Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumOne point about Bernie Sanders:
He is not going to turn America into a "socialist" country.
Simply because he cannot pass laws without the support of a House and Senate that doesn't agree with him.
He is not going to pass M4A without the support of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. He is not going to raise taxes on the wealthy or the corporations without the support of his Party and the US Senate, if Republicans maintain control.
He is not a "boogie man". He is not the same type of threat as the present occupant in the White House. Mostly, because Bernie believes in the will of the people. He does not have "dictator" tendencies.
If he were to win the nomination, we would not be under the same threat to our democracy. He would respect the rule of law.
It doesn't matter who we are now supporting. We should be careful not to confuse Bernie Sanders with Donald Trump.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)accomplished no major legislation.
No, he won't be a dictator. But neither will he undo anything that has been done, and he won't be able to overcome the forces that RIGHT NOW are dismantling out Democracy.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
gab13by13
(20,867 posts)Bernie and Liz are far and above our best candidates who support the working class and poor.
Tweaking what Trump did isn't going to cut it.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)In 30 years in Congress, what legislation has he passed that helps the working class and the poor?
Liz, yes. She produced 9 bills that have passed. That was in 6 years. She also was THE major force in the consumer protection movement.
But Bernie? NOTHING!!! In 30 YEARS!!!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
handmade34
(22,755 posts)Bernie got funding for the rail trail next to me
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)But 40 does sound a lot better, so let's go with that.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Squinch
(50,774 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)Granted, Warren hasn't served as long as Bernie, but there are other senators of similar seniority with similar records (Stabenow has sponsored 13, for example).
Not every Senator is a prolific sponsor, and there are other aspects of the job that are just as important, like committee work.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Squinch
(50,774 posts)Last I looked, I thought it was 3, including those post office names, and I know he hasn't done much at all since 2007 according to the "Bernie is king of amendments" article.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)Yes, a lot of them are bullshit bills remembering historical figures and renaming post offices, but most bills senators sponsor are these bullshit bills. Elizabeth Warren's record isn't wildly different:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=412542#enacted_ex=on
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Squinch
(50,774 posts)bills and passed that way. He didn't get them passed. Someone else did the heavy lifting, and only pieces of them passed.
The only ones that he wrote that were passed on that list were:
1)The Marble Street Post Office naming,
2)The 2013 COLA for Veterans
3)and the other post office naming.
In 13 years in the Senate.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JudyM
(29,122 posts)His effectiveness as a legislator is discussed here, and its clear he has been quite helpful to liberal goals: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/mar/24/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
He also voted in favor of the ACA, even though he wanted more, and he deserves as much credit for doing so as any other Senator. We needed every vote to pass that law, and it would have failed had not Bernie held his nose and voted for it.
Its too easy to attack Bernie for not being a real Democrat when the truth is that we count on his vote when we need it.
-Laelth
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)on it and no more credit than all the other Senators that voted for it.
ACA is not a Sanders accomplishment.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Laelth
(32,017 posts)Bernies the one who had to hold his nose the most to pass the ACA. It was his followers who criticized him, and the law, the most because they wanted to hold out for a public option, at the very least. It was he who had to betray his principles the most by voting for the Republican health care plan out of Massachusetts (the law upon which the ACA was based).
In that sense, Bernie deserves the most credit (among Senators) for the laws passage. He took a huge political risk by voting for it.
-Laelth
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)More credit than the people who wrote the bill and corralled and cajoled all the Senators with impossibly differing opinions, including BS, to pass a historic piece of legislation that made life better for millions of people? But BS gets more credit because he held his nose really hard?
Please tell me you aren't saying that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JudyM
(29,122 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Squinch
(50,774 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JudyM
(29,122 posts)peoples lives in underserved communities. This is part of his long effort to secure health care for everyone.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
radius777
(3,624 posts)and has never had much risk in losing his Senate seat, especially back in 2010 when he had no presidential aspirations.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
seaglass
(8,170 posts)And an overwhelming D legislature? You have to be kidding me.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)In only two years in 30 do they deem him to have been an effective Senator. TWO YEARS OUT OF 30. And since 2007, it appears he has done nothing at all.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JudyM
(29,122 posts)"There are so few members with large numbers of substantive and successful amendments," he said. "Sanders and Traficant were exceptions to that rule."
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Squinch
(50,774 posts)he passed.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
katmondoo
(6,454 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
gab13by13
(20,867 posts)advocate many of Bernie's policies? Liz is my 2nd choice because she and Bernie are much alike.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MrsCoffee
(5,801 posts)And doesnt trash the Democratic Party and sow division.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Beringia
(4,314 posts)Elizabeth Warren was the primary sponsor of 9 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
S. 693: National POW/MIA Flag Act
S. 1501: Blast Pressure Exposure Study Improvement Act
S. 3130: SIT-REP Act of 2018
S. 2355: A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 New Chardon Street Lobby in Boston, Massachusetts, as the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Post ...
S. 1503: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
S. 1198: Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017
S. 670: Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/elizabeth_warren/412542
Bernie Sanders was the primary sponsor of 7 bills that were enacted:
S. 885 (113th): A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, as the Thaddeus Stevens Post Office.
S. 2782 (113th): A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to improve the Federal charter for the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and for other ...
S. 893 (113th): Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013
H.R. 5245 (109th): To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1 Marble Street in Fair Haven, Vermont, as the Matthew Lyon Post Office Building.
H.J.Res. 129 (104th): Granting the consent of Congress to the Vermont-New Hampshire Interstate Public Water Supply Compact.
H.R. 1353 (102nd): Entitled the Taconic Mountains Protection Act of 1991.
H.J.Res. 132 (102nd): To designate March 4, 1991, as Vermont Bicentennial Day.
Does 7 not sound like a lot? Very few bills are ever enacted most legislators sponsor only a handful that are signed into law. But there are other legislative activities that we dont track that are also important, including offering amendments, committee work and oversight of the other branches, and constituent services.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/bernard_sanders/400357
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,352 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Demsrule86
(68,352 posts)She could win a general with a VP like Tim Ryan...Sanders won't win a general...and his policies are more extreme than Warrens.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
redstatebluegirl
(12,264 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
kentuck
(110,950 posts)We should believe nothing he says.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
redstatebluegirl
(12,264 posts)He doesn't do things for no reason, ever.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Squinch
(50,774 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Republicans claim Nancy Pelosi is intentionally helping Joe Biden and hurting Bernie Sanders by delaying the Senate impeachment trial
Trump and His Aides Focused for Now on 2 Rivals (Neither Is the Front-Runner)
Republican strategist Karl Rove says Bernie Sanders could beat Donald Trump in 2020
Republicans pray for Bernie as Democratic nominee
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
thesquanderer
(11,955 posts)If he thinks Sanders would be the easiest to beat, it probably means he would be the hardest to beat!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
highplainsdem
(48,731 posts)vote for Sanders in the GE, and to urge others to do so, if only because Sanders (along with almost everyone else in the country, not to mention my cat) is better than Trump.
That said --
I don't think there will be much left of Sanders' chances after Trump and the Republicans finally go after him.
I believe that of all our candidates, Sanders poses the greatest risk to us of giving Trump a landslide re-election victory and costing us Democratic control of the House, as well as failing to retake the Senate.
I also believe that if by some miracle Sanders somehow wins the GE, he'll fall so far short of delivering on his promises that he'll not only have no chance of re-election, but the Democratic Party in general will be hurt, for more than one election.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dalton99a
(81,073 posts)Historic Democratic losses at the polls
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
kentuck
(110,950 posts)How many people do you know that say they will not vote if Bernie is the nominee?
How could Democrats have "historic losses"?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dalton99a
(81,073 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
kentuck
(110,950 posts)And being a good Democrat, will vote for whomever the nominee might be?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
kentuck
(110,950 posts)...if it was someone other than Bernie?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)Does that satisfy your curiosity?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
jcmaine72
(1,773 posts)at some point by Doc Brown's DeLorean as it was about to hit 88 mph and got dragged back to 1985.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
dalton99a
(81,073 posts)AND a Republican House AND down-ballot losses
AND President Donald J. Trump Jr.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)All of Trump's other judicial appointments will sail through. Roe will be overturned. Religious exceptions (exemptions) for equal protections and equal treatment for same-sex couples will increase.
Hopefully I'd be dead before Junior became president. But I fear for what the world will be like for my children and my new grandson.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)It always has been.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Demsrule86
(68,352 posts)If I believed Sanders could win, I would vote for him even though I dislike him. We must nominate a candidate who can beat Trump.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)TX CD 22 is an open seat with Pete Olson retiring. The DCCC has targeted this seat for flipping. There are 15 candidates in GOP primary including the grandson of GHW Bush. Another candidate, Kathleen Wall, is running in the GOP primary and she spent $6 million in 2018 running in GOP primary for TX CD 2 and did not make GOP primary runoff. I have had Wall block walkers come to my house twice (I live in a very GOP neighborhood) and I have found Wall doorhanger on my door twice now.
Pierce Bush is running against socialism
Link to tweet
Sri Preston Kulkarni is the leading Democrat for this seat (Sri has a GOP type and another person running against him in the Texas Democratic Primary) I texted this ad to Sri and he knew about it already. Sri Preston Kulkarni is a great guy and we need to flip this seat
If sanders is the nominee, we can forget about this seat and we will have Kevin McCarthy as speaker
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden