Now Isn't This WAY More Fun Than an Uncontested Primary?

[McCamy Taylor]

Imagine that no one decided to challenge Clinton, on the grounds that she has already tied up 98% of all the support that counts and has great name recognition and has been voted most admired woman in American 17 times in the last two decades and none of the Republicans can even give her a good run in the general. Imagine that the primaries were a mere formality, sort of like when an incumbent---or the VP (and anointed successor) of a popular sitting president runs. Imagine what we would have missed:

Bill Clinton keeps everyone guessing "Will he get off the leash? Will Hillary have to go after him with a rolled up newspaper? Will he give reporters a chance to talk about sex on the evening news?"

The left wing of the Democratic Party telling the great mass of middle of the road/undecided voters (i.e. the couch potatoes who decide elections in this country) that Clinton is dangerously moderate, extremely middle of the road, entirely too establishment, scarily average in her politics, almost certainly not going to start a socialist revolution if she gets elected.

A socialist from New England getting massive mainstream media coverage for telling it like it is.

The Democratic Primary getting lots of mainstream media attention.

The Democratic candidates getting to appear on televised debates (free publicity!)

Prominent Democrats being allowed to decide to whom they will give their support--and getting media attention for doing so!

Democratic Underground having heavy traffic, especially in the GD Primaries section.

Democratic Voters getting off their duffs and registering for the primary which means that they will also be registered for the general.

Democratic Voters discovering now rather than later that they have been effectively disenfranchised by their state's new voting laws, giving them plenty of time to fix things before the general.

And of course, one of the catchiest campaign songs ever, "Chelsea's Mom" by Well Strung.

Thank you, Bernie Sanders for making this all possible! Thank you Bernie Sanders supporters for all your hard work!





Ooops! Almost forgot: Clinton/Castro 2016 !

[lovemydog]

1. Yeah, you make a good point there.

My hope is more leftists and Sanders supporters help us get more genuine liberals elected in every municipality and state and district all across our country. And of course Clinton supporters too. Neither side has a big enough coalition at this point. We kind of need each other because together we're powerful.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. It would be better if Sanders was actually causing Hillary to run a better campaign instead of her

predictably uninspiring one.

Sadly, though, she seems incapable of not repeating the same mistakes she made in 2008, and then some.

Maybe she should fire some of the focus group farmers, advisers, "authenticity rollout specialists" and "messaging consultants" and actually come out for some bolder specific and concrete issue-oriented policy positions.

Because if she is the nominee, these problems aren't going away.

[ucrdem]

3. It's a proxy war and the other side is armed to the teeth.

And as per other proxy wars a lot of people are going to get hurt, not least the American electorate if Hillary either doesn't get the nom or is so damaged and depleted she loses the GE. But I'm all for putting on a happy face so here we go:

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Bull.

What's gonna hurt her in the GE is if she and her campaign don't do some SERIOUS self-examination as to why they're not inspiring Millennials and others they're going to NEED to come out and come out enthusiastically.

[ucrdem]

8. Here's why she's not inspiring indies and there's only one thing she needs to fight it:

money. You don't need to be a Marxist to know that's what it boils down to. Meanwhile Bernie benefits from Citizens United while slant-drilling into her donor pool. Funny how that works isn't it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/us/the-best-way-to-vilify-clinton-gop-spends-heavily-to-test-it.html

http://www.americancrossroads.org/

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Sorry, that's not it.

She's running a 1990s playbook in a 21st Century campaign, and it is falling flat.

[ucrdem]

10. Managed perception.

She's winning on the issues and she's won every debate. As for the sort of campaign she's up against let's just say that she's better off in the long run playing by the rules.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. you need to get out of your bubble, I think.

The conventional wisdom she's working off of was outdated 10 years ago. That's why she gets almost zero traction with Millennials.

[DJ13]

4. ........actually come out for some bolder specific and concrete issue-oriented policy positions.

Any day now her campaign will (again) announce how she plans on being more spontaneous at some point in the future.

Of course that will come after several days of consulting with her advisers.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. ***

[DJ13]

7. Exactly!

I still cant believe they actually did that.

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. One hella party, that's for sure.

Of course, DU will probably need a good steam cleaning after it's over, all the potted plants will have to be replaced, and SOMEONE will have to 'fess up to molesting the dog.