General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Would you rather of had Bernie run for President as an independent?! [View all]moriah
(8,311 posts)... that if he was going to make the choice to run for President, and do it leading the only major party that does anything to address income inequality and has progressive leanings -- even if it's not perfect -- that he would make a commitment to that Party vs continue to stand on the edge of the Big Tent.
Why?
Because he has legitimate criticisms of the Party, and criticism from the "outside" -- especially when the Big Other's mountain isn't even getting equal time, let alone proportionate time, to our (in comparison) molehill on those problems in that criticism -- feels like an attack vs constructive criticism. I think he would be a better advocate for progress working within the Party than standing outside it because of that. We have room for him, but he won't step in.
In a way, he's kind of like the Party's "friend with benefits" vs even going steady. I have no issues with friends with benefits --they can be fun and beneficial -- but I'm not nearly as likely to arrange or change my life to suit them or take their concerns to heart compared to how I would act with a serious monogamous partner.