It’s time to treat Bernie Sanders like a real presidential candidate

[mak3cats]

The presidential candidates are releasing their third-quarter fundraising figures, and the biggest surprise may come from what Bernie Sanders managed to do, raising $26 million in the last three months.

If we haven’t already — and to a great degree we haven’t — it’s past time to treat Bernie Sanders like a regular candidate.

I have no idea if Sanders anticipated the success that he’s now having, but it’s undeniable and has to be reckoned with. It’s not just fundraising: according to the Huffpost Pollster average, he now trails Hillary Clinton by only 15 points, 42-27. Three months ago that margin was more like 40 points, and that 27-point average means he has more support among Democrats than any single GOP candidate has among Republicans.

Treating Sanders like a regular candidate would mean not just increasing the volume of coverage he receives, which is absolutely warranted, but also covering all these areas. I’ll admit that I’m as guilty as anyone — I haven’t been giving Sanders as much attention as I should have. But we’ve passed the point where the Sanders campaign is just a novelty. It doesn’t matter whether he’s going to be the nominee or not. He should be getting more (and more comprehensive) coverage than he has gotten up to this point. He may not like all of it, but he’s earned it.

I snipped four separate paragraphs (none are contiguous); full op-ed at link:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/10/01/its-time-to-treat-bernie-sanders-like-a-real-presidential-candidate/

[moobu2]

1. Bernie Sanders isn't a Democrat though.

He's just using the party to give his candidacy some legitimacy it wouldn't have had otherwise.

My brother in law is a nasty right wing republican who ran for Mayor in a Major city as a Democrat just to screw the system up.

That's what Bernie Sanders is doing.

[mak3cats]

2. You could not be more wrong, and you can look at his record to see the proof of that...

...but I'm sure you're not interested. No further comment.

[moobu2]

5. I would look at his record of accomplishment over the last 25 years

since he's been in Washington but there isn't that much to look at. Looks like he just introduces bills to get publicity. Z

He's not a Democrat though so I could care less what he's done.

[mak3cats]

6. Publicity???? LMAO!!

That's why something like 40% of the electorate still are not familiar with him!

Like I said, you're not interested. I'll add "in the truth." And NOW, no further comment.

[TransitJohn]

12. Obviously, to some people,

Team Donkey is more important that actual policy and real outcomes in real people's lives here.

[jfern]

17. Bernie is a workhorse, not a showhorse

[moobu2]

21. Mostly wasted efforts it look like.

He's been in Washington for more than 20 years and hasn't gotten anything done but a bunch of talking. He's not a member of one of the 2 political party's so how could he do anything.

[jfern]

23. He has a lot of accomplishments

Major Veterans bill last year
Community health centers in ObamaCare
Amendment king of the House 1995-2006
Plenty of other stuff

[Historic NY]

27. Stuff that actually passed you don't get extra points for talking shit....

stuff that was signed into law.

[beam me up scottie]

30. 206 bills were signed into law.

https://www.congress.gov/member/bernard-sanders/S000033?q=%7B"bill-status"%3A"law"%7D

[Armstead]

29. "Wasted effort" because too many Democrats sandbag real progress too often

I should emphasize NOT ALL Democrats....But the 3rd Way/DLC Corporate Democrats who have consistently refused to support, much less fight for, a lot of principles that those "wasted efforts" represent.

You know. "We can"t even get a little version of a public option because those Big Bad Republicans would make us look bad, and we have to placate Joe Lieberman."

Or "I've got a great idea. Let's join the Republicans and remove meaningful regulations on banks and Wall St. That'll work out really good."

Or "Hey let's enthusiastically push for Bush's NAFTA. That'll bring a lot of jobs into the US."

Or the capper "I don't really want to go to War with Iraq. But you know, 9-11, so we have to give George Bush the power to decide to go to war. That'll be great."

Etc.

If all of Congress "wasted their efforts" like Sanders has, we might actually have a solid middle class and opportunities for the poor and a truly competitive and diverse economy.

But noooooooo. We have to listen to Alan Greenspan and out Wall St. Advisors. Screw those Main St. chumps.

[Fawke Em]

28. Whatevs.

[beam me up scottie]

31. Legislation Sponsored or Cosponsored by Bernard Sanders - 206 bills passed into law

https://www.congress.gov/member/bernard-sanders/S000033?q=%7B"bill-status"%3A"law"%7D

[RobertEarl]

3. That's one reason he is so appealing

The fact that he is not one of the mainstream establishment party members who have sold out to corporations, makes Bernie appealing to the underground and independents who make up the majority.

He's in it to win it.

[Schema Thing]

4. You're being silly.

[99th_Monkey]

7. Bernie is HONORING the party he's been caucusing with for decades, by NOT running as Independent

and you must know that, so please stop with the Bernie-bashing .. trying to "Nader-ize" him
as some kind of "spoiler" like that.

If Bernie HAD run as an independent, he would still be doing quite well, at the expense of the
Democratic party; and Hillary Democrats would be OUTRAGED that he "abandoned" the party
he'd been caucusing with "to guarantee a huge GOP win in the GE"

Please stop this nonsense.

[DianeK]

8. you have that exactly right

and it was a soul search for him to come to that decision...he is very very proud of his independent status but he made the decision to run as a democrat precisely so that he would not become a spoiler

[Uncle Joe]

15. + all that exists.

[Armstead]

9. If he wanted to "screw the system up" he'd do a Nader

Be glad he isn't.

[djean111]

10. Looks like as far as Hillary supporters are concerned, Bernie is "doing a Nader" just by running

for the Democratic nomination. Never mind that he caucuses with the Democrats and likely votes with the Democrats more than the DINOs do.

Methinks Bernie was just supposed to herd that pesky and recalcitrant left Wing into the Hillary pen at some point. I doubt it was ever thought he would be this successful. So the knives are out.

[99th_Monkey]

18. Desperately scrambling for some shred of something to insult, besmirch, denigrate Sanders' candidacy

... plain and simple. It's ugly. It's uncalled for. but sadly it was all to predicable, based on 2008.

[questionseverything]

11. here is the thing

ALL us 99%ers are democrats.....some just do not realize it and vote against their best interests (repubs), thankfully bernie has always supported the democratic values we 99ers need advanced

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Bernie Sanders is a co-founder and was the first elected Chairperson of what is now the largest

Democratic Caucus within the United States Congress, he established this caucus in 1992 and is still a member, the only Senator who is a member.
By way of contrast we have candidate Lincoln Chafee, an insanely rich heir to wealth and Republican power, which he held as a Republican official elected in the Party in which he remained until 2013.

So in 1992, Bernie was founding our largest Caucus and Lincoln was voting for Bush. But your issues are with Bernie. What does that tell us?

[jeff47]

14. Policies? Issues? BAH! The only important thing is the letter after his name!! (nt)

[MisterP]

19. his legitimacy is coming from fighting the party honchos

[sabrina 1]

20. Lol! He's the BEST DEMOCRAT to come along in a long while. Which of course is why he is so popular

with the people. I WISH we had more Dems like him, and we will be looking for them to replace some of the Dinos we currently have in Congress so that when he wins the WH he has actual Democrats in Congress to help him get his Democratic agenda passed.

[Fearless]

24. By that logic Hillary is still a Goldwater Republican. So which is it?

[kelliekat44]

22. Treating him as a real candidate...does that mean it's ok to criticize him, check on how he keeps

his e-mails, actually talk about his record of achievements or lack thereof, asking about his positions, asking about his big money contributors (there are some, though his supporters and media don't talk about them..wonder why?).

[Fearless]

25. If you bring facts to the party, yes of course

If you don't however, don't expect a warm welcome.

[sibelian]

26. They don't have to... so they won't...

... but given the current perspective of the average US citizen on politics and how it's presented in general, I wonder if that might, in fact, be a positive.