Sanders sealed his fate this weekend on Meet The Press.

[RBInMaine]

When asked if he was a capitalist, he had to say, "No. I'm a democratic socialist."

His goose is cooked. The United States of America is in no way, shape, or form going to elect a self-described socialist as its president, and as his own campaign has already acknowledged, if he was to win the nomination he would be "Socialist-Boated" like a bloody tidal wave. Just ain't gonna happen. Much as I love the guy and like most of what he stands for, just ain't gonna happen.

I myself am a Progressive Capitalist and proud of it, and that is where the vast majority of the party, and I believe the nation, is. I believe in a proper and important role for the government and public programs, but there is a balance, and there is much that SHOULD be done by the private sector and through the creativity of entrepreneurship. Our goal as Democrats (and I think most Americans) is to have capitalism work the way it should, but we are not socialists. I know, I know, he has his own definition of this. He says it's not a government takeover of everything but a government like many European countries. Sorry, but Americans just won't accept it. Just too much of a leap. And the R's will CRUSH him with their endless "SOCIALIST SOCIALIST SOCIALIST" screaming night and day. Just will not happen.

[JaneyVee]

1. He really said that?

[Eric J in MN]

41. Yes, he said that.

CHUCK TODD: Are you a capitalist?

BERNIE SANDERS: No. I'm a Democratic Socialist.

Here is an article (I disagree with) which uses that quote and declares that it means the Sanders' campaign is doomed.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/12/why-bernie-sanders-isnt-going-to-be-president-in-5-words/

[FourScore]

71. He should have said: "Capitalism IS a part of democratic socialism. It's just not the only part."

Let's hope he makes that correction.

[Eric J in MN]

84. Yes, Sanders could have been clearer in that interview with Chuck Todd.

When Sanders was interviewed by Stephen Colbert recently, Colbert asked him about capitalism. Sanders says that he supports innovation and entrepreneurship.

[stone space]

2. This is so silly. (nt)

[DCBob]

3. If he said he was a socialistic Democrat then more people might be ok with it.

Big difference.

[smiley]

4. red scare tactic

America is absolutely ready for someone who identifies with the ideals of democratic socialism. All anyone has to do is look to the prosperity of scandinavian countries. Certainly he has an uphill battle, but if anyone can stay on message and have their message resonate to people of both parties, it's Bernie Sanders.

If you don't agree with Bernie's policies, then don't vote for him. But I sure as hell do, so I plan to cast to my vote for Bernie Sanders!

Go Bernie!!!!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

65. I don't care what people call Bernie, as long as it's not a Democratic Hillary-ist!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2016!!!

[restorefreedom]

5. join the 21st century, rb

people love democratic socialist ideas. the myth of capitalism being fair to everyone is over. they are busted.

bernie will carry his dem socialist moniker all the way to the wh

dem socialism is where the new millenium is at.

come join us! we even have telephones and the interweb!

[We Want Bernie]

6. Shout out to the world - He's a DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST

and you'd get *crickets chirping* response.

We are all Democratic Socialist. You don't realize it.

[NuclearDem]

9. Democratic socialism and social democracy are not the same things.

And I'm almost certain you mean the latter.

[cprise]

74. Not necessarily. Wikipedia lists UK Labour as both.

I guess it depends on whether they feel like privatizing the NHS or not...

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

66. Absolutely...and we are ALL Bernie and Bernie is US!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2016!!!

[AtomicKitten]

7. So you've been saying over and over again, and again that's your opinion, not a fact. <nt>

[99th_Monkey]

8. Not THIS one again! Please post something remotely original.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=668543

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. LOL!!

[neverforget]

11. It's the weekly, no daily, "He's a socialist can't win!" meme.

[beam me up scottie]

19. LMAO!

Perfect!

[neverforget]

46. I've got that one bookmarked.

Seems like it will come in handy more than once.

[beam me up scottie]

49. Socialist! By Roy Zimmerman:

[Peace Patriot]

95. GREAT SONG! THANKS!

[beam me up scottie]

96. You're very welcome!

I love Roy!

[WillyT]

13. Yes... Because Crony Capitalism Has Worked So Well...

Well... it has... for the <1%.

[TheFarseer]

14. wow what an original point

Go tell Joe McCarthy about the scary communists. They sound like real trouble.

[cantbeserious]

15. Thank You For Your Concern - Not

eom

[R B Garr]

16. Yes, this coupled with the fact that he has sat out so many Presidential elections makes

it seem as if he, himself, has realized how toxic that label is and has not ventured into national politics.

Sure, it's gotten better recently, but the fact is that the electorate in toto tends to lag behind a few years before ideas really catch on, so it's a shame he hasn't started this national dialogue sooner.

[AgingAmerican]

20. If the 'label' is so 'toxic' then why isn't it affecting him how?

It has been widely known to anyone who listens since May. That coincides with the beginning of his surge. Sounds like cognitive dissonance to me.

[R B Garr]

23. I already said "sure, it's getting better."

Let's not make this a 50- post exchange for no reason.

[AgingAmerican]

30. Red scare fail

Hillary's supporters need some new stink bombs. These old ones just aren't taking hold like they hoped.

[R B Garr]

32. It's just reality. Here are the elections he's sat out:

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

I saw a poll here the other day but didn't respond. It was a poll lamenting Bill Clinton's terms and whether people would have voted for him in retrospect. I thought that was the wrong question for the time we're in. The real question should have been:
Why didn't Bernie run and challenge Clinton in 1992. In 1996. He could have. So why didn't he.

[AgingAmerican]

38. Irrelevant

nt

[R B Garr]

42. lol. Party affiliation is very important and very relevant.

So back to my original comment, he obviously knew himself that he was not a viable national candidate, and most likely because of the toxicity of the socialist label, among other things.

The electorate tends to lag several years, generally speaking, so if he was a serious about all this, he could have and should have started this process much sooner.

[AgingAmerican]

44. It's an irrelevant non issue

Your whole premise is invented out of whole cloth. It has to suck when you are relegated to making things up to attack with him. Says a lot about her supporters faith in her on the issues.

[R B Garr]

47. I figured this was just a trick to start talking about me personally.

We've all seen this before. But you did start out with a juvenile "stink bomb" reference, so it didn't take long to see your true intentions.

Here are the elections Bernie has sat out:

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

He has had decades to run on a national ticket, but he hasn't. That tells you that he didn't believe himself viable.

[SunSeeker]

79. And he urged that Obama be primaried in 2012, but didn't even offer up himself.

And then when he does finally run, does he run under the Socialist Party banner? No. The Independent banner like Perot? No. He comes over to the Democratic Party, the party he lambasted for decades and would never join.

[R B Garr]

80. Exactly! He could have started his socialist dialogue years ago in another

primary if he was so sure of himself. It takes awhile for the electorate to come around in enough numbers to win nationally, and if he was serious, he could have started this process much, much sooner. I didn't even include the 1976 election he sat out since he had just turned the minimum age of 35.

Good points about the party affiliation. What a user. It's pretty hypocritical to complain about a party and then want to exploit all their resources.

[SheilaT]

83. Gee, so if a person doesn't run for President

each and every election year he (or she) is sitting out the election? What a bizarre hypothesis.

[R B Garr]

99. Gee, you must be against socialism, then, because all I was

saying is that Bernie must have known socialism is a toxic label and that's likely why he didn't run. So you must agree.

[dorkzilla]

114. That is some assumption you’re making there.

Maybe this was the reason:

Now is not the time to think small. We cannot settle for the same old establishment politics and stale inside-the-beltway ideas. We cannot let the billionaire class use its money and its media spin to divide us. Now is the time for millions of working families—black and white, Latino and Native American, gay and straight—to come together, to revitalize American democracy, to end the collapse of the American middle class, and to make certain that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a quality of life that brings them health, prosperity, security and joy—and that once again makes the United States the leader in the world in the fight for economic and social justice, for environmental sanity and for a world of peace.

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/11/bernie_sanders_exclusive_i_never_wanted_to_be_a_part_of_such_a_soulless_politics/

[R B Garr]

117. Fail because he's been saying the same thing

for years and has done nothing. That's the point. Nice stump speech, though.

[dorkzilla]

119. Your argument still makes zero sense. Nice stump speech though. nt

[R B Garr]

122. Lol, it:s just observation of his career moves or

Non- moves is actually more like it. Common sense.

[dorkzilla]

124. Nothing sensible at all, you're making shit up.

Lol indeed.

[R B Garr]

130. He's been giving the same speech for decades.

But has not run for higher office. That:s just a fact. Nothing was stopping him. It doesn't take much to figure out why he never bothered

[dorkzilla]

134. Only in your mind

There are myriad reasons people choose to do or not do things. But please, do continue with this preposterous notion of yours.

[R B Garr]

138. Lol, it:s obvious you were just angling to

start with personal insults. So obvious.

He:s been saying the same thing for years, and has done nothing. Common sense tells you why.

[AgingAmerican]

128. When in doubt, make shit up

Your premise only exists in your head.

[R B Garr]

132. Facts are that Bernie has not run for President

before. Common sense tells you why

[dorkzilla]

135. Do you actually hear how silly you sound?

Now I think know you're just having a laugh...

[AgingAmerican]

137. So what. That does not constitute 'sitting out' the election

'Sitting out' means not voting.

Your whole meme barely rises to the level of fantasy.

[R B Garr]

139. Ha, he has not run in the following elections:

1976

1980

1984

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

He obviously knew he was not viable. Common sense.

[AgingAmerican]

142. You made it up

Yet you keep pushing it. This is what cognitive dissonance does to a person.

[R B Garr]

144. Another transparent attempt to personally insult

That:'s what obsession does to you.

[Go Vols]

155. He hasn't lost a Prez run either.

I think that streak will continue.

[R B Garr]

159. Lol, hilarious

[Eric J in MN]

50. In what sense did Sanders "sit out" those elections? NT

NT

[R B Garr]

51. In what sense did he run? NT

[Eric J in MN]

60. Sanders didn't run for president before, but

...he's supported presidential candidates.

In 1992, Sanders endorsed Bill Clinton.

[R B Garr]

64. Something kept him from challenging Clinton in 1992.

Everyone endorses candidates, and Clinton put himself out there and made the sacrifices necessary to secure the nomination. Sanders didn't bother. It doesn't take much to figure out why he didn't run until now.

[Eric J in MN]

67. Bernie Sanders was first elected to the

...US Senate in 2006.

He apparently thought that 2008 was too soon after to run for president. And apparently didn't want to run earlier when he was in the US House (most US presidents were Senators, governors, or generals.)

In 2012, a Democratic president was running for re-election.

So Sanders is running for the 2016 presidential election.

[R B Garr]

76. lol, Clinton was in his 40's when he ran for President; Obama also in his 40's.

Bernie was barely in his 50's when Clinton ran in 1992. People tried to mock Obama for his "community organizer" experience, but he pushed through that and prevailed. It doesn't take much to figure out why Sanders never put himself out there.

[Eric J in MN]

85. Bill Clinton was a governor for about 10 yrs before running for president.

Obama ran for president in the election 4 years after he was elected to the US Senate (not 2 as Sanders would have needed to do to run in 2008.)

[R B Garr]

98. That's even worse. Clinton was a governor in his 30's and was motivated enough

to take the risks to run for higher office in his 30's and then for President in his 40's. Sanders did neither.

You must realize all you're doing is showing how inexperienced Sanders is by making excuses for him.

And my comments were in the context of having a national debate about socialism, which he could have started much sooner if he had such a lifelong passion for it.

[AgingAmerican]

129. Are you guys that devoid of ammo now?

[R B Garr]

131. Hey, I like kool-aid, too

But at some point, reality sinks in.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

157. He didn't sit out 1980.

He was running for mayor of Burlington. And he has run in many of those cycles since.

Do you know the universal reason politicians run for president? I do. It's called "Potomac fever." Bernie has never suffered from that disease. The only reason he is running now is to overthrow the US oligarchy and restore a republican government. Other than Shirley Chisholm, he is the only truly honest presidential candidate in my lifetime. They are all guilty of some level of hypocrisy, even the mainly good ones. He is running on the same principles of racial, social and economic justice he has been practicing for 50 years.

The only reason he has a credible chance to win now is because the oligarchic system is completely out of control so that the people are beginning to wake up to the fact that the system is rigged for the 0.1%. Despite the daily lies repeated in the MSM corporate propaganda machine, we have a chance to vote for the truth in a way which hasn't been possible since FDR died. Bernie has entered the national stage because it is possible to change history. If we don't elect him, the whole system is bound to collapse.

[R B Garr]

158. Mayor of Burlington is not national office

And he was already 40s.

Quit making excuses.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

160. So...

you want him to run for president before he held any elective office, or did I miss your sarcasm emoji?

[R B Garr]

162. He:"s a big boy. He could have figured how

To run for President like others have done, but he obviously knew he was not viable. There was even a time Reagan's divorce was thought to be too much baggage.

You obviously didn't read my original comment, which was pretty basic. Hardly anything that warrants this much teeth gnashing.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

163. I'll let the audience decide whether you're saying anything of merit. n/t

[pinebox]

17. on noes!

[99th_Monkey]

25. That can't be.

It makes way too much sense. It will "never fly" in the DC Bubble.

[Autumn]

120. I like that. Thanks.

[AgingAmerican]

18. Bla Bla Bla

Right, it will 'crush' him. So far your fantasy isn't coming true. That argument may work temporarily with the red scare over 60 crowd, but even they will get over it.

Hillarys supporters are desperate to make it about anything BUT the issues.

[Cheese Sandwich]

21. Capitalism is killing us. It's killing the people and killing the planet.

Capitalism is what we have now.

This system depends on perpetual growth to keep operating, otherwise it breaks down into recession.

You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet.

It's time to understand we need a big change. If capitalism was going to work, it would have worked by now.

Your time is up. Enough is enough. We need a new way.

[Hydra]

59. ^This +1000

[Admiral Loinpresser]

161. ^ This +1000 n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. Well, that's it, then.

We can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion, and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids, without the knowledge of the individual, certainly without any choice. That's the way a hard-core Commie works.

OMG, Bernie is going to sap our precious bodily fluids!

[bkkyosemite]

94. With the Sap from Vermont's

maple trees

[elehhhhna]

24. Spam. The billionth time you spamming with sos

Lol stop.

[mr_liberal]

26. I dont think Sanders wants to win.

I think he just wants to get his message out.

Ron Paul was the same way. His supporters actually believed he was serious, but he never was and always knew he had no chance.

[Eric J in MN]

35. I'm guessing that Sanders

...entered the race to get his message out.

But that he's doing better than he expected, and he's now trying to win.

[Jester Messiah]

27. It's good that you shared your concern.

Lets the rest of us know who to bin. *plonk*

[aidbo]

28. So... He should have lied? Ô.o

[Ed Suspicious]

52. They are so used to lies, triangulations, and obfuscations, they just don't know how to handle

the unvarnished truth.

[aidbo]

53. Part of what makes Bernie stand out is his lack of prevarication.

[Ed Suspicious]

56. Agreed.

[magical thyme]

29. and Michaud is certain to beat LePage, right?

thank you for your prediction.

[Joe Turner]

31. Bernie has said this many times when asked this ridiculous question

If the rest of the candidates want to proclaim themselves "abashed capitalists" and explain to the electorate what that signifies by all means do so. We will see where this goes. For my capitalist money, I'm putting it on Bernie Sanders.

[portlander23]

33. Yep

[HooptieWagon]

34. Sen McCarthy, is that you?

The 50s called, they want their red-baiting back.

[tularetom]

36. Do you have an app that automatically posts this same thing every 3 or 4 days?

You start these threads, people respond, and you aren't heard from again.

I have no clue why you are doing it, but what mystifies me even more is why the rest of us keep falling for it.

Anyway, adios.

[AOR]

37. I've found in my travels of the web swamps...

that terms like "Proud Progressive Capitalist"... are usually code speak for highly reactionary member of the 1% club fighting tooth and nail to preserve the status quo.

[AOR]

75. Yes...the sellouts of the struggling working class and labor are wearing many labels these days...

including "Proud Progressive Capitalist." At least the right wing barbarians are honest about which side they're on. They stand with the ruling class and make no bones about it. Better to know where your enemies stand than get stabbed in the back by the enemy posing as "concerned friends" in your own tent.

[m-lekktor]

103. "proud progressive capitalist" sounds like an attempt to put lipstick on a pig. nt

[AOR]

150. Indeed it does...

it also has the familiar ring of business as usual.

[Cali_Democrat]

39. I don't understand....

Why didn't Sanders just say he was a capitalist who believes in regulating the banking industry and raising taxes on the wealthy? I think most Americans would get on board with that.

Sanders constantly says we should emulate Finland, Norway and Sweden. Those are capitalist countries with private enterprise.

Canada is a capitalist country with universal healthcare much like most of Western Europe.

For him to say he's not a capitalist was a mistake.

[Metric System]

48. Even the NDP in Canada has moved away from the socialist label.

[Eric J in MN]

72. The Prime Minister of Sweden

...is from the Social Democratic party.

Bernie Sanders calls himself a Democratic Socialist and Sanders says that he admires Scandinavia.

When Bernie Sanders went on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and Colbert said capitalism made America rich, Sanders said that he believes in enterprise and innovation.

[Chan790]

40. I'd vote for a Democratic Socialist...

I'd never cast a vote for someone who proudly self-identifies as a proponent of something as failed as capitalism.

Herein is the problem...people like me are tired of compromising. If you can't find it in you to check your belief in corporatism, capitalism and shitty Democratic moderates to embrace the movement of the party away from your ideal...we're going to need a party divorce. It's not you, it's me. I'm tired of shitty DINOs like the ones that you're enthusiastic about. I'm nauseous over your self-admitted understanding of progressive ideals. I loathe your kind of candidate as everything wrong with the Democratic party.

Capitalism works exactly like it's supposed to and that's why it needs to be shitcanned.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

43. not many people are worried about it

Of course capitalists will bleat like lambs.

[Eric J in MN]

45. 47 percent of Americans are already open to voting for a socialist

If Sanders gets 51 percent of Americans to vote for him, then he'll probably win.

I think that when more Americans learn that there are different types of socialism, and that Sanders admires Denmark and not the former Soviet Union, then 51 percent is possible.


I disagree with most of this article, but it has the poll, which it interprets more negatively than I do:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/12/why-bernie-sanders-isnt-going-to-be-president-in-5-words/

[darkangel218]

54. Nonsense. Nt.

[jfern]

55. You may have missed it

But the cold war ended 25 years ago, and Russia now has a right-wing government. So this irrational hatred of socialism isn't what it once was.

[NRaleighLiberal]

57. bullshit. n/t

[AOR]

58. The Legacy of McCarthyism

--by Ellen Schrecker

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/mccarthy/schrecker6.htm

"Quantification aside, it may be helpful to look at the specific sectors of American society that McCarthyism touched. Such an appraisal, tentative though it must be, may offer some insight into the extent of the damage and into the ways in which the anti-Communist crusade influenced American society, politics, and culture. We should keep in mind, however, that McCarthyism's main impact may well have been in what did not happen rather than in what did the social reforms that were never adopted, the diplomatic initiatives that were not pursued, the workers who were not organized into unions, the books that were not written, and the movies that were never filmed."

"The most obvious casualty was the American left. The institutional toll is clear. The Communist party, already damaged by internal problems, dwindled into insignificance and all the organizations associated with it disappeared. The destruction of the front groups and the left-led unions may well have had a more deleterious impact on American politics than the decline of the party itself. With their demise, the nation lost the institutional network that had created a public space where serious alternatives to the status quo could be presented. Moreover, with the disappearance of a vigorous movement on their left, moderate reform groups were more exposed to right-wing attacks and thus rendered less effective."

"In the realm of social policy, for example, McCarthyism may have aborted much-needed reforms. As the nation's politics swung to the right after World War II, the federal government abandoned the unfinished agenda of the New Deal. Measures like national health insurance, a social reform embraced by the rest of the industrialized world, simply fell by the wayside. The left liberal political coalition that might have supported health reforms and similar projects was torn apart by the anti-Communist crusade. Moderates feared being identified with anything that seemed too radical, and people to the left of them were either unheard or under attack. McCarthyism further contributed to the attenuation of the reform impulse by helping to divert the attention of the labor movement, the strongest institution within the old New Deal coalition, from external organizing to internal politicking."

"The nation's cultural and intellectual life suffered as well. While there were other reasons that TV offered a bland menu of quiz shows and westerns during the late 1950s, McCarthy-era anxieties clearly played a role. Similarly, the blacklist contributed to the reluctance of the film industry to grapple with controversial social or political issues. In the intellectual world, cold war liberals also avoided controversy. They celebrated the "end of ideology," claiming that the United States' uniquely pragmatic approach to politics made the problems that had once concerned left- wing ideologists irrelevant. Consensus historians pushed that formulation into the past and described a nation that had supposedly never experienced serious internal conflict. It took the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War to end this complacency and bring reality back in. "

[Stellar]

61. What's wrong with being a Democratic Socialist?

Bernie Sanders On Being A Socialist: ‘That’s Right, What’s Wrong With That?’

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/05/06/sanders-socialism-scandinavia-stephanopoulos/

[frylock]

62. Another piss-your-pants post about the godless commies..

get some new material ffs.

[MannyGoldstein]

63. I'm incredibly pleased that Sanders is doing well enough

that you feel compelled to write stuff like this.

[ibegurpard]

68. That's nice

[cprise]

70. So IOW, the Repubs are your capitalist backup possee

who keep democratic socialists from competing with your business model -- which, BTW, appears to be a culture of "progressive" sell-outs.

Capitalists of ALL stripes must have the threat of nationalization of their industry on the table if they are going to perform for the public good. Otherwise, the far-right elements will have YOU for dinner and use the fruits of your enterprise against all of us. You have your best opportunity to make a positive difference as a capitalist if there are politicians like Bernie Sanders in power.

Furthermore, there are simply some jobs that capitalists (of ANY stripe) are not good at, such as universal health insurance and education (and even banks). At this point in history, that is just a fact.

So, while you say "there is much that SHOULD be done by the private sector", I say there is much that SHOULD be done by publicly-owned enterprises. In this Internet-soaked era, people are tired of the word games that effectively cut them off from democratic resolution of society's problems. Allowing for the possibility of public ownership is in fact how we save democracy.

Honestly, the UK Labour party is in the democratic socialist category. There is no need to keep wingeing at the us to be invisible, and stop being so damned intellectually lazy.

[Indepatriot]

73. If only he'd bobbed, weaved, and non-answered ala HRC, The High Priestess Of Plausible Deni-ability.

Then he could later confirm or deny the statement depending on which way the polls were trending...

[PatrickforO]

77. That's not what I'm hearing on the ground.

The capitalists are the ones who need their goose cooked. Or at least more heavily regulated to mitigate the cruel excesses arising out of the relentless quest for profits at the expense of consumers, workers, the community and the environment.

[mucifer]

78. Yeah I thought no one would elect a man named Barack Hussein Obama who admitted to cocaine use

so ya never know.

[Ron Green]

81. You're not supposed to say "capitalism," you're supposed to say "the Free Enterprise System."

That's the euphemism they always used to teach it to us in school, you know? That's how you know it's bullshit, they never even called it by its right name.

You're using a fool's language, getting hung up on these labels, and what they might mean to these people or those people. Let the RW and their media scream "Socialist!" till they're blue in the face, and the word will lose its bite. What we need is someone with a big microphone who tells the truth about money and policy.

By the way, if you love Bernie Sanders so much, why do you make so many shitty posts about him?

[840high]

82. I'm so tired of this SH*T - stop please

[Fearless]

86. This is verbatim a right wing talking point.

[marym625]

87. yeah, you can tell from the way republicans are vilifying him and he's doing so badly raising money

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/meet-the-liberty-alum-whos-feeling-the-bern.html

https://m.facebook.com/republicansforbernie

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bernie-sanders-is-raising-more-money-than-every-republican-candidate-155430566.html#

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/remember-obamas-historic-2008-presidential-run-bernie-sanders-so-far-exceeding-it

And so much more.

But you keep thinking that.

[cui bono]

88. are you related to this person?

?resize=640%2C426

[PowerToThePeople]

89. Capitalism is unsustainable.

Either it or the human race will die.

Which do you choose?

[cui bono]

90. Or this one...

[cui bono]

91. Maybe this one?

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[cui bono]

92. Okay, wow. Members of the "media" are reccing this shit.

Goes to show how bad the media really is.

[Scootaloo]

93. I'm sure he lost your vote right then and there.

[m-lekktor]

97. "Progressive Capitalist" ROFL now that's a fucking oxymoron if I ever heard one!nt

[dorkzilla]

115. I’m glad someone else picked up on that idiocy!

Progressive Capitalist!!!! TOO FUCKING FUNNY!!!!!

[LynnTheDem]

100. "No way" like FDR you mean?

His "goose" is doing very well.

[mhatrw]

101. Are you now or have you ever been a card carrying capitalist?

Last edited Tue Oct 13, 2015, 01:32 PM - Edit history (1)

First they came for the capitalists, and I did not speak out because I was not a capitalist. ...

[Dems2002]

102. LOL -- People do not care about semantics

I love words and believe them to be important. But I dare you to go out and find five people on the street to define Capitalism, Progressive Capitalism, Socialism, Democratic Socialism or Social Democracy.

What is great about Sanders is he defines what he means in a couple of sentences -- Scandinavia. Where a bunch of white people live with plenty of money, free college, lots of entrepreneurship and Sweden just announced they are phasing in the 6-hour work day.

Communism as defined at the turn of the 20th century does not currently exist in any explainable form. And quite honestly, the right-wing spending the past eight years defining OBAMA as a socialist has had the benefit of bringing the word back into the mainstream.

Plus Bernie is an old white dude. That makes a big difference. People are going to trust him. He is telling it like it is.

He won't get crushed. He will be doing the crushing. If my 86 year old Republican uncle is interested in voting for him, he's onto something. You'll see.

[Kalidurga]

104. ...

[davidpdx]

105. Is this the first time he's said this?

Yes or no?

I highly doubt you'll bother to answer.

[LittleGirl]

106. I'm a democratic socialist so he has my vote eom

edit: spelling/fat fingers

[NCTraveler]

107. Unfortunate to see him answer that way.

He has a whole career of building up his capitalist record. He should have told the truth and just said yes. He knows his base and that there is no chance of him getting his message out without them so he went the pandering route. He understands his role and he was just throwing out a little more red meat. It's what he does.

[bulloney]

108. Joe McCarthy, is that you?

Booga booga booga socialist! Scary!

I get so sick of hearing retired farmers denounce socialism when they benefited from farm and conservation programs and currently benefit from Social Security and Medicare. We've become so dense that we can't see past the noses on our faces.

[99Forever]

109. I'll take a Democratic Socialist over a neoliberal oligarch, every fucking time.

Tail Gunner Joe called from 1954, he wants his Red Scare back.





Lamest of the Camp Weathervane lame.

[R B Garr]

111. Lol at all the little names you guys

come up with to sound cool like something is really a *thing* instead of common sense. "Red scare", "dark money", ordinary citizens are called "corporatists". It's like the new hip daddio speak. Kinda lame.

[99Forever]

123. I suggest you crack a history book.

Your ignorance of the subject is epic.

[dorkzilla]

125. Shush, don't tell them that

The entertainment s/he's supplying is priceless!

[R B Garr]

133. You too

[99Forever]

140. Actually my friend, I have.

Clearly, you haven't.

[R B Garr]

141. Lol, sure thing.

[dorkzilla]

143. Do actually have any facts to back up your preposterous position? “LOL common sense" doesn’t count

You just “LOL" and repeat the same blather over and over. Any ACTUAL EVIDENCE other than giving dates that Bernie “sat out” running for President? Do you have primary sources (i.e. Bernie) saying he was “sitting out” elections because SOCIALISTS aren’t viable? Do you even have any evidence that Bernie was considering a run before this?

“Common sense” is not evidence, its a (bad) hunch.

We’re all waiting with baited breath....give it a go....

[R B Garr]

146. More phony games. So lame.

I already said what my point was, and your anger doesn't change that.

[dorkzilla]

148. I’m AMUSED, not angry

You’re giving me some much-needed chuckles!! Thanks!

[R B Garr]

149. You are hilarious Too!!

So. much confusion for you.

[Puglover]

113. Yup

Lamest.

[Gothmog]

110. Why Bernie Sanders isn’t going to be president, in five word

The Washington Post has a good article on this https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/12/why-bernie-sanders-isnt-going-to-be-president-in-5-words/

The simple political fact is that if Sanders did ever manage to win the Democratic presidential nomination — a long shot but far from a no shot at this point — Republicans would simply clip Sanders's answer to Todd above and put it in a 30-second TV ad. That would, almost certainly, be the end of Sanders's viability in a general election.

Americans might be increasingly aware of the economic inequality in the country and increasingly suspicious of so-called vulture capitalism — all of which has helped fuel Sanders's rise. But we are not electing someone who is an avowed socialist to the nation's top political job. Just ain't happening.

[Tom Rinaldo]

112. Republicans don't want a full frontal discussion of this

They prefer using the scary socialist label to scare Democratic opponents into running away from politics with conviction more than they actually try to scare the public with it. It's basic psychology. If your adversary goes into full retreat when attacked it is taken as sure proof of weakness. For decades Democrats have cowered when they get called out for making any argument that smacks of being progressive. Until about 10 years ago Democrats fled from being called "liberals". I remember when it was a big deal when Wes Clark accepted the challenge and literally said "I'll say it. I'm a Liberal".

Democrats started becoming afraid to defend the positive role government can play. They let it become a punching bag, and wouldn't even use the popular example of Medicare to rebut attacks on the Affordable Care Act for giving government control over our health care. We let Republicans brand the term "Class War" as a bad thing that liberals were waging to hurt America. We let them define the 1% as "job creators" rather than all too often as leeches. Then they wrap themselves in the flag of "economic opportunity empowerment and growth" claiming that Democrats will kill jobs when we move against the mega corporations that have outsourced the middle class.

I think Bernie will now play the classic "Rope a Doe" strategy on Republicans trying to take him down over this. They think they see a weakness and they will charge right at it opening themselves up to having to answer real questions about how our economy is managed and to whose benefit. Bernie will welcome the fact that the real debate can finally move front and center, he'll relish it. Sure he'll explain that his short hand response on MTP didn't paint the full picture adequately, that there's an important role for the private sector in Democratic Socialism. Republicans will try to nail Bernie with a gotcha moment over his MTP comment, but they will be digging their ow grave the more they try to exploit it, because by trying to do so they move the entire focus on national debate onto the exact subject that Bernie wants discussed, that typically never gets an airing. It plays into his strength.

[dorkzilla]

116. If that comforting thought helps you sleep at night, go for it

You might want to try warm milk instead.

[Hiraeth]

118. watch.and.see.

[corkhead]

121. So are you saying that you are an "R"?

I am wondering because you keep screaming "SOCIALIST SOCIALIST SOCIALIST" endlessly

[bowens43]

126. and a black man will never be elected President ROFLMA!!!

keeping grasping at straws, Americans are not as stupid as you believe.....

[djean111]

127. Awwwww - you mean those stubborn Sanders supporters STILL won't obey you, and support

Hillary? Must be quite frustrating.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

136. Again with the Red Baiting?

[dorkzilla]

145. Yep, wash, rinse, repeat.

See how well its working?

[peacebird]

151. Oh my, well there you have it. No need for an election, let's just coronate Hillary. <sarcasm>

[blm]

152. This nation operates as a hybrid of capitalism and socialism and

it's past time we stop pandering to those who refuse to acknowledge that simple fact.

If we don't have the guts to take back even simple words with the facts………jeez.

[Dems to Win]

153. Hillary sealed her fate with her Iraq War vote and $250,000 speech to Citibank

For months before Bernie even threw his hat in the ring, I watched with dismay as the party leaders and big funders lined up behind Hillary.

Hillary can't win the enthusiastic support of the anti-war movement, that Obama had, with her Iraq War vote. Some stubborn folks will refuse to vote for her.

Hillary can't win the enthusiastic support of the Occupy Wall Street crowd, with her $250,000 speeches to CitiBank and other banks (and no, she didn't donate all the money from speeches to for-profit companies to the Clinton Foundation). It'll be tough to drag their grumpy butts to the polls to vote for her; many won't do it.

Bernie has the enthusiastic support of young people, as Obama did in 2008. If Democrats want to WIN, we'll follow their lead and they will convince their elders to show up at the polls and vote for the candidate young people believe is best for their future.

[fredamae]

154. Well, that opinion relys upon the

Hope that the electorate is as stupid as they would Have to be to Not understand the Basic differences between Vulture Capitalism and Capitalism that works for All and not just the 160 or so Wealthy families.

I reject the notion that the majority of the electorate Fail to understand the difference considering that we have First hand knowledge and experience due to our own losses suffered at the hands of those very Vulture Capitalists who are Just fine spreading Mis-information about Sanders position. And these Vulture Capitalists are protected every bit as much by Corporate Democrats as they are Corporate GOP. Period.

So, take this misinformation re: Sanders position with a grain of salt

Bernie has it Right...Why not Grill the Dem/GOP Corporatists about Vulture Capitalism for the public as Much as they try to nail Bernie? lol And while they're at it...ask Why they - (Corp Protectionists in Congress) voted for TARP.
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/bernie-to-media-why-focus-on-my-socialism-ask-republicans-about-vulture-capitalism/

[Admiral Loinpresser]

156. Ever heard of FDR? n/t