerous myth that the Democrats have ignored them. Sanders has insisted that Democrats have failed to reach these voters, while dismissing the fact that 75 percent of working-class voters of color voted for Clinton, not Trump, last year.

[SunSeeker]

59. When a "friend" is "perpetuating the dangerous myth that the Democrats have ignored them"...

Who needs enemies?

[LOL Lib]

70. Thanks NJ and I agree.

[JudyM]

4. Don.

[DonViejo]

5. Yes?

[JudyM]

8. Maybe a bit of gasoline?

[DonViejo]

12. I don't think so but, thanks!...

It can only become gasoline if DU'ers allow it to become that, imho

[Voltaire2]

6. why is du still fighting the primary?

Serious question. I have no clue what is going on here.

[George II]

9. What does that article have to do with the primaries?

[dgauss]

15. It's the same smears used against him in the primaries.

It's continuing to construct a straw man Bernie Sanders that is a threat to women's rights, doesn't care about civil rights, is only concerned about white males, is actively divisive, and is demanding a "third way centrist bullshit" agenda. I'll admit that's a new one to me.

And, in general, promoting the idea that somehow advocating for common sense economic changes equals dismissing social justice.

[George II]

18. That essay is an expression of one's opinion. What in it is a "smear"?

[lapucelle]

40. New definition of "smear"...

#1. A cogent opinion supported by relevant facts.
#2. Any and all criticism of fiery progressives.

[BainsBane]

21. It's about the future of the party

and how he is trying to lead it away from some core values that many of us consider indespensible. Events over the past week are not the primary, and claiming they are is disengenous.

If those concerns are truly news to you, you've managed to ignore the events often past week and the voices of a whlole lot of women and people of color. It would seem the problem is tha you've decided that Anyone who disagrees with you is full of bullshit.

The problem is not his advocating for economic changes. It's his position that equal rights aren't important to economic justice. The effect of that is greater inequality. I believe the author makes that very point. Yet you refused to read it. No wonder so much is news to you.

The events of last week are summarized here. https://www.democraticunderground.com/10028973902

[dgauss]

28. Bernie Sanders is not your enemy.

He is not trying to take the democratic party away from core values. He's proven that consistently over his entire career.

Where we disagree is probably about where the criticism of Sanders is coming from. You believe (yes, only my opinion) that the criticism stems from some difference in principle, basically that Sanders minimizes the importance of social justice in favor of economic justice.

I believe the difference is more manufactured, and a residual effect of primary strategies that we haven't let go of.

[emulatorloo]

35. Bernie's a tough guy, he can handle a little criticism from people who

honestly feel his endorsement of mello was problematic and out of character.

Def agree Bernie is not the enemy. Disagree that folks are "fabricating" the importance of choice as part of some nefarious plot.

[dgauss]

57. I do think he can handle criticism, he's been around.

I also think he listens to it in a pretty honest way, at least as far as it's possible for politicians to do that sort of thing.

I don't think there is anything at all nefarious about the current differences going on here. Certainly no one is fabricating the importance of choice. That's fundamental to the Democratic party.

I just think that Sanders was the "opponent" to many in the primaries, well that's what primaries are about, but he's not an opponent to the principles of the party.

[emulatorloo]

58. Totally agree with you about him listening!

He's got tons of great qualities. One of the many reasons why he was my guy in the primary.

[Cha]

22. Not "smears".. These are FACTS.. and the Light

is being Shined on them.. finally!

[NurseJackie]

62. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

[Cha]

65. This Little Light of Mine..

Let it Shine Let it Shine Let is Shine!

[Cha]

10. Absolutely Nothing to do with the primary.. this is the

fucking here and now.

[pnwmom]

24. This is about NOW, not the primary. The Democratic party is currently

having an identity crisis -- brought on by those who are calling for us to reject what they call "identity politics."

[retrowire]

27. Is Bernie asking the party to reject so called identity politics? nt

[pnwmom]

32. Yes. "Sanders: Democrats must move beyond identity politics."

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/307014-sanders-dems-must-move-beyond-identity-politics

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday that the Democratic Party must move beyond “identity politics” in order to connect with a larger share of the voting public.


"It is not good enough for somebody to say, 'I'm a woman, vote for me.' That is not good enough," Sanders told a crowd at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, according to WBUR.




http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/bernie-sanders-democrats-identity-politics-231710

“And one message I do have for Democrats is that a strategy that’s just micro-targeting particular, discrete groups in a Democratic coalition sometimes will win you elections, but it’s not going to win you the broad mandate that you need,” Obama told reporters during a joint news conference in Lima, Peru, on Sunday.

[LisaM]

37. Wait. He said about women last Sunday?

Why? Why?

[pnwmom]

38. No, he said that last November. But he still thinks class is more important than anything else. n/t

[LisaM]

42. Ah thanks. I was reading it on the bus.

And I didn't click on the link, sorry. I am becoming increasingly infuriated at the successful gaslighting of the historic nature of HRC's campaign and how important the moment - now lost - really was.

[retrowire]

43. So Obama roughly has the same opinion

Don't target particular groups?

[emulatorloo]

45. Yeah, it was kind of a dumb thing to say.

Politicians aren't infallible. They are humans, and humans make mistakes.

I think it was based on the idea that Trump got elected because of "economic anxiety". That turned out not to be correct, as voters who were most concerned about the economy voted Democratic.

Dems don't really do the marching lockstep thing. Dems tend to be independent thinkers.

Generally though we do come together on Election Day.

[left-of-center2012]

101. Agreed !

I don't understand why the Bernie bashing is being permitted.
It can only hurt us in '18, '20.

[George II]

7. Interesting essay from Salon. Thanks.

[Cha]

11. Thank you, Don! this has to be said!

[BainsBane]

13. someone had to say it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. "75 percent of working-class voters of color voted for Clinton, not Trump, last year."

Yes, but we weren't the much coveted "white working class", so we don't count.

[pnwmom]

25. Yup. n/t

[TNLib]

16. His Senate seat is up for re-election in 2018

He will be 77. Does anyone know if he'll be running or if any democrats will be running for his seat?

[George II]

19. He already had his re-election committee set up (as an Independent) before last year's convention.

[BainsBane]

20. Al Giordano has talked about running for it

But I didn't know if he is serious.

[nini]

29. He was all ready to when he found out he has cancer

Al is one smart guy.

[lapucelle]

48. Link?

[nini]

64. I saw all that over time via his twitter posts

.

[Cha]

66. It's true. lapucelle

[lapucelle]

88. Thank you Cha...

You're as good a source as any link.

Mahalo!

[Cha]

90. Thank you, lapucelle

It's so sad.. such a brilliant man.. I hope he's able to rally

[Cha]

72. He was serious..

until he found out he has cancer.. He is so smart and brave.. I hope he beats it.:candel:

[lapucelle]

46. I'd like to see Dr. Dean run. N/T

[BlueMTexpat]

78. I doubt that Dean would ever do this.

Although I am no fan of Bernie's current actions, it is highly unlikely that he will have any realistic opposition in Vermont for his Senate seat.

As others have said, he is very popular there.

[JI7]

76. there will be no serious opposition to Sanders in that senate seat

he is very popular in his state and will easily be re-elected.

[4now]

17. Good article

[retrowire]

26. Divide and conquer. Congratulations.

This party truly does not like cohesion. God damn.

[BainsBane]

47. So we should be united under increased wealth for white men?

while the rest of us are second class citizens? I think you have the wrong party for that.
We were united under equal rights for all, including reproductive rights for women, until some people decided they should be undermined. Why was that necessary? What does that achieve?

Because demanding we unite around our own subjugation isn't going to happen.

You all could have let Bernie know that promoting anti-choice politicians as "progressive" and the "future of the party" wasn't' a good idea, but you decided equal rights didn't matter enough to stand up for and that you would instead focus on trying to shut up women. Only we are the majority of the party. We have the votes. And we are not down with with the plan against us. Turn right for that party.

[lapucelle]

50. The candidate Our Revolution endorsed

in the VA gubernatorial primary has "no recorded stance" on abortion rights as per On the Issues.

It couldn't be any clearer that this issue doesn't matter.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Tom_Perriello.htm

[retrowire]

83. All I know is that Bernie wears a white hood in your eyes. Nt

[retrowire]

92. Lmao

1. I wasn't walking to you.

2. I didn't tell anyone what to say.

Did you respond to the wrong person?

[lapucelle]

105. I didn't realize you were "walking" to somebody else.

Obviously mistakes happen. I find them funny too.

[retrowire]

106. Damn that's a good typo. Nt

[lapucelle]

107. There's an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm

when Larry David is tasked with writing the obituary for his wife's aunt because "Larry is a writer. Make him do it."

He makes an unfortunate typo with the first letter in the word "aunt" and it winds up getting published as "beloved _unt...."

That was a damn funny typo too.

[lapucelle]

49. Is that message addressed

to the guy who torched the Unity Tour?

[tiptonic]

30. Huh

This sounds kind fishy to me. Maybe a Russian fish.

[benpollard]

31. Bernie is right

Bernie is where the Democratic party should be. Hillary adapted a lot of his positions during her campaign, but just for political purposes. The Democratic party needs to be a true progressive party -- not some conservative-lite party. Obviously, that's not working.

[emulatorloo]

41. Sorry Sanders and HRC voted the same 93% of the time. Not much daylight between their records

or policy positions. Biggest difference between them appears to be about guns.

Party does need to change, but we gotta proceed on a basis of fact. Not false narratives spread by folk who wanted Trump to win.

[B Stieg]

51. Good point!

Thanks-did not know this.

Trump has no understanding of the responsibilities that accompany winning the presidency, but
Bernie needs to understand that he lost and stop running.

I don't support "Third-Way" politics, but I did vote for Hillary.

[emulatorloo]

52. I like Bernie a lot. I think he has a lot to offer.

[klook]

54. But...but...

Bernie must be stopped!1!!11


So fucking sick of this shit. Trashing yet another thread.

[emulatorloo]

56. Agreed.

[murielm99]

68. I think you need to prove that.

And you can't!

Hillary did not adopt his positions. She had her own platform, which was more detailed and thoughtful than anything Bernie had.

I am tired of these memes about how Hillary did not know anything or think for herself until Bernie came along. I am tired of seeing sixty or seventy years of Democratic ideals being attributed to something that Bernie just dreamed up this election cycle.

Cult like behavior is dangerous. I am not saying that to be nasty or to start a fight. Some of the Bernie followers here need to get a grip on their unhealthy thinking, for the sake of their own mental health.

[Cha]

71. No, BS is Wrong.. he's divisive and he's wrong.

[hay rick]

36. Divide. Divide. Divide.

Unrec.

[Cha]

67. Yeah, BS is suppose to be on The Unity Tour but all anyone

is talking about is how divisive he's been.

[kcdoug1]

44. Complete and udder

BULLSHIT

[emulatorloo]

53. Bulls don't have udders.

Sorry need to have a little levity on DU these days.

[Cha]

75. Yeah, quotes from BS.

[Heartstrings]

55. So do you want to snip off your nose to spite your face?

Cast Bernie out and you have no resistance! Pull it together people ffs!

He's not the enemy...focus on the prize!

Or keep shooting yourselves in the feet....

Shit! Facebook has it together more than some of you people

Shameful!

[Kaye_NY]

77. Bernie is not the face of resistance

women are

[BlueMTexpat]

79. This!!!!

[Heartstrings]

94. Where in my comment do I say he's the leader

of the resistance?

We have many leaders...women and, that's right, men! All good people, fighting and raging for us...

My point is, our focus isn't where it should be, our energy isn't on the ultimate enemy (or enemies) and we're floundering trying to pin blame on someone, anyone...Bernie just happens to be the fall guy right now...and it needs to stop. This talk isn't bringing us together, it's dividing us and that's just what the enemy wants. Let's not let him win again...

Is Bernie perfect? Absolutely not! But he is in our corner, has our backs and is fighting for us and has been his entire life in one way, shape or form...give him, and me, a break please!




"And that's all I have to say about that". Forrest Gump

[Kaye_NY]

99. You said,

"cast out Bernie and you have no resistance"

The resistance will continue with or without Bernie. It's being driven by women and their allies, not Bernie. He is of course free to join us if he choses.

[Heartstrings]

104. So the most popular politician currently

isn't wanted or needed as a focal point...he's one of the major forces of the resistance, never said he was THE leader...we have many, and it takes a village.

[bettyellen]

108. The resistance has been majority women- every protest, 85% of calls to congress,

70% of the lawyers who showed up at the airports.
It wasn't just the women's march. It's the majority of marchers at all the protests.

[YOHABLO]

60. The Democratic Party really is a big tent. Better we discuss these issues now.

[Duppers]

61. Fucking hell.

Can we give this a break?

Bye.

[CaptainTruth]

63. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I'm tired of this shit.

This is NOT rocket science. You are either working to unite Dems & people who support Dems (like Bernie), or you are supporting Trump & the GOP. It doesn't require calculus or physics to figure out. It's damn simple.

What I"m seeing is people outside the party (trolls), Bernie-bashing in an effort to divide Dems for the benefit of the GOP. If we're gullible enough to fall for that crap we deserve our fate.

Remember how Schumer opposed Obama on the Iran deal? Double standard, anyone?

Sorry for the profanity, I've just had it with the Bernie-bashing. It only helps the GOP & I refuse to do that.

[Heartstrings]

95. Yes!

[mdohoney]

69. Why Bernie promotes the ideas the democratic party should be espousing

The major themes of social justice, spreading the wealth, jobs for all will lead to victory for all levels political endeavor.

If FDR lived till the present I believe that he continued to promote his second bill of rights except for the 2 term limit he would be president today. The shining example of what democrats should stand for is in that speech. The DLC type democrat, or third way democrat, or centrist democratic ideals demonstrate how the democratic party has lost its soul. They belong to the banking industry and in that sell out they no longer stand for the traditional democratic party. Some people no longer look for the democratic or republican party stand up for them because they at look how politicians vote and who donates to them and assess wheather the politicians are
corporatists or populists. Bernie has struck a cord in the body politic. Its the tone that will show the way to taking back out country. Trump played that cord and won. Regardless of the fact that its was a con job.

[Cha]

74. Please Proceed, Sanders..

Sanders has most recently set out to define what it is to be progressive by refusing to campaign for Democrat Jon Ossoff in his contested congressional race in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. “He’s not a progressive,” Sanders told The Washington Post about Ossoff — who is pro-choice, supports increasing the minimum wage, is anti-war and supports immigration reform. Meanwhile, Sanders set off to campaign with Heath Mello, the Democratic nominee for mayor of Omaha, who has a strong anti-choice record including having introduced legislation restricting abortion, and was quick to call Mello a progressive.

http://www.salon.com/2017/04/24/bye-bye-bernie-the-self-appointed-captain-of-the-democratic-ship-needs-to-stop-chasing-the-great-white-male/

[BlueMTexpat]

80. IOW, women's reproductive rights

don't count.

Hi Cha!

[Cha]

84. At least it's very much out in the open now..

Funny when events merge to make that abundantly Clear!

Good to see you, BlueMT~

[alarimer]

103. So do are we supposed to vote for the D or else, or not?

I'm so confused. Because we are urged time and again here to vote for the D NO MATTER WHAT.

Mello is the D candidate for mayor. The other guy is an R and probably worse on most things, but I have no clue.

So we disdain purity tests for all things except abortion? Or only when Bernie Sanders endorses someone?

[BlueMTexpat]

111. It is the fact

that Bernie has specifically chosen to campaign with Mello, while eschewing Ossoff, who is a progressive by every measure, that brings about the concerns voiced here.

It is true that Bernie gets more headlines by campaigning for Mello, however. In this respect, I find SBS to be very much like John McCain, who at least until 2008 would always begin his staff meetings by asking what action would get him the most headlines, thus helping to maintain his "maverick" label rather than really helping to advance any cause. I know this personally from an EXCELLENT source, btw. I can't speak for what is the case now.

If I were eligible to vote in this election, I would still choose the D, whether Bernie supported him or not. The D is wrong on this one - very important - issue but may possibly be inspired to grow.

At the same time, there is no question that Rs are wrong on EVERY issue! And women's reproductive rights is an issue on which those Rs in Congress are in lockstep.

[alarimer]

112. No, it's fucking hypocritical on the part of SOME here

Urge us all to vote D, no matter what, yet then draw a line in the sand because someone they don't like has endorsed someone whose views on some things are problematic.

In any case, Ossoff is NOT a progressive. He is a middle-of-the-road, more of the same kind of boring, milquetoast Dem we are always supposed to vote for. Real progressives dropped out of that race.

[BlueMTexpat]

115. You have your

opinion and I don't share it.

[secondwind]

81. In a red state women's reproductive rights may not count as much, BUT I'd rather have. DEMOCRAT inst

[Sienna86]

82. Tim Kaine is anti-abortion.

And he's okay with Hillary.

[Cha]

85. "Tim Kaine is pro-choice, not pro-death"

snip//

My understanding is that what Kaine is supporting is the right of a woman to choose whether or not to carry that embryo to term. This should be a private decision between a woman and her doctor, and Kaine has rightly assessed that neither the state nor the church should be involved in it.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/readersreact/la-ol-le-tim-kaine-abortion-20161008-snap-story.html

[ProfessorPlum]

86. Sanders once killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die

Did you know that he is worshiped as a god, and also isn't in the Democratic party?

[Paladin]

89. Good article. (nt)

[zipplewrath]

91. This should be hide worthy

It is interesting that if someone wrote this as an OP, that this would be hide worthy. But there seems to be some exception for posting things written outside of DU that is just as divisive.

[mcar]

93. Interesting this is in Salon

Considering their coverage during the election season.

[Gothmog]

98. I agree with this editorial

[disillusioned73]

100. ....

[link:https://www.thenation.com/article/why-was-heath-mello-thrown-under-the-bus/|

[JudyM]

109. Important to read!!

Thanks for posting, disillusioned73.

[Kaye_NY]

113. Women's reproductive rights are human rights

When you limit access or place restrictions on reproductive health, you endanger the health and sometimes lives of women.

It would be nice if Senator Sanders could be a more vocal advocate instead of referring to women's reproductive rights as a wedge issue.

It would be nice if Senator Sanders would not refer to Planned Parenthood as part of the establishment. When he says such things he is implying that the services Planned Parenthood provides to women and men is of little importance.

This has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, or even Heath Mello for that matter. This is about the diminishing or trivializing of women's reproductive rights. That is simply not acceptable.

[disillusioned73]

114. Welcome to DU..

https://www.thenation.com/article/why-was-heath-mello-thrown-under-the-bus/

[alarimer]

102. Sanders has a 100% rating from NARAL

So this is fucking bullshit.

[yurbud]

116. if social issues and economic are indivisible, why do centrist Democrats follow GOP lead on economy

and war?