Have you heard? If Bernie is our candidate, the Republicans will call him a socialist!

[Scuba]

It's worked so well for them in the past!

[one_voice]

1. They absolutely will say that..

they're saying it now.

Our message has to be better, stronger, positive. We can't let them demonize what we as Democrats stand for.

[Scuba]

2. They'd say the same about Hillary.

[one_voice]

3. Of course. Anyone..

that's our nominee. Liberal leftist, socialist, etc.

I thought marxist might have been reserved for President Obama--it went so well with 'Kenyan' but I'm pretty sure they'll throw that one in too.

[Ken Burch]

8. They reserved "Muslim Communist" for Obama.

Apparently, it didn't occur to them that if you were both, you'd have had to drive YOURSELF out of Afghanistan.

[jeff47]

4. They'd say the same about Reagan

If any of them remembered his actual policies instead of the cartoon they worship.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. What was "socialist" about Reagan?

He's the one who loved to deride fictional "welfare queens" and lowered the top income tax rate from 70% to 28% while increasing both payroll taxes and the lowest tax bracket.

[jeff47]

50. Amnesty for undocumented workers, not killing Social Security, several deals with Democrats

that funded Democratic initiatives.

Again, cartoon Reagan is far more conservative than actual Reagan (who was very conservative for his time). Which kinda demonstrates just how far to the right our politics have gone.

[Art_from_Ark]

52. Reagan wouldn't have been able to kill Social Security even if he had wanted to

Back then, there was still a Democratic House that would have prevented shenanigans like that. And in his last two years, the Democrats also controlled the Senate.

[jeff47]

53. Could have pulled of a "reform" of it....since he did with the Greenspan commission.

Throw in a means test and he'd have set up the groundwork to destroy the program.

[randr]

5. Opening the door for the Democrats' to call Reps Facists

Bring it on! Do you want to keep your Social programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, Federal highway systems, fire departments, electric utilities, water companies, and the countless other benefits of living in what we call a Society? Or do you want a police state akin to what we all have been taught is the problem with Communist/Fascist states?
The way I see it is that we currently have both and we need to make a clear choice of what we want our future to be.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. As a socialist myself, I consider that a compliment.

[Cheese Sandwich]

19. It's one of the nicest things you can call someone.

[NCTraveler]

7. They call Clinton a socialist. Nt

[Vincardog]

9. For reals? OMG can anyone vote for him now?

[RoccoR5955]

10. And you know that NOBODY in the US would EVER vote for a socialist!

Don't you?

[immoderate]

11. I ask my RW friends, "Which Democrat is NOT a socialist?"

Answers? No.

--imm

[MaggieD]

33. Did you think your RW friends were going to vote for ANY Dem?

Your problem is that minorities and independents are not going to vote for a socialist. I've voted straight Dem for 38 years and I sure as hell ain't voting for a socialist.

[immoderate]

49. My RW friends are idiots. I expect you might have some smarts.

Now is your opportunity to break away.

--imm

[LWolf]

12. omg

Well, that's the end of Sanders' tenure in D.C., then.

Love the buttons.

[firebrand80]

13. There would be one key difference this time around

[DCBob]

14. The problem is Bernie calls himself a socialist.

[Scootaloo]

27. What's the problem, exactly?

bring out some specifics.

[DCBob]

48. He admits it.

[LiberalAndProud]

15. It's true. They will. I use it as an opportunity to talk about the role of society in solving

problems too large to tackle individually. I discuss how we have been indoctrinated in this country to have an adverse reaction to words like socialist (society) and communist (community). Words which should be associated in our minds with sound values have been poisoned with unreasoning reflex instead. We're overdue to fight back.

[JoePhilly]

16. The GOP will be screaming bloody murder no matter who we nominate.

They'd crucify Jesus.

[moobu2]

17. The only difference is Hillary has been GOP tested

they'll dig up everything Bernie ever said and did and twist it around and hang him with it. Bernie would be lucky to win 5 electoral votes in the general. IF he was the nominee which he won't be.

[Scootaloo]

32. No she hasn't

She's seen exactly as many presidential elections as Bernie Sanders has, and has been in public service for a much shorter time. Also to her benefit, the biggest "challenges" the Republicans have thrown at her are all made-up bullshit. Anyone can sit through 11 hours of Gowdy Doody making a fucking fool of himself. But when confronted with her Wall Street ties, she turns into a jabbering mess who invokes 9/11 like it's a panacea. When confronted with her lack of a criminal justice platform, she stuck her finger in a black man's face and threatened to only talk to white people. When the issue is her vote for war with Iraq, she gets huffy and claims that she was fooled by Dubya.

When it comes to actual, real issues, Clinton falls apart like a pinata in the rain.

[nc4bo]

18. They'll call anyone a socialist. Big whoop.

The Baggers and Bible thumpers will whip themselves into a froth but that goes for any candidate who's not pro-fetus.

Bring it on.

[jfern]

20. 53% of Americans said Obama was a socialist

I'm not the slightest bit worried about this.

[MaggieD]

23. well he won't be the nominee

... because rank and file Dem voters don't want a socialist either. Have you pondered why the unions don't want him? Think about that for a minute and see if it comes to you.

[jfern]

28. The unions probably would prefer him

It's just that some unions don't want to end up on the Clinton enemies list.

[MaggieD]

29. But they don't

You can keep deluding yourself, but they just don't. He wants to tax the shit out of their middle class paychecks and substitute their excellent healthcare benefits for shitty single payer benefits.

Unions don't support Bernie because they will lose out if he were to win. Bernie supporters just kid themselves every day. It amazes me.

[jfern]

46. Single payer is cheaper, and there are companies that decided to open factories

in Canada instead of the US because healthcare is too expensive in the US.

[MaggieD]

22. Except they will have him on video declaring it is true

And of course they will bring up this too:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bernie-sanders-1972-essay-rape-fantasy-surfaces-article-1.2240379

[Juicy_Bellows]

24. Ha! Excellent post! Nt.

[Betty Karlson]

25. And this time, it will be a sizeable bear trap for them:

It will give Sanders an opportunity to discuss
a) the difference between socialism and social-democracy
b) the merits of socal-democracy
c) why everyone should vote for him

[MaggieD]

31. Uh huh

Because American voters just love to sit in front of their TV and listen to politicians shine them on and lecture them after working all day, making dinner, doing the dishes, homework with the kids and bathtime. SMH. Ain't happening. His supporters have some seriously magical thinking going on.

[Betty Karlson]

36. Maggie, it's clear you dislike the man. I feel the same about Cinton.

That still leaves the fact that voters will vote for those who address their issues. Addressing issues and lecturing are two different things. Could it be that you confuse the two because you dislike the candidate?

[MaggieD]

38. I am not confusing anything

And you hit on exactly why Bernie will lose. He does NOT address the issues of the majority of Dem primary voters. His campaign is exclusively targeting middle class white people. But the reality is you cannot win a Dem primary if your campaign only addresses the issues of middle class white people. End of story. Clinton is winning because she doesn't ignore 60% of the Dem primary voter concerns.

[Betty Karlson]

39. His popularity among PoC in South Carolina doubled last month.

His popularity among Hispanics in Nevada is rising. Maybe your view of his appeal has been limited by some memes spread by Camp Clinton. Clinton's 60 % is not as solid as it seems. It includes leaners, who could still change their candidate preference. So it's not the end of the story, however much the coronation committee would like it to be.

[grahamhgreen]

26. Now look at that, as if the anti-socialist marketing was all coming from the same billionaire family

What a Koch-up!

[MaggieD]

34. So you think no pol is too left to get elected in America

Is that what you're selling? LOL!

[grahamhgreen]

41. Not when their policy positions are supported by the majority!

[MaggieD]

43. except they arent

He barely breaks 30% of Dems. And they are only 30% of the voters. Since when is 30% of 30% a majority? That's some powerful magical thinking you've got going on there.

[Scuba]

47. You're confusing policies with polls ...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/senator-bernie-sanders-policy-platform-presidential-campaign

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/more-and-more-americans-agree-bernie-sanders-and-not-just-those-who-identify-left

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/29/how-mainstream-bernie-sanders

[olddots]

30. I'll still call Republicans turd maggots

Puss boils ,pond scum , venerial warts and I better stop now .

[cascadiance]

35. If they keep harping on "socialism" as an epithet, we should hit them back...

... and remind them of the cold facts of the COMMIES and FASCISTS their kind has been hanging around with.

[Betty Karlson]

37. That deserves an OP of its own!

Massively great stuff.

[cascadiance]

40. And Wall Street fascists never got arrested for trying to overthrow our government too!

... which fortunately a hero like Smedley Butler stopped in its tracks, even if those banksters, etc. guilty of treason in wanting to take our government over and align ourselves with Mussolini's fascist government weren't arrested and executed like they should have been for the acts of treason they committed. Republicans never get called out for their crimes, and our Texas polluted school books never teach our children this ugly side of our history!

[Betty Karlson]

42. It's one of the few decisions that FDR made wrong.

Perhaps he was afraid that a round of arrests and prosecutions would trigger a new recession: the GOP has a history of holding a loaded gun to the head of the economy and / or the government whenever they are in the opposition.

[MaggieD]

44. Yeah, because he didn't put Japanese Americans

....in internment camps or anything.

Oh wait.

[Betty Karlson]

45. "one of the few" I said.

Which is different from "the only one". Could it be that you are overwrought with displeasure, and just pining to find fault with what I say?

[merrily]

51. Whew! What a relief. They've been calling Obama a Communist.

Wait: Is Gutierrez Republican?