[Megathread] Bernie Sanders 2016

[Skroe]

By staying in till the convention it gives Clinton a better chance to directly address the Sanders platform, gives the DNC a chance to officially integrate some things into the democratic platform, have his concession be public and ensure that at least some of the people who support Sanders feel that their concerns have been heard.

If he drops out early you don't get that big political show of reconciliation you instead get him "quitting early" and people writing him in. It would be an awful idea for him to concede at this point.

Not after Nevada. He lost electorally weeks ago - really March 14th he lost electorally. He lost morally today when he didn't nail his own supporters to the wall for their unacceptable conduct.

It's not time for him to go away. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama asks him to step aside in coming days.

[Yvaelle]

I like how Bernie is helping to further divide Democrats by not throwing in the towel and by doing so only helping Trump.

What a guy.

Could be worse, he could be helping Shillary crash the financial sector again, pass the TPP/TTIP, and flaunt an electoral system which is proudly undemocratic / plutocratic.

But hey, she's no longer opposed to gay marriage, so she deserves my vote... right?

I'd sooner elect a silly monkey wearing a tophat... an idiot orangutan wearing a toupee may be close enough.

[Magicalcrab]

I like how Bernie is helping to further divide Democrats by not throwing in the towel and by doing so only helping Trump.

What a guy.

I don't think it's fair to entirely put the blame on Sanders. If Clinton were a stronger candidate she wouldn't have a problem unifying the democratic party. I suspect you wouldn't see this kind of ideological split if it were any other candidate without the aforementioned "Clinton Baggage".

The truth is that a giant portion of the countrty doesn't like her, and while I don't think it's the only factor leading to the outrage I bet it's certainly playing a big part.

[hrugner]

Oh, more fun news. This election is proving more and more entertaining by the day.

http://ktvl.com/news/local/klamath-f...nd-in-dumpster

http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/31-...medium=twitter

- - - Updated - - -

Not after Nevada. He lost electorally weeks ago - really March 14th he lost electorally. He lost morally today when he didn't nail his own supporters to the wall for their unacceptable conduct.

It's not time for him to go away. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama asks him to step aside in coming days.

What unacceptable conduct? The violence that never happened?

[Wildtree]

Bernie, at this time, acts as a helluva VP for Trump.
Or say, no VP pick Trump comes up with, can have such positive impact to Trumps bid than Bernie shows at this time.
It's sad.
There's a difference between trying to achieve change, to end the so called Status Quo, and plain simple counterproductive power hunger.
He better changes back to normal, soon.

[Dextroden]

I like how Bernie is helping to further divide Democrats by not throwing in the towel and by doing so only helping Trump.

What a guy.

Oh, his dumb ass needs to keep running. In fact, I really hope he completely ignores the writing on the wall and goes full spoiler mode. The longer he keeps running the "The party I'm running under are all corrupt fucks" banner and his supporters keep being a bunch of violent shits in response to losing, the more toxic him and his ideas remain in politics.

He and his ilk so concerned about being the big cheese that no one seems to notice that they need support of those "democratic whores" and "paid shills" to win. But it is certainly fun to watch.

[Frozen Death Knight]

I like how Bernie is helping to further divide Democrats by not throwing in the towel and by doing so only helping Trump.

What a guy.

Hillary has far more responsibility in regards to uniting the party than Bernie has. She made it abundantly clear that she has no interest in trying to win people over because she expects people to vote for her on the basis that she is leading. What is more destructive, that Bernie is still fighting in the primaries, or that Hillary is too arrogant and oblivious as to why people do not want to vote for her in the presidential election? As for me, I pick the latter.

[Shadowferal]

If Hillary can't win over Bernie supporters then she doesn't deserve to be president.

Bernie may be going down for the count, but he's going down swinging.

All fighters are pig-headed some way or another: some part of them always thinks they know better than you about something. Truth is: even if they're wrong, even if that one thing is going to be the ruin of them, if you can beat that last bad out of them... they ain't fighters at all.
---Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris

[Deleted]

If Hillary can't win over Bernie supporters then she doesn't deserve to be president.

...which might be harsh to say, but then again, the president has to be the president of all people, not just a quarter of the voting population. If Hillary can't "unify" even her own side, then how can she do that with the entire country?

[Dextroden]

...which might be harsh to say, but then again, the president has to be the president of all people, not just a quarter of the voting population. If Hillary can't "unify" even her own side, then how can she do that with the entire country?

Can I place the same question on Bernie since it seems he and his supporters seem to invite divisiveness?

[Shadowferal]

Can I place the same question on Bernie since it seems he and his supporters seem to invite divisiveness?

Since he's the much touted "outsider" he seems to be doing precisely what he's all about to begin with...from last year up until now.

Nothing has changed except delegate count and Hillary going "Quit so I have money to spend later. Stop making me rail against my Wall Street buddies dammit! And stop making me look like the establishment..o shit."

[Magicalcrab]

Can I place the same question on Bernie since it seems he and his supporters seem to invite divisiveness?

In what sense?

The problem, to me at least, doesn't seem to stem from Bernie Sanders or his positions. It's just that throughout the campaign they've managed to highlight quite a few issues with a Clinton candidacy that many democrats have trouble reconciling. Those problems won't go away if Sanders gets out of the race. They are inherently tied to Clinton, just as they were in 2008.

If Clinton doesn't want to appeal to that particular branch of the democratic base, then I'm afraid that bitterness and disenfranchisement follows as a natural consequence. Now, some of you might say that it doesn't matter/she doesn't need their support, but I still don't see why you'd be surprised when people are frustrated or "divided" when a candidate refuses to appeal to a sizeable portion of her presumed base.

[Shadowferal]

If Clinton turns around and throws Sanders under the bus at the DNC, then I can see him running as an Independent.
It's not so much about him at this point. It's about those that have supported him and got him this far. You don't tell them that they don't matter when Sanders is the one at their back. They represent too much a large portion of the electorate. And they are far more passionate and angry than Clinton supporters.

Clinton has to win them over.
Bernie isn't interest in winning over Wall Street.

[Dextroden]

In what sense?

The problem, to me at least, doesn't seem to stem from Bernie Sanders or his positions. It's just that throughout the campaign they've managed to highlight quite a few issues with a Clinton candidacy that many democrats have trouble reconciling. Those problems won't go away if Sanders gets out of the race. They are inherently tied to Clinton, just as they were in 2008.

If Clinton doesn't want to appeal to that particular branch of the democratic base, then I'm afraid that bitterness and disenfranchisement follows as a natural consequence. Now, some of you might say that it doesn't matter/she doesn't need their support, but I still don't see why you'd be surprised when people are frustrated or "divided" when a candidate refuses to appeal to a sizeable portion of her presumed base.

I've been noting that a fair amount of people that support Hillary are tarred and feathered, along with politicians not on the Bernie train getting death threats now. How is he going to rectify poisoning the well when it comes time to pander for support from what he and his followers view as a corrupt government and mindless thralls?

Like shit. At what point did you think you outnumbered them so badly that you don't need their support? The part where Bernie ran underneath the "corrupt party" to get visibility? The part where he's lagging behind on the popular vote? Or the part where it's just about mathematically impossible for his dumb ass to get the delegates for a contested convention?

[Wildtree]

Watching the vids from the Nevada convention... Those ass clowns behaved like they were at some WWE event and freaked out at some heel action.

If these people are the country's future.. Good night Lorelei

[Matchles]

But hey, she's no longer opposed to gay marriage, so she deserves my vote... right?

Can we stop pretending Sanders was ever on the forefront of the gay marriage movement? He voted against DOMA because he wanted to leave it to the states to discriminate. He refused to come out in support of gay marriage in Vermont in the late 90s.

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/f...nt?oid=2291039

Obtaining Congressman Bernie Sanders’ position on the gay marriage issue was like pulling teeth...from a rhinoceros. Last month, shortly after the decision of the Amestoy Court was issued, Mr. Sanders publicly tried walking the tightrope — applauding the court’s decision and the cause of equal rights without supporting civil marriage for same-sex couples.

This week we were no more successful getting a straight answer. All we did get was a carefully crafted non-statement statement via e-mail from Washington D.C. And Bernie’s statement wins him the Vermont congressional delegation’s Wishy-Washy Award hands down.

Once more he “applauds” the court decision but won’t go anywhere near choosing between same-sex “marriage” and domestic partnership. “By all accounts the legislature is approaching this issue in a considered and appropriate manner and I support the current process.”

Supports the current process, does he? What a courageous radical!

That’s as far as Ol’ Bernardo would go. It’s an election year, yet despite the lack of a serious challenger, The Bern’s gut-level paranoia is acting up. He’s afraid to say something that might alienate his conservative, rebel-loving rural following out in the hills. Something that could be interpreted as “Bernie Loves Queers!”

[BrerBear]

Watching the vids from the Nevada convention... Those ass clowns behaved like they were at some WWE event and freaked out at some heel action.

If these people are the country's future.. Good night Lorelei

The Sanders delegate behavior in Nevada was stomach-turning, but worse was Sanders' own response to it.
Walking away when asked about it by reporters.
His "I don't condone violence, but..." non-apology.
I respected Sanders once, but those days are long gone. Will not vote for him under any circumstance now. He's just poisonous.

[Kontinuum]

Bernie Sanders is trying to persuade Democratic Party superdelegates backing Hillary Clinton to flip their allegiance as a last-ditch bid for the nomination, but one Sanders supporter is going the other way.
Emmett Hansen II, the Democratic National Committeeman for the U.S. Virgin Islands, decided to shift his support to Clinton after a weekend briefing on her plans for U.S. territories that followed months of dissatisfaction with Sanders’ lack of concrete positions.
His reasons go right to the heart of Clinton's critique of the Sanders campaign. Hansen said that while he’s a believer in sweeping change, he also wants to get things done.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/ar...ips-to-clinton

[Deleted]

I'm sure Clinton will do a lot for the Virgin Islands once she gets elected. Let's get back to that in 2017 shall we? I'm telling you, she won't even remember such a place exists by then. What the hell does she care about Virgin Islands? There's nothing to be gained from helping them once she's on the throne.

But... Hey. One superdelegate flipflopping, as superdelegates do, makes for a great soundbite when it's against Sanders. Just one more easy hatchet aimed at Sanders' back.

[Matchles]

I'm sure Clinton will do a lot for the Virgin Islands once she gets elected. Let's get back to that in 2017 shall we? I'm telling you, she won't even remember such a place exists by then. What the hell does she care about Virgin Islands? There's nothing to be gained from helping them once she's on the throne.

But... Hey. One superdelegate flipflopping, as superdelegates do, makes for a great soundbite when it's against Sanders. Just one more easy hatchet aimed at Sanders' back.

I must've missed Sanders' huge Virgin Islands platform.