Now that Bernie's presidential campaign is over, a few thoughts...

[AZ Progressive]

or admissions...

As someone who followed Bernie for years on the Thom Hartmann show, I never thought of Bernie as presidential material.

I envisioned Bernie as leader of the progressive movement, much like a civil rights leader. Someone that influences from the outside. I didn't think Bernie would be good for president, but I felt like if enough people supported him, he might be able to do significant change, plus he was by far the best candidate for this election cycle.

However, as much as I wanted to deny the realities, I have to face them in the end:

1. Bernie's agenda would lose it's priority once a terrorist attack happens. People care more about being secure than economic inequality. Not only that, but Bernie's not good in playing the tough leader role.

2. TPTB are simply too strong, keeping to one's integrity is a nice ideal but is a major weakness in the real world when dealing with an army of scheming, conniving people with power. They would've at the least branded him a communist and use his past against him. At most, they would've "neutralized" him.

3. The working class was divided long ago by the Republican Party. The Democratic Party can't be the party of the working class anymore. Much of those working class Democrats fled to the Republican Party because of racism and the Democrats abandoning them on cultural issues. Democrats adapted by becoming the urban party, a party of minorities and affluent urban liberals. Just look at the exit polls from 2008, 62% of the voting electorate was from households making $50,000+, the Working class (as defined with a household income of between $30,000 to $50,000) was just 19%, and even if combined with the poor (about 38% total), many of those are whites who vote Republican and are racist. 53% of voters were women, 25% of voters were not white, 56% had a college degree (compared to 40% of adults). Even in the Democratic Party Primaries this year, in the Illinois CNN Exit poll, 53% were college graduates, 62% were from households of over $50,000 a year (28% were from households of over $100,000 a year.) Even in Michigan, about 55% were from households of over $50,000 a year, 46% had college degrees. The unemployment rate for college graduates is just 2.5% as of June 2016. It's a much different time than 60 to 80 years ago.

[Pharaoh]

1. Sorry but your post is pretty negative

Like:

1. Bernie's agenda would lose it's priority once a terrorist attack happens. People care more about being secure than economic inequality. Not only that, but Bernie's not good in playing the tough leader role.

Are you just trolling this group?

[KPN]

5. I agree.

[RoccoR5955]

2. It ain't over till it's over.

And the convention has yet to get started. ANYTHING can happen!

[RoccoR5955]

3. Are you predicting an attack?

Just wondering.

[merrily]

4. I agree with some of that, don't agree with some of it, but, if the Democratic Party is

really not representing people who still need to work for a living,* then no one is representing them.

I am not saying that's true or that it's false.

*That is my definition of "working class," though most people use the term to mean someone they think is beneath them on the socioeconomic ladder, rather than below them, on the same rung as they are and several rungs above. Our government has been working best for the 1%. That lets out many doctors, lawyers, and, yes, even rocket scientists.

[KPN]

6. Seems to me your statement about representation is more true than false.

[Arazi]

7. If you "never" saw him as presidential, why in hell would you support him?

That makes no sense. If you have never thoight he has what it takes, have you just been trolling?

That's fucked up and the hosts should be alerted

[JudyM]

8. Just quoting the OP: " but I felt like if enough people supported him, he might be able to do

significant change, plus he was by far the best candidate for this election cycle."

[HereSince1628]

9. While I think dems have become an urban party, I don't think it -must- be that way

The dems gave up on principles and ideology, when back in the late 80's and early 90's they decided on being pragmatic.

But there is a big fraction, I'm pretty sure it's a majority fraction of Americans who really do yearn for principles that promote equal opportunity and hope wherever people live. And Sanders by calling voters to his primary campaign has demonstrated to everyone just where those people live. AND IT WAS NOT JUST WITHIN CITIES.

The primary game was an uphill battle against a party that is organized and operated to maintain the status quo of it's incumbent power players. Even so, Sanders made a remarkable showing. In a reformed party interested in people rather than the incumbent PTB Bernicrats -will- win.

The push to move that reform is now The Big Project. It will win even as it must transit a longer arc to get to that end.