Bernie Sanders is Trying To Sway a Progressive From Running In VT

[redqueen]

So is everyone going to start calling Bernie a DLC traitor too?

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. More info needed. n/t

[cali]

5. Please see post #4 on this thread

I've provided a link to Zuckerman's own site.

[cali]

2. LOL

Thanks for the back up. I still don't think we'll see anyone take the bait.

[redqueen]

3. Got a link?

I'm so $&#*(@$&#(* tired of the circular firing squad I could spit.

[cali]

4. You betcha

and it's from Zuckerman's own site

http://www.zuckermanforcongress.com/?page=3&articlemode=showspecific&showarticle=953

[redqueen]

8. Thank you!

:D

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

6. You rock my world Redqueen

[redqueen]

13. It's sooooo tiring.

:(

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. Isn't it?

I feel like this place goes into CFS more now than it did during the primaries. Then they wonder why we can't win - how can we when we expend more energy fighting each other than we do the Republicans?

[redqueen]

18. I agree the party needs work from within to improve it... LOTS...

but is now the best time?

[mikehiggins]

7. Sanders is being up front about his support for another

candidate. He isn't asking Zuckerman to run on Monday and then taking steps to make sure he not run on Wednesday.

Apples and oranges.

[redqueen]

10. Not quite apples and oranges.

But I see your point.

Regardless... don't you agree we have some mighty big issues to devote our energy to... that it's kind of counter productive to spend so much time bickering about this one fight right now?

Hackett's dropped out. He apparently thinks it's not worth a fight right now.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Thats right....He doesn't want Gen Martha Rainville to win....

In a three way race, Repthugs win the race in a cakewalk.

Bernie understands just how seriously bad things are and how desperately we need to retake the house.

[redqueen]

11. I hope Hackett helps the guy running for that harpie's House seat.

If he just takes his toys and goes home... I can't say I respect that guy too much.

[cali]

12. True, RB

I'm just trying to point out that politics is the art of the possible, and that what's going on in Ohio, is more a matter of pragmaticism than an evil plot to get Hackett out because Senate dems don't want to see an outspoken anti-bush candidate. I've seen lots of posts in that vein.

[Rowdyboy]

16. Pure pragmatism and its sensible, just not a popular position on DU

Honestly, I wish Hackett had stayed in and fought it out in a primary but he chose not to take on such a terribly uphill fight. I've seen the same posts you mention and, while I sympathize with them, I agree with you that it isn't some evil plan to destroy progressive Democrats.

And I simply can't believe the abuse Sherrod Brown has taken here. He's certainly been an exceptional progressive representative and I expect him to be a senator in the spirit of Howard Metzenbaum. DU should be crowing about our excellent senate prospects in Ohio and instead we're fighting among ourselves, as usual.

Happy Valentines Day! ;)

[redqueen]

21. I love this post so much.

You give me hope. :)

[Rowdyboy]

26. We've gotta have hope.....

Right now, its about all we have, that and a justifiable rage that we're seeing the country we love disappear.

Posts like yours and some others I see here on DU are basically what keeps me from giving up on following politics altogther. Thanks.... :thumbsup:

[Beelzebud]

15. Bernie is worth more than 10 of our democrat senators.

For one: He has beliefs and he stands up for them.

[redqueen]

17. Brown doesn't?

:shrug:

[MrBenchley]

20. Feel free to join the Vermont Progressive party then....

[BushOut06]

19. self-delete

[radio4progressives]

22. Bernie Sanders is an Independent . He is not associated with the Party n/t

Bernie Sanders has more principle in his little finger than the whole lot of the DLC stacked in a pile.

[redqueen]

23. He's supporting a Dem over a progressive.

Isn't that crime enough?

[cali]

25. You didn't address the point here.

What's more, Bernie is essentially the godfather of the Prog movement in VT and he's supporting a moderate to liberal dem over a TRUE Progressive. Now I support his doing so, but isn't Bernie basically doing that which other pols are getting so much flak for? He's attempting to "take away" choice from VT voters, right?

[BushOut06]

24. Didn't we learn anything from Ralph Nader's run?

Splitting the base does nothing to advance your cause - it only strengthens the opposition. Unless the Dem running in this case is a bonafide DINO, a Lieberman clone, how much sense does it really make?

I know a lot of you still curse Ralph Nader for taking away Democratic votes in '00. How is this really different?

[redqueen]

27. I'm not sure what you're saying...

that Brown deciding to run again is akin to Nader running?

From what I've seen the 'sense' in it is all poll-reading. Best chances and all that. Maybe they even think that Hackett has a better shot to win against the travesty that's running in his congressional district.

[BushOut06]

28. Completely different stories

This thread is regarding a 3rd party candidacy, facing off against a Democrat & Republican in the general election. History has shown that a "left-leaning" 3rd party takes away votes from the Democratic candidate, just as a "conservative" 3rd party takes votes away from the GOP (ie Ross Perot in '92).

The Brown/Hackett debate has to deal with two Democrats squaring off in the primaries. That's completely different. Now if Hackett decides to run as an Independent, then that would indeed be a similiar situation.

I have nothing against 3rd parties per se. In fact, I think they're a wonderful idea. I really despise the two-party system we have now. But realistically, the system we have in place all but marginalizes 3rd party candidates. IMHO, Bernie Sanders himself is a very rare example of a 3rd party success (at least at the national level).