Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: Why is Bernie so popular? [View all]Steven Maurer
(459 posts)- Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority in 2009 for a grand total of less than two months, and even that depended on the votes of Democratic senators like Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Senator Lieberman of Connecticut. The public wasn't even in favor of the Democrats doing as much as they did.
- Sanders is noted for is relative lack of achievements given his timeframe in office. Almost no sponsored bills, and an overall amendment record that is distinctly mediocre (unless you add the meaningless qualifier to trim it down to only roll-call amendments).
- Grievance politics is much more than remarking that "rich people have it better" or that we have a serious income inequality problem in this country. It's pretending that other Democrats are somehow responsible for it, and that Sanders is the only one who has ever proposed a solution (or that solutions aren't solutions unless they promise things that are mathematically impossible). It's purity trolling independents with angry (and often ignorant) sanctimony, driven largely by externalizing blame. Trump is a grievance politician as well, just white-grievance. He's doing remarkably poorly despite propping up the economy with deficit spending.
Sanders, in short, appeals to a "Bern it all down" mentality. This is fun, especially for younger leftists, right up until you realize that you need the votes of many of the the people you've decided to "bern". Not the Trumpsters, but the independents you've lumped in with them. And then it gets not-fun real quick.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden