Sanders holds his applause on Dems’ platform draft

[DonViejo]

Democrats' platform draft includes some major victories for the Bernie Sanders camp but diverges from his policies enough to give him ammo going into the convention.

The platform draft committee took a first step toward giving Sanders a major concession, voting to adopt language in support of a $15 minimum wage. The 15-person committee, chaired by Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), finalized its draft of the guiding document Saturday in St. Louis after lengthy negotiations.

The panel also aligned itself with progressive ideas such as abolishing the death penalty and expanding Social Security, the Associated Press reported. The minimum wage language adopted echoes a common refrain by Sanders, calling the current federal minimum of $7.25 a "starvation wage."

An amendment from Sanders backer Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.) to strengthen the language supporting $15 as a universally mandated minimum and index it to grow with inflation was shot down, however.

more
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/284888-democratic-platform-draft-shows-sanderss-clout

[leftofcool]

1. I don't know what "ammo" he thinks he still has.

It is usually the nominee who chooses her final platform, her VP, her cabinet, etc.......

[Hortensis]

5. And the nominee and DNC did, demontrating the reality

that the Democratic Party is progressive. Which is like a pin in the balloon of Sanders' differentiating himself by claiming that it is not. He's going to have to huff and puff all the issues he still has into a big picture. And we know he'll give it his best.

We also know his own contributions to this platform are real and have lead to his current problem of how to keep his revolution going.

[democrattotheend]

38. A lot of Hillary's voters prefer Bernie's policies

Many people I talked to when I canvassed for Bernie indicated that they wanted to vote for him and liked his policies, but supported Hillary because they thought she was more electable and/or thought Bernie's policies would be impossible to enact in this political climate. So even though Hillary got more votes, I think if Democratic voters had the opportunity to vote for just the candidates' platforms there's a good chance Bernie's would have won.

[HumanityExperiment]

40. 'ammo'? you're dismissive of the millions that support Bernie aren't ya?

this is the DEM platform is it not?

it's not the HRC platform correct?

[brooklynite]

48. It is indeed the DEM platform...

...developed by a Committee that represents ALL the Dem groups...

...including the DEM group that WON the Primary.

[Her Sister]

2. ...

[randome]

3. It sometimes sounds like he wants "transformation" without a clear definition of what that is.

"Right now, to be very frank with you, we are talking to the Clinton campaign to try to determine whether or not they can come up with some very serious proposals which will help us transform America," Sanders said to supporters at a rally in Albany, N.Y., Friday. "Whether it will happen or not — that's a good question. I don't know. We are working with them right now."

[Armstead]

4. He's either too rigid and dogmatic or too vague and unfocused. Can you get stories straight?

[randome]

7. I think it's a little of both. He's dogmatic about an amorphous "transformation".

But he seems to be picking fights where there is little to no opposition. He still sees the Democratic Party, imo, as an enemy. I suppose something can be gained from that point of view but I can't help but wonder what might be accomplished if we worked more as a team.

[Armstead]

11. I'd sure like to see a team -- Democrats ought to try it sometime

That includes recognizing the importance and value of ALL flavor of Dems, including the staunch liberals and progressives, instead of shuttling them off to a corner, or insulting and ignoring them whenever push comes to shove.

[Adrahil]

20. Recognijng the importance of ALL Dems...

Sure seems like they want us to adopt every one of their positions.

[Armstead]

22. They impose the clamps....Others fight back

Of course Bernie (and his supporters) can say..."Sure Hillary and the others in the Conservative Centrist . Anything you want"....and we'd all get along just fine.

Unfortunately when that faction has for years been an immovable object due to accumulated money and power, it requires some pushing.

[Adrahil]

24. This reminds me of my teenage daughter.

She sometimes demands that her desires be taken into consideration, which to her mind means she gets everything she wants. Welcome to the grown-up world, where that does not happen. I'm all for considering the desires of the whole party, but remember, I'm part of the party too.

[Armstead]

26. Very cute and nicely dismissive.

And very much sounding like a conservative. "Shut up. We hard nosed adults know best. You'll understand when you're older."

Same crap that has been used to surpress anything outside of the very narrow level of "acceptable conservative/so-called centrist" policies and messages for several decades now.

I'm 64, and my nose has been fairly hardened over the years, and I'm fairly bright....And believe it or not a very accomop0dating person who believes in compromise.

But I and millions of other like me, are a little tired of that.

[Adrahil]

27. Look, you're not going to scare me with smears.

"conservative." Bullshit. It's simple. Bernie and his followers deserve to be heard. They deserve consideration. But they DID lose. Those of us who voted for the winning candidate and her positions want that recognized as well. If you consider that dismissive, fine.

But if you DO believe in compromise, let's do it. I'm willing to give on a national $15 minimum wage, which I consider simplistic and ill-advised, but much better than what we have now. What will you give on?

[Armstead]

28. I don't consider disagreement dismissive....I do consider

the usual crap that implies that all disagreement is immature, unrealistic, radical....etc. not conductive to good faith cooperation and compromise.

And, sorry, but that is the kind of tone conservatives use to dismiss those who they consider "too liberal"

[Adrahil]

35. This may be a matter of perspective.

From my perspective, I see folks basically saying, "yeah, our candidate lost, but you still have to adopt all his positions."

That may not be what they mean, but that's the impression I get.

And a lot of it isn't matter of "too liberal" at all, but that fact that I think some of the proposed polices are just a bad way to get to the desired endpoint. I agree with a lot of Sander's desired end states. I just think his proposals to get there are.... less than optimal. Some of them are downright ridiculous, IMO. But that's why we had a primary, right?

I mean, those ideas don't seem any better to me because it makes someone feel dismissed. We actually had a primary where those ideas competed.

[HumanityExperiment]

41. ^^^ THIS ^^^

well stated

[LannyDeVaney]

8. A common issue in politics ... the moving goal posts.

The "we want to shift the conversation to the left" was fine. It actually worked - they are adopting some of his ideas.

Now, that's not enough. All of my friends who are Sander's supporters are claiming they are being ignored. I guess they expected ALL of their proposals to make up the party platform. Of course, that's not how it works.

Nothing is good enough. Too much negativity based on my friend's reactions. Lots of 'F the DNC' this morning. Any recent look at politics, with all the gridlock, shows that baby steps are what it takes. Obama gets this. There will always be a tipping point - much like the same-sex marriage debate - that made a huge impact but it wasn't like it didn't take lots of steps years ahead of time for equality.

Keep fighting for your beliefs folks! But also celebrate the victories!

[randome]

9. A smile and an occasional "Good job" goes a long way to uniting the party and creating allies.

It's sort of basic human interaction skills that seem to get tossed away in the heat of politics.

[Adrahil]

25. It would also help....

If there wasn't a part of the party Constantly accusing the other of being basically the same as Republicans. I admit I'm not much inclined to embrace folks who called me every name in the book for the last year, without some reciprocation.

[Armstead]

12. Baby steps forward is okay -- not backward or sideways ones

[upaloopa]

6. Sanders is not the Democratic party

We are much bigger than Bernie's group

[Armstead]

14. Nor is Clinton

Both represent segments. And it's not 80 percent/10 percent.....

[TwilightZone]

21. 64/35

http://graphics.wsj.com/elections/2016/how-clinton-won/

[Armstead]

23. The exacts are debatable but within that general spectrum...

Somewhere between 35 and 40 plus percent ain't hay.

Plus, I think a more honest counting would also have to figure in the many people who supported Clinton because they believe she is "more electable"/a female....but who also say "But I really like Bernie and his positions more" or "I don't like Bernie personally but I agree with him"

In other words take the personality contest out of it and focus on actual issues, and That significantly changes the equation.

[upaloopa]

44. You can't disqualify a person's reason to vote

That is what Benie folks said about the South.

Bernie lost and people have all kinds of reasons to vote for a candidate each one as valid as the next

[Armstead]

45. That's what I said -- People have varied reasons fo0r their voting selection.

And often they may have mixed feelings about their candidate.

There are things one may like or agree with an opposing candidate about.

That's not dismissing anyone's reasons for their selection.

This is not just a beauty contest between two individuals. it is ultimately about what a candidate represents and who they are most accountable to. And, by extension what the party they are leading represents.

[grossproffit]

18. We're the silent majority.

We may not be active on social media or online discussion forums, but we're very active at the voting booth.

[Squinch]

10. BS's supporters are maintaining two opposing positions on this. First they say that the platform

proves that Hillary is against them and is proving her right wing tendencies. Second they are saying that the platform proves BS's clout.

Both positions are ridiculous.

[MohRokTah]

13. Who? eom

[Gothmog]

33. LOL

[DemonGoddess]

15. I'm going to post something that will likely get hidden

I don't care what this man thinks anymore. AT ALL. He lost. He's showing sour grapes in everything he's doing of late. He absolutely REFUSES to admit to the fact that HE LOST.

Get over it, and move on.

[grossproffit]

16. it's become awkward to watch. I'm reminded of this article after Hillary won California.

Bernie Sanders Wrote Himself Into History As a Heel Last Night

http://www.mediaite.com/online/bernie-sanders-wrote-himself-into-history-as-a-heel-last-night/

[SidDithers]

17. Oh well...

And yet one of his picks, Keith Ellison, has called it “strongest progressive statement to come from Dem party in years"



Sid

[grossproffit]

19. I bet he's on someone's shit list now.

[HumanityExperiment]

42. yet he also stated this too...

'In a statement, Sanders said he was "disappointed and dismayed" that representatives of Hillary Clinton and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schulz rejected the proposal on trade put forth by Sanders appointee Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), despite the fact that the presumed nominee has herself come out against the 12-nation deal.'

'"Inexplicable" was how Sanders described the move, adding: "It is hard for me to understand why Secretary Clinton’s delegates won’t stand behind Secretary Clinton’s positions in the party’s platform."'

[dflprincess]

43. Compared with Democratic platforms of the recent past

it wouldn't take a whole lot to make this one the strongest progressive statement to come from Dem party in years" .

[HumanityExperiment]

29. platform battle

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/06/25/betraying-progressives-dnc-platform-backs-fracking-tpp-and-israel-occupation

'members of the DNC's platform drafting committee voted down a number of measures proposed by Bernie Sanders surrogates that would have come out against the contentious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), fracking, and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. At the same time, proposals to support a carbon tax, Single Payer healthcare, and a $15 minimum wage tied to inflation were also disregarded.

In a statement, Sanders said he was "disappointed and dismayed" that representatives of Hillary Clinton and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schulz rejected the proposal on trade put forth by Sanders appointee Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), despite the fact that the presumed nominee has herself come out against the 12-nation deal.'

'"Inexplicable" was how Sanders described the move, adding: "It is hard for me to understand why Secretary Clinton’s delegates won’t stand behind Secretary Clinton’s positions in the party’s platform."'

[NastyRiffraff]

31. Yawn

If he throws a hissyfit because he doesn't get his way in all things, who really cares at this point?

[Gothmog]

32. Sanders is trying to win every fight and that is not going to happen

I have been talking to other Clinton national delegates and many, myself included, are upset that too much has been given to Sanders. We will see what happens at the full meeting of the platform committee in Orlando. Sanders will not win any floor fights and right now he may be kissing goodbye any chance to have a prime time speaking slot at the national convention

[riversedge]

36. Sanders does not seem aware that he is not doing anything right now to help

defeat Trump.

[MoonRiver]

34. ...

[Doctor Jack]

37. His very slow withdrawal from the campaign was a smart move but...

...its starting to take a little too long. It's clear that he is trying to ease his most diehard supporters back from the brink slowly. That is why he is letting out little tidbits here and there, in an attempt to gently transition to supporting clinton. On the night of the california primary, he immediately stopped attacking clinton and said that he understand winning the nomination would be extremely difficult. Then a few weeks later, he said he almost certainly wouldn't be the nominee. Then a few days after that, he said he would vote for Clinton in november. And it seems to be working. Polls are finding that over 80% of Sanders voters are now onboard with Clinton. That's good but I think whatever influence he might have had is quickly dwindling since he has yet to actually become part of the clinton campaign. I'm sure a large number of his supporters are still listening but most other people have moved on to focus on Clinton vs. Trump.

[andym]

39. Given how strongly Sanders believes in these issues, there will be floor fights

There is a strong chance that there will be floor fights over some of these. Sen. Sanders has already indicated that will be the case for the $15 min wage.

[Sunlei]

46. I think both 'campaigns work together very well and only a couple issues more 'on table'.

Raise the Federal minimum now to $12, with states encouraged towards $15.

Clinton platform is for Improving Obamacare within it's framework. They don't want to scrap ACA and redo with single payer. I tend to agree more with Clinton's obamacare plans, It is not a good idea to scrap ACA, republicans would take full advantage of unregulated insurance-health care.

Our conventions going to be great, well organized.

[Orsino]

47. Why, it's almost as though his campaign has succeeded...

...in focusing the party on some more ambitious progressive measures. So far, so good.

[brooklynite]

49. If Sanders had won the Primary, would Clinton be able to demand changes to the platform?

Would she have equal votes on the Platform Committee?