...huge Bernie fan. He could win big in a civilized country. He can not win here. Electing a progressive in America is like doing rice cultivation in the Gobi Desert. Nothing positive and life-affirming can grow in our desiccated soils. That's the tragedy, which some want to blame on the democratic party functionaries or Fox News or a change in the barometric pressure. Any narrative will do if it keeps us from facing reality. We live in an open-air lunatic asylum.
9
People are claiming the job is too demanding for 80 year old Bernie Sanders. We know that the job is actually one of the least demanding in America. The current President spends the overwhelming majority of time tweeting, golfing, watching Fox News and gorging himself with fast food. By all accounts, he does virtually zero work.
9
When does the Democratic Party finally put an end to the ability of independents to claim membership and run for office on an ad hoc sign-up into the party? I don't disagree with many of Sanders' positions. I do disagree that he claims to be an independent but functions as a spoiler.
16
Wait -- that's not what I heard!
"He plus Russian interference brought us Trump."
I thought it was Russian interference all by itself that brought us Trump. Bernie helped too? Did he know he was part of the plot, or was he duped by the Russkies just like the rest of us?
I'll bet Bernie got his marching orders from the Kremlin when he went there on his honeymoon, and he's been waiting ever since to carry them out. Those Socialists are nothing if not patient! It's a well-known fact! And they NEVER release their medical records. Or their tax returns. (Two more well-known facts.)
6
I think Nader gave us W and Bernie - Donald.........I'm looking at Amy the way I first looked at Obama.
12
Slightly better coverage than I expected from the Times, although below the fold. Similar to the coverage on MSNBC--not nearly as important as the 3000th round of "breaking news" about the Russia investigation. I haven't seen anyone else in the field who presents the issues as clearly as Bernie. For example, Amy Klobuchar smiles and says free tuition at state colleges comes after you get a magic wand. That magic wand is always at the ready for things like an 18-year war in Iraq or a credit card for Israel at the defense manufacturers' store. Time to make a donation to Bernie.
26
Pretty disruptive, it appears:
"I didn’t realize how disruptive Bernie was to the delicate people who voted for Trump or Hillary."
Hooda thunk it, eh? I guess most of us didn't notice all that "smirking and winking" Bernie was doing.
The real problem is that people tend to believe what they see and hear. If people would just learn to ignore their senses, they'd have figured out right from the get go that Bernie Sanders was faking it. This obsession with personal experience has got to end!
7
The Democrats need a younger Bernie-style candidate with similar beliefs.
Kamala Harris fits that description.
3
I don't see why someone would vote for him over the other candidates that are copying his positions.
7
The five key beliefs of a servant leader
1. Citizens and government want the same things.
2. Technique counts less than intent.
3. Solutions don’t have inherent value (one size doesn't fit all)
4. We all Should Promote Methodology
5. World - class inquiry precedes world - class advocacy
set the groundwork for a process that allows government to deal with complicated issues (immigration, free markets, externalities) in an honest, straightforward manner where we can discover all issues and needs, gather the hard information needed to create solutions that puts our country’s sustainability above all else. Accepting what is (I may not be the best person for a job), is the first step to create an accurate plan to proactive leadership. Proactive behavior involves acting in advance of a future situation, rather than just reacting. The task of objectively seeing yourself can be difficult. Before a person can lead others he/she has to lead him/herself through surrender. Surrender is not the same thing as resignation. One can surrender to the reality of a situation and still take steps to create a different path. The concept of “motivation” is very important for a leader and challenges the assumption that acceptance will lead to a lack of motivation. I think we can experience a more effective motivation when we surrender. I prefer to be inspired by Howard Schultz's well thought out plan than by anxiety.
1
Let's hope this time around Bernie and his team realize that facts matter, and Bernie stops parroting Putin talking points. By any means necessary does not lead to a greater respect for human rights.
5
Two weeks ago, Howard Schultz released his book, “ From The Ground Up” and began a talking tour in order to decide if he’ll run for President as an Independent candidate. Regardless of who wins, we have to create transparent processes that can exist in perpetuity. These are my 5 beliefs as a servant leader,
1. Citizens and government want the same things.
2. Technique counts less than intent.
3. Solutions don’t have inherent value (one size doesn't fit all)
4. We all Should Promote Methodology
5. World - class inquiry precedes world - class advocacy
Disadvantages of socialism include slow economic growth, less entrepreneurial opportunity and competition, and a potential lack of motivation by individuals due to lesser rewards. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's 70% tax rate for high income earners, comes to mind. Whereas, the Trump administration has been an aberration, an outrage, but most of all, a great big fraud. Voters who thought President Trump would at least try to fulfill his populist, America-first campaign promises are still waiting. Trump placates these supporters with rhetoric, distracts them with cultural warfare and encourages them to seek refuge in cultural chauvinism. Both Ms. Cortez and Mr. Trump’s ideas are half truths and smoke-and-mirrors of often repeated Republican and Democratic economic policy talking points.
1
The absence of sensible political representation has clouded the American dream by extremists of both Democrats and Republicans. Instead today, we’re harshly & repeatedly reminded we’re not all equal. Access to most opportunities are subsidized by access to wealth. The Trump administration’s hiring practice at times ignores much of the sciences, engineering, technology, management and skills of labor an individual possesses coinciding with an individual's ability to learn, understand and articulate effectively these areas of study. Unequal results of human achievement conjure up simplistic notions of injustice, akin to a Trump speech at one of his political rallies. Trump fails to encourage an American society in which the dignity of each person - not one’s station, or employment, or the accumulation of goods - is the prime consideration, equality of opportunity can exist. Regardless, individuals most often learn these harsh truths through self discovery in the pursuit of relative financial sustainability. Unfortunately, prior to self discovery, human impulse is generally towards equality or generosity. Equality is as undesirable as it is unrealizable. Attempting to achieve equality requires that each of us forego who we are and what we can do in order to create something in which no one ultimately believes - a society everybody is the same or has the same.
1
The Dems winning ticket in 2016 was Bernie and Warren. But she refused to endorse him so Merkley became Bernie's only Senate supporter. Warren put her fear ahead of serious politics, something we should remember in the primaries.
11
Independents, why don't people who know the open-source community exists universally exhibit free-rider behavior waiting for others to do the work they need, or (if they do the work themselves) not bothering to contribute the work back into the commons? Part of the answer lies in the fact that people don't merely need solutions, they need solutions on time. It's seldom possible to predict when someone else will finish a given piece of needed work. If the payoff from fixing a bug or adding a feature is sufficient to any potential contributor, that person will dive in & do it (at which point the fact that everyone else is a free rider becomes irrelevant). Another part of the answer lies in the fact that the putative market value of small patches to a common source base is hard to capture. Being reactive by only sitting on the patch gains nothing. Indeed, it incurs a future cost—the effort involved in re-merging the patch into the source base in each new release. So the payoff from this choice is actually negative. Instead of standing on the sidelines waiting for solutions to drop from the sky, I've written this easily accessible comment hoping it encourages people to think. Suppose you realize my comment has a monetary value; how do I collect $? We all can win if we see money for what it really is, a social construct that promotes exchange through trust. To put it more positively, I gain from the reader’s input and potential input from different groups (constructive criticism)
We should enable Americans to form habitual ways to meet certain needs or solve day-to-day problems instead of divide and conquer political tactics. Tell yourself, “greatness is the perception that virtue is enough”. Unfortunately, the common person often lacks virtue, instead we avoid looking within ourselves to make self-improvements to increase our value in the free market. The weakest rebuttal to what I propose is that no market is absolutely free; a frail objection since all things exists in the margins. I advocate for capitalism by arguing the economic pendulum should swing more in the direction of the free market in order to promote a better quality of life for the masses. Ideally, we could balance our lives, with clearly defined goals and a realistic understanding of outcome. Put another way, individuals must know and understand the probability and effectiveness of their actions in order to reach their goals. I think we need to be both constructively skeptical and virtuous while helping those in need. Since gauging need is subjective, it opens up the door for misinterpretation and disagreement regarding distribution. How do we qualify, quantify and communicate an individual’s need? Who’s the agent of interpretation? let us by all means seek to increase opportunities for all. We have to proceed knowing to increase opportunities for all is likely to favor those better able to take advantage of them and may often first increase inequalities.
I think Bernie should know by now most Americans have an intuitive model of cooperative behavior that stems from two linked fears, one of being taken advantage of and another of under producing for lack of opportunities. If nominated, I'd chose to run as an Independent because I don’t believe in political parties or assigned labels. I find the Independent label is the least polarizing label I could choose from in order to expediently appeal to the common person. My goal would be to create a way, a path, for us to work with citizens and government in a format that eliminates these ingrained labels and fears by transparently communicating how our choices have (supply and demand) real world implications. On the demand side, the commons situation encourages a race to the bottom by overuse—what economists call a congested–public-good problem. On the supply side, the commons rewards free-rider behavior—removing or diminishing incentives for individual actors to invest in developing more output. The tragedy of the commons predicts only three possible outcomes. One is the sea of mud many think we have today. Another is for some actor with coercive power to enforce an allocation policy on behalf of the village (the socialist/communist solution). The third is for the commons to break up as village members, fence-off bits they can defend and manage sustainably.
"Howard Schultz for president!"
I heard Schultz is offering free lattes to everyone who votes -- and you won't even have to swear that you voted for Schultz. Can any other candidate, from any party, top that?
Schultz didn't say he'll be offering free Frappuccinos, but I guess that won't matter much in November, since it will be too cold outside for Frappuccinos anyway. I think most voters will prefer a hot drink -- and they'll be really grateful to Schultz for offering one.
But what about people who don't vote until after work? Won't the caffeine keep them awake? Maybe Schultz is offering decaffeinated lattes too, but he hasn't said anything about that. My guess is that he'll give voters a choice.
1
Bernie seems no less a narcissist than Trump. If he truly cared for the country, only, he would not add to the current field of contenders in the Democratic party. By doing so, he is dividing the electorate so that no one Democrat will be able to gain the momentum to triumph over Trump in 2020. Is this not really about a nearly 80 year old man wanting to stay relevant?
17
@Josiah Ben-David
Translation: "If Sanders really cared about the country he'd put the needs of the Democratic Party above the needs of the country."
Uh-huh...
10
Perhaps this commenter can explain:
"[Bernie Sanders is] just as much of an isolationist and over protectionist as Trump ... "
"Isolationist" -- I get that. But what in the world is an "over protectionist?" If I see one, will I have time to cross to the other side of the street? And should I, or will it be good enough just to whistle absent-mindedly as I pass him?
3
The Democrats' argument that an Independent candidate could split the vote and help Trump get re-elected is valid, backed by research but not absolute. We should question all things and avoid being passive since democracy calls for free and open elections with citizen involvement that's open to compromise. Unfortunately, the brain is designed with blind spots, optical and psychological, and one of its cleverest tricks is to confer on us the comforting delusion that we, personally, do not have any. In a sense…people unintentionally blind themselves so that they fail to notice vital events and information that might make them question their behavior or their convictions.
Sanders has been consistent for decades. The crowded field is back peddling days after supporting key issues. Kamala Harris backed out of full healthcare. Using dog whistles like "access to healthcare" which means noting at all. Access after bankruptcies, access if you had money? Replace access with healthcare. People should have healthcare, not people should have access to healthcare. Remember what the corrupt DNC did to Sanders, do you think a candidate will emerge from that who can be trusted?
17
Sanders as a citizen has the right to enter the Presidential race. However, if he 'puts his country before himself', then he should either run as a Democrat or not run at all. The 2016 election once again proved that third party candidates serve the purpose of diminishing the number of votes the 2 major parties would receive. The USA political system was, is and will always be 2 parties. A third party only muddies up the waters, and at this time it is crucial that the Republican Party must be defeated to save the country's democracy. Sanders could very likely prevent that from happening, as the voter, as always, votes from her/his heart, gut, wallet or tradition and not from her/his brain. We need honest government first and foremost, then we can work for the benefits of: education for all, national health care system, gun control etc etc etc - the list of what Americans need to improve their quality of life is l-o-n-g. Sanders' candidacy will cut it off at the knees.
4
Go Bernie, You are the only one I hear so far who is brave enough to describe Trump in the most concise, precise and perceptive manner. No watering it down or sanitising it for the general public. You tell it how it is. A credit to your honesty, assertiveness and integrity.
19
And all this time I've thought it was the Russians!
"Sorry Bernie, your failure to support the Democratic nominee in a strong and timely manner 2016 gave us Trump."
Or was it both?
Bernie's always had this thing about Russians, after all. I heard he changed his name from Sanderchinsky, or something like that, and that his great-grandparents actually lived in Russia at one point (or was it his great aunt?).
2
Not really:
"Hard to believe that the Democratic Party would allows a non-Dem--one who disdains the party and ran under its aegis for the "free publicity"--to run on its ticket at all, much less twice."
Did you know Trump was a Republican before he ran? I suspect you didn't. Even Trump himself probably didn't know, and he's often bragged about his prior "friendship" with the Clintons (who reportedly attended his wedding).
US voters often prefer a candidate whose political leanings aren't known in advance, especially if the candidate isn't a career politician. For example, everyone was pretty sure Dwight Eisenhower was a slam-dunk in 1952, but neither party was quite sure about his politics. Turns out Eisenhower (like most military leaders) was a Republican, but that was not known at the time.
3
He is a great liberal voice, with some awesome ideal(s), but his unrealistic run for office only dilutes the hope for those with a chance.
3
If Sanders were to win the nomination in 2020, I hope those commenters who are against him and wrote such things as this
---
"1. Where are Bernies tax returns and medical records?"
"Sorry Bernie, your failure to support the Democratic nominee in a strong and timely manner 2016 gave us Trump."
---
but who consider themselves against Trump would vote for him anyway, come November 2020, just as I and all the Sanders supporters I know did for Clinton in 2016.
I'd feel so much more confident about the future if I could see some of those commitments.
6
2691 comments - It's interesting to see that the "Readers Picks" split fairly evenly for/against Sanders. Usually Readers Picks tend to voice the same general opinion though they may be a wide variety of views expressed in "All"
My conclusion is that Sanders is still a very compelling and persuasive person with the charisma and commitment to hold on to his supporters despite his age, "socialist" label and so forth.
For those who wish not to see him in the race - There are clearly some good people running but you need a candidate to emerge from the pack with a similar kind of nationwide appeal. Hasn't happened yet but the night's still young.
8
@J Jencks -
"you need a candidate to emerge from the pack"
No way to edit or I'd have added this. In fact, the plethora of potential candidates may work to Sanders' advantage because he has a head start, a national organization, huge email/funding base already in place, ... Whereas the other candidates are not only competing with him but with each other, essentially dividing up the Non-Sanders voters.
Personally, I'd like to see some early coalition building between candidates. Rather than focusing on the single individual we would get a stronger result in 2020 if we, in particular our candidates, thought about teaming up to offer tickets, such as Klobuchar/O'Rourke (just an example). Someone else wrote something I really liked, a sizable group joining together to run as a team, Sanders for president, Brown for VP, Warren for Sec. of Commerce (due to her banking policies), etc.
Proposing and running as a team would present an image of party unity (important for some people though not for me) and suggest a real vision and plan for the future.
I believe we place too much importance in the figurehead of the president and would do well to focus on a team this time.
6
I feel like I'm being gaslighted when I read these comments about Bernie Sanders causing "terrible divisiveness... smirking and winking as too many of his supporters engaged in misogyny", racism, and the like. I supported him with a critical eye in 2016, and I never saw (with my own eyes/ears) behavior aligning with those descriptions. Where is the evidence? I would drop my support for him like a hot potato if people would just show some evidence, rather than throw out these strong opinions that appear to be biased. But please, prove me wrong! Show me the evidence (not your impression of the evidence)!
20
@Jenny - I feel the same. But rest assured, somewhere among the hundreds of hours of newsreel footage of his 2016 rallies, somewhere among the crowds of 10-20,000 people at those various rallies, there is someone smirking and winking, and a journalist on hand with a camera to record it. Talk to enough people and one of them will say something misogynistic. That will, of course, be quoted and spread all over the internet. These kinds of half-truths are just a damaging to our civic discourse as lies.
3
@Jenny You don't remember Bernie "smirking and winking?" Always keep this in mind: Just because something didn't happen doesn't mean it didn't happen. Don't draw conclusions based on what you see and hear; wait until you've read what happened, and believe that.
2
I didn’t realize how disruptive Bernie was to the delicate people who voted for Trump or Hillary. We have progressive democrats because Bernie turned the light bulb on for many white Americans who live in their own world. Bernie graphically displayed by charts, numbers , videos of what was happening in America. His speeches gave life to the horrors of poor people in this country who are living a nightmare. He energized the Bernie burn . Bernie did not use the poor as supporting actors in a low rated tv show in the manner that con man Trump did,
Bernie apologized for the sexual harassment done to his staffers. He stood tall while Trump has been an embarrassment to this world and the country.
The past is the past but to be angry that Bernie is going to run again shows once again how small minded we can be at the wrong time. We should be looking at the best candidate not being stuck in backwardness.
This is America not the Make America great Trump white America. Everyone no matter there color has the right to be a part of the election process.
I would rather have an older statesman who believes in America, who is a socialist democrat not a pro Russian understands the constitution laws and how a democratic government functions. Who isn’t alwAys getting over like the GOP
With our vote we will select an indidual who cares about democracy to represent all of us. We can’t let anyone keep us from our North Star.
22
@Tony not a pro Russian? The Kremlin wanted him in 2016 and he employed thad Devine and did not vote for sanctions or the magninsky act.
That so many modern Democrats are offended by this statement tells me everything I need to know about modern Democrats.
“We have got to look at candidates, you know, not by the color of their skin, not by their sexual orientation or their gender and not by their age,” Mr. Sanders said. “I think we have got to try to move us toward a nondiscriminatory society which looks at people based on their abilities, based on what they stand for”.
15
Sorry Bernie, your failure to support the Democratic nominee in a strong and timely manner 2016 gave us Trump. And you never have a viable plan to pay for very expensive programs. I find you self-aggrandizing and in love with yourself.
14
Bernie got behind Hilary right away after the back stabbing that happened before the democratic convention. He was the bigger person and tried to support her doomed candidacy that only deceipt and skulduggery won her. I'm tired of Bernie being blamed for being victimized by the DNC.
8
1. Where are Bernies tax returns and medical records?
2.Did everyone forget the Kremlin wanted Bernie in 2016? No one really knows why the Kremlin only wanted Bernie and Trump it couldn't have just been to harm Clinton otherwise why'd the Kremlin also want to harm Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio during the Republican primaries? My theory; they want an isolationist and an overprotectionist.
3. Thad DaVine- why is a liberal employing a Manafort and Kremlin connected political operative who has kept dictators in power?
4. Didn't vote for the Magninsky Act
5. Didn't vote for sanctions against Russia
6.2016 baggage-I already know people who won't vote Bernie
7. He's just as much of an isolationist and over protectionist as Trump and also wanted trade war causing tariffs and to pull us out of TPP even though a majority didn't want to pull out of TPP. He spent years in office trying to pull America out of NAFTA, TPP, and the WTO. Rebuilding relations with our allies will require abandoning overprotectionism and isolationism
8. He endorsed prolife conservative candidates in 2017
9. His volatile temperament (in 16' held Clinton's campaign hostage by threatening to be spoiler by continuing his campaign after he lost until she pulled out TPP)
10. He also wanted to abruptly pull America out of Syria and the middle east to partially pay for all of his "free" things
11. 30 + year career politician w/over 3 decades worth of political baggage
12. Grievance/resentment based politician like Trump
8
Democrats should remember that the object of entering an election is to win it.
Therefore the choice of a nominee should be to that end and only to that end.
Bernie as presidential nominee is a non starter.
In fact Bernie even in the race to be presidential nominee is already a bonus for Trump going by the antics of Bernie and his suppprters in 2016, which effectively spot the party.
The system makes no sense where a candidate in the primaries has his own policy. The party should decide its policy and then those fighting the primaries should argue they are the best person to stand on the agreed policies.
17
Why can't these Independents who plan on running for President understand that as much as some may like them, it would be handing the Presidency back to "t" on a silver platter.
In Sanders case, some of his ideas are way too radical.....not at all plausible. And more important, he's too old. Relax Bernie and take advantage of AARP.
9
Howard Schultz for president! May the best man win.
I don’t see any democrat beating Trump. Furthermore, we need someone that can UNITE the country, not divide it further. Schultz will hopefully be able to gather republican and democratic votes.
1
Bernie's the real deal. As the Porsche ads used to say: There is no substitute. :)
19
Did Bernie smirk and wink in 2016? I guess I missed that. I'll bet you did too!
"Bernie Sanders created terrible divisiveness in 2016, smirking and winking as too many of his supporters engaged in misogyny."
7
Wait -- I know the answers!
"1. Where are Bernies tax returns and medical records?
2. Did everyone forget the Kremlin wanted Bernie in 2016?"
I'm pretty sure Bernie left his tax returns and his medical records in a desk drawer in the Kremlin -- second drawer from the bottom on the left side.
There. Next question!
3
Too bitter. Presidential candidates need to inspire.
12
Bernie/Biden. How's that for a slogan?
2
As a Canadian who follows American politics closely, I just want to add that Bernie Sanders was an inspiring candidate in 2016 not only for Americans but for people all over the world who value economic/social equality, affordable access to healthcare for all, and the health of our planet.
I’m encouraged to see Bernie run again and pleased to see many of his ideas embraced by others candidates. I hope voter turnout will be record breaking in 2020! Americans deserve better!
25
Our planet is on the verge of mass extinctions. If we do not address the problems facing the environment, we may perish as a species before the end of this century. Are you listening everyone who has children and grandchildren? I would like to see all the children of this world have a future and life into the next century. What candidate is fighting for that? That's the candidate I'm voting for and I don't care if that person is 40 or 80.
21
@C,
You may enjoy this Town Hall Meeting back in Dec. '18 Sen. Sanders had with AOC, before she took office, Bill McKibben, Shailene Woodley, and Van Jones to discuss climate change and the Green New Deal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFvMqB728Zw
5
Bernie Sanders is the the new democratic candidate that all others now base their agenda on. In 2016 democrats based their agenda on HRC, except many, as myself, never endorsed the HRC platform of wealthy democrats. They are no different than wealthy republicans and hence the divide within the party...two different ideals- one for pro corporations (capitalism) and one for pro social ideas ( for people).
Which party do you stand with as a democrat?
Last election you showed us...and who's agenda are you incorporating for 2020?
Bernie Sanders for America Today!
As Tom Friedman piece tries to say it's a divide in the party; it's an agenda the people want, not the corporations/financials, and HRC democrats think if they join Bernie Sanders platform... you'll win?
America is changing today.
Give your financial/voting support to Bernie Sanders in 2020.
If one really wants to defeat a Donald Trump.
2016 - one need say more... to the party? Compromise!
18
Wait just gosh-darn minute there!
"Did everyone forget the Kremlin wanted Bernie in 2016?"
I thought the Kremlin wanted Trump. Now you tell me they wanted Bernie?
One thing that tells me: The Kremlin sure didn't want Hillary to win. I guess that means I agree with the Kremlin on SOMETHING.
7
He still has a woman problem, a race problem, an age problem, a chip-on-his shoulder problem, and a bro problem. Stay in the Senate, Bernie.
15
Hard to believe that the Democratic Party would allows a non-Dem--one who disdains the party and ran under its aegis for the "free publicity"--to run on its ticket at all, much less twice. Dumb.
He plus Russian interference brought us Trump. He was popular in small Republican states that hold caucuses that can be easily gamed. The sorest of losers.
The fact that he joined up again is indicative of his ego (and what he is shrieking is hardly original). Sad that so many fell for the "free lunch" campaign. My parents taught me that nothing was free. May he exit soon.
8
Bravo! I couldn’t agree more.
I recall him winning the small Republican state of Michigan, did he not?
3
We're fond of him, but I think my wife summed it up this morning:
"Sit back down, sir."
19
Never Bernie.
But for Sanders, Trump would not be president. If Bernie hadn’t insisted on endlessly dragging out the primary process even after it was clear he couldn’t win, and if he had made a sincere effort to get himself and his Bernie Babies behind Hillary, we would have a president in the WH committed to fighting climate change, dealing appropriately with our allies and enemies abroad, appointing good judges, helping the middle class, and NOT stealing money to build a pointless wall over Congress’s objections.
Bernie cares about Bernie, more than he cares about our country.
18
LOL. Gotta love the Hillary fans still in denial. Everyone was to blame for Hillary losing, except Hillary herself. Consider: Head to head, she lost against Trump. That takes some special talent -- don't sell her short.
13
Don't get your hopes up:
"Clinton will remain in the background ... But she will become a candidate after the rest of the pack members have torn one another to shreds."
For better or worse (better, in my view), Hillary Clinton has been placed forever in the dust bin of history.
9
Maybe; maybe not. One thing for sure, though: If the Democrats lose, Bernie will be blamed.
"Bernie ... will help Trump win four more years.
3
Can't exactly the same thing be said about ANY Democratic candidate?
"Bernie will do one thing: re-elect Trump."
Won't EVERY Democratic candidate try to distinguish herself or himself from the others, and won't that mean saying negative things about the other candidates, or about their policies, or both? How, exactly, is Bernie Sanders different? Is he different only because he came too close last time?
9
Again, as I've been saying to friends for months: Once the crowd has gathered, that is the staggeringly sprawling field of Democratic hopefuls, Hillary Clinton will enter the fray at the very last moment.
Bernie Sanders just looks foolish. He has not a shred of a chance on the national stage; merely with the Socialist zealots. And I'm no Republican. The Democrats need a viable candidate and not one that has been mentioned recently fits that bill.
Clinton will remain in the background until the deadline to lessen her time as a political target. But she will become a candidate after the rest of the pack members have torn one another to shreds..
2
Bernie is too right wing for today's Democratic Party.
3
Bernie has a beautiful smile. I hope to see it more.
14
1. Where are Bernies tax returns and medical records?
2.Did everyone forget the Kremlin wanted Bernie in 2016? No one really knows why the Kremlin only wanted Bernie and Trump it couldn't have just been to harm Clinton otherwise why'd the Kremlin also want to harm Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio during the Republican primaries? My theory; they want an isolationist and an overprotectionist.
3. Thad DaVine- why is a liberal employing a Manafort and Kremlin connected political operative who has kept dictators in power?
4. Didn't vote for the Magninsky Act
5. Didn't vote for sanctions against Russia
6.2016 baggage-I already know people who won't vote Bernie
7. He's just as much of an isolationist and over protectionist as Trump and also wanted trade war causing tariffs and to pull us out of TPP even though a majority didn't want to pull out of TPP. He spent years in office trying to pull America out of NAFTA, TPP, and the WTO. Rebuilding relations with our allies will require abandoning overprotectionism and isolationism
8. He endorsed prolife conservative candidates in 2017
9. His volatile temperament (in 16' held Clinton's campaign hostage by threatening to be spoiler by continuing his campaign after he lost)
10. He also wanted to abruptly pull America out of Syria and the middle east to partially pay for all of his "free" things
11. 30 + year career politician w/over 3 decades worth of political baggage
12. Grievance/resentment based politician like Trump
3
Seems that Bernie raised $4 million today. That's not nothing.
13
@rtj
Wowzer! Maybe he can afford another trip to the Vatican.
3
Did it ever occur to you that Bernie didn't enthusiastically support Hillary because he didn't think much of her?
"I didn't see him get behind the Dems ticket."
One can say "Fight the good fight, but back the winner if you lose," but how many of us can really do that? And if one CAN do it, doesn't it make one's recent opposition look a tad insincere?
10
Isn't it time for young blood? Mr. Sanders, I gave you money for your previous campaign and you did not run as a Democrat. How can I believe in you now?
3
Sanders moment has passed. Celebrityhood, nothing more.
14
Bernie will do one thing: re-elect Trump. No thank you, Bernie. Go away.
15
Just two questions for Senator Sanders :(1) Will he re-register as a Democrat (and urge his "Independent" supporters to do so) so he can appear on the ballot in the 14 states that hold closed primaries and supporters can vote for him ? and (2) if not, will he complain, like he did in 2016, that closed primaries are "undemocratic"?
4
@Richard uh,,,"closed" primaries ARE undemocratic. Why do you have to register for a party in advance just to vote for a candidate in a primary. Why do you need to prevent MORE votes rather than encourage MORE votes??
13
@Sarah M in 2016 39% of voters who voted for Bernie in the west Virginia primaries had no intention of voting for Bernie in the general election. Open primaries allow disingenuous voters to vote and allowing independents votes in party elections divides the party. Independents will vote for one candidate and party members will vote for a different candidate and divisions will occur. If u want to vote in a party be a member. Bernie is just trying to alter the primary rules to give himself a personalized advantage he's not doing if out of altruism.
8
@Sarah M
Why wouldn't you register? You're preventing yourself from voting.
When Bernie announced his candidacy I established a daily news gathering push. Every day for 16 months I read the mainstream presses accounts of the campaign. Myths abound regarding Bernie Sanders's 2016 candidacy. (1) People complain that he shouldn't have run on the Democratic ticket. He did that so he would not split the vote in the general election and throw the election to Trump. (2) People complain about his "divisiveness." A review of the debate videos show his respect for Mrs. Clinton and the issues involved. As a matter of fact, during the third primary debate, Clinton sneered at Bernie throughout. (3) People say that the DNC treated him gently. In fact, the DNC engaged in numerous acts of destruction against Bernie's campaign. One that sticks in this Californian's craw is the announcement the night before the primary that Hillary had "clinched" the number of delegates she needed to prevail in the primary. That was untrue, but this worldwide publication of this untruth the night before the primary left no time to correct the record. (4) The Nevada caucus was marred because Bernie delegates were not recognized and their ability to hold a floor vote was taken away from them. They protested (nonviolently-despite erroneous reports of chair-throwing) and our CA Senator Boxer "flipped them off." There's video. There's so much more. I am ashamed of the actions of my party during the last campaign.
30
I don’t know if any of that’s true, but let’s say it is. How is complaining about it three years later, after the Democratic Party has revised its rules in acknowledgement of these complaints, going to help beat Donald Trump?
This is the only question progressives and Dems need ask themselves this election season, every time we take an action: “Is what I’m about to do, say or post going to help beat Trump?” Because there is nothing else that matters. 4 more years of Trump and America is over.
So: we gonna relegislate 2016 — even after the Dem party has made changes to its primary process in a nod to the Sanders-favoring wing of the party? Or are we going to pull together and beat Donald Trump? Are we going to post angry anti-Democratic-Party rants or get down to the business of picking a candidate and then uniting behind that person, be it Bernie or not? If you prefer posting the rants go right ahead. But understand that it won’t change the past, and it won’t help the future.
2
It actually does matter if the reasons people are giving for not supporting Bernie are due to what happened in 2016. Bernie was done a grave disservice but he never once complained or felt sorry for himself. He just kept fighting the good fight. He deserves this chance and he deserves our support.
7
From Mr. Trump’s perspective, based on what happened in 2016, Bernie Sanders becomes a Trump asset if he doesn’t get nominated. So I won’t be surprised if the antagonistic RealDopeyTweetstream (not to mention the Russian infowar) against Mr. Sanders starts very soon. Does that mean we should nominate Mr. Sanders JUST because we can expect him to be a drag on any Democrat who might be nominated instead? No way. I’d rather get started right now on trying to help Mr. Sanders’ supporters understand that, in case their candidate doesn’t become the nominee, it’s a very bad idea to help Mr. Trump get reelected.
1
D'ya think?
"Then, to see Bernie reduced to a scapegoat on Hillary's defeat ... "
I've noticed that too. I'd thought HRC lost because she was a weak candidate, but now I understand: It was all Bernie's fault.
14
Why be hamstrung by reality? Be like this commenter:
"Amazon paid zero dollars in taxes in 2018 on $15 billion in profits."
Earth to commenter: This is not true. Many Amazon shareholders WISH Amazon would earn large profits, but it doesn't. Pretty much everyone knows Amazon COULD earn large profits (if it stopped investing in further growth), and that's why Amazon's stock price is so high. But Amazon doesn't.
Amazon doesn't pay taxes at a lower rate than other corporations. They all pay the same rate.
1
Bernie Sanders has changed the course of policy rivers by calling attention to the critical issues of We, The People.
However, he is not a good presidential candidate for 2020.
Let's hope he has the sense to realize this sooner rather than later.
11
@Judy Evers Why?? Why is he not a good candidate for 2020??
11
Bernie Sanders will win about 1% of the Latino vote because he is supporting a guy that shows the worst economic results in the history of Latin America. Apparently Sanders is a follower of "He doesn't know anything about economy, but he shares my ideology"
No, the United States, this time, didn't do anything wrong. The situation in Venezuela was self-inflicted.
In 2018, the inflation rate there was one million percent. Just for starters.
3
@M Martínez
Funny, I don't remember Sanders supporting the actions of the Venezuelan government. Unless you're being willfully disingenuous.
12
@M Martínezbernie tried to dump nuclear waste on poor Hispanics in rural Texas in 1998
1
This is not helping. Bernie will push (again) unrealistic expectations of freebies (college, healthcare, etc.) and vilify and attack anyone who opposes his agenda, including small business owners who work 60 hours a week to make a five or low six figure income.
Bernie will not be chosen, but he will tarnish whoever is the centrist Democrat candidate, and will help Trump win four more years.
12
@Gian Piero, again the only people who will re-elect Trump are Corporatists like Hillary, Kamala, Cory, Kirsten, and the delusional narcissist Howard Schultz. We need a real revolution in this country. Sanders/Gabbard 2020 all the way!!
9
For the last decade I've been reading alarming news (on the New York Times and other publications) on problems such as rising healthcare costs, fentanyl addiction, climate change, "starving the beast" of government programs, and dark money in politics. Truly alarming, dismal things. I exchanged concerns with fellow readers of this news, both in person and in online comments - this is why the backlash against Bernie amongst such people took me by surprise in 2016. How serious are we going to treat these worsening problems? Then, to see Bernie reduced to a scapegoat on Hillary's defeat reeks of denial and made me second guess the integrity of their concern. Perhaps it is time for the Democratic Party to step out of its comfort zone, snuggly in bed with big industry, and return to its New Deal agenda that it abandoned so so long ago. Bernie is the only one I fully trust out of this crowded field, but I am ready to coalesce when the time comes to vote down Trump...
18
I was a Hillary supporter, I didn't support Bernie but I respected him. If he had won the primary I would have been behind him 100%. I didn't see him get behind the Dems ticket. He is last on my list now. I suspect for HRC fans he has no traction.
11
Sanders and Biden are too old. We need a president young enough to serve two terms. And a woman for a change.
11
I cannot believe all these excuses not to approve of the man. He is too old? He doesn't represent the Dems values? Excuses excuses. Looks to me as though he has helped remind them of their values more than any other candidate in memory. He also highlighted the two teams within the Dems party. The ones focused on big business and big money, and those who are not. The Dems I believed, used to be about equality in all ways. It is only recently they have become about money. The republicans already have that covered.
He is about 4 years older than Trump, how can he be too old and Trump not? Age discrimination for jobs has been a long running issue. I trust in him more due to his age, he has a track record about what he believes and has not wavered.
It's interesting people identify with the Dems whilst in the same breath promote and advocate ignorant prejudiced discrimination. His energy with crowds is epic, and I believe this shows unequivocally it's not your age, gender, race or religion that defines your abilities.
14
The Democrats don't stand a chance with DT in 2020 unless they bring up a candidate that looks, talks, and walks like the American rural voter expects, and Sanders is anything but.
As long as the Electoral College disproportionately favors small rural states, where the population is uneducated, racist, religious and bigoted, Trump and characters like him will own the future and gradually reshape the United States into the image of a Third World quasi-dictatorship.
6
Sanders’ presence in the field will act like a Phony Detector, as it did in the case of Clinton. This will be to the detriment of the likes of Harris and Gillibrand.
10
Im tired of people maligning Sanders and blaming him for HRC's epic 2016 loss. Keep voting for the same millionaires and corporate Dems beholden to rich donors, don't be surprised you end up with the same failed horrid policies that have done nothing to improve the lives of most Americans. The ACA, which is a conservative Heritage Foundation-endorsed piece of policy, is the best they could do and that was when Democrats had a super majority in Congress from 2008-2010!! Why? Because most Democrats are not working for the average people, but for their rich donors while throwing the rest of us some crumbs. That is why we lost 2016. Not Russia or any of that nonsense but Democrats' misplaced priorities. We have given all the power to those with the most money and possessions and wonder why we have a society the way it is.
Amazon paid zero dollars in taxes in 2018 on $15 billion in profits. 400 individuals in this country own as much as 150 million Americans!! This level of inequality is not sustainable. If anyone here is under the impression that Harris, O'Rourke etc are going impose hefty taxes on amazon or the billionaire class, you haven't been paying an iota of attention and are headed for a ravine. Just because Trump is the worst person ever, doesn't mean we need to aim low with respect to our expectations of the 2020 candidate. I genuinely believe Sanders and other progressives like AOC etc, have what it takes to bring us the dire change we need before it is too late.
16
@Judy u weren't going to get single payer in 2016 with a Republican majority congress
1. Where are Bernies tax returns and medical records
2.Did everyone forget the Kremlin wanted Bernie in 2016? No one really knows why the Kremlin only wanted Bernie and Trump it couldn't have just been to harm Clinton otherwise why'd the Kremlin also want to harm Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio during the Republican primaries? My theory; they want an isolationist and an overprotectionist.
3. Thad DaVine- why is a liberal employing a Manafort and Kremlin connected political operative who has kept dictators in power?
4. Didn't vote for the Magninsky Act
5. Didn't vote for sanctions against Russia
6.2016 baggage-I already know people who won't vote Bernie
7. He's just as much of an isolationist and over protectionist as Trump and also wanted trade war causing tariffs and to pull us out of TPP even though a majority didn't want to pull out of TPP. He spent years in office trying to pull America out of NAFTA, TPP, and the WTO. Rebuilding relations with our allies will require abandoning overprotectionism and isolationism
8. He endorsed prolife conservative candidates in 2017
9. His volatile temperament (remember when he said he didn't care if he "blew the entire election up" when he held Clinton's campaign hostage by refusing to end his campaign until she agreed to pull out of TPP )
10. He also wanted to abruptly pull America out of Syria and the middle east to partially pay for all of his "free" things
11. 30 + year career politician w/over 3 decades worth of political baggage
7
THE PRESIDENT WE NEED
Bernie is not the Dear Savior. Nor is he the Hated Devil. He is an honest man with a few blind spots who like many men is probably unconscious of how much he is driven by his ego. That his ego serves good causes is admirable. That it also held back from a full-throttled endorsement of Hillary Clinton and helped feed a narrative of misogyny that helped defeat her (She made speeches for money! As if nobody else ever has? She doesn’t endorse Medicare for All! As if endorsement equals accomplishment? She has a bad laugh! Sorry about your mommy issues) is something the history books already know, even though his supporters refuse to admit it while they are hurling spittle against the mirror.
The answer this election season is not Bernie Sanders.
It is Amy Klobuchar.
Now be smart, Democrats, and instead of making a mirage of your foot and firing away, hand over the bullets to far and away the best candidate in the field and let her shoot down Trump’s vile policies one at a time until America is America again and not a MAGA rally that is looking more and more like 1933 every day.
5
The difference between the two groups of candidates will be those who can make pie in the sky promises with zero idea as to how they will be implemented (Sanders and crowd) and the second group who understand the complexities of the economy and who will move towards a better society with pragmatic tax and regulatory proposals that will actually make things better on America.
7
It is high time for the Electoral College to be recognized as the historical artifact it is and be replaced by a nationwide one-citizen one-vote system.
And why should eligibility be determined on a state-by-state basis? (Only reason I can see is that it gives political parties one of the several opportunities they have to replace the will of the majority with party-chosen results.)
Gerrymandering is a second widely-used and successful method for subverting the will of the majority.
Status quo proponents often argue that a nationwide direct vote by electronic means might be hacked. Of course hacking will be attempted but with both major parties as well as our NSA on the lookout the chances of hacked results will be lower than they were in 2016. Hackers will try, but if the voting machines give a paper record of their vote to each participant there will be at least a good chance for a recount…with neither “hanging chads” or court decisions.
8
I have a sneaky feeling that the smaller or less populated states are will to give CA and NY the ability to pick all future Presidents. Just a guess.
There are a lot of Formerly centrist Dem candidates running as progressives. If for no other reason, we need The Bern in there running to keep them all honest.
26
@unreceivedogma
And who will keep "the Bern" honest?
1
@dlb Himself because the Bern has been honest for the past 40 years saying the same thing. Google old Youtube videos of him saying he exact same things for M4ALL, Income Equality, and reduced military spending since 1980's.
9
@Sarah M according to politifact Bernie told the truth less often than clinton
Don't forget that Mr. Sanders has never had a job outside of government, ever. As a matter of fact, his first job was mayor of Burlington in 1981. He was 40. I believe he is a multi millionaire now...curious don't you think?
8
Attention Bernie supporters who are still bashing and have not put progressive goals at the forefront of your message.
I do not trust you or your motives. If you focus on blame and emotionally charged language and judgements, then why would I trust you will be honorable when the torch is handed to you?
The election was stolen and still Hillary got 3 million approx more votes. The electoral college, facebook, the GOP and Trump's election schemes all contributed to the Dem loss, and have failed America. Over the past 50 or more or less years the GOP has found ways to play the system in order to gain power.
If Bernie is so great, talk about that. And only that. It may end up being more effective. Without that, you've lost me.
All candidates are problematic.
I am sick of the abuse and the blame. Focus on the goals of the people, please.
3
@Thinking uh no Bernie supporters are "abusing" or blaming. STOP projecting. Your candidate Hillary lost because she was bad candidate. Yes, she lost because of our corrupt Electoral College. Go and change that, like I am trying to do, like other Bernie Supporters are trying to do. We are just calling out the Corruption of Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Donna Brazile, Tom Perez, and other Corporatists who rigged the Dem primaries against Bernie. We have a right to call out the corruption in our own Party otherwise we don't stand for anything and Dems are no better than the Repubs then.
10
@Thinking
8 MILLION voted Third Party. 1.5 Million Bernie voters went Trump to BLOCK Clinton. That's 9.5 MILLION voters who REJECTED Clinton and 3 times the voters you say were more than Trump's votes and mainly from 2-3 states with big populations.
2
@Sarah M Bernie lost to both Clinton and trump so guess he was worse, huh and that's in spite of the Kremlin supporting him and the Republican party never went after him.
There is a deep irony in these frequent complaints about the entitlement and whining of millennials/Bernie supporters. You know what's lazy and entitled? Expecting that other people are just going to do what you want them to without any effort whatsoever on your part. There are clearly millions upon millions of people who supported and still support Bernie's platform. Perhaps a better political tactic would be trying to understand *why* this support exists if you do not and actually trying to gain those votes instead of sitting around whining about how people just won't do what you want them to, gosh golly. To Democrats, progressives are somehow both the reason Trump lost and throw-away voters you may insult at will. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways, and this is the sort of magical thinking may very well cost another election.
21
Guess who's going g to pay for all the "free" stuff Bernie is promising?
The economically illiterate millennials who think "free" stuff comes from " the government" - that's who.
Everything the government does has to be paid for ultimately via taxes.
You think college loans are a heavy debt load?
Try dividing up the tens of trillions Bernie and his acolytes are planning on spending if elected between the millennials who will have to pay the taxes to fund those idiocies.
Your future taxes will make college debt look like pocket change. And guess what - taxes are forever. You never pay them off - ever!
5
Sanders is similar to Trump. He makes lots of promises - Free college! Universal healthcare! - without the substance to back them up, not caring that he can't back them up, just making the promise to rile his people up - then when he doesn't have the votes to win, he attacks the process - and lies.
He's got no history of getting things done. No economic plan that actually passes muster.
15
@SusanStoHelit Actually, it is not so difficult. When you investigate the political systems that are the least corrupt , such as Canada, and many countries in EU and Scandinavia. Currently in the US corrupt senators and hard working lobbyist control legislative branch that create and pass laws and regulations that benefit only the oil, pharma gun/military complex , i.e. corporations that they somehow declared to be equal to people and forgot altogether us, the individual citizens.
8
Then Bernie attacks the centrist Democrat candidate, helping Trump to win
3
@Chatelet. Those countries u listed preferred Clinton to Bernie. Bernie is a high tariff lover who is just as much an isolationist and overprotectionist as trump. You think Canada wanted us to pull out of tpp? You think our allies wanted the u.s. to abruptly pull out of Syria and the middle east? Think again.
If Bernie or Elizabeth gets the nod in 2020 I will gleefully engage the sale of my small business.
I'll finally after 50 years enjoy some financial security and peace after fighting all of those years for a small profit.
My employees will get a golden handshake and we'll all sit around a pool with umbrella drinks laughing off the liberal agenda.
2
Bernie Sanders continues to be the clearest voice on how to improve the United States:
1. Expand medicare and provide healthcare coverage for every citizen of the United States. End crushing medical debt and insurance premiums.
2. Allow students at state colleges and universities to attend tuition free. End crushing student loans.
3. Reform the criminal justice system so that people can actually trust it will be unbiased and fair.
4. Get big money out of politics to stop legal bribery.
This message already resonates with a most democratic voters. But more importantly it is very well received with independent voters who will decide the next presidential election. And so far, I haven't heard anyone other than Bernie who can sit down with independents and Trump voters and talk with them about ideas that make sense.
20
@Anne Walton. Bernie voted for that 1994 crime bill that put so many black Americans in prison
It's certainly true that Democrats are competing to see who is furthest left-wing--the most anti-business, anti-capitalism, who will raise taxes the most on the "rich" and corporations, who will give away the most "free" stuff, etc.
Whether that's a good thing is another question.
2
Mr. Sanders opinions and experience are certainly interesting but really; don't you think it's not time for younger people? He is 77 and Mr. Biden is near that age as well. Nothing wrong with older experienced people at all, (I'm 62) but the Presidency is a very tough job and a campaign against Trump and the whole conspiracy of alt-right media, well a bit much eh! It will be almost 6 yrs. of constant activity and exhaustion.
Most important; the main body of voters is now so much younger, so come on! you can't lose this election, you have to get rid of the current GOP and Trump-lot a.s.a.p.! so you'll need those voters.
There are a lot of interesting young progressive people in the Democratic Party and it's a very bad strategy to have so many contenders who are fighting each other in the same party. It's always the same; the establishments of political parties can't grasp the fact that that renewal and and fresh faces are essential.
1
I like and appreciate that Bernie kept the Democratic primary strictly on issues and did not dabble in the nonsense. I like that Bernie inspired young people with a very progressive message. I like that he constantly discussed campaign finance reform, economic inequality, the high price of college, and the obscene Republican trickle-down tax code.
I don't like that he stayed in the race beating up on Hillary and giving his supporters false hope, well after it was clear he did not have the delegates to win. This was a mistake and it certainly did not help Hillary.
Bernie is an important voice and will definitely bring ideas and passion to the race. I'm hoping he wants to be on that debate stage to move the discussion in a progressive direction with an idea that he will eventually support one of the other candidates. I will fully support him if he is the nominee, but I worry that he won't know when to stop.
4
I will not be surprised if the New York Times continues to choose disparaging comments of Sanders as their "Times Picks". Once again, media outlets will make him seem like an unpopular candidate when Bernie is a top contender in almost all demographic groups.
I am a woman of color and I support Bernie!
30
@Avneet You are completely right. I cancelled my paid Times subscription in 2016 over how they consistently, and obviously, maligned Sanders and supported HC.
18
@Avneet
All other things the same, maybe it would be better if the Sanders folks stopped pushing conspiracy theories about the NY Times and the rest of the Constitutional free press? E.g., "the media is selecting unflattering photos of him." "The media is writing unfairly critical stories about him." "The media is selecting disparaging comments about him." Sounds just like the Trump base.
5
@Robert I followed the whole 2016 election carefully, including reading plenty of NY Times article. I am generally politically apathetic but Times reader's comments about Bernie -- contrary to what the Times was writing -- made me intrigued about him. For weeks and months on end, the NY Times had 90%+ predictions that HRC would win despite what readers were writing and saying.
I ended up reading his platform, agreeing with it, and, for the first time in my life, donating to a political candidate. And my donation was not small: it was a few hundred bucks. Like Avneet, I am also a woman of color and -- not young -- but middle-aged.
4
It's time to leave the stage, Bernie. Your show has been cancelled.
10
You know, I just don't think I could bear four more years of an irascible, egotistical old white man. Sorry, Bernie. I'm 81 years old (just so you'll know). Just think how much better you could serve your country as a graceful, elder statesman. Don't compete with these young, vigorous candidates whose ideas are very bit as good as your own. Help them. Support them. Act your age.
13
The Dems now embrace Bernie’s message (essentially acknowledging he was right) but reject him personally. Hmmm? Is it his balness, age, or accent they dont like about him?
15
@Rex Muscarum they embrace the good and abandon the bad ideas of bernie
@Rex Muscarum It's because most people are irrational and/or more controlled by their emotions than by logic. As much as Dems make fun of Repubs of voting for politicians they'd like to have a beer with, Dems are no better. Many often pick politicians based on age, sex, skin color (both white and color, depending on the election), gender, what they wear, who they hang out with, and so on and so forth. Most people don't pay attention to actual policy, i.e. the stuff that really affects them, even when it's presented to them as simply or engaging as possible. In the end that's what matters, not whether a person looks like you or not, dresses badly or well, etc. Frankly, as a middle-aged woman of color, I'm proud of young people for not getting distracted and getting behind an older, white, male politician.
I just hope the NYTimes doesn't repeat the hatchet job on Bernie Sanders it did in the 2016 primaries.Virtually all the opinion writers were against him and even a reporter assigned to cover him,one Amichi Alcindor,wrote hit pieces when she was supposed to be reporting fairly.
21
He is just going to get Trump re-elected!
7
Old. Check. White. Check. Male. Check.
vs.
Old. Check. White. Check. Male. Check.
I can't think of a more boring thing than Bernie or Biden running for president again.
6
The DNC conspired against Bernie. There was no way that Hilary Clinton was going to win, no matter who the Republican nominee was. So it's the DNC's fault that we now have a self absorbed, insensitive, sexist, old white priviledged man in the white house.
Bernie supports, and has always supported, a better life for working Americans and their families. His message has not wavered. It's the Democratic party that has changed.
Oh, and socialism is your fire department, police department, snow plows, public health department, uh, get the idea?
17
Enough already!
Bernie Sanders is politically tone deaf. He's like the knight in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail having all of his limbs hacked off and calling it a flesh wound.
He's just going to take away votes from the Democratic nominee, possibly insuring another term for Trump.
Bernie, go home!
18
I read the article this morning and didn’t have time to comment. It has since been deleted, but the article referred to Sander’s pronounciation of “Millionaihs and Billionaihs?” I think it’s beneath the dignity of the Times to mock someone’s accent, let alone someone from Brooklyn.
As for Bernie running - he’s allowed and it’s a crowded field. His will be a very welcome perspective in my opinion.
To all the naysayers, “Don’t boo - vote!”
19
Bernie Sanders has ALWAYS been a man of and for the people. Check his record! He is a man of his word and I will support his run in every way I can! #stillfeelingthebern
27
Don't do it Bernie for the sake of the nation,,you can kill us by giving Trump a second term..Please; pretty Please,,
7
He mansplained his way through the campaign, yelling at minorities instead of asking for our input. This is the ultimate in a cis white man taking over much of a party he had not previously belonged to. I am all for democratic socialism but this guy is a lot like Trump in his narcissism. Hillary tried for a healthcare plan many years ago. He should not get credit for that. His wife bankrupted a college that catered to an under-served population. These people are terrible.
9
As if I would ever vote for the man who ruined my chance at having the greatest candidate in history be my President. I wouldn't even spit in his direction. Disgusting.
I wish I could hug Hillary today, this is rubbing salt in the wound. Ick his arrogance. Trump is his fault entirely, they were no different, old raving white men with EMPTY PROMISES. He never had a plan for anything he promised. Hillary had plans. She had championed women's rights her entire life he never did a single thing for women. What a disgusting headline to read, this man has no shame.
10
@Chatelet. Thanks for mentioning Pete Buttegieg. I have heard him on a couple of shows and found myself very impressed. How so? Listening to him on 1A today, I found myself thinking of the calm and concise delivery that Barack Obama impressed so many of us with. He seems to have actually thought about the various issues that Johnson brought up. No boilerplate and evasive rhetoric from him such as we are hearing from prosecuter Harris. I remain mystified by her "frontrunner" status but conclude that this is largely the doing of the media and they will move on, so I guess she should enjoy her 15 minutes of frontrunner fame. And go back to her day job of serving the people of California who elected her.
1
If Sanders believes the masses support him, why does he need to use the Democratic Party?
He should run as an Independent, but in typical Bernie fashion, he wants to use the Democratic Party for his own benefit. The same party he rails against.
12
@KB If you want a Democrat to win the election, you do NOT want Sanders running as an independent. Think about it.
4
Whether or not one is a supporter of Mr. Sanders, one thing should already be very clear to everybody. His candidacy will be extraordinarily divisive. One day in, his candidacy is already very divisive. In 2016, more than 20% of his voters did not support the Democratic primary winner.
14
@Robert 40%
3
In 2016 Sanders, with his unrealistic proposals, helped the opposition in two ways. He discouraged a number of voters from turning out to vote for a moderate; and he split the Democratic vote away from Clinton towards more liberal minor candidates. His 2020 proposals are the same.
11
I will support the candidate that will help us kick tRump & Company to the curb.
7
Not gonna happen. Trump in 2020
MAGA
1
I think the misogynist "Bernie Bros" so often cited by CLinton supporters are as apocryphal as the hippies with John Lennon glasses who spit in the faces of returning Vietnam vets at airports in the 1970s.
12
@Malahat,
Thnx.
Learned a new word today.
Agreed.
1
"Yes," to everything you wrote.
Larry David just got back his recurring role on SNL
4
Run, Joe, run!!!
@John Greyson
Away.
Agaian usurping the Democratic party to his own advantage. Yes Bernie run but under your own party affiliation.
Another angry uncle
4
The ageism in many of these remarks (including ones “picked” but the Times) is appalling.
Whether you are pro-Bernie or not, you can’t call yourself a “liberal”, “progressive” or “left” if you are a bigot. And that is what ageism is.
The hypocrisy here is stunning for such an otherwise ‘educuated’, ‘progressive’ crowd.
22
@BEE. bernie himself said the democratic party needs younger leadership
We just saw an article in the Times about how Trump and his minions are planning to use the word "socialism" to bash and demonize all Democrats. Well, here they have a genuine avowed socialist. This should be good.
Bernie skated last time. If he had won the nomination, we all know that the right wing smear machine would have started flinging poo at him. Instead, they put the poo back into storage. Maybe it got stale. Maybe it got more pungent. Only one way to find out. Either way, I take issue with those who say he could have beaten Trump in 2016. We will never know what would have happened to his image if the machine had gotten its way with him.
3
Go Bernie!!
21
The 2016 campaign, all fear-mongering 19 months of it, deranged many people and left them virtually addicted to fear. Grown people actually cried when their candidate lost.
Many are still not over the 2016 election, still howling "she really won!" and "Putin did it!".
So now we have a 22-month campaign. Seriously?
This has become a mania, not an election. A never-ending TV reality show geared to hook people. As soon as one election ends these days, another begins - all to feed the mania and milk the public.
And the "news" media thrive on it:
"It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS. Most of the ads are not about issues. They're sort of like the debates. Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ... The money's rolling in and this is fun." Les Moonves, head of CBS during the 2016 campaign.
This far away from election day, I don't give a hoot in hell who is running or what these perpetual candidates say.
I have more important things to concentrate on at the moment. I'll decide in 2020. Late in 2020.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
6
Why does NYT put down Sanders? Maybe because the NYT believes in economic inequality and class divided society. NYT ‘s job keep the masses down. There’s no journalism to be found in NYT.
19
Like many here in the comments section, I do not have much enthusiasm for Sanders' candidacy. While progressives may adore him, he does not seem to appeal much to the general public.
Interestingly, I have recently seen some excitement online for one of his 2016 Congressional supporters, Tulsi Gabbard -- not among liberals, but rather among conservatives who are very intrigued by the prospect of an openly anti-interventionist candidate. Although I don't expect her to win the primary, I actually do believe that she would be able to appeal to Trump's base due to her being a veteran whose central issue revolves around settling the conflict in the Middle East.
At this point, I'm not really sure which candidates could both win the primary and fare well among Republicans and Independents in the general election.
1
@Autumn..I think if Tulsi Gabbard was either the VP pick or at the top of the ticket with Sanders in the other position, it would be unbeatable.
1
I love Bernie for the revolution he started. Getting the Democrats to stop being Republican-Lite was one of the great breakthroughs in political history. I'm with Him.
35
Bernie is not running to win. He is running to get people to consider ideas that will help people.
15
@Jack Strausser
So true. He wants to help people.
He is not just trying to get a job.
10
I refused to vote for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primaries. Given his record on gun control, and his defensive, self-serving answers to gun control questions during the debates, I was completely turned off.
Am surprised and disgusted to see that he still hasn't really resolved those issues. On second thought, am not all that surprised.
I'm grateful there are so many other qualified 2020 candidates, and that AOC can now lead the dialogue moving the agenda toward more democratic socialist programs. Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Klobuchar or Warren for President 2020!
7
Maybe he loses fair and square this time putting to bed conspiracy theories.
I would welcome 4-8 years of no tweets, whoever will promise this will get my vote.
Free college for everyone is noble, but I would rather have persons under a certain income level to get free tuition and more money for quality professors/teachers. Otherwise, it wouldn't level the playing field. It doesn't address true poverty and the fact that college isn't for everyone.
6
@KSav he may well lose (and it will be fair and square) because people want to try a younger, maybe non-white, possibly a woman, candidate.
1
I would never vote for Trump.
I would never vote for any Republican.
But I really can't see myself voting for Sanders either; I am afraid he would be as divisive for the country as Trump is.
Also, honestly, and I shouldn't be saying this, I can't stand the thought of yet another old guy in the WH.
7
You are of course entitled to your opinion, but I cannot agree with you that Bernie would be divisive. Have you seen Town meetings in Trump country where he sits in the room and talks with the people and they speak with him openly? Have you seen when he went to a Conservative Christian college and spoke with respect and was treated with respect? If Bernie becomes president he will be president of all the people.
2
If Bernie Sanders had been elected in 2016 we wouldn't be having all these problems we have today. There is only one person proven to be less electable than Trump, and that person is Clinton.
But will Americans make the same mistake twice? I'm definitely going to be watching in 2020 :)
14
@Grunchy
There are people who will point out that Clinton WAS elected by popular vote.
4
@Grunchy. Um, Bernie lost....to clinton
Bernie Sanders’ is one of the greatest figures in American history, period, win OR lose.
I’d like to see him, at least, win the Nobel Peace (or, with Saez and Pikkety, Economics) Prize.
History will be most kind to this MLK-like gentleman.
(That said, I can’t stand many of his views on foreign policy and monetary policy, but he nails the big one: democracy-threatening inequality.)
15
@JFM one of bernies top economic advisers went and voted for clinton in the primaries because. he said Bernie doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to economics. He wanted trade war causing high tariffs and to pull America out of free trade agreements which would've upset our allies
The issue here for all those commenting is not who you support now, but who will you support when your own candidate loses - particularly if to a moderate. If you take the position that it's your candidate or bust, we will all be busted, and the current occupant of the White House will remain for another 4 years.
16
And right back at you, given all the Hillary holdovers and moderated saying they won’t vote for Bernie.
5
@JJ The problem is NOT the people who voted; it's the 50% who did not vote but are now whining and complaining about the situation. I have more respect for people who actually voted -- even if they disagreed with me -- than people who didn't vote AT ALL.
BTW, I learned my less on as a non-voter 20 years ago: I decided if I wanted to complain, I better vote.
2
@Karen . Yes--a sane if hard to swallow comment for many. I'm as anti-Hillary as anyone, but nevertheless saw it as my duty to vote for her when the moment came. The alternative was already nightmarish to contemplate, though I don't think anyone could have guessed just how monumentally horrible Trump and his filthy crew turned out to be.
1
Bring it to them Bernie. We need a REAL MIDDLE CLASS champion. We had the artificial sweetener in 2016. 2020, let's get the GENUINE ARTICLE.
19
Though I like some of Sanders' themes, like reducing income inequality, I will not support any candidate for any office who does not make climate change a priority.
This is why so many people are saying Democrats need new blood: The older the politician, the more reticent she or he is to acknowledge the looming catastrophe they will not live to see.
2
Bernie has a stronger record on climate change than any other candidate. He works closely with Bill McKibben. Climate change is the most important issue at this point. Bernie has my trust and vote.
8
@AJ "I’m running for president because we need to make policy decisions based on science, not politics. We need a president who understands that climate change is real, is an existential threat to our country and the entire planet, and that we can generate massive job creation by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy."
---From Bernie's email to supporters: 2/19/2019
1
I am celebrating. I will be voting for him in the primary. 5 minutes after he announced, I sent in a donation. I've already got the bumper sticker on my car for Bernie 2020. I am ready to volunteer, go door-to-door, donate, and vote for Bernie Sanders!
19
I like most of his Policy positions; however, he has done nothing while in the Senate....No BILLS.....No significant fights. I hope he does better when transferring his support to the Nominee than he did when Clinton won it.
6
Hillary Clinton would be President if it wasn't for Bernie Sanders. He's trying to do it again but the Democratic voters will not be fooled twice.
12
The same Hillary Clinton who didn’t think it worth her time to spend even one day campaigning in Wisconsin? Bernie Sanders may not have been the most gracious person to concede a nomination, but Clinton made far too many mistakes in her candidacy before blaming Sanders for her loss to Trump.
10
Bernie is the real thing, and was working for real change long before any of the other candidates. Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard as VP, a winning ticket.
14
He is not a Democrat. He hijacked and divided the Democratic party in 2016. With Russian backing. He has no allies in either party and his mantra of income inequality only appeals to his deplorable supporters. No other policy agenda a d no foreign policy agenda whatsoever. The Trump of the far left
7
Can you produce anything to back those claims? Didn’t think so.
8
@Tyler he was the only other candidate the Kremlin wanted according to the FBI. he has yet to show his tax returns. He also didn't vote for sanctions or the magninsky act and employed thad Devine in 2016
1
Thank goodness somebody (Bernie) "pushed the part to the left". They still, in the aggregate, resemble Eisenhower or Goldwater Republicans as I remember them - as opposed to what they used to be - the party of FDR. Those toxic corporate/1% campaign contributions sure don't help.
11
@Ellen. U do know fdr hated socialism, tariffs, isolationism and overprotectionism, right? He never would've supported pulling out of tpp.
The debates ought to be brilliant.
3
Bernie is an angry old man that is not qualified to be president. He’s a divider - much like our current president. I’m a moderate but I’d vote for any of the other progressives before him.
13
In 2016 people thought his ideas were so far to the left and so outrageous, he was constantly being berated. Interestingly, the democrats that have said they are running in 2020, see to have many of Bernie's ideas in their platform. Not so outrageous now.
12
And a debt of gratitude we all owe to Bernie.
8
@Michele Bowman he was politically unrealistic you're not getting single payer with a Republican majority Congress- he hasn't even been able to get that in over 3 decades in a liberal blue state like vermont
@Michele Bowman They HAVE picked up many progressive issues thanks to Bernie.
But so what?
The question is whether the American "people" will support this agenda. A history of far right Presidents, culminating with the Klan-friendly Donald Trump does not inspire confidence.
Your consistent reporting hostility toward Bernie influences so many of the negative reactions to his candidacy in these comments. Together with your and the DNC's bias for Hillary had a major influence of her nomination.
15
Good grief, no. A thousand times no. A phony progressive who votes AGAINST wars yet votes FOR the weapons to fight them.
Sorry, we've been snookered too many times.
If Sanders wants to run for for the Democratic nomination, then he needs to register as a Democrat. No more free rides this time. Regardless, Democrat or not, not a penny from me.
8
"He is not going to do one thing to help us defeat Trump". Who is "us"? Is this the main goal to beat Trump? It looks to me that getting better for American people must be the main goal. Beating Trump does not make any difference for us, the people. How do you know that he cannot beat Trump? How do you know that Mr. Biden (whose similar age was not mentioned in the article can beat Trump?I have a thought: he is not on the "our" wish list, so discredit him ASAP.
7
America's tragedy is that Wall St. so easily bought the Congressional Black Caucus and black preachers (the same way the Republican donors buy Evangelicals just as easily) to smear Bernie with blacks in 2016 as the only way to guarantee Wall St.'s well-bought candidate Hillary victory in the primaries. As everyone knows, Bernie won the white Dem vote. And the Rust Belt general election exit polls proved incontrovertibly that a huge number of Trump voters there would have preferred to vote for Bernie, but voted for Trump over Hillary. In short, Bernie would have crushed Trump and started the "revolution" against our American plutocrats we so deeply need, instead of giving these plutocrats all they ever dreamed of under their fellow billionaire Trump.
12
"...a huge number of Trump voters there would have preferred to vote for Bernie, but voted for Trump over Hillary."
Which makes them pipe-dreamers or morons.
Would transgender people have been kicked out of the miliary under President Clinton?
Would we have pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord?
Would we have sold off our national parks to the highest bidder?
We would we have taken $1.5 trillion from our children to make the megarich ultrarich?
Would be have a cabal of rich con men and women filling the White House and cabinet?
Would be have 2 conservative justices on SCOTUS and dozens and dozens in lower but still crucial courts?
How is that progressive agenda coming under president Trump??
Pragmatism is tops in politics. Defeating Trump is absolutely JOB ONE in my book and I will vote for whomever I think can do that, on primary day (I certainly haven't made up my mind yet) and then pray (euphemistically--I'm an atheist.)
3
@Fred White was it wall st that caused Bernie to vote for the 1994 crime bill and try to dump nuclear waste on poor Hispanics in 1998?
Looks like its time to start investing in wall building stock. I dig Bernie but this is a huge wrench for the dems. They'll never learn...
1
Bernie is to trump as John the Baptist was to Jesus. Now we await the Second Coming.
1
Why would I vote for an angry, egotistical progressive who yells a lot when I could instead vote for a calm progressive? Bernie's best hope for the nomination is that the rest of the primary vote gets split between several candidates.
I think a lot of Bernie's supporters don't realize just how many Democrats (myself included) have a negative opinion of him. His personality is a real turn-off. Would I vote for him the general election? Sure. Will I vote for him in the primary? Absolutely not.
8
Let him run.
Let him drag the race left.
Let them revolve and react to his common sense radically moderate policy platform, and the whole race will be the better for it.
9
Old, boring and stale ideas. His time has passed. Time for someone with ideas than can actually make it through Congress (and "Medicare for All", free college, etc. ain't them!!). I'm a liberal Dem with a practical fiscal policy. Perhaps he an Sen. Warren could just fight each other over in the Corner of Bad Ideas.
5
Weekend at Bernie’s Part Two! Can’t wait!!
1
Like me, Bernie is: Too old, too white and too straight.
Really, Bernie - you should be looking into long-term care, not the White House.
4
@Creighton Goldsmith
Sad you have to age shame , I take it you do the same to
yourself when looking in the mirror .old age is not a disease nor an affliction that says you are no longer
8
@Creighton Goldsmith
Sad you have to age shame , I take it you do the same to
yourself when looking in the mirror .old age is not a disease nor an affliction that says you are no longer viable in this world.
4
@Creighton Goldsmith -- As a 57-year-old gay man, I disagree on all three points.
6
Sanders seems like a political robot. America wants its president to have a hobby, like golf, sailing, skiing, horses, tennis, watching the Bulls, auto racing, mountain biking. I feel like, at home, Sanders would yell at his milk for not spreading evenly over his oatmeal. Sanders has no "off" switch, which makes him seem robotic. If he were a skier or something, I think it would improve his public image.
2
If this is our future, we have no future. Kamala in 2020!
2
Bernie Sanders time has passed, that will become clear as the other candidates gain traction. Last time, many were looking for an alternative to Hillary Clinton; no need now. But I'm glad he entered the race. He is the founder of the new movement, he has brought out ideas that now see the light of day. He's a beacon of hope for many. Plus, he's downright fun to listen to, something most of the others aren't.
He'll also take some of the heat off those who need to get their message out. Every election needs a Bernie Sanders to wake up the voters. Had Hillary realized that instead of trying to stifle him she might be president today.
I just donated to the man’s campaign.
Not sure yet if he is the guy for 2020, there may be someone more appropriate out there. I guarantee you, however, that someone would not be an option if it were not for Bernie gutting it out in 2016 and making progressives a viable option.
He is a grownup: he people should give him the space to know what’s still in his tank. If he wants to run, he deserves it. I’m happy to add my modest donation to the 100s of 1000s of others that he must have by now to help him get off to a fast start.
16
Bernie may be old, but his ideas are new and refreshing in American politics.
He has my vote. I’m for the middle class.
27
God bless Bernie Sanders. I wish I could think this awful country was decent enough to elect him over a monster and criminal like Trump, but I remain grimly skeptical.
17
Bernie and his bros. helped elect Trump. Time for him to undo the damage by stepping aside and supporting someone else.
19
That's not true, but thanks for spreading the nonsense. the blame lies with Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Clinton and the DNC who was just as culpable. Hopefully the DNC has learned their lesson.
12
@H -- Repeating this baseless slam of "Bernie Bros," who, if they ever even existed, never represented more than a tiny handful of his supporters, will not help Democrats win in 2020.
5
What Bernie fails to acknowledge, but will soon confront, is that his support will in the end depend on his Identity as a Jew.
https://www.mediaite.com/online/npr-host-offends-bernie-sanders-with-accusation-he-has-dual-u-s-israeli-citizenship/
Ironically, his wing’s anti-Semitism will force him to choose between Israel, his identity, and the nascent Leftist Jew hatred aka the UK Labor Party.
Trotsky was also a Jew.
3
And also from others like that Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan
1
@Jubilee133Y Lol. But this is not the UK. We are in the US. Also, seems like the Republicans are the ones fine with anti-semitism. Seems like you're incorrect.
2
Bernie did as well as he did with little to no support from the Democratic party. Just imagine what he could do WITH it. He still has a lot of energy, and his ideas are popular. I don't see Ruth Bader Ginsburg quitting at her age. We owe him so much. He has a right to run.
37
It is not the man that inspires. It is the full spectrum of principles and the life that demonstrates them. We must all know by now, surely, that no individual leads us alone, and so when we consider who will hold this office we must also consider who they will bring with them, to whom will they listen and how well can they listen? With what wisdom will he hold the light? Senator Sanders is one of the most consistently good leaders in our history. There are many who could and do serve us all as well as he, but there are none better.
27
I supported Bernie in 2016. Whether I will in 2020 remains to be seen. My sense is that his moment has probably passed, but I am willing to keep an open mind.
I am certain of one thing, however: disparaging Bernie or the label of democratic socialist, or blaming him for Hillary's loss in a general election in which he supported her and urged his supporters to do the same, is not a recipe for success in 2020. There is some young, fresh energy in the Democratic party due in no small part to people who were inspired to run for office by Bernie. If the party alienates those folks, it will be setting itself up for another loss in 2020.
32
@Mark Kessinger The other candidates may sound OK now that they are parroting Bernie's message, but they seem to be just responding to polls without any conviction. Bernie will actually deliver.
20
@Mark Kessinger: Bernie hung on until he gave up on Comey taking Hillary out with some new twist on the e-mail flap.
2
@Steve Bolger -- Complete nonsense for which you have not a shred of evidence.
6
Bernie's 2016 rallies were amazing - full of enthusiasm and hope. Called to mind President Obama's rallies. We might have lost with Bernie as our candidate, but at least we would have lost with a principled, brilliant, honorable candidate with actual beliefs.
If he runs I'll be honored to vote for him again, in the primary or in a general election...
35
@Cal
The only glaring difference is that Obama's rallies had far more Black people.
And if Sanders doesn't change that, he'll get the same results as last time.
1
@N. Smith
Simply not true. His audiences in Brooklyn and Bronx (outdoors, in large parks) were HUUUUUUGE, while Hillary had 80 party hacks to watch her at a nearly empty Javits Center. The same held true in his appearances in the hinterlands (as in Maine, where I saw him). Once again, this is the Democrats' election to lose, and if they continue to behave as though the role of money in immiserating our working and middle classes of the US is of lesser importance than the gender or race of a particular candidate, they will rightly lose the election. Sanders was a very strong candidate, and polls uniformly showed him beating Trump by significantly larger margins than Hillary could (even when blocked by the DNC/Electoral College machine and in a news blackout--one that included the NYT). He was quickly escorted off stage before the wealthy became too discomfited, though remained gracious even after this shoddy treatment and campaigned vigorously for HRH HRC until the end. He remains a potent force, and a serious threat to Trump. Hopefully the DNC will remember what it stood for from FDR to RFK--the only years when this country seemed to be actualizing its potential as a functioning democracy. They've kind of lost interest in that whole economic disparity thing during my lifetime, and it's a bit of a disgrace. We have Bernie to thank for its re-introduction to the dinner tables of this country, and our political races.
4
Centrists running as Democrats lost in '16, '04, '00 (Obama won because as the first African American he was misperceived as an agent of change and accurately perceived as a racial healer, so the Dem base, the young people and activists who field the "ground game" for any campaign in a general election, got excited.) Let's let Centrists sit out the general elections this time around, and give the movement Dems a chance.
28
So dems lose the Rust Belt again?
1
Bernie would have won the rust belt. It’s right there in the exit interviews. They would have voted for him over Trump had they been given the chance.
4
Many, many people in the Rust Belt and coal country liked Bernie in 2016 and still like him now because he cares about working people and he says exactly what he thinks. He does not always wait to think what answer will do best in the polls. his positions supporting working people have been consistent through his entire political career.
I will come back to the Democratic Party just to vote for Sanders in the primary. I hope that's possible in NYS this time around. State Board of Elections, are you listening?
30
My partner and I (past Obama voters) voted for Bernie and once DNC along with corp media squashed him, we switched to Trump mostly on his economic message. Trump message overlapped with Bernie on trade issues. Remember TPP? We have been satisfied with Trump and don't really buy endless criticism by the main stream media. A a person of color, I am well aware how racism tantrum has been used by dems who really represent wall street. We are a middle class couple concerned about economy and it is our top issue along with immigration.
We would consider returning to democratic party if Bernie wins the nomination and although he is liberal on immigration but we are confident that he is one of that rare authentic politicians who will take on wall street and billionaire elites.
27
@Coloredqueer
I know a few Trump voters who liked Sanders too, and the post-election stats show quite a few Obama-to-Trump voters, so it's interesting to read your post. I voted Clinton but wasn't really expecting miracles from the Lady from Goldman Sachs.
By now we all know that Trump won't stand up to Wall Street or billionaires (unless they are named Soros or Bezos), but then neither will Gillibrand or Harris or Klobuchar or anyone else officially in the Democratic Clown Car. Biden and Beto, same thing.
So, I get why you might support Sanders. Heck, I might support him, too.
8
@Coloredqueer: I gather you bought Trump's line that you had nothing to lose. How are your gay rights holding up?
3
@Coloredqueer
So, I take it from your handle that you're both of color and gay? If so, how can you be such a hypocrite regarding Trump? You're so willing to look past his racism and homophobia as long as you get your tax cut? Truly deplorable.
1
Of course Bernie is old. But I haven't seen any evidence of mental deterioration when compared to video of his younger self. Let's please assume the 2019 Bernie has built knowledge and insight over his years, and in fact, is better than the young Bernie.
Biden is also worthy.
I hope they can team up.
One being VP, so if one dies, we get the other.
7
@GP
Deterioration seems to have caught up with Biden in the past few weeks. He's aged and sounds weak.
4
I cannot believe the discussion. I am a Canadian and if beating Trump was my main consideration in voting I would be applying for visas not deliberating who gives me the best chance of beating the Trump and the GOP.
I am not that smart and have survived to 70 by listening to what is being said. Those that tell me that 2020 is America's last chance at a shared wealth and a shared democracy are those who are for me the ones worth listening to.
I started listening to the Democratic candidates and even Kirsten Gillibrand whose old Republican bona fides frightened me has demonstrated she understands the fear all reality based Americans feel as America stands still as time marches on.
America may need 2020 candidates to decide the path it must take to survive 2020. I have a hard time making choices I need to listen closely. I know how difficult it will be to survive the GOP and its 60 years of lies meant to destroy what was becoming a great nation that could of made this a much better world. I know another two years of Trump will cost too many Americans their sanity and may cost our planet our culture and ours as well as many other species.
My choice for your next President is too young to be considered constitutionally but has already shown an understanding of our most dangerous perils.
So far I want to hear from all the Democratic candidates because America and the world needs to hear from all the Democratic candidates because America is not working and we need America to work.
10
Just made my 27 dollar donation. I'm really liking the democratic presidential field so far. Bernie has a good selection for his VP running mate. Bernie/Tulsi 2020.
Age ain't nothing but a number. Our supporters are ready to do the heavy lifting!
26
Unleash the Business As Usual Democrats! The folks who insisted that ‘more of the same’ was what Americans wanted.
Thank goodness that win or lose Sanders’ run forever influenced and inspired an entire generation!
Also, kudos to the NYT & even NPR for not totally ignoring him this time.
15
So what's the over/ under of Bernie voters staying home when he doesn't win the nomination?
11
As they proved the last time...they’ll stay home or vote for Trump. And to ones who won’t be “enthusiastic” or “moved” or “inspired” about the Democratic nominee (that won’t be named Bernie Sanders), I say grow up and use the brain in your head...as long as we have the system we have it will be a binary choice. They will need to do the right thing and choose less evil...because apathy and stupidity gave us Trump.
2
@Here we go again
There are a small handful of Dem and potential contenders i'd vote for, including Bernie. What i won't vote for is another Third Way Dem in massively upgraded packaging of the sort that got us here in the first place. I'm not a Dem and there is no Democratic entitlement to my vote.
2
We should thank Bernie Sanders and all the politicians -- Williamson, Warren, Castro, Green Stein, Booker, Harris, Weld, Trump. Libertarian Johnson, Klobuchar, et al -- who make tremendous sacrifices to give back by offering themselves to serve us as our humble overlords.
Notice that most of them are part of an economic class, above the income and wealth of the Average American, and get their campaign money mostly from the richer economic classes than the Average Americans -- they just might not be on your side. If you have doubts, look at the history of American elections, see how often politicians have claimed to be on your side, and look at where you are on the Socio-Politico-Economico (SPO) food chain now. They know which side they are on, do you?
4
I welcome Senator Sanders to the fray. Should be interesting!
16
During the 2016 campaign, Ann Coulter said Bernie Sanders was a real threat to Donald Trump.
I don't agree with Ms. Coulter on hardly anything, but she made a point. It's going to take a unique person to bring down Trump. If Bernie can do it, I say Godspeed!
33
If a person intentionally drives up on the sidewalk and runs down pedestrians killing them, can the auto manufacturer be held liable? No, of course not. Same with guns.
5
Too far to the left, too old, too tired. Not an inclusive candidate. Next.
20
Not next. Fortunately he's here,.. being flippant is not beneficial to your well hidden misguided point.
Bernie obviously has the votes of many as you can see from reading the comments.
4
I’d be happy with a number of the candidates.
If only The Senate could flip blue, we could move forward.
I sent him the obligatory $27 today.
13
Once again, Sanders will be assisting Trump in his White House objective. This time to shelter for 4 years from the avalanche of lawsuits and indictments that will rain down on him as soon as he becomes a private citizen.
11
Mr Sanders has moved the Democratic party to the left. How many degrees has the needle moved to the left? Are these real numbers or a show of intensity? And how many people outside the party has he moved to the left? Do the rest of the voters matter? And what does moving to the left mean? Slogans like medicare for all and free college for all by taxing the rich sound great till the economists crunch the numbers. Is Bernie Sanders a vainglorious, self-important fraud? I wonder !!! I have known too many strident leftists for whom their political position serves the purpose of self-definition and not to make a true difference.
If Mr Sanders were a realistic leader for his political beliefs he would have been working for years to establish think tanks, talk radio, TV networks. What do the Democrats have that is the equivalent of The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society, Fox News, etc etc etc Where has Sanders been all these years except making fine speeches and sounding outraged. And he is an "Independent." How precious!
Democrats! Be prepared to lose once again.
4
The Republicans will never really criticize Sanders unless he wins the nomination. Trump even praised him during the 2016 campaign. Why? His nomination would be a dream come true for Trump and the Republicans. That's why he's gotten the kid gloves treatment from them so far and why his poll numbers have been as high as they've been.
If he managed to win the Democratic nomination, five minutes later the bombardment would start: film of him in Nicaragua attending a Sandinista parade with Daniel Ortega; film of him with the Sandinista Mata Hari he invited to Vermont, a woman who allegedly lured one of Somoza's generals to a rendezvous where his throat was slashed and his body dumped in a ditch wrapped in a Sandinista flag; film and audio of Bernie singing the praises of Fidel and Che Guevara; detailed analyses of his economic proposals exposing their lack of sophistication.
The Republicans have already settled on their campaign attack slogan: "Socialist Democrats." The Russians already have their cyber campaign loaded because Bernie's followers were among their biggest targets in 2016 (Google "Bernie Sanders' Campaign Faced A Fake News Tsunami").
If he won the nomination, his campaign would be dead in the water in a matter of weeks. The only Dems who want to nominate Bernie are naive radical ideologues bereft of political pragmatism. The United States of America will NEVER elect a socialist president in our lifetimes. Dream on.
16
@MisterE
ABSOLUTELY THE SMARTEST COMMENT HERE.
I agree, and for all those reasons, plus others, he is not a viable candidate.
5
In reality Mr Sanders bear a major part of responsibility for the election of current president
24
@amalik: Hillary Clinton, the DNC, and Obama are to blame, they all jumped on her corornation carriage. Sadly, the outcome turned out to be a bright orange pumpkin.
5
We can thank Bernie for trump already. Hasn't he done enough damage?
18
@J.Sutton
That responsibility lies entirely with Clinton and the DNC. Polls said Sanders had the better chance against Trump but the DNC worked against him and forced the weaker candidate upon us.
I find it shocking that people are still making excuses for Clinton's failures. It's cult like behavior.
5
Here we go again.
Another Nader that would rather see his side lose than put aside his big ego.
22
@Almost Can’t Take It Anymore
Except that Sanders isn't running a third party campaign, this is a primary race so the comparison isn't valid.
4
The democrats allowed Bernie to run in 2016 as a democrat even though he has not accomplished anything, now they are allowing him to do it again after his "take the money from 2016 campaign for himself" strategy and total lack of support for Hillary. This is stupid. Bernie and his wife(did she ever resolve her legal matters?) need to retire to their little lake house bought at donors expense and leave democrats alone.
This guy is a freeloader and a big talker but what has he done for us to prove his loyalty to our party; always has his hand out and it only works one way for him.
Dems, tell Bernie to get lost.
10
@tomm Absolutely everything you wrote Tomm is patently wrong. To say he has accomplished nothing is absurd. He is known in the senate as "the amendment king", rarely, if ever misses a vote, year in and year out has the highest approval rating of any of the 100 senators. He kept $0 in campaign money for himself, he has, of course made some money from two recent bestselling books.
Bernie strongly backed Hillary after the convention and was adamant that Trump would be a disaster for the country. The legal matters concerning Jane were rubbish and consequently dropped and his loyalty is not to party it is to working class Americans.
2
@jj jojo theres a reason wed never heard of him until 2016. If he'd done something we'd heard of him.
Not Again. I like his ideas but, he ruined the chances last time. Bernie no, If you contribute to the reelection of any republican, history will treat you poorly. Think of the country not yourself.
13
Mr Sanders take a look at Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg who is an American politician, serving as the 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, since 2012.
Harvard University, a Rhodes Scholar, and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. He is the first openly gay Democratic candidate .
Highly qualified to be the next American President sending trump to mar a lago where he belongs.
6
@B.Sharp
What's Indiana?
2
@GMooG
What’s Indiana?
Ask Mike Pence.
1
Hard sell. Socialism.
__________________
A Lion In Winter
2
He looks so angry all the time jabbing the air with his finger. Whether or not his anger is justified, most people are turned off by anger. Even Ho Chi Minh never looked so angry. Although I agree with many of his points, I don't want a man with that much anger to have presidential power. I have very liberal friends who almost froth at the mouth when they talk politics. It's like they lose themselves in their rage. I look at Sanders and I see Stalin.
4
Whether Bernie wins or not, his powerful email list of supporters and small donors will enable him to truly influence the election. He forced important and drastic change in the Dem platform for the better. He isn't going to stop now. Sure he is old for the job but he could pick a younger running mate.
13
Exactly what I didn't want to hear. Why can't he just accept the fact his time time already came. There's many other candidates carrying his torch, which he can endorse. 80 years old is just too old for such a demanding job. I love you Berns, but no thanks.
9
Bernie: No! Time to move on, Bernie. Help a new generation, trade ego for cooperation, support. Please. That can be your place in history.
15
I am sorry but I think that Bernie Sanders is a loony tune if he thinks that people who disliked him the first time he ran for the presidency, will like him this time around.
9
@victor g
Is that what you said to Hillary before she declared for 2016?
1
@GMooG Clinton had a 70% popularity rating in 2016 and won the popular vote in 2008
As with the last election ,my Democrats are gonna shoot their selves in the foot with so many candidates, Sanders took away along with other factors the Presidency from Hillary.
Trump will be the only candidate on the Republican side ,with the
crowded field Democrat's will have ,Trump must be delighted at the upcoming clown show as he would describe it.
6
The "hopelessly in love with Hillary", editors of the Times, printed this really important news "below the fold", while using the top of the page for a history of the endless - and fruitless - attack on Trump.
If Sanders had been the democratic Candidate in 2016, there would be no Trump problem today - Trump would have quietly gone back to stealing from the weak, the greedy, and those who are inept at golf.
22
@Peter Zenger
Actually, you are wrong about Trump's golf game. he is good at golf--also a semi-pro. get your facts straight!
@Peter Zenger 100% correct you are!
1
Can we have Barney Frank run instead? Not only is he capable of standing up to Trump, but he's a progressive who has at least he passed legislation to back up his claims.
We get it, Bernie - you were against the Iraq War. But your voting record shows you were all for the weapons funding since there's a weapons manufacturer located in Vermont.
You funded the death toys.
And when it comes to immigration, your track record shows you're more like Ron Paul. (Ug.)
Barney Frank would wipe the floor with you.
6
@Jbugko
Are you familiar with Barney Frank's post-congressional career?? He now works on behalf of banks and the financial services industry. He also advocated vigorously (on behalf of those entities) for the relaxation of the Volcker Rule.
https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/barney-frank-wants-simpler-volcker-rule-by-labor-day/
Another pro-Wall Street Democrat is not what the country needs.
2
I loathe Sanders and this started in his last run in 2016.
I liked him as a rep. and Senator - independent.
He's so far left and is making so many insane
promises, that now he's just a liar.
He fell for one of the orange witting agent's ploys to debate him; I knew that was stupid then. What happened? The orange foreign agent pulled the rug out from under Sanders. HRC has called all things Russian about orange. Sanders -
nada.
I am glad the super delegates are gone from the DNCC. That's
due to Sanders. But combine stupidity, false promises that won't get anywhere, and his extremism he needs to lose this time and early.
He did do one thing that I appreciate when running.
He wanted a $15/hr. wage. $7.25 is abominable
and that helped the 1% make slaves out of all of us.
3
Bernie Sanders? Am I again going to "throw away" my vote on the Libertarian candidate? The choice I'm presented with is the tyranny of socialism v. the tyranny of fascism. We need a middle of the road third party candidate.
6
If he wins the primary I will vote for him.
But make no mistake. If he runs against Trump, he will lose.
Great ideas - wrong messenger.
The democrats must stop overdosing on their own Kool-Aid.
If they don't go for the moderate middle they will blow it ...again. Paint Trump as the radical.
8
You should know that most of the commentators here should be working at their jobs and not goofing off and writing their views. All of you--get back to work!
2
Welcome to the 2019 Sanders Four More years of Trump and Republican scorch the earth policies.
9
Thank the NYT for filling us all in on Bernie Sanders' racism and sexism. His supporters had had no idea, but now they do! I gather that the candidate favored by the NYT -- Elizabeth Warren -- has neither of those faults, or any others for that matter. Heck, according to the NYT, voters don't even care about Warren's claim to be a Native American!
1
What is bernie today?
An independent, a socialist, a libertarian, a progressive.
Maybe we should get him to slip on The Sorting Hat.
You can't fool The Sorting Hat.
3
Bernie is definitely not a libertarian.
1
May be Bernie can start by addressing one of our primary national emergencies. Guns. And excoriate NRA, and ask them to be boycotted.
Let's see how Bernie fares with that.
7
Since Bernie has not released tax returns, he’s ineligible on at least two state ballots. He also doesn’t appear to meet Democratic Party rules, ie have to actually BE a Democrat.
This aside from the fact that he refused, and still refuses, to finalise his FEC filings from the last time.
So, what’s the motive here?
Seems to be what it has looked like to me all along: ego. And enrichment — he did, after all, come out of the last one a multi-millionaire.
And I absolutely love the fact that his supporters heap scorn on the idea of Hillary running again — she lost! they cry. Well, she beat him didn’t she? Despite his cheating — hacking into her database, trying to overturn the caucus results in Nevada...
6
Great idea, Bernie...
Build a coalition - and make Howard Schulz pay for it...
Providing Liz and AOC don't get there first and clean him out...
PS
Incredible how many people think the ideal candidate would have absolutely no relevant experience...
Thought we ran that play, too, last election cycle...
If Hillary had made a move immediately after she won the nomination to reach out to Bernie and offered him the job as running mate, we wouldn’t be here stuck in the ridiculous spot we are in today.
10
Pass the torch, Bernie. Please. Don't be the equivalent of a Starbucks CEO candidate on the left! You did enough damage to the dem cause in 2016. Let be. Let be.
9
Please just fade away Bernie. Democratic party does not need you. Not in 2016, and not now. Go home and stay home.
13
He hijacked the Democratic Party in 2016 and never paid a dime to the party coffers. He's a user abuser.
10
@Ed
By "hijacked" you mean "offered a candidate that had the only chance of winning".
3
"The only liberal challenger to an establishment backed front runner"? Hillary Clinton was, and is progressive. Saint Bernard used republican propaganda against her and here you are parroting the same tripe and trope that this disingenuous interloper used to vilify a fine, capable candidate.
8
@AM I voted for Hillary. She is NOT a progressive! Is she better than any Republican? That goes without saying, though it is setting an extraordinarily low bar.
Hillary is an undeniable hawk, a Wall Street groupie and former lieutenant for the Walton Family mafia, probably the most anti-woman and anti-labor outfit on earth. That's not Republican propaganda. Those are the facts.
This Democrat will never forgive Sanders for his contribution to the Clinton loss. I'll never forgive him for letting his supporters call me a "Democratic Corporate Whore" while he's simultaneously trying to get me to vote for him. They're still calling us all horrible names and he's still turning a blind eye to it.
And he's too old. And yes, I can age discriminate. The man is almost 80 and he's too old for the demands of the most stressful job on the planet.
8
@JL22 he also said the dems need younger leader
@JL22 . Supported Bernie 1000% and voted for the awful hawk Hillary Clinton to defeat the Republican plague, once Bernie lost the nomination. That still seems to me the only rational and defensible position to take.
In case you've been Rip Van Winkling under a rock for the past 20 years or so:
" ... or we can let the Wall Street Dems give the GOP another four years ... "
The complaint about Sanders last time (2016) is the same as it is against Howard Schultz (and now Sanders) this time: He'll "beat up" the Democratic candidate (and actually take votes away from her, in Schultz's case), thus helping Trump to win. Last time, the polls showed this wasn't true -- i.e. that BS would beat Trump -- though the Republicans never believed those polls and thus hoped Sanders would beat out Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
Clinton won't be running this time, and the NYT (and others) will see to it that Sanders doesn't interfere with the Democratic nominee. Schultz can't be "controlled" at the moment, but the odds of Schultz not dropping out of the race -- if he runs at all -- are extremely low, and so I doubt he'll have much impact (other than positive) on the Democratic nominee. All in all, it looks pretty good for whomever emerges as the Democratic nominee, though it's presently unclear who that will be.
To combine comments from two other commenters:
"I like Bernie. But we need someone younger than Trump, not older. ... The only thing that matters is which candidate can best defeat Trump."
I agree with the "younger" part, though it applies to Trump too (and Biden). All three -- Sanders, Trump and Biden -- have the "age" problem, but I doubt it will be a problem for Trump since he's the incumbent and only has to last four more years. I suspect it's a serious problem for the other two, though, which probably is why the Republicans would like to see Sanders or Biden get the Democratic nomination.
Why must Bernie run again? Elizabeth Warren pretty much fills the same lane and is a few years younger. Bernie will be 79 at the time of inauguration. Do we really want someone of that age taking office? Being President is a very demanding and exhausting job. We need someone who is going to have the energy to take it on. Do we feel secure with someone in the Oval Office who will mostly be in their 80s? Although I'm onboard with Bernie in many areas of policy and he hasn't shown signs of flagging, I'd prefer someone younger.
21
Bernie, don't you think it's time
to renounce your dream sublime?
Think of Harold Stassen's sin
and avoid the crowd's rude grin.
10
With all the turmoil in Venezuela it seems like a tough time for a clear socialist to get going. I bet not more than 10% of democrats get on the SANDWAGON this time around.
5
@Jon Or, we could look at Finland which comes first on the world social progress index and has a lower infant mortality rate, better school scores, and a far lower poverty rate than the United States, and it’s the second-happiest country on earth (the US doesn’t break the top 10). It has socialised medicine, socialised secondary and higher education, socialised childcare and higher welfare payments than the U.S. So, you know, he may be on to something.
7
@Melbourne Town
Sure, he has many good ideas but the US population and education level is a lot more like Venezuela's in many ways than it is like Finland's so my guess would be the result of socialism would be more like what happened in Venezuela.
@Melbourne Town
Look a bit harder at Finland: No blacks, no minorities, no immigration. Is that what you want?
Leading up to the day of the 2016 South Carolina Democratic primary, there had been a concerted effort by MSM to freeze Bernie out of coverage.
So on that day, a black woman going to the polls was stopped by a reporter: “Who are you voting for?” “Why Hillary Clinton, of course” she gladly replied. “What about Bernie Sanders?”, he asked. “Bernie who???”
That was the problem. Blacks voters did not know who Bernie was due to the efforts to stifle any knowledge of him.
It was only after the groundswell of his grass roots support could no longer be ignored that he began to be taken seriously by the media - who by then had no choice, their credibility was on the line.
Bernie has been championing policies that lift our black citizens since always, going back to his getting arrested in a civil rights demonstration in college (at the same time Hillary was supporting the racist Goldwater, by the way).
So stop with your divisive and untrue claims, NYT. Be fair and balanced, but not in the Fox way. You can do better!!
14
You know, it’s all very well to precisely repeat Sanders’ goofy 2016 comment that black voters just weren’t informed to know how much better off they’d be supporting him. It’s quite another to tell these whoppers about Hillary Clinton.
5
@Stacy Kaufman,
No one stopped Bernie from being visible in southern states. He had the money to ad-buy wherever he wanted. His political calculus had left the south out. Lets see what he does this time. Not be be cynical or given to stereotypes but Ms Harris likely will best Bernie in the south.
4
@ Robert
Hillary was a Goldwater Girl. Google it if you want.
Luv my Bernie but no high hopes of him winning
4
Perhaps Kamala can pick him as her running mate.
5
NYT be very careful how you cover Bernie this time around. In this article, you call him a "self-styled" democratic socialist. He is a democratic socialist. Period. You describe his 2016 campaign as a "sensation" as if it were not serious. You claim that AOC and other new congressmen "siphoned off some of his authority," when in fact, they were elected thanks to much help from Bernie directly and indirectly. Finally, it is terribly ironic that you claim Bernie, "largely avoided scrutiny during his 2016 presidential run" because the NYT was squarely in Clinton's corner and never gave Bernie much deserved critical attention. Do not repeat your mistakes of 2016. I cancelled my subscription after the NYT endorsed Clinton before the California primary and only recently resubscribed. Be the journalists you promised you would be after you blew the 2016 election.
26
I'd like to see him as VP under Kamala Harris
4
United States federal politics is already a gerontocracy. Time for some young blood at the top again, in the Oval Office, and leading both the House and the Senate. It's also time for any Representative or senator aged over 70 to retire. You've done you bit, thanks for your service, it's time to move on to the next phase of your life.
7
@PeteH - So maybe Ruth Bader Ginsburg should retire, eh?
4
Bad idea. Stick to representing VT in the Senate.
17
The commenters who are still mad at Hillary for earning fees for her speeches never explain why they object to speakers at trade shows, conventions, etc., etc. getting paid.
Who's available? How much do they charge?
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=4mdsXMVxr8yOBNODq7AK&q=trade+shows+2019+keynote+speakers&btnK=Google+Search&oq=trade+shows+2019+keynote+speakers&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i299l2.500.9813..10121...0.0..0.329.3865.20j7j5j1......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..0j0i131j0i22i30j33i22i29i30j33i160.jYceV4vW2Bc
5
@Pecan
It's a fine line between naive and stupid.
Bernie is an old socialist codger who did not have the gumption to stand up to the flawed, weak, miserable candidate Hillary Clinton. He stood mute as the DNC lobbed ant-semitic tropes at him. He held his tongue as Donna Brazille gave Hillary the debate questions. Now that Hillary got thrashed we are supposed to give Bernie the keys to our country? He will turn the USA into Venezuela. Bernie belongs in Boca Raton pushing a shuffle board.
7
Hillary didn’t get “thrashed”. She won the popular vote big time. Stick to facts.
7
@Andrea R
So she lives in the White House then?
No thank you. A shrill, slobbering, spitting mess. Good ideas, but this country simply won’t go for them.
13
Bernie has my vote.
10
A self-aggrandizing nasty martinet. Just what we don't need a second time.
17
@Next Conservatism
No, w're talking about Bernie, not Hillary.
1
For those of you who may have thought (thanks to the NYT) that Bernie Sanders is merely racist and sexist:
"Bernie Sanders is ... a political parasite ... "
Guess who's none of those things? Well, the answer has changed. In 2016, it was "Hillary Clinton." For 2020, it's "Elizabeth Warren." Both answers per the NYT.
Try your best to ignore the polls -- you know, the polls that said Bernie would beat Trump but Hillary wouldn't.
4
@MyThreeCents
My two cents. A person who cannot win the primaries , cannot expect to win the presidency.
6
Sorry Bernie, but you are too old.
9
You would think that after everything Bernie Sanders has been through in 2016 he would finally realize that everyday Democrats don't make the decision on who their candidate will be, the DNC does. Wasserman and Mrs. Clinton both conspired and meddled in the 2016 election against Bernie sanders and the main stream media wasn't event upset by it and they never talk about it to this day not even Bernie himself. The DNC won't be so stupid to use E-mails this time to discuss who they are going to crush and who they are going to back.
5
Bill de Blasio is going to run for president as a Democrat
@NYC Dweller
Bill de Blasio is dumber than a box of hammers.
2
Finally an old white male Presidential candidate. I never thought I'd live to see the day.
25
Nah, Duke, you ain’t the one.
6
Why?
10
This passive-aggressive attack on Bernie Sanders in the guise of a news story confirms again that he’s not exactly the darling of the corporate media. Reading this article tends to make you think Bernie should just give up. Knowing Bernie, he’ll never give up. Bernie Sanders is one guy you can always count on. While Harris and Gillibrand are going to Wall Street with their hands out, Bernie is reveling in their hatred. Bernie Sanders is the right person to unseat Trump and the Republicans. Give ‘em hell, Bernie.
15
@EJS He’s reveling in the hatred from Wall Street. Sorry for the clumsy construction.
5
@EJS I would also like to make it clear that I shouldn't have taken a shot at Harris and Gillibrand. The opposition are Trump, the Republicans and the forces of Organized Money. I will make every effort to refrain from taking shots at fellow Democrats in the future and I hope others will do the same.
1
His remarks often include diatribes against “the millionaihs and billionaihs”
What's this about? Is it funny, silly in some way or does NYT want to make it seem so? Perhaps it "resonates"
7
Thank God
7
From these comments, I've seen:
1. People blame Sanders fro Trump getting elected. Never the mind that Clinton received 3 million more votes than Trump, but she did not campaign in the mid-west and lost.
2. He is too old. Ageism is alive and well.
3. He is not a woman. Misandry is alive and well, as well.
4. He is not a Democrat.
5. He will allow Trump to win again.
6. Because he is a Jew, he cannot win black voters. Add anti-Semitism.
7. Accused of bad treatment of women, in 2016. Where are these woman in ragards to Trump?
8. Some people say he is another Trump. Funny, people in Vermont don't think so.
I guess, if Joe Biden were to run, because he is not female, or African-American, they may use some of the reasons above, as well.
Personally, I want someone who can not only defeat Trump, but is popular enough to allow the Democrats to expand their majority, in the House, and take back the Senate. You need people with experience to do that. I also want to see a person who has experience working with both parties and can negotiate and compromise.
I am glad Mr. Sanders is running. I hope Joe Biden and John Hockenlooper joins him. Just a term in the Senate or House is not experience. And, nominating someone because they are female, or a person of color, just to make history, is not going to fix a broken nation.
For a base that is so politically correct, the attacks on Mr. Sanders just show there are as many hypocrites in the Democrat base, as there are in the GOP base.
14
"Democrat base" - nice touch.
1
@Nick Metrowsky
you lost me at "misandry is alive and well" I feel like you just enacted the sexist version of Godwin's law.
1
The impact of age is relative. If we are to doubt Bernie simply for being 76, what are we to say of Ruth Bader Ginsburg at 85. Nancy Pelosi at 79, or Diane Finestein at 85? Ginsburg and Pelosi are still fierce in defense, Feinstein cautious "slightly left of the middle" is no different than she ever has been. Is the truth of Sander's statements less now that he is four years older? The candidate that will win is the candidate that can sell a program that directly addresses the central issues of our economic divide. "Sell" is the operative word. The candidate needs to go way beyond slogans, and convince by demonstrating urgency and educating the population. If there is any substance to moderation, it's advocates need to sell it, and demonstrate why we need to passionately support partial solutions. How do you sell "nibble around the edges"policy? No candidate yet fills all requirements, though Warren demonstrates, by far, the best grasp of our economic divide and what to do about it. I hope Bernie can demonstrate comparable depth to his recognition. Then we may really be getting somewhere.
5
@Larry If anything happens to Ginsburg today, we will have a sixth Republican-appointed Justice and third Trump appointee on the Supreme Court. While the same is not an issue for president, a president’s health failing has other serious consequences for the country. We are not immortal. Age does matter.
2
When I read criticism of Sanders from Democrats it is always exclusively tied to resentment that he challenged Clinton for the 2016 nomination. Yet, three years later, the very positions Clinton supporters attacked as too unrealistic are embraced by most Americans. In the hands of Ocasio-Cortez, these policy positions are frequently lauded by the same people who denigrated Sanders for promoting them. Sanders deserves our thanks for making these policies mainstream.
Every poll in 2016 indicated that Sanders had stronger support among swing voters than Clinton, and consistently outperformed Clinton in a Trump match-up. Every indication suggests that if Sanders had won the Democratic nomination Trump would not be president now.
Therefore, if Sanders once again proves the most likely candidate to beat Trump, I urge Clinton supporters to lick their wounds and support him. They may actually get something they like out of it.
13
@jodo7
Don’t forget that a lot of Clinton supporters with sore noses were actually Russian trolls and bots. You only need to go to YouTube and search “60 Minutes Andrew McCabe Interview “ and you will see a mountain of trolls and bots with smear campaigns already alive and well.
When I saw the tides turning against HRC during the elections with apparent Bernie supporters dissing HRC of Facebook, I knew intuitively something wasn’t right.
A smear campaign funded by dark sources seemed to be infecting social media, and apparently it still is.
Get your news from legitimate news sources NOT SOCIAL MEDIA!
5
@jodo7 You remember that Mrs Clinton won the popular vote, right? Is there any evidence at all, apart from wishful thinking, that suggests that Mr Sanders had the ability to win both the popular vote and the electoral college?
6
@Melbourne Town
Hello Melbourne Town. Not wishful thinking, as I indicated in my post, consistent polling from spring 2016 indicated Sanders outperforming Clinton, with a widening lead the closer we got to the general election. I'm not aware of any polls that attempted to break down electoral college vs. popular vote, as I imagine that's difficult to poll for.
May:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/hillary-clinton-now-loses_b_10102664.html
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/29/bernie-sanders/bernie-sanders-says-he-polls-better-against-donald/
June:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/why-does-sanders-do-better-clinton-against-trump
Go Bernie! We need you in the mix. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a prez, VP and key cabinet members comprised of the lot running for President on the Democratic side? It is truly a dream team.
We need Bernie in the race as he will be able to keep Putin’s Puppet in check and keep the candidates on task.
Thank you Bernie! I will be one of those 1 million donating, not to just Bernie, but others who are running and have a chance. (That is a lot of them.)
Let’s keep on message, forward looking, positive, grassroots and to take from Obama, “Yes we can!” change and repair the damage done by this administration!
Go Bernie!
10
Bernie set the stage for the progressive agenda that Democratic candidates are taking today. Things have changed considerably and Bernie is no longer new or different.
So let's get all the bad feelings between the Democrats and Bernie out in the open now so that by the time of the convention, Democrats can UNITE to defeat Trump.
Bernie will not stand out as before. It will be interesting to see how many primary contests he wins. This time it should be a fair fight. So let's have the circus begin now.
1
I agree, though I didn't think so at the time:
"It was all over for [Hillary Clinton] when she made the comment about deplorables.'"
The same can be said for Mitt Romney when he made his comment about the "47%" during the 2012 campaign. I'm amazed that Presidential candidates don't think it through before they speak. Romney probably thought his "47%" remark would never be repeated (wrong!), but Hillary made her "deplorables" remark on national TV.
To HRC's credit, she DID add that most of Trump's supporters were NOT "deplorable," but she should have known that part would be chopped off when sound bites were released.
2
Are his spoiled millennial followers going to have hissy fits and not vote for the Democratic candidate after Sanders doesn't get the nomination like they did in 2016? I don't get a sense that any of them have grown up.
The real power now lies with what I call the fearless Parkland High School Teenager Generation. They have ideas and are going to certify the demise of the Republican Party because the GOP ignores them.
22 Republican and 12 Democrat United States Senators are up for reelection in 2020. Perhaps they should all be voted out of office that year.
It's time for new visionary thinking in the Senate.
8
He's the least corrupt and the most popular. He and the rest of us can save the country or we can let the Wall Street Dems give the GOP another four years.
9
@Al M on what are you basing either of those superlatives? Gillibrand isn't taking PAC money, either. Biden and Harris lead in popularity. We have other options this time around! We really DON'T have to cling to Bernie because the only alternative is a baggage-laden centrist. It's not 2016 anymore.
3
YES, Yes !!!!
Bernie , you have my vote and will do all I can to help you
get elected . Your tireless effort is remarkable.
12
No one talks economic inequality better than Bernie. No one is more lovable than Bernie. The millennials adore him. Trump even likes him and said so. He would have beat Trump in 2016. Bernie will be the next President of the United States.
11
Just what we need. Another 70 something year old know it all. When will these old men fade away and let the exciting folks (Senator Harris, Senator Booker ET Al) fully blossom ?
5
I think we have had quite our fill of old, angry white guys Disclaimer - I am an old, non-angry white guy. They think the presidency is part of an extended retirement tour. Seriously, we need leaders who are younger, and have much of their, and the country's, future ahead of them.
5
Bernie Sanders is being disingenuous by calling himself a social democrat ; he is an independent and should run as one . Crafty move to siphon off democratic votes because he is aware he will not get anywhere as an independent . At 77 he is way past the expiration date and has shown a mediocre record in the Senate . All talk no action , rhetoric is his specialty and exactly just that , rhetoric .
8
another round of relentlessly unproven, pie-in-the-sky policies from a man too enamored of the sound of his own voice to realize that he is not the best person for this job.
never bernie.
15
I like Bernie. But we need someone younger than Trump, not older. And the sexism of his campaign is untenable now, and even if he is nothing like the Bernies Bros, he did nothing to stop them.
9
The only thing that matters is which candidate can best defeat Trump.
Everything else is noise.
8
This man is legit. I'm voting for him.
8
Bernie's not finished with being a spoiler. His ego is too big to allow him to learn from experience. He's got his divisive sloganeering talk-points and he evidently feels that's all he--and America-- needs. He is, in fact, a Far left Trump.
9
It's always fascinating to see the number of Democrats eager to vote and fight against their own self interests. Why WOULDN'T you vote for medicare for all? For free college? For an end of the prison industrial complex and invasive and aggressive foreign policy (to say the least)? Why would you settle for anything less? I just don't get it.
This man is incredibly popular, and was and is the best shot to beat Trump if he can win the primary. Yes, he's an old, white man but you need about half a brain to realize that you're not electing a friend, you're voting for a platform. It's the platform that matters most of all.
I'm hopeful. I think he can win.
6
Does it even matter? The GOP will still just shove the candidate THEY want down our throats, regardless of how the voting community voices which candidate they prefer (like they did with Bernie in 2016) Big Pharma and conservative corporate America will bully and buy whoever they need to keep the poor struggling, the middle class disappearing and the bank accounts of the wealthy growing!
Bernie, if you win the nomination, you'd better win the election.
4
Pretty surprised to see that no one has mentioned the numerous complaints of sexist treatment rampant in his campaign last year, and his ignoring of it to this day, not to mention ignoring a a complaint about sexual harassment. And do people really think his lukewarm endorsement of Hillary and his lack of campaigning for her had nothing to do with her loss? Of course there were thousands of bitter Bernie bros that stayed home or voted for the hideous Jill Stein, so it is Bernie and his smirking, resentful adorers who elected Trump, and let's not forget it.
8
And let the divisiveness begin. Reviewing these comments are only a microcosm of what a Bernie campaign will unleash this go-around. Sadly, he's an egomaniac who only wants to stroke his narcissistic ego. He knows how entrenched his Bernie-or-Bust supporter were then and how they will spew vitriol to anyone not in their camp. They're no different from the MAGA crowd. He has absolutely no chance of winning, only riling up his base the likes of 3 years ago handing victory to the orange man in 2020. God help us.
13
Not only should Democrats ignore Sanders, they should also not let him in on any debates held by the Democrats. Let him debate himself like; why he didn't show his tax returns. Why he voted against Russia sanctions?
America doesn't need another Russia asset in the White House - Trump and his sleaze bag administration are enough.
4
I'm all in for Bernie in 2020.
7
Please retire Bernie. We already have enough old men. All you will do is satisfy your own ego and make it possible to elect trump for 4 more years. This country cannot survive 4 more years of trump.
13
Patently absurd that a 79 year old man would run to be a first term President.
8
he's got my vote.
7
So Sanders wants to be President again? As someone who gave money to him then gave up on the entire Democrat party to vote for Trump, I have to breathe a sigh of relief that I understand, finally, what DJT thinks about socialists: they stink.
They are now the disgusting underbelly of politics, and a failed Venezuela under Chavez and Maduro is enough to convince me that I was right once I figured out the blatant hypocrisy and stale air of "social democrats", from the inside, Sander's sleazy primary full of naive millennials and boomer control freaks.
After 55 years hanging with that group, I dropped them like the losers they are, and joined the MAGA train. I never looked back at the wasteland which encompassed me during those liberal decades I ran as the fool errand boy. I left an entire party of leftist fools and I don't regret it for one second.
On these pages on the Saturday before the election of DJT, I predicted a Trump win of 308 votes. The Electoral College certified 306. I'll make one new prediction. The Democrat socialists have circled the wagons and have the entire circle in their own sights. When will they collectively start firing at each other and commit suicide? Trump will stay as far as possible from that campfire conflagration.
3
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me – and I welcome their hatred.” FDR 1936
Bernie Sanders effectively repeated these words 80 years later....
We will be voting FOR Bernie Sanders....no doubt about it !!
6
There is a broader generational issue that is not directly being addressed here. The age 70+ candidates like Bernie and Biden are part of the older Baby Boomer generation that is holding on much too long. Millennials are now reaching their late 30's and early 40's. Even Gen Xers are now pushing into their 50's.
Whether you like candidates like Bernie, which I frankly do not, this cohort of old Baby Boomers needs to set aside and allow the younger generation to take over. The younger generation has energy and ideas and they are impatient for change, which I cannot blame them for. By the way, I am a Baby Boomer but even I recognize that older Baby Boomers pushing 80 need to recognize when their shelf life has expired and that they have to step aside and hand the torch to a younger generation.
2
@John Sorry, but I cannot endorse your openly ageist rant. Bernie Sanders is the reason the Democratic Party is finally showing signs of life again, as it shakes off its love affair with Wall Street and the rich.
2
@EJS
Sorry but I am also a baby boomer and it is plainly obvious that at 80 years old, Sanders will be too old. Frankly, to call Bernie a Democrat is a big joke! Bernie is an independent who is a political parasite trying to use the Democratic Party as his host. If Bernie is such a big deal to the Democratic Party, why did Bernie change his political affiliation to "Independent" and never got off his rear end to help elect Democrats across the country? The problem is people like Bernie who indirectly help people like Trump by not joining the Democratic Party and working to elect Democrats! There are plenty of YOUNGER progressives running for President WHO ARE DEMOCRATS and we don't need another tired old privileged White man about to turn 80.
1
Why did so many voters stay home, or vote for a third party candidate in 2016? That is the question we should keep asking.
During the primary campaign, Bernie Sanders never missed an opportunity to exploit the rage of his supporters, to whip them into a frenzy of hatred and mistrust for Hillary Clinton.
He was unrelenting. For months, at every opportunity, he demonized Hillary and impugned her motives—with hearsay, distortion, innuendo, insinuation, sarcasm, contemptuous dismissal, guilt-by-association, conspiracy theories and outright lies.
The hate and mistrust he fostered carried over into the general election, and depressed turnout by his supporters—largely young, white voters.
Then, belatedly and half-heartedly, he "endorsed" her as the party's nominee. But it was too little, too late.
In my book, Bernie Sanders is directly responsible for the election of Donald Trump.
18
@Ron Cohen Where did you come up with this distorted misstatement of history? Bernie did none of the things you claim. You let your disappointment over the weakness of Candidate Hillary affect your memory.
4
@Ron Cohen
Actually Bernie never did much rail against Hillary, in spite of her dirty tricks against him and her disrespect for his supporters.
Maybe he should have gone negative directly against her instead of against the corporate interests behind her and the DNC, which would have been normal and fair in a political fight for the future of the country.
5
@Ron Cohen
Only Hillary Clinton and the DNC who pre-ordained her nomination is responsible for her loss of the electoral college vote.
"hearsay, distortion,innuendo, insinuation, sarcasm, contemptuous dismissal, guilt-by association, conspiracy theories and outright lies" is something you can associate with Trump. None of it applies to Bernie Sanders. It is an outright preposterous misrepresentation of his character.
6
Bernie is an independent. I don't understand why people were angry that he didn't become the Democrat's nominee. He was not a Democrat! Of course an independent was not going to become the nominee.
So he's trying it again? Wow. I respect his views and policies, but the same problem presents itself.
11
@sfdphd: Obama is more independent than Democrat too. Perhaps that is why he slumbered through the critical 2010 census year election, the loss of which cost him the rest of his presidency.
I'm fine with Bernie Sanders announcing a run. At this point, whoever thinks he/she can articulate cogent policies of benefit to everyone other than the U.S. oligarchs should go for it, then let the primary voters decide. No anointed candidates, please, by Obama or anyone else in the Democratic Party. However, when the 2020 Democratic candidate finally emerges, I want all the also rans, including Bernie, to campaign for that ticket as if their lives depended on it. This is not a time for spoil sports.
5
I voted for Bernie in the 2016 primaries, but I don't think I could vote for him again. We don't need another temper tantrum on an independent ticket giving Trump another 4 years.
10
Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat. If he wants to run, it should be as an independent candidate.
12
@cyclist It’s amazing how much stock people seem to put in party labels. In fact, Bernie Sanders is much truer to the traditional position of the Democratic Party than lots of neoliberal Democrats who like to play footsie with Wall Street and the rich.
2
I will not vote for Bernie in primaries. I will also never forgive him for helping get Trump elected. Nor will I forgive his supporters who voted third party in states that mattered. Yeah, I'm bitter.
18
@Walter A Washington Post analysis of data from Aug. 2017 shows that two large surveys put around 12 percent the number of Bernie supporters who voted for Trump in the general election. Another smaller one shows 6%. Then there are the Bernie supporters who voted third party. In WI, MI, and PA those numbers were enough to have put Hillary in the winner's seat.
Not to mention, all the bad blood and negative exaggerations generated by Bernie supporters about Hillary...some from Bernie himself.
When you say "none of this ever happened," one has to wonder which bubble you are getting info from.
1
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Bernie is just like Howard Schultz, who will likely run despite having zero chance of winning and very little support from the left, right, or middle. What is it, vanity, ego, a calculated attempt to get Donald re-elected?
If Bernie doesn't win the primaries will his supporters blame the DNC, vote third party or stay home again? None will ever be pure enough.
Biden can win. I don't like it and he should have Harris or Warren as VP and possibly resign after his second inauguration.
1
@ogn Did you know that a much larger percentage of disappointed Hillary supporters voted for McCain than Bernie supporters voted for Trump? The facts do not bear out your statements.
5
@EJS
Verifiable and cross-checked numbers, please.
No one should be discouraged from running whatever may be the reason. Already the Democratic field has many talented candidates.
However, any one running as a Democrat must pledge not to damage any other candidate with negative campaign but present their policies and views. Let us see how the Primary plays out. A leader will emerge soon enough. They must also pledge to support wholeheartedly whoever gets the nomination.
If Bernie runs as an independent it will guarantee the reelection of Trump.
The Democrats have very good chance of winning in 2020 if they remain united and not form a firing squad to destroy each other.
8
I'll never forget the 2016 caucus in my little college town, deep in Bernie country. Hillary's staffers were organized and polite. The Bernie volunteer didn't even remember the campaign buttons. The woman who spoke for Hillary reminded us of her intelligence and (often buried by consultants) and charisma.
Guess who won the crowd? A grad student who bragged he hadn't bothered to vote until Bernie Sanders came along. Like it was something to be proud of. Like your vote is only worthy if you're smitten with the candidate. Like your vote has no consequences for the country, only for your conscience.
And it's too bad, because Bernie Sanders seems like a pretty good dude. Most of his policies are common sense for the rest of the developed world. It's his contemptuous acolytes that worry me. Will they again cry foul, take their toys and go home, when their one-note candidate fails to build a coalition and win the Democratic nomination?
Maybe we shouldn't be too worried. Bernie Sanders is thoroughly outclassed this time around.
10
As a guy who voted for Trump because Sanders was not on the ballot, I'll be voting for Bernie on 11/3/20 even if I have to write his name in.
5
@David you're the reason Trump got elected.
9
God bless him but he should accept the fact that his time has come and passed. If he really loves his country, he would step aside and back a younger candidate who most closely espouses his platform.
To do otherwise is to split the vote and re-elect Donald Trump.
12
I'm happy for us... I really like Bernie... my family lives in Vermont and works hard (not rich) but progressive and I so look forward to them telling me about their hard but progressive lives... it can be done...a better life for us all...I love his ways and we need more people like him... thank you Bernie.... I love in Kentucky and it's cheaper but I think harder... much happiness today...
7
I'm in. $100 donated. My family did $100 each. Bernie will rack up $2M easy from the "people" today. The special interests will be running for the exits. Any company that gives Trump money I will not buy anything they have to sell.
8
Bernie Sanders succeeded in dividing the Democratic Party during the 2016 presidential election and cost Hillary Clinton the election. Once he lost the party’s nomination Sanders took his marbles and went home versus actively campaigning for Clinton. His second afttempt to run for president is purely self-serving. The Democrats need a strong, exciting candidate who will unite the party, not someone who continues to fracture it.
9
Find me another candidate who talks as much about policy as Sanders. Maybe Warren. You people freak about that he’s too far to the Left and that’s the real problem. It’s not that he’s too far to the Left— it’s that the other candidates can’t talk policy because they’re bought and paid for by monied interests. I vote purely on policy— and so far that makes me think I’m voting for Bernie. I want to hear what others have to say, but too often what I hear from Booker, Harris, Gillibrand, and the others is just the same old runaround. This guy at least has no fear to come out and say what he’s thinking. That said, I can’t commit yet, especially as I’m still waiting for Senator Brown to decide.
6
Nail in the coffin for this voter. Democrats need to rally behind Kamala Harris and she needs to get centered, or I'm swinging and voting for the most liberal Republicans. I've worked too hard for too long for the little I have to give it away to folks who love the Bernie-Cortez sandwich and all the socialist handouts. $15 minimum wage? That's great. Now go work for it.
8
@Brooklyn: Do you know any Republicans who do not use the word "liberal" as a derisive epithet?
1
Time for an honest investigation of Bernie. No more a pass that he received in 2016. Need answers for 1) underpaying his female campaign staff, 2) revelation that his campaign staff member, Jeff Weaver, was on Manafort's payroll in Ukraine, 3) real detail on how he will manage to pay for all of his free proposals for tuition and finally why does he think he should run as a Democrat and then revert to independent status. He has a poor record of legislative achievement for all his years in office. And I didn't mention the age thing.
9
"...one of his most common refrains is that the “three wealthiest people in America own more wealth than the bottom 50 percent...”"
This refrain is a fact, and the reason why this fact is a constant refrain is because certain large groups of people refuse to acknowledge this fact.
Think about it: 3 people equal 160 million people, and we're told we're all equal because we have one vote per person. What's one vote compared to billions of dollars?
Right. We're told we're all equal in democracy and voting to provide political cover for the fact we're not equal economically, and economic inequality is bad or worse that political inequality.
4
@Chris: The US has been culturally segregated by structural vestiges of slavery that tend to systematically disenfranchise its more cosmopolitan citizens.
1
Nothing is certain. But Sen Bernie Sanders is now 77 years old and will be 79 by Sep 2020, which is certain. Though he looks and sounds quite vigorous NOW doesn't mean he will be so in 2021-2025 is far too uncertain.
Ronald Reagan was ONLY 69 when he was inaugurated, but 70 in less than a month. People now believe he was senile during his second term.
I am an admirer of Bernie Sanders but he's too old for such a demanding job. So is Joe Biden. Both these nice men should give up the idea of becoming president.
Perhaps Sen. sanders wants to relish the adoration he received while campaigning. again. What if he doesn't get that again?
6
@A.G. He sounds really old. Like a lot of old people he gets obsessed with a single ideas and can't move on or expand on it and so he repeats himself over and over. He reminds me of a lot of old people in my own family.
2
I for one am so tired of the trope that Bernie was a divider, or is too old, or is selfish, etc. I am a female progressive 66 year old and totally support Bernie's second bid for President. I voted for Bernie in the primary last election, and also voted for Hillary for President. Bernie was my first choice - but I was not a victim of "purity politics" - and made the best choice for the country in 2016. Bernie's policies and energy draw a strong response from progressive Democrats - of all ages. You go Bernie! I am with you.
8
Is it asking too much to expect that anyone seeking to be the Democratic nominee for president must, at a minimum, be a member of the Democratic party?
7
@TH: It is proper to compare each candidate for the additional people they can attract to fill the 2000 or so political level positions in the executive branch if they win.
@TH
only if you want to lose
Why won't Bernie and other oldies like Biden go away? I speak as a 60+ year-old registered Democrat.
If there's any chance of beating Trump, a Leftist "give us free everything" type cannot be our candidate. Of course I'd like less taxes, better healthcare, and affordable tuition; who's paying?
Living in an area with VT media coverage, I've seen enough of Bernie over many years to know he's not our answer for President. Try harder Democrats!
5
I yearn for a time when we have sringent age restrictions on persons holding public offices. Anyone over 65 must be considered unfit to serve.
2
You must be talking about Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein and John Lewis....just to name a few.
In fact Senator Feinstein was just re-elected Senator from California...at 83 years old.
Spare us the "age" double talk.
3
@Abbey Road,
Someone wake up mitch mcconnell...his oatmeal is ready.
And old man trump's adult diapers are riding up on him.
Bernie had one final exam last time and failed miserably. Let's hope THAT got better with age. Marshall support, harvest votes from the furthest fringes of America, and then funnel them to whomever wins the Democratic Party nomination. Don't stew. Don't sulk. Don't pretend that ballot box vindictiveness will result in America choosing the right candidate. Four more years of Trump must be avoided at all costs. And if he can't do that, then get out of the race early. Unless he's leading by a considerable margin 4-5 months out, get out get out get out.
3
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me – and I welcome their hatred.” FDR 1936
We will be voting FOR Bernie Sanders. No doubt about that !
7
The Democrats male version of Hilary. Mr. Sanders you can't beat Trump. Again, the American people will have two very poor choices and we will choose just like we did last time. A democrat who is extremely left of center will not win 270 electoral votes.
2
He sought the nomination of a party he was too good to join.
Bernie the Pure was likewise too good to campaign for the nominee.
You are the problem, Bernie. Get out now, and stay out.
7
@Lorem Ipsum
"He sought the nomination of a party he was too good to join."
100% true. And subsequent events proved him right.
1
While I do feel that Sanders is a very good-natured and ambitious candidate, his campaign promises, in my view, could be interpreted as too ambitious. Medicare-for-all sounds like a plausible concept when one first hears it, but the circumstances regarding federal assistance programs are dire. When Republicans won full control of Congress in the 2014 midterms, they did everything in their power to undermine the Affordable Care Act, which, given the results of last November’s elections, backfired on the GOP. Democrats in 2018 ran largely on protecting the ACA from conservative sabotage, condemning their GOP opponents for voting in favor of the 2017 bill that would repeal Obamacare and remove health insurance for millions of Americans; their efforts were successful, as Democrats ousted over 30 GOP incumbents, some in historically Republican constituencies, that had voted to repeal Obamacare. If Sanders wants to win undecided or toss-up voters, he should depict the stark reality of an America without Obamacare and remind voters that this country was on the brink of becoming that reality, as well as who was responsible for it.
To me, Bernie represents what I think are the two most prescient factors for any 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful. One mid-to-long term, and one short term:
1) Bernie stands for the voice of progress that most of the young voters in this country support. While many boomers and many on the right (and ESPECIALLY the boomers on the right) have dismissed policies of Medicare-for-all, $15 minimum wage, and tuition-free college as idealistic, impractical, un-American (what does this even mean?), and/or other similar labels, as far as I have seen arguments against these sorts of policies typically stop short right there. After the broad, unsupported direct attack on a policy idea (such as Medicare-for-all), few "intellectual" right-wingers seem to have anything more than brief, easily refutable surface-level arguments against these policies. The young people in America want to see these changes put into place; the older population continues aging. In time, Millennials will take control of the government. Bernie is the voice of the many young people ready for change, people who will control the government. And when it comes to these policies, well..."Where there's a will, there's a way," as many a famous people have said.
2) For the short-term, Bernie also represents a certain character. He's more honest and has more integrity than most politicians. He is outspoken and does not mince words. He will speak out against injustices such as those of the Trump administration.
9
@Jeremiah
Bernie is not a Democrat but an independent who is trying once again to use the Democratic Party as his parasitic host. Also, Bernie voted to deregulate the financial derivatives market, which lead to the 2008 financial crash and voted against immigration reform during the Bush Administration and bragged about it with Lou Dobbs. Bernie talks out of both sides of his mouth, Bernie is all about Bernie and not getting Democrats elected to advance a more liberal agenda, and Bernie is not what many people would consider a high integrity guy.
3
Been there. Done that. Didn't learn your lesson?
13
AOC should run instead of Bernie
@NYC Dweller AOC will be president someday, mark my words. But she needs experience. Give her a decade, so that her know-how may come to match her passion. She is very much a Washington neophyte at the moment.
4
Unfortunately she’s too young. She’s 29 and you have to be at least 35 to run.
2
@NYC Dweller too funny....she needs to learn the job she has at the moment!
1
OK -- first, NYT, redemption time -- give Sanders fair coverage this time around.
But -- second -- do the Democratic Party bylaws say that somebody who isn't a declared member of the party (like Sanders) can RUN for president as a Democrat? --weird.
third -- misogyny. Sanders let it fester, and it remains.
4
Why is the assumption being made by so many commentators here that Trump will be the Republican nominee in 2020? Will the Republicans be that stupid? I'm the only one of my friends and family who predicted he would defeat Clinton, and they thought I was ridiculous. (It was all over for her when she made the comment about "deplorables.") Trump's "base" is shrinking. Who do you think can beat Romney on his second time around?
Sanders could have beaten Trump. The dismissiveness with which he was treated by the Democratic Party and the New York Times was short-sighted, to say the least.
2
Bad candidate; he's old and white. This is the age of identity politics. That's not to mention his terrible ideas.
6
This is great news to have the man who we should be calling Mr President, a second chance to get the job done. No more DNC trying to annoint a crooked candidate to battle a worse one. We need someone uncorrupted. He want to remove the money. What do you think that means? African American voters, please do not make the same mistake and vote for a Obama clone in Harris. Sanders is the real deal. His values is what have given the Democratic party a better look on how they have valued the wrong things. Ignore your skepticism and open your eyes. The man should have been president. Right a wrong. Also, don't have Donna Brazelle do moderator again and it should be fine. Feel the Bern!
8
He is free to run as independent and finally prove that he lost because of the "mean Democrats and not because he is not really as good a.candidate as he thinks he is.
Sometimes the curtains of exclusion open a window in time. That time is now for women. The next President will be one of the Dem women running now. Probably not any of the east coast women running. Bernie and Biden just don't seem to get the tea leaves. Too old, too white, too eastern, too male and too dense. Bernie and Joe! It is over. You aren't going to get there. Most of all, why don't you two see the women running as at least as capable and political and electable as you?
3
@PugetSound CoffeeHound, The time for a woman was 2016. We had a candidate with incredible experience, one with all the maturity, intelligence, & level-headedness now lacking in our President. If only Bernie Sanders had been gracious enough after his defeat in the primaries to give her his whole-hearted support! ... We now have many intelligent & level-headed women candidates to choose from; all they are lacking is the experience, including international, that Hillary Clinton had. I may change my mind during the next year & 1/2, but right now I would like to see Joe Biden for one term with Kamala Harris - a bright, articulate, progressive, likeable woman - by his side for 4 years as V.P., possibly followed by 2 terms as our first Madam President.
3
Republicans cheer to the news that Bernie is running again.
6
Dear Bernie,
Let’s be honest. There are no secrets. You have a history of selfishness. Virtually everybody in Vermont half-awake know you can’t play on a team, that Bernie comes first, that you have contempt for those who disagree with you, and that therefore you would be a dreadful president. (Temperament matters; in some ways yours is like that of DJT, though nowhere near as deranged.) Also, there are ways to sell democratic socialism to conservative Americans. There are ways to turn back the attacks labeling you a wacko radical. You didn’t try any of them because you’re so arrogant you think it’s unnecessary. Finally, your behavior after Clinton had sewn up the nomination, your refusal to pivot immediately to protecting the White House from the Republican Party, disqualifies you from even being a candidate. You should understand the meaning of shame. Shame on you for what you did to this country. If Clinton had been elected you would have had a platform for your ideas and been able to reach the American people. Instead you contributed to the election of a man who has done his best to destroy what’s left of the American republic. He is succeeding.Try, just once, to put the country ahead of Bernie Sanders. Yes, it’s difficult, but the lives of millions are at stake and your desperate ego, next to them, is meaningless. Think about it — if you can take your mind off of Bernie Sanders for more than five seconds.
Signed,
Terrified Lifelong Democrat
17
@ADN Are you kidding? If the DNC and Wasserman Schultz hadn't robbed Bernie of being the nominee with their Super Delegates that the Clintons had bought previously and nominating the MOST un-electable woman who then found a way to lose to the lunatic in the White house we would not be in the mess we are in.
1
@rich g
The MOST unelectable woman did win the popular vote.
She sank in the EC because the poor white vote went to the billionaire who proudly boasted a harem of bunnies while his 3rd wife was giving birth. More men than would admit admired him for that and dream to be like him still.
1
Let's be perfectly clear about Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is NOT a Democrat! Bernie Sanders is an independent and a political parasite whose host is the Democratic Party. Bernie Sander plays this game in Vermont where he runs as a Democrat for Senate and when he wins the primary, he then refuses the nomination and runs in the general election as an independent, thereby denying the Democratic Party a candidate in the general election. Vermont Democrats may be willing to put up with this nonsense but as a lifetime Democratic Party, I find this tactic to be downright offensive!!! If Bernie pulls this game at the national level, he will humiliate the Democratic Party and put Trump back into the White House!
Besides being a political parasite, Bernie has a gaping blind spot, which is that he believes that ALL our problems are caused exclusively by class differences. What Bernie CANNOT UNDERSTAND is that racism and racial inequality exists separate and apart from class differences and he is incapable of understanding and dealing with these issues. Democrats demand more racial and gender diversity in their candidates and their staffs and not the White male Bernie Bros who tolerate women and racial minorities as long as their privilege positions and world views are not challenged. We already have a racist in the White House and don't need a racially tone deaf Bernie who will say the right things but not give a seat at the table to women and people of color.
13
Run back to Vermont, Bernie. We Dems are doing just fine without you and the last time you tried to high-jack our party we lost.
12
@Byron
Sure you're doing just fine. Half the party leaders are ancient relics, and the other half are good-looking simpletons that don't understand math, civics, or business. Yep, the Dems are doing just fine.
1
Oh, yay, free college everybody!! Don't forget college loan forgiveness!! Oh, and Medicare for All (ask a few people who have Medicare how great it is . . .)!!!
This guy is a total joke. No one in politics has any respect for him and all the teenagers who can vote hopped on the Bernie Train because it was cute to like the cuddly old muppet and because they're so unsophisticated they believed "Fee college for everyone, yay!" Oh, and "We'll just grab all the money from rich people, wheeeeeee."
All of his endless free-for-all give away promises are exactly what made voters feel that Hillary was being too conservative and reserved . Or, you might say honest and thoughtful. But the people have risen up thanks to the world wide web and we live in an era of mass-hysteria like we've never seen before. Otherwise a clown like Bernie Sanders would just be another sad old white hippie from Vermont.
11
Ugh, not again. Time for someone new!
12
Neera Tanden is so transparent (and pathetic).
6
Why all the Bernie hate???
After all of the vetting I bet you won’t see him in a blackface photo unlike some other Democrats we know...
9
Has anyone heard from Susan Sarandon yet?
6
Bet you didn't know Bernie Sanders is a sexist, racist pig, did you?
According to the NYT, he was both of those bad things way back in 2016. His supporters didn't know that, of course, but -- thanks to the NYT -- now they do.
4
Too old. Too grating. Betrayed Hillary. Will be tarred as a communist. Cannot connect with African Americans.
Nope.
9
@Red O. Greene
Cannot connect with African Americans? Bernie cannot connect with anyone who isn't a college educated White Male condescending progressive. Bernie also threw Latinos under the bus when he voted against immigration reform when George W. Bush was President. Bernie also threw the rest of us under the bus when he voted to deregulate the financial derivatives market, which eventually caused the 2008 financial crash. Bernie needs to go away and stop trying to use the Democratic Party as a parasite.
3
@Walter
Bernie lost overall African-American and Latino vote. Bernie also lost older and more moderate Democrats. Bernie won the younger college educated progressive White vote. Hillary won the minority vote and older Democratic votes.
Why?
5
Trump received 62,984,828 votes in the 2106 election. How many of those voters are going to support Bernie Sanders in 1220?
Senator Sanders has a number of valuable positions that I agree with. Universal health care is a goal the U.S should pursue, a single payer system is just fine with me. College should be
affordable without incurring lifetime of debt. Perhaps ignoring climate change is not in out best interests.
But the overriding goal of the Democratic party should be to vote Donald Trump out of office.
Senator Sanders positions are simply too extreme for him to be the candidate that can beat Trump and the Republicans, even without Russian help
1
Isn't the idea of having a race so that people with different ideas can share them for the benefit of all us voters? Or are we so committed to party-picked - some would say, money-picked - candidates that we have to denounce anyone who may rock the boat for Nancy and Steny?
Bernie is not the best campaigner and he still made constant progress running up to 2016, rising just as steadily in the numbers as Clinton declined. He will not be starting at the same place this time.
Let's give everyone a chance, including Bernie. There are a lot of good candidates, thanks in no small part to Bernie's putting wind in the sails of the party. I look forward to listening to them all.
6
Bernie Sanders is not the enemy. He may not have the sense to retire, but at least he knows better than to run as an Independent. Charles Schultz's potential third-party candidacy is a far greater threat.
Sanders was an appealing alternative to the more centrist Clinton, but in this crowd where everybody and their Dad is running for president, I'm curious to see how he's going to differentiate himself. The 2020 crop is a lot more progressive than Clinton was. Why you, Bernie? And why now?
1
Bernie Sanders may have his heart in the right place. But his announcement to join the race will only have a spoiler effect. He will not win because he is too far to the left, his policies unacceptable to most Americans except his base which is extremely small. He got some support in 2016 but 2019 has gone way beyond that time. There will be no groundswell. Besides, there is the specter of misogyny in his past campaign and women will surely remember that. But he could play a great role in 2020 - stepping aside and endorsing a Democrat who CAN win, rallying his base to vote for him/her.
8
@NNI
Rallying his base t vote for Hillary didn't work out so well. Doubtful it will work thus time. Otherwise you are absolutely correct. We need to win the Midwest states and independents. Women and minoroties are not numerically sufficient to win the Electoral college, and the young are not reliable voters.
What exactly is left about him? All the other candidates have adopted his every position. Hellooo??
But first he'd have to join the Democratic Party and put a D after his name.
I didn't realize how right Sanders was until the third debate in which Clinton picked Kissinger as her Repub hero. Sanders made me realize why with Kissinger's1968 support of Nixon made him a bad choice and why Sanders was better qualified.
As much as I admire Sanders and Biden, I can't support any candidate older than Elizabeth Warren.
5
In other words, you're a Trump supporter.
Ah, Bernie. Always ready to give away all the candy. But no history of being an effective legislator to work out all the logistics as to how do you create, distribute, pay decide on type and color of the candy.
5
@Kim Ruth
All that can and should be delegated. That's what staff is for.
Why always Tuesday?
Ever notice?
Announcements intended to get maximum attention tend to be made on a Tuesday morning. Even Bernie Sanders. Conversely, announcements that the announcer hopes will be ignored tend to be released on a Friday evening or Saturday morning.
3
@MyThreeCents: I'm surprised Sanders didn't do it on George Washington's birthday.
@Steve Bolger
Mondays are the 2 for 1 salad bar special at the Bennigans in Burlington. Then he needed a nap. So, yeah, Mondays are out.
Bernie was the anti-Hillary. She's not around and the current crop of democratic contenders is much stronger. I predict he will not do well.
8
@Dan Barthel
You might be correct but his ideas resonate more now than before - events have proven him correct, which is why everyone's copying him.
(Note that no one is copying Hillary)
5
Sorry, but Sanders is too old. And much too far left--radical shifts in too many policies would not be accepted and much too easy to politically attack. Every time he claims something will be "free" he loses credibility with people that realize that there is no such thing as a free lunch. That happens to include the people in the middle that are needed to win.
6
The "tax returns" issue may or may not have "legs," but let's not forget that ALL Presidential candidates have long been required by law to release very detailed financial reports (Trump's reports typically exceeded 100 pages, for example). I've never heard that Bernie Sanders failed to do so.
"Bernie Sanders ... refused to release his tax returns (Hillary released 30 years' worth ... "
1
This man held office for how long without holding sway? Why do his supporters believe that he will suddenly hold sway now? I will be voting for someone with a proven record - in or out of politics - of getting things done.
12
@Anna
Such as Amy Klobuchar - she's my pick so far.
I voted for him in 2016, but in 2020 we are going to be fighting for our lives. I will vote for the candidate I believe can go the distance. I don’t know today who that person will be, but Senator Sanders is not on my short list.
7
Age doesn’t matter. The job doesn’t require physical fitness. FDR was almost immobile and was still among the best presidents we had.
I support Bernie because he’s the only one who’s serious enough about fighting lobbyists and preventing the further dissolution of middle class.
17
@Fares: FDR's mind was failing as he neglected to get Truman briefed on the Manhattan Project and commitments made to far eastern insurgents against Japanese occupations before he died.
1
No, the job does not require physical fitness. It does, however, require that you be alive.
3
The best statement about Bernie Sanders I have read is, "All hat and no cattle." He makes statements without any thought about their impact or how to achieve his goals. His appeal is largely to the gullible and uninformed in my opinion.
11
Too many flavors of ice cream actually makes me start to crave Jell-O.
@John Doe,
Hope its not Orange jello
I like Bernie. I voted for him in the primary and would have voted for him in the general if he had been the candidate. Bernie is a good man. But, like Hillary, his time has come and gone. It's time for someone new, IMO. At this point, I am supporting Pete Buttigieg's candidacy as far as it will go. I like Pete's platform, his priorities AND he's a measured, bright, young man of substance. I'm so tired of drama and bombast. Buttigieg is like a breath of fresh, clean air - just what America needs.
5
@Sydney Thank you. I thought I was the only one.
1
My 2 cents worth from NZ - Bernie is too old. Amy Klobuchar looks the best at the moment, folksy down to earth midwesterner with a formidable grasp of the issues - the perfect foil to Trump. This is the time for a woman president. The world needs it.
8
Finally, a candidate with dignity and vision. Bernie is an ideologue in the best sense. He has championed the same causes for decades--education and healthcare for all financed by a redistribution of wealth.
While Trump and the GOP try to say "socialism" is a dirty word, working-class citizens are tired of rocketing student loan debt, tuition costs and prescription prices--and Bernie knows this.
His agenda has always been about Americans first, not about what's best for the Democratic party. Those "...Democrats who are quick to suggest he does not have the party’s interests at heart..." are absolutely correct: they must understand that the peril our country faces with 4 more years of Trump are far greater than the political interests of either party.
While the Dems obsess over sending their progressive messages via women and minority candidates, Bernie alone gets the most-important political goal: “Bottom line,” he said, “it is absolutely imperative that Donald Trump be defeated.”
Those candidates who run simply as "anti-Trumps," are ignoring the very lesson they should have learned from his stunning upset victory: tens of millions of white American males were disenfranchised. These are the voters who brought Orange Julius the throne.
For this reason alone, I believe the Democrats need to run a white male--Sanders or Biden or O'Rourke. I would love to see a ticket of Sanders/Klobuchar or Biden/Harris, positioning the first female president in U.S. history in 2024.
8
@koufax8
Agreed. Preferaly with Klobuchar. Harris and Warren are too left and aggressive. They will turn off the Midwest, men and other independents that we need. Lefty voters are concentrated on the blue states. Not enough to win the Electoral college.
@dba Both tickets would have to be carefully balanced--liberal male Sanders paired with moderate female Klobuchar or moderate male Biden with progressive female Harris. This way they cover California and the battleground states.
If the Dems don't make an effort to win back some of the white male voters they lost, they will lose again.
I do worry that none of them can carry the red South, and this is where Beto's endorsement in Texas would be instrumental. I actually think the strongest ticket might be Biden/Beto, but I doubt the party would countenance an all-male ballot choice.
Both Sanders and Biden are too old for two terms, so their respective Veeps would be in a perfect position to win a second term, although the Democrats seem tone deaf to this strategy--determined to run women and minorities--none of which have the name recognition that Hillary Clinton had. And she lost!
I can't bear the thought of another four years of Trumpian hell...
When will he acknowledge some responsibility for having helped put Trump in office?
14
Ah, yes. We definitely should have just coronated Hillary instead of having a democratic primary. SMH! #StillSanders
4
as soon as Hillary does
4
Maybe 80 is the new 60.
I hope he runs. At least there will be one experienced candidate who says what they really think, and may inspire others to address the hard questions.
11
Riddle me this:
Bernie is NOT a Democrat. He is a proud independent.
Why is he parasitically using the Democratic party apparatus for his Presidential bid?
Why doesn't he run third party?
Direct line to the ballot.
Independent financing.
No debates.
Not at the mercy of a Wasserman Schultz.
A clear clarion platform.
Why shoulder the burden of the corrupt same as the Republic Party Democratic apparatus?
6
Well put. I never cared for hjiackers either.
1
Too late...
My advice/wish: Be an elder statesman above the fray.
8
To see how deeply split the Democratic Party has become you need to look no further than the #1 and #2 , readers pick
#1 By Rozenblit thanks M.r Sanders for awakening the
Nation to the problem of inequality (710 votes)
#2 by Katie compares his followers to MAGA followers
(605 Votes)
5
NOOOOOOOOO. Puh-leeze, Sanders, Biden, Clinton...just give it up. Advise those coming after you. Go fishing. Whatever.
We need candidates with forward-looking vision who take the best of what you may offer, but who have a better grasp of technology, the environment, race and ethnicity, economic equity.
None of you are any longer that candidate.
4
Is he still using his 2016, "Break Up the Banks but I don't know how" campaign slogan?
8
No. The slogan for the new campaign is "Make The Billionaires Buy You Ice Cream For Dinner While You Attend College For Free Forever Since The Green New Deal Is a Joke". catchy, huh?
1
Bernie is not a Democrat.
8
Bernie and Trump have a lot in common. Both have huge egos, both love their rallies, both haven't made an effort to reach out to blacks and women.
Trump's misogyny is well established, and
Bernie's response when asked why he didn't look into the accusations of sexism in his campaign was "I was kinda busy". Brothers under the skin.
10
Please save us.
Take a good hard look at Bernie's record. His greatest achievement has been feeding at the public trough.
14
@Doug R. Are you surprised by this coming from a self styled socialist? AOC is the same. These socialists all need to go away. The 20th Century is calling them back.
1
I was really hoping Bernie the Divider would stay out of it.
No such luck.
15
Give it up Bernie.
You made your point and you shook things up. Now it's more about your ego.
I'm not suggesting that you fade off into the sunset as much as hoping that you'll sit this one out and bask in the knowledge that he helped start something that no longer needs you as its aging masthead.
7
In my opinion America is not ready for a president like Bernie Sanders. The abrupt shift to the left would cause another disorientation analogous to the current political situation.
What we need now is a democratic candidate, Kennedy style.
But above all it’s even more urgent to have a honest, credible leader.
Too old! As is Trump. Let a new generation begin to undo the untold damage caused by this generation of old white men.
7
Amen to that
3
There are plenty of old women who need to move-on too. How about Maxine Waters? She's 80. At what stage do you let go of your egotism and give it up for a younger person? Gerontocracy is not good.
I guess Bernie has decided to join the Democratic Party again, just in time to take advantage of running under a major party umbrella. If he had stayed in the Party after the 2016 election, instead of switching back to Independent status that would be one thing; this is just Bernie and his bots taking the easy way.
Let him run as an Independent. Then his supporters can see how hard it is to get traction when you can't stand on the shoulders of the party you only use when it is convenient.
8
It would be very very bad for the democrats if Bernie ran as an independent in 2020. He'd get enough far left votes to guarentee a Trump win.
He cost the democrats the election in 2016. He could do it again. The better approach for Bernie s to find a candidate he can support and swing his voters to that candidate. This is a stupid idea, politically. Another 4 years of Trump???
17
@glenn He didn't cost Dems anything. Dems stacked every deck against him and lost because Clinton could not appeal to middle America. Not because she's a woman, but because her and Bill's regressive trade policies destroyed our good, blue-collar jobs even further than Reagan did.
This is from an Ohioan, in a very blue part of my state, who saw her get bombed not for her gender, but because of NAFTA. And her support of TPP until she wisely -- but too late -- rolled it back.
7
If it hadn't been for the DNC he would be POTUS
super delegates and debbie WS did him in
if he had been the nominee he would have carried every state HRC did
AND
he would certainly have won Michigan and maybe PA and maybe Wisconsin too - he only needed one of those
He would not have lost
HRC - LOST
all you bernie haters - ask yourself - is this freak in there now better?
you did this
HRC - corrupt and super greedy- weak horrible candidate Lost. she lost to maybe the only other weaker candidate in modern times.
and she blames it on Jill stein and bernie
thank the dem establishment for Trump - we could be talking about president sanders right now
20
@j: Trump would have a field day mimicking Sanders' mannerisms.
5
@j
Bernie Bro, Hillary got more votes than Bernie in the primaries, including California. Bernie lost because he could not expand his base beyond the college educated White privileged progressives plain and simple.
2
Well, bust my buttons! NYTimes wrote an article on Bernie Sanders. Shocking. The Times came so close to losing my subscription over its blatant lack of coverage of Sanders in the 2016 campaign; he didn’t exist as far as the NYTimes was concerned. Now we read here the Times admit his platform changed (or revealed) the direction of Democratic Party constituents. Good luck on this 2020 campaign’s coverage, NYT. Let’s see if you can ”get it” this time.
22
@Cassandra Of Delphi
Careful about complacency, you can bet the NYT's knives will emerge to cut Bernie to shreds...
But Bernie will prevail!
President Bernie Sanders 2020!
7
As a moderate Republican desperate for the Democrats to field a candidate capable of defeating Donald J. Trump, my ongoing fear is that the Party will drift too far to the left. This will lead a lot of voters like me without a viable candidate in the 2020 election, and I’ll just vote for down-ballot races. This will increase the odds of a second Trump term. To the DNC: Please find a moderate Democrat who can win a national election.
Oh, and for the record, this old white guy moderate Republican voted twice for President Obama, and for Clinton in 2016.
18
How about Reps will have their primaries where the moderate Reps like you, could vote for whom they want instead of advising Dems whom they should nominate to please moderate Reps.
2
So is he running as a Dem or an Indi?
6
Give it up Bernie. You are too liberal, too divisive, too out of touch(witness teh refusal to release Tax returns). All you are doing is making it easier for Comrade Trump to win; just like you did in 2016.
7
If Bernie had been the Democratic nominee instead of Hillary, we wouldn't be dealing with President Trump and his idiocy.
19
Stay home, old man. You’ve done enough damage to the Democrats.
16
Egomaniac.
12
Give me a break. Go away.
14
I'm concerned the below-quoted sentence might be Christian supremacist as it attempts, by using vernacular and quotation marks, to portray a Brooklyn/New York working class Jewish accent, as abnormal or deficient, "His remarks often include diatribes against “the millionaihs and billionaihs”..." If this sentence is Christian supremacist, I request an apology to Senator Sanders by the New York Times.
8
@Atown: Bernie is like the uncle who drinks too much wine at the Seder to us here in New York.
1
@Steve Bolger
Then who is Corey Booker? The simple son?
@Atown
Yes, of course. Because everyone knows that there are no Christians with Brooklyn accents.
I dont like Bernie. Unlike other democratic candidates, he is not taking in corporate money, which means bad business for the rich and me. I like being rich, and I dont want my money to be taken away for the poor. They must suffer for our pleasure and enjoyment as the rich American bastards we are now.
Harris 2020 and for others who support the rich. You make my life easier than before!
5
I've never seen such a bunch of deluded people as Bernie Sanders' fans who vehemently continue to support him no matter what. He should have known it was time to give it up and support a younger candidate, and so should they. He makes empty promises and actually says very little, and his people just love him. The man is too old and looks like he's about to keel over, and age does matter here. He would be 79 by the time he was sworn in. His stand on gun control and the way his liberal supporters have ignored that is also infuriating. I could go on, but what’s the point.
20
@Martha: A Republican dollar spent on the Democratic Party's weakest candidates probably has more impact than a dollar spent in support of Republicans.
2
I've never seen such a bunch of deluded people as Bernie Sanders' fans who vehemently continue to support him no matter what. He should have known it was time to give it up and support a younger candidate, and so should they. The man is too old and looks like he's about to keel over, and age does matter here. He would be 79 by the time he was sworn in. He makes empty promises and actually says very little, and his people just love him. His stand on gun control and the way his liberal supporters have ignored that is also infuriating. I could go on, but what’s the point.
7
One can only hope he flames out early. He is too old - simply an angry old white guy who is advocating policies that will not happen any time soon in this country. We need a pragmatic candidate who understands it is more important to make incremental progress and actually get things done. Bernie simply makes proposals without details. A majority want universal health care but most have no interest in giving up their employer provided health insurance and seniors will not support anything they perceive as possibly diminishing Medicare. I am a 77 year old white guy.
14
@DCN
Incremental progress never works, it gets lost in the shuffle. Considering just one problem, climate change, incrementalism will kill us all. And there are many other problems after that one. Incrementalism is for people sitting in a hot pot too afraid to jump out.
They aren't the doers - but you can count on them to always jump on board after everyone else has done the work and made the sacrifices necessary for positive change.
Cmon Bernie. Do you really think the DNC is going to be fair with you? I don’t think so.
3
@ P McGrath
The real question is whether Bernie would be fair with the DNC. He was offered the same deal as Hillary, turned it down, refused to even discuss it, and then allowed his supporters to attack the DNC or somehow harming him. It’s a crock. The DNC was behind the candidate who could win, and who, by the way, made a fundraising deal that helped all around. Bernie wouldn’t make it. When he plays fair with the DNC, they’ll play fair with him. In the meantime, he’s too old to be elected and he should get behind somebody who can. Which, by the way, doesn’t include Joe Biden.
4
Why should you or he care? He is an "independent" so he is free to run as third party. Party crashers do not get to tell the host how to run the party. Do not like it: leave and have your own, dear Bernie and "bros"
Run, Bernie, run. Even if it is only for sake of the Democratic process. Let's Dems, not these 'know alls', decide whom they want to nominate as their candidate. Let's American people, not these 'homegrown analysts', to choose who will be their next President.
10
Yeah, be a man Bernie and run as as independent instead of hiding behind a party you do not belong to.
@Rosie I don't think Dems will like that, because that will really diminish their chances to take over the White House
Sanders has never bothered to tell us how he/we will pay for free everything.
9
By taxing the rich. Unless you're a multi-millionaire, you have nothing to fear.
2
@Eric
What makes people think the rich would hang around to be heavily taxed? Surely they have enough money to leave for a place with rules that are more favorable to them.
Everyone should listen to the clip in the link that Yamiche Alcindor cynically misquotes in her tweet. You'll hear it properly contextualized in his sentence directly before. I wonder if this author listened to it or if she's consciously lying to push an agenda?
If you want to know what Sanders supporters were angry about, it's exactly this.
I'd also like to remind everyone that those Podesta email leaks were real and verified by numerous federal agencies to not have been falsified- and Yamiche's name is in there.- Where it references giving Hillary Clinton's staff final edit on articles.
Keep that in mind when you weigh your opinions about Sanders, Clinton, Trump and Russia.
7
Here we go again with Bernie and his supporters being more interested in demonizing Democrats than defeating Republicans.
By all means, let’s pick over a bunch of ancient emails that make the surprising revelation that most Democrats preferred that an actual Democrat win the Democratic nomination.
Exactly the same thing was obvious in The Democratic Primaries where actual Democrats voted for Clinton over Sanders.
Packing local meetings in order to gain delegates proves nothing about elections! Refusing to face reality and dragging out the process long after there was any hope of winning the nomination just weakened the Democratic nominee and the Democratic Party enough so the person who received more actual votes in a presidential election than any one else in history was denied the win. What a great victory for Sanders and his disgruntled followers!
So no, I am not thrilled to see the delusional Sanders and his fanatical followers enter the mix for the 2020 election!
7
oh no. The spoiler is back. Will he run as a Democrat?
7
Besides Bernie's credentials and good intentions, does anyone truly believe that in this period of American history, the majority of Americans would support and vote for a Jewish President?
3
@Barbara
No, and thank you for saying it. It’s exactly what we don’t need at this moment in history.
@Barbara
Given all the Catholics on SCOTUS and the constant celebratory noise about papist bonehead veep Biden, one can presume any Jew or Catholic could move into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
And given who now lives there, no one would be able to say "there goes the neighborhood".
Bernie Sanders is a grade A loser who will be rejected via electoral votes. If the nominee, he will get more popular votes because he loves to offer free, but high cost benefits to the American people that are unsustainable.
3
@ Patrick Turner
Sanders is indeed a loser.
But by the way, all those things you think we can’t have for “free,” everybody in Europe managers to have them. Why are we the exception? Why can’t we have tuition-free higher education for all? Why can’t we have healthcare for all? Why does one of the richest countries in the history of mankind allow 30% of its people to go to bed hungry every night?
How do they manage to do it differently in Europe? They have higher taxes, and they tax the rich at much higher rates than we do. Meanwhile, their economies are healthy.
2
@ADN
People in Europe demand more. They know that a war is always just over the horizon and this life can't wait. Americans are more complacent, and spoiled.
1
I believe the nomination will be between Booker and Sanders which booker will win probably. If Schultz enters the race he'll take away that 5-10% crucial votes from Booker and Trump will be secured in another presidential term. A divided party system and voting populace is the main challenge.
3
@Wasi
Neither of those two always-running career opportunists stands a chance of winning the nomination or the generation election.
2
@Wasi
worst prediction ever. Booker will be among the first to drop out.
If he wants to run as a Democrat, fine. Join the Democratic party. Otherwise start your own party.
12
@Joe
Why would he stoop to being a Democrat? That would just be pandering for votes and corporate donations. He has more integrity than Democrats, which is why he's the most popular politician in in America.
Instead, you need to rise to his level, if you have it in you. But it's too much to ask the average American to be other than average - that's the whole problem.
1
So many folks are against Bernie’s age. Well, he doesn’t visit tanning salons, or coif and color his hair. Trophy wives are not his thing. Other cultures value experience. Ours maligns it. His ideas aren’t old. His attitude isn’t old.
Look at trump. Dictatorial thinking goes back thousands of years.
10
He's a protest candidate. He has no idea how his slogans will actually be achieved or how much they will cost, but who cares about the details right?
17
Pretty sure that bernie thinks its 2016.
7
@Victorious Yankee
His ideas are more topical than ever and the People are finally listening. Bernie is way ahead of you, and that's why they are leaders. Ms. Octavio-Cortez is the same.
Neither pander to get votes - you have to catch up to them.
4
Oh please no. Sanders has never accomplished anything of significance in his life. All he knows how to do is yell "Revolution"! FYI, I'm a Democrat.
25
@Betti - He single-handedly changed the entire course of our political conversation. What have you accomplished in your life?
5
@JJ. For the worse. He changed our politics to that of the Latin American variant of who can offer the most freebies without consequence.
2
Good god, not again. He's too old, he's not even a Democrat and I won't vote for him, under any circumstances.
22
Too old, too much like the cranky grandmother on the Waltons.
LIke Bobby D said: "Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall."
7
@johhnyb
So why is he the most popular politician in America? Think you could do better?
Awesome. Bernie Sanders is just what we need in a world where an openly racist failed businessman with zero government experience or knowledge can win the Presidential election by blatantly asking foreign adversaries for help.
5
I knew Bernie Sanders at the University of Chicago in 1963. He is the same honest, plain-speaking, conscientious and progressive man now that he was then. Back then he never used drugs. I never saw him with a beer in his hand. He cared about civil rights. He espoused a socialistic approach to government. He read a lot, especially social psychology. He had a girlfriend with whom he went to the beach in his jalopy. He shared an apartment to save on rent. We need this incorruptible man in the White House.
17
@ Ivan Light
Sure, and he left a trail of breadcrumbs that will allow the Republican Party to destroy him. Start with Cuba and move on from there.
1
Don’t do it, Bernie. We love you but you could throw your support behind another, younger contender and be a hero rather than a spoiler...
10
There is NO DOUBT about it.....
Bernie Sanders is the ONLY candidate that WILL NOT sell out to corporate interests.
We will be voting FOR Bernie Sanders....again!
15
I’m very unhappy about this based on 2016. The whole feel the Bern thing was as ghastly as Trumps promise to make America racist again or whatever. A campaign is divisive by its very nature, however, too many wanted to keep that “bern” cult alive after the primaries and refused to vote for Hillary. So, thanks to his stubborn heal dragging in getting his cult behind Clinton, we are now stuck with President Putinpuppet. I have a pit in my stomach just thinking about it. Also, I think the Russians are now smacking their lips at all the chaos they can create with a repeat of 16 on the horizon. They know Bernie’s followers can be as emotionally irrational as Trumps.
13
@Tedsams Hillary lost because of her poor campaign strategy, not because of Bernie Sanders. Bernie won the WI Democrat primary, beating Hillary by 13%. Hillary took the state for granted when she didn't even win the state in the primary, and didn't campaign there. This only highlights one of her campaign's mistakes.
10
@readalot19 I was alive and well two years ago! Hillary lost because of the Electoral college. Bernie did not get behind the candidate, and when he did, it was a pathetic show. Yes, she was not the best candidate, but she was better than what we got and Bernie and his bros, with some help from mother Russia helped topple our country. Now he wants to finish the job? Please be snide somewhere else.
Bernie Sanders is completely unqualified to run as a Democrat. First, he is a Socialist, which is not a lane in the Democratic Party. Second, he is a huge sexist who referred to his 2016 opponent as "The Secretary." He's got no new ideas other than creating "free stuff" for the entitled Millennials.
8
Referring to former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as "the Secretary" was respectful of her highest earned title. I also heard others referring to her as Senator.
Disrespectful was Trump's endless whining "Crooked Hilary" and chanting "lock her up" when - surprise or not - he's actually the crook, and far worse.
1
The president will be happy to hear this news.
16
Bernie Sanders has, shamefully, done more to usher anti-Semitism into the Democratic Party than anyone else. He has stood by bigots like Linfa Sarsour, and refused to publicly condemn Jeremy Corbyn.
The UK Labour Party should be a cautionary tale as it has allowed pseudo-intellectual anti-Zionism, to use the most generous term possible, to morph into cartoonish anti-Semitism to the point that several MPs are now leaving the party. The Labour Party, a once proud home of pluralism has become an emblem of bigotry. It would be disastrous and dangerous for the Democratic Party to become the same. Ironically, the scary drift of the Labour Party only proves the urgent necessity of Zionism and Israel today.
I cannot wait to vote against Bernie Sanders in the primaries.
8
Please go away Bernie. You are too far to the Left and too old to be president. This is not 2016 with one flawed Democratic candidate. This is 2020 with a plethora of excellent candidates that can defeat the Orange Menace. We don’t want to mess it up this time. Too much as it stake...
9
Hmmm, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary, or AOC?
This is an all-star crew of socialists. Chavez would be proud!
Do you want your tax rate to be:
a) 70%
b)80%
c)90%
or d we keep all of it, and the great leader will provide for you and your family and you will be forever grateful?
2
Yes. I want the same tax rates as under the Republican president Eisenhower. Your grandparents were OK with it.
6
@Eric
Your comment shows a lack of understanding regarding the difference between nominal tax rates and effective tax rates. This is a common problem among Dems these days.
1
Why is ageism fair game when sexism, racism or any other "ism" is not?! So many of these comments think this okay, but I find it highly offensive. If we want to talk about policies, fine, but let's stick to that and not resort to name-calling, ("Bernie Bros"), and other nasty comments. This is the sort of thing that children and our President are apt to do.
9
@PH Because age actually affects health and ability. While decline is often consistent, there can be huge drops in strength, endurance, and thought processes. The problems appear at different times for different people, but, if not a problem for Bernie in 2020, definitely an issue by 2024.
4
@PH
Bernie-bros is sexist, but not for men, it demeans all the Bernie-sisters. Young women supported Bernie in a far greater proportion than for Hillary.
FDR pointed out that Americans will not continue to support democracy if it doesn't deliver for them.
If we beat Trump with a candidate who is not willing to take on corporate power in order to win the kind of changes we need, in 2024 we can expect that a majority will turn to an authoritarian who is far smarter & more dangerous than Trump.
Picking a Democratic nominee is not the same as picking a puppy--not about their looks or vibe. It's about their RECORD, their HISTORY, their PRINCIPLES (the central ideas that motivate them). And whether they can beat the GOP---but that is hardly predictable.
There are vast differences between the Democratic candidates. If you are concerned about the near extinction of the middle class and our planet, then you understand that addressing them requires limiting corporate power.
Yet most of the current candidates have little or no history of taking on corporate power.
Ask yourself: Why did HIllary-- clearly intelligent & experienced-- lose to an idiot like Trump? Millions of voters stayed home, demoralized about "politics", or voted for Trump to blow up politics.
Why? Because the Democratic Party had lost its credibility. It had become a party that celebrated diversity but was generally unwilling to fight for changes that would make a real difference in people's lives, if that required taking on corporate power.
There are many Democratic candidates that can win in 2020, but few who can sustain our democracy.
7
@kraig peck
Hillary didn't lose because the Dems lost credibility.
Hillary lost because she had no credibility herself.
2
I am sure that Bernie is the answer.
But I am not clear on what the question is.
3
@mbpman
Will you vote for, once again, the continuation of corporate power and money in politics that institutionalizes income and power inequality?
1
@Fourteen
No. Actually, the question is:
"What ever happened to William Jennings Bryan?"
What explains Sanders' enduring appeal after he did so much to destroy Hillary's hopes and elevate Trump to highest office? For this reader it can only be the sense of moral superiority Sanders encourages in his supporters. May it offer them some small solace in the midst of our world's ongoing catastrophe; one which may well have been avoided but for the overweening ego of their hero.
14
Why would democrats chose an independent at the top of the ticket? With the multitude of card carrying, qualified and diverse choices available, it makes no sense to go with a 'fringe left' outsider who espouses making everything free with no intelligible plan to pay for it. Get serious.
8
@Dennis W - Why does card carrying matter? Shouldn't policies and positions matter?
4
@Dennis W
There are many more Independents than either Democrats or Republicans. Why is that?
Could the two parties be opposition parties in name only (Very Bad and Worse)?
Or could they be the exact same Corporate Party with two wings, both funded by corporate donations?
1
@Fourteen When you equate the 2 parties you and I have been watching different movies my friend.
2008 Barack Obama: Hope and Change
2020 Bernie Sanders: Nope and No Chance.
Bernie burned far too many bridges to both black voters and a majority of Hillary Clinton voters. As the Democratic nominee (even though he's not a Democrat) without a majority of both aforementioned groups getting behind Sanders, his campaign is doomed. While the socialist or Democratic socialist labels no longer faze many Americans, that will not stop Republicans & even some Democrats from spinning talk of socialism into some dystopian nightmare. Lobbyist from not only the health insurance industry but several other deep pocketed ones across other industries & special interest groups threatened by Sanders policies would wage a disinformation campaign that would make the Harry & Louise ad campaign of the 90's look tame & amateurish. We've recently witnessed the bizarre disconnect for some Americans identifying with the Tea Party. They railed against the Affordable Care Act or any government involvement in their health care while simultaneously threatening anyone who dared to dismantle or attenuate their much loved Medicare. It's hard to make this stuff up.
As appealing as "free everything" sounds to many Americans, nothing is ever truly without costs or consequences. Making higher education and health care "free" for all would carry undesirable consequences for many Americans currently employed in these industries. Getting these policies through tribal divisions in Congress is another story
8
I'd like Gavin Newsom to be our next great lighthouse , his rhetoric has always impressed me, he is brave enough to risk angering certain factions of antiquity, without losing sight of the great legacies he Is charged with shepherding into the new age . Hes beautiful . Great people often are , look at the Dalai Lama. It's in the smile
1
He is not nor has been a member of the Democratic Party. He is a lightweight socialist. Many Democrats and most independents would never, repeat never vote for him. He has a zero chance of getting elected. Republicans are getting ready to pop open the champagne bottles if he gets the nomination.
14
If we elect a centrist Democrat like Beto or Harris, we’ll end up with, at best, some new centrist policies in healthcare and/or modest tax reform that will do little if anything to address the social and economic injustices that plague our country. Let’s not squander the political we have now on milquetoast politicians who will only tweak the status quo while continuing to cater to special interests and corporate donors. Only Sanders can credibly claim to be something else. That’s why he has my confidence, my vote and my monthly $27 donation.
15
Senator Sanders guarantees Trump a second term by running again. Just like last time him and his supporters will aggressively target fellow democrats, especially those who don’t share every single value they do while fully ignoring Trumpism or even making an acknowledgment of it. The elections will be about how horrible democrats are while Trump gets a pass... we’ve seen this before Senator Sanders, and no just like your people refused to vote for Hillary, people like me might refuse to vote for you.
11
I beg to differ with the first sentence of the article. The article sets up the "frame" of Mr. Sanders as far to the left. But like a frog slowly boiling on a pot of water, what we don't realize is how extremely far "right" we've drifted in our political discourse snd expectation, having been forcibly pushed by Reagen, Gingrich, McConnell and then steadied by moderate Rights such as Clinton and even Obama. No sir, the correct frame in which to view the esteemed Senator Sanders is a down the middle FDR Centrist. I'm going to keep pushing this frame because it's true. Sanders is a moderate FDR Centrist. Look at his policies and read your history. We had a 90% marginal tax rate in the 40's. Solvent social security, world class infrastructure for the time, investments in science and education, world moral leadership, etc, etc. In many respects the country was on a better trajectory then. Let's get back to that tragectory with a down the middle, FDR Centrist. Amd let's correct the "frame" in future articles.
9
Bernie Sanders is the only truly authentic candidate running for President. The rest are mostly interested in themselves, not the rest of us. They are all trying to mimic Bernie, but they are doing so as "messaging" not because they care about Americans. Bernie is also the only Democratic candidate who can beat Trump, IMHO, because his authenticity gives him real authority. The rest are just hangers-on. Go BERNIE!!!
10
Not only is Sanders a man running when so many good women who are better candidates are already in the race, he is white and too old. He is also too vain, too ambitious and not a Democrat. Nor does he have a record of accomplishment in the Senate, though he has been there for years. I have always voted for Democrats. I could never vote for him in a primary or in a general election.
11
@linmdonal
"Nor does he have a record of accomplishment in the Senate"
Is that a new rule? It must be, otherwise how would the Dems ever have put forth Obama, Hillary, or Warren?
2
A sad day for the democratic party and for the prospects of democracy in America. Let us hope that his support has shrunk drastically, and that he quickly concedes defeat and leaves public life.
10
Why should he? Hasn't he just been reelected for next term as a Senator? Clearly he has plenty of supporters. I don't understand why do you want to deny his supporters the right to vote for the person they admire?
5
I assume he is running as an independent, and not on the coattails of the Democrats as he did during the 2016 election.
7
Yay! Good things are starting to happen. It's time for the new Left to shine. I applaud the political shift and the opportunity for solid principles, rather money consolidation, to dictate policy. Bravo America!
5
@Ned
"It's time for the new Left to shine. I applaud the political shift and the opportunity..."
This fantasy is sure to light up about 3-4% of the voters. This is a failed pipe dream. Move on already. In case you haven't noticed, The US these days is a pretty conservative place. Bernie never indicates how he intends to pay for this government largesse. Something tells me the average taxpayer is not looking for an even larger tax burden.
1
Bernie Sanders sounded listless and bored when he made the big announcement. It sounded as though he was reading off a teleprompter. Maybe Sanders realizes he isn't fooling anyone by changing his party affiliation from I to D in a last ditch effort to win the Democratic party nomination. The novelty has worn off and he seems tired and stale.
5
Joe Biden!!!!
No other candidate could bring us together as well.
Best experience and liked by everyone domestically and internationally.
The perfect antidote to the Donald!
4
@Robert Ficken I like Biden. There is the age issue. I'd like him to run in 2020 with a strong candidate who would run in 2024 - that sounds ideal to me
1
First thing he should do is release the back tax records that he promised three years ago. Second, he should decide if he is going to be an opportunist and try to use the Democratic Party, or will he stay with his convictions and run as a spoiler independent. He needs to let his ego down gently and find some other purpose in politics.
6
Bernie is a bit old as is Biden & Trump! At a minimum he'll add to our process & it's refreshing to hear someone clearly say the POTUS has no clothes.
About health care being pie in sky or how to pay for it...
we ALL already pay for everyone's health care.bif you don't have insurance or means to pay everyone else in the insurance pools OR through our taxes indirectly pay for healthcare for all. SO if we had basic care to start with we'd likely have lower costs as we get older if we start off with preventative care rather than a handful of emergency room visits.
NOTHING in this country is free. We are already subsidizing many things INCLUDING CORP WELFARE!
4
Too late for Sanders to brand himself Democratic Socialist. There are some aspiring presidential candidates who are more socialist than him. I will vote for a socialist other than Sanders. No flaky Green Party, please. Mediocrity nauseates the gods.
4
The joy is back!
4
Praise for Sydney Ember. This article is fair and balanced and also substantive, which is something new for the NYT's coverage of Senator Sanders. Does this mean the NYT will do a better job than they in 2016 when they hardly covered him at all and when they did it was laced with poison? As a subscriber, I will be watching not only the news column but the op-eds as well. Will is his policy prescriptions be analyzed factually and criticized fairly? Will there be more light than heat, more analysis than labelling and name-calling? If he is not covered fairly, I will be finding another online newspaper to subscribe to.
4
@abigail49 - Check out her article on Bernie's black support. Not fair or balanced at all - made me wonder what they teach journalists in schools today.
1
@JJ
You are confusing "fair & balanced" with "positive."
How sad for Bernie. Is he really all that different from (unmentionable) in thinking that only he can do it?
4
@James by “unmentionable,” you mean Hillary Clinton, of course
1
I've usually admired Neera Tanden, but her broadside against Senator Sanders was an unnecessarily low blow and augurs what's in store for the senator going forward.
Unfairly, most Hillary supporters still blame him for her loss in 2016 and they'll be coming after him from all angles this time around. Their goal will be to ensure that the Sanders campaign never gains any momentum as it did in 2016.
7
@sthomas1957 - I don't admire her at all, but agreed her broadside was beyond low. Her true colors showing.
2
It is obvious that the Republicans, not having anything else to run on, will try to turn the 2020 election into a referendum on socialism vs. capitalism.
All but one of the possible Democratic candidates will legitimately be able to scoff at the socialism label. However, if you think that socialism can win that referendum in swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, then Bernie is your guy.
Keep in mind the real distinctions between textbook socialism, Soviet-style authoritarian socialism, and northern European social democracy will play no role in the debate. We do not do nuance in American presidential elections.
1
Through all the tumult, pressures of the last primary contests and despite all the institutional tilts, from the DNC to the NYTimes, Sanders never broke, groveled or soiled himself.
I door belled for JFK, majored in FDR and TR. It seemed shortsighted and tragic to me when Hillary didn't pick him as her VP. She would have won -- and also become more assassination proof.
I've have, to date,, never been embarrassed and always have been proud of Bernie Sanders.
He's proven himself educated, honest and courageous.
And I will support him until he or somebody else give me good reasons not to.
But no matter what, we must use Trump as a springboard to the kind of country we were before we fell down the staircase with Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, and W.
The lies and illusions that we have been telling ourselves have added up to our own rendezvous with disaster personified by Donald Trump, a man who suggests what the Germans were stuck with after the Weimar Republic collapsed.
I want a country I can be proud of. And I want a country that has a good chance of surviving in a world that must recover its equilibrium.
My grandchildren are light years beyond my childhood capabilities. They don't deserve a dead end.
We have to face the grim reality. There is a cancer growing on this country. Honestly assessing reality is always the first step to any treatment. Great presidents in the past have faced enormous challenges. One is going to have to do it again. I'm betting on Bernie.
7
@frankly 32: The US pretense that it is "under God" no longer holds any water. Bernie knows nothing of the technology your grandchildren consider second nature.
3
@Steve Bolger
nor would Benjamin Franklin or FDR understand nuclear physics, but they understood the difference between smart and dumb, right and wrong and what was good for everybody and what was only good for the ruling class. We had an old senator from my state named Warren Magnuson. A full life and bottle left him enfeebled at the end, but it's hard to find one of his votes that was wrong.
1
Just a note on terminology. Bernie is a social democrat not a democratic socialist. A very fine but important distinction
5
As the very old joke goes: At his trial, a man who killed his parents asks the judge to have pity on him because he is an orphan.
Sanders refuses to join the Democratic party but wants that party to pick him as their candidate for President. (And spend tons of money supporting his campaign.)
12
The problem with Sanders is that he will likely stay in the race until the last minute, creating discord among the Democratic Party and the candidate most likely to succeed in beating Trump (while giving Trump more caustic tweet ammunition in the process). As with his 2016 run, Sanders didn't know when to quit and it certainly aided Trump's win. His candidacy seems more about vanity to me, i.e., Sanders' 2016 "progressive" policies and campaign now being co-opted by those who have declared their candidacy.
13
Trump has made this a popularity contest. Really, what else has he done for oridinary Americans? And in a popularity contest, one angry old man versus another, the one with the most slickness and money, wins. Add in vote tampering, for good measure.
Put Bernie's words (minus socialism, Denmark and Sweden) in a younger, more charismatic package, and Trump goes down.
3
Barnie Frank, please run for president. You actually have legislation that you worked on and that came into effect to actually prove you're not just grandstanding.
Sanders claims, “I think we have got to try to move us toward a nondiscriminatory society which looks at people based on their abilities, based on what they stand for.”
Funny, but there is very little to draw from when it comes to Sanders. We get it he voted no to Iraq - we must have heard that one a thousand times. But he voted yes - more than once in actuality - to funding weapons for the invasion since some of the weapons were manufactured in Vermont. And he NEVER brings that one up or addresses it if anyone else brings it up.
12 years in the House and How many years as a senator?
On guns and immigrants, he sounds more like that creep Ron Paul.
Yes, Ron Paul.
“I think we have got to try to move us toward a nondiscriminatory society which looks at people based on their abilities, based on what they stand for.”
Too bad he can't put his money where his mouth is when it comes to such a statement.
Which is why I wish someone like Barnie Frank would throw his hat in the ring because his legislative record can make good on such a statement.
2
He's 77. I hope he picks a superb vice-president of presidential caliber.
3
I was a big Sanders supporter, and still am, although I have concerns about him being able to overcome the hurdles in front of him: his age, his lack of strong support from African Americans, rumblings about sexual harassment in his campaign with the added scrutiny of the #Me Too era, lingering resentment from Clintonistas, the building sense that this time a woman HAS to win. For all these reasons, I would prefer Bernie stay on the sidelines. He will make a formidable candidate, and garner lots of support, but he will also be divisive, when what is most needed is unity to recapture the WH and Congress.
I'm hopeful that someone can pick up the platform championed by Sanders, but who doesn't have these negatives. Perhaps Warren, although her "Native American DNA/Pocahontas" meme will dog her badly. I really like Sherrod Brown, and feel that he could win over a lot of the Trump supporters, and he has a long progressive record, however his gender will be his hurdle to overcome. Amy Klobuchar would be another I think highly of, and she might also pull a lot of Trump supporters from the Midwest, and her gender IS a positive.
I believe that it will require someone who has a strong progressive agenda, but one who doesn't get bogged down in identity politics. They must appeal to the majority of Americans, especially those in the working and middle class who have been left behind for decades. Sanders had right idea, now someone needs to deliver it.
1
Bernie owns three (3) homes, his most recent purchase being a lakefront spread bought with cash for 600.000. By the old Soviet standards, a man with three dachas who preaches the virtues of socialism has obviously proven himself qualified to lead and pontificate for the cause.
7
Spare me the "Bernie is not a Democrat" nonsense. I don't hear you saying that when a Democrat goes for the Working Families Party nomination, or any other party. It's usually applause about how the candidate is a crossover.
Bernie has caucused with the Democratic Party for over 30 years. He is also the most popular politician in the United States. He has won the Democratic nomination in Vermont over a dozen times.
"Bernie is not a Democrat" is an uneducated comment that works with bumper sticker politics. For those that read the headlines and not the article. Your ignorance and lack of historical context is showing.
If you knew anything about what you were saying, you would see that your state party rules absolutely allow Senator Sanders to run for the nomination. Don't like it? Go out there and change the state party's bylaws. Until then: support your candidate. It'll help a lot more than hating on others.
7
@JimAnd yet. Bernie HIMSELF says he is not a Democrat. Isn't it a bit hypocritical to try to win the nomination from a party you don't belong to?
7
@Joe No, it is not hypocritical at all to oblige by the party rules for a nomination and run for the position.
What is hypocritical, however, is to never call a Democrat out on seeking the endorsement or running in the primary for another party. I see you are from New York. If you pay attention to your ballot, it happens all the time. Thoughts?
1
Sanders is nothing but a spoiler with a big ego. He has a following but a narrow one and will do nothing to bring them into the fold if he can’t take his candidacy all the way.
15
Notice that in its brief summary of candidates' concerns, the New York Times ignores Sanders' great concern about climate change. Yet this is one of the reasons that young people support him. How can they support people who don't seem to care about that? (Sanders, by the way, had the support of Bill McKibben. )
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
3
Wrong man at the wrong time. To quote the bard, "There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." I have a feeling Bernie is going to face a lot of shallows and miseries this time around.
9
Have him release the last 10 years’ of his detailed tax returns. Also ask him if he has ever taken money from the Russian government or affiliated parties.
Hubris and arrogance does not even describe this man. After decades in public office he has nothing positive to show. He has a zero leadership record on any impactful legislation during his time in office. It’s one thing to identify what’s wrong with the country and what needs to be dealt with. It’s an entirely different thing to actually propose realistic solutions to address them that have any chance of being adopted legislatively. This guy is a fraud - another demagogue pedaling snake oil.
8
I am no fan of Bernie or his bros but the ageism in these comments is appalling. Just substitute gender or race or religion for the insulting remarks about older people and see how it sounds. I live with this every day in the workplace and in the culture so it's no surprise, but it's truly offensive.
9
Agreed
1
I don't agree with the tendency to judge Mr. Sanders and Mr. Biden by their ages. Some people start failing in their 50s; others, not until their 90s. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
Anyone who can keep up the grueling pace of campaigning and still make sense probably has the stamina and mental capacity to hold the office. Notice that I said, "still make sense."
4
Who cares? He is one of the reasons we have Trump. He and his supporters lied about Hillary, and he's not even a Democrat.
He becomes the nominee over my dead body.
8
@Alan Snipes - Clinton is the reason we have Trump.
There, fixed it for you.
7
Bernie is a good man with good values. ZERO CHARISMA. And his speaking style is unintelligible. Waste of time for him to run. I wish he put his energies to better use.
9
Bernie Sanders is welcome to run for President as a "Democratic Socialist," not as a Democrat. He is not a Dem--as he makes abundantly clear, such as when he immediately dropped out of the party after the 2016 election in just hours.
He does not work for the party but rather criticizes repeatedly...something no one gets away with in the outside world--try to criticize your new employer without offering solutions...you'll find yourself unemployed soon. Offering positive suggestions goes hand-in-hand with identifying negatives, as do working to improve things between races. Bernie goes right back to his tower after the election to strike from the outside, never lift a finger to do the hard work of correcting inadequacies, unfairness.
His quotes are used often in Republican charges against Dems--as though he is a Dem criticizing from within, instead of a 3d party making typical partisan charges to further his own candidacy. He sits on the outside throwing stones for 3 1/2 years, then, when he needs the organizational structure to further his own candidacy, he jumps back to the Party again.
Sanders quite literally never has a kind word for us Democrats. He simply joins up to use our institutions to run against us from the inside every 4 years. Great gig if you can get it...imagine moving your line of unknown independently-produced autos into the Porsche or Mercedes showrooms to sell them... or slapping an Apple on your newly designed laptop or phone...
3
I believe that regardless of who gets the Dem nomination, ALL the current and or future 2020 Dem candidates form a coalition to ACTIVELY support the nominee and talk to their supporters in being pragmatic and getting behind the party. This is the only way to insure that the ignorant, anti-constitutionalist POTUS monster and all Republicans who enabled him are defeated.
2
It's quite clear: putin owns sanders too.
4
Larry David's career just got a HUGE boost.
7
"Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country." Trump, State of the Union Address."
Thanks Bernie for giving the president his new mantra for 2020. Have you considered Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as your running mate?
6
So far I like Bernie's stuff better than I do any of the others. However, he would have more success with mainstream Democrats if he changed his gender and bought some nice wigs. They seem to be dying to elect a woman.
2
@Hector
He would have a better chance if he actually had viable plans.
1
@Hector
What a horrible prospect: a female president...just like more than 100 other countries on the planet, some even 3rd world backwaters that sure seem a lot less sexist than all those virulent misogynist crotch clutching Bernie Bros.
1
Bernie is as fake as you get. All his talking points are no way going to become law, to give Medicare for all, you are going to destroy insurance companies and the economy, no way.
Also read about how his campaign never disclosed where the money came in 2016 by filling extensions all the time. Even though I am from coast, I rather vote for a mid-western governor or senator that can win in the rust belt and the white household back. Not a loser like Bernie.
6
Yeah, we are supposed to support the insurance industry that makes healthcare unaffordable for many. What a great idea! Whom else we should support? Our billionaires? because God forbid, they will lose their millions. People could lose their jobs, access to healthcare, access to education, but our billionaires should prosper no matter what.
2
Bernie: I appreciate your ideas and your energy Some people, including other current would-be candidates, serve our country best where they can yell the loudest--in the senate. You WILL not win. Put your FULL energy behind another candidate. That will mean something.
BUT:
If you ARE planning to run, then let's see 10 years worth of tax returns. You slithered around that issue last time, begrudgingly releasing a year or two. That didn't look good then and the smell has lingered.
8
The writer and editor of this article point out how women voters and minority voters want a candidate winner with a fresh energy. Joe Biden is a year older than Bernie and I never hear NY Times bashing him about his age or his lack of “fresh energy”.
In addition, you say Bernie has to improve his relationship with the black community. Doesnt trump have a 30% approval rating?
4
For my money, Bernie ran a very destructive campaign against Hillary and when it became obvious that he couldn't win the nomination he tried an end-run claiming that the Democratic Party sabotaged his primary campaign. He's the principal reason that Trump is in the White House now, he and Jill Stein, and the legions of Democrat voters who bought Bernie's claims of unfairness.
8
Put my $27.00 in along with thousands of others who still believe.
6
He is a total waste of our planet's limited and valuable resources.
My god, man, give it up!
7
Bernie bros = MAGA bros with blue hats
7
Bernie, yes! Bernie/Tulsi 2020!!
2
Can we please be done with old, white, male egomaniacs in the White House? Time to move on.
7
And here we go again. More division. More simplistic, red-faced, spitting angry rhetoric, more promises without policy. Haven't we had enough of this? Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are mirror images, autocrats who think inside a box, one informed by ideology, and the latter, just an willful idiot.
We need to bring a healthy majority of our country together, and a candidate who can accomplish this. We agree so much more than we disagree. And, there are some amazing, vibrant Democratic candidates out there.
These days, Bernie is calling himself a "Democratic Socialist," a trigger, now deployed by the orange man in the White House.
And today, an MSNBC reporter asked Senator Kamala Harris whether or not she is a "Democratic Socialist" (thanks, Bernie) or a "Democrat." She fumbled.
There is a simple answer to this rather stupid question: Damned right, I'm a Democrat. I believe in the free market, and a strong and vibrant social safety net that includes affordable access to health care and education, that protects our environment and our workplaces, and enables a rising middle class.
This has been the bulwark for our democratic society, tempering the rough edges and evident cruelties of capitalism, with the soft finesse of democratic policies that lift us all.
Anyone but Trump. Anyone but Bernie.
8
All Bernie will do is devert people who will vote for democrats. Who in their right mind will vote for a socialist - I have spent time in Sweden and a tram driver makes the samr wage as a MD. When young people get married they are fortunate if one of their parents has room for both.
A beautiful comparison is with their next door neighbor, Norway has a democracy and fought the Hermans hard in WWII. When the 8TH Air force conducted their ball bering bombing raid damaging the ability of the Nazis to make ball berings, Hitler's head of war production called Sweden and asked if the Nazis could buy ball bearings from the Swedes. Certainly they were told. Bearings are made by AB SKF located in Gothenburg Sweeden. I have been there and the food is horrid and the Swedes think they are special.
@Butch Burton
Boatloads of Norwegians supported Hitler and welcomed Nazi troops there.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out "lifelong democrats who don't like Hillary, or Amy, or Kamala, or Bernie, or whoever, so they wind up voting for...Trump? or not voting? (in which case you're indirectly voting for Trump).
I may not be particularly thrilled with the leader of the party for which I have a political/philosophical affinity. But be damned if I'll vote against them because of it. I'm a life-long Red Sox fan, but if they sign Manny Muchado (who I really dislike), it certainly doesn't mean I stop cheering for them.
Some peoples' political affiliations are as shallow as a child's wading pool.
4
Let me say it again: many people, like myself, will NEVER vote for an old white man ever again. Ok? Ok.
5
Aimee -
Substitute “old” for “young”.
Then substitute “white” for:
- “black”
- “Hispanic”
- “Asian”
- “Muslim”
- “indigenous American”
Now substitute “man” for “woman,” “trans” “lgbtq” or any other “other.”
Now tell yourself again how you’re an “inclusive,” “progressive” who is not a racist, sexist, agist, or otherwise a total hypocrite.
Judging a person by their age, race, gender or religion is the very definition of racism.
Please check your privilege.
Bernie’s hat in the ring is a good thing for the Democratic Party. His ideas are becoming mainstream, and the real issues surrounding income inequality, global warming, education shortfalls, global manufacturing sourcing, and other realities that cause the huge widening socio-economic imbalance in America, will be addressed,and hopefully, there will be some wealth redistribution desperately needed now.
2
Whether or not Mr. Sanders' candidacy turns out to be successful, I will be forever grateful for his decades of service to this country, and especially for his efforts to bring the values now called "democratic socialism" into serious consideration. He's always been on the right side of political progress and therefore a True Progressive. Thank you, Bernie!
7
On the issues, Sanders wins it for me, with Warren and Castro close seconds. It surprises me how many Democrats are willing to betray that basic litmus test of the conscience. If we as Democrats are more willing to support the candidates we actually agree with, then Sanders and the other progressives in the field have a good chance. Search your conscience first.
6
I just sent Bernie another $27 to support his primary run. His values are my values and he has never wavered from them. Good luck, Bernie in your quest to truly make the U. S. a country I can be proud to call my own.
7
I wish so much that Sanders wouldn't run. I wish so much that the opposition to Trump were concentrated instead of scattered out over a field of candidates who are going to invest a lot of energy, and money, in picking each other off.
6
My feeling this time around is "y'all come." The more the merrier in the primary. It will all shake out, probably sooner rather than later, once the primaries start. I think whomever ends up as the Democratic candidate (aka any competent, ethical human being) can beat Trump. And thank you, Bernie, for not running as an Independent and playing the spoiler. It is going to be a very interesting year because of the changes in the primary calendar and some caucus processes. 2020 can't come soon enough!
9
Too old and too polarizing. Of course this means he’ll inevitably win the nomination and lose the general due to Howard Shultz’s 3rd party candidacy. No one can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the Democratic Party.
8
Bernie Sanders is against civil rights, against gun safety laws, and against Russian sanctions.
He paid his female staffers less than his male staffers, paid $30K in a harassment lawsuit, and was criticized for his toxic campaign environment by 2 dozen of his own staffers. All in 2016.
He is at best a professional spoiler. He is, in fact, a stooge for Trump.
Bernie Sanders lost the Democratic nomination by 4 million votes. Since independents skew more conservative than Democrats, he would have lost the general election by even more.
I predict he will lose again this time round, blame the Democrats again, and throw the election to Trump. Again.
12
He actually polled better than Hillary in the general election, so he could win where Hillary lost. And to all fairness, he could not be a spoiler because he didn't run in 2016. Hillary could not capture all his voters because of the dirty tricks of DNC against him, and because she was too moderate, and was seen as too close to big businesses to believe she would stand for average Americans.
2
Why is the NYT publishing unserious comments such as this? The first line that Bernie is “against civil rights” is blatantly untrue and the rest of the post is worse. The moderators need to be more careful here.
4
I just know he is doing this more for the sake of his wife than for himself. So selfless.
It would be helpful if the supporters of Senator Sanders would stop talking about anti-Bernie conspiracies. E.g., media conspiracies to include only unflattering photos of Sanders, or to write only negative stories about him. Odd but you sound just like Trump Republicans.
9
@Robert - Odd, but that's exactly what's happening. Take a look at the NYT coverage of Bernie.
4
@Robert: Nihilists concentrate on both ends of the political spectrum.
1
@JJ
Thank you for your reply. No doubt you did not intend to contribute a case in point.
1
I commend Bernie for his 2016 campaign and the movement that was created as a result. He certainly brought to light the many fractures within the Democratic party (DNC), that I hope have now been resolved. Some of his ideas and policies have been adopted by current politicians and candidates, and for that he should be proud. That being said, Bernie has no chance of winning in 2020. His time has passed. He is too far left for most Americans, and he will fall right into Trump's "socialist" narrative and easily hand him a 2nd term.
I'm concerned the Democrat's are going to end up shooting themselves in the foot. This is not rocket science. We don't need 1,000 people running against each other and tearing each other apart until summer 2020. You all hate Trump...WE KNOW! Now let's all come together and support the few candidates who actually have a REAL chance at beating Trump, so we can move on from this nightmare of a presidency.
4
So, Bernie is too far left for Americans, but Trump is not to far right for them? Seems like Americans love their billionaires, and Trump is truly their President.
1
Aging seems misunderstood. I sense people have sincere concerns about the age of any candidate. Truth abides over all. Baby boomers are aging into this truth of aging sickness and death. And yet we are all subject to this truth regardless of a given current age, whether, young or old. Sadly, sense so many divides and resentments from the past election. We need to move forward! We need to allow the cards that have fallen to fall away, to fall fully away. Moving forward the cards can't, they can't can't fall to Trump Pence. This needs to be at the fore.
1
Don't think Bernie is going to catch the same momentum this time.
3
@CHM
Realistically, as well as mathematically, Sanders didn't catch that much momentum in 2015/2016. Bottom line: He was trounced.
Had there been a 2nd Democrat running in the primaries with Clinton (there were 7 in 2008), Sanders would've gotten close to the same votes as Nader in 2000. At best.
Didn't registered Democrats make it clear in 2016 that they do not want Bernie running as a Democrat? How many people said Bernie is not a Democrat, he is not a member of the Democratic Party, and he should run (if at all) as a Democratic Socialist. I believe Bernie could have beat Trump, but registered Democrats chose as their nominee a candidate even more corrupt and dishonest than Trump, a candidate so bad she couldn't even beat Trump in states that Obama had won. But that was the choice of registered Democrats.
5
I am amazed how blind people are. If Bernie will run as an independent, and Dems will nominate some moderate, Dems definitely will lose, because Bernie will attract much more voters than Jill in 2016.
@Tony4
Seriously, more corrupt that Trump?
Talk about willfully blind.
The fact that his policies have not changed in decades is what makes him THE BEST BY FAR candidate; we can trust that money and other corrupting elements won't sway him. We know what we are getting with Sanders--not so true necessarily with much younger candidates.
13
IN 2016 I watched the photos and captions of the major newspapers, the NY Times included, to see how they portrayed Sanders. My anecdotal takes were that the photos and captions were somewhat unflattering to him compared to Clinton. Photo shot from below, emphasis on wild hair. It was clear to me that the Editorial endorsements were creating a powerful bias in the imaging of their news service.
This morning I noticed that the Times and Politico gave Sanders' announcement front page cover but that CNN.com didn't give it a front page headline as they had Harris, Klobuchar and Warren's announcement. Still haven't at 12:00 pm EST. You had to go to their Politics page to find the news that Sanders has announced his candidacy.
When high powered and professional news organizations do their placement, photos and captioning of breaking news it's a very conscious choice. They have copy editors that debate every one of those choices.
Voted for Clinton, preferred Sanders. It will be interesting to hear him state his case and give his prospective on being old and competing with the younger generation(s).
7
@Bill Cullen, Author: One has to hand it to Trump: he sustains the demeanor of the image of Big Brother on the telescreens of the original "1984" movie quite well.
Nope. Too old. Too dogmatic. Too angry. And many of his best ideas have been espoused younger candidates.
8
Sorry Bernie but your time has passed. Your ideas are not new anymore and most people think it's time for younger blood. As one old fogey to another, it's time to move on.
14
Hasn’t anybody been listening? Although you may admire the boldness of a Bernie Sanders or AOC a self proclaimed democratic socialist has no chance to be elected in this country. Hello? A large portion of our population thinks it is conservative. They will never vote for a blatantly open socialist agenda. I’m not only talking about the right wing I’m talking about moderate democrats. Middle America dems who would rather not vote for DJT but would be left with no choice. If Bernie is the democratic nominee Trump will win in a landslide. Liberal goals pursued by a moderate who doesn’t call him/herself a socialist will be the best bet to dump Trump. BTW there is your campaign slogan for tee shirts and posters.
5
Should we check this theory?
Sanders is certainly old enough to know the game of politics. He can't win. He can only be a spoiler. Shame on him. He should be a loud voice for progressive politics but from the Senate floor. Shame on him and his supporters who would rather see Trump win a 2nd term than a woman win a first.
11
How could he be a spoiler? He is not running as an independent, he offers his candidacy to Den Party. Let Dems decide if they want him as their candidate.
2
Bernie 2016: Hillary wants a coronation. The whole attitude is: “it’s my turn”
Bernie 2020: It’s my turn.
15
@Patrician Somehow, I don't get that message from Bernie, but then I actually listen to what he says. Do you? I doubt it.
4
@Dem-A-Dog
Actually, I do listen to him. I really like what he stands for. I am a progressive and HATE centrist Democrats.
But, I don’t like him joining the Democrat party only to get the nomination, and then promptly changing his affiliation to independent afterwards - as if he’d be plagued by the association. As if he’s above it all. He isn’t. He’s just another politician.
I found the attacks on Hillary “it’s my turn” sanctimonious. TRUE. But, sanctimonious.
Trust you understand. There’s nuance to my views. I praise Bernie where I agree. I call him out where I think he’s hypocritical.
In short, I’m not a Bernie Bro...
4
Bernie:
I blame you for Hillary's loss in 2016. Don't run again. You are too old and I don't trust you. Let the younger generations take over at last. Give advice but don't water down Democratic contributions that should go to others who have at least a chance to win.
13
@bbop Sanders is actually the only candidate who can beat Trump. The others are just mimicking his message. They don't really care about the rest of us. He has the authenticity that they will never have.
2
Bernie is too old and failed already to win his party’s nomination. Trump is going to win I fear. Too many Democratic runners. They will tear each other apart, frighten off the moderates, and do the Republicans’ work for them. We will wind up with some far left candidate almost as dubious as Trump albeit for different reasons. It will be another battle of awful candidates.
4
He will aid the Republican narrative that Democrats are kooks and out of touch with mainstream America. The Democrats are working hard to get Trump re-elected.
5
@UncleEddie he's not a Democrat and never was.
1
NOT the politician to beat Trump in 2020, sorry.
8
@ManhattanWilliam neither was Hillary in 2016
@JIm. 3 million voters say you were wrong. Too bad Comey and Putin and hackers put their thumb on the scale. Bernie was also part of the cabal.
1
If honesty and basic human decency are factors in the 2020 presidential election, Bernie wins hands down!
8
Bernie has had his agenda and sounded it loudly from the beginning, he didn't suddenly adopt it like so many others to become elected. Obama promised us much and his failures led us to trump. Don't let it happen again. If trump wins again he will feel justified in leading the country to fascism.
9
In 2016, I was all about Bernie. However, that was mostly because he was the most liberal choice for Democrats.
I knew many "Burnie Bros" who only supported Burnie but refused to vote for Clinton because they 'didn't trust her.' Many of these were young white men who felt the evils of Clinton were comparable to the evils of Trump.
However, being a young white men means they are less likely to be affected by the policies of Trump. They are not going to be kicked out of a cafe because they held the hand of their same-sex partner, they won't be shot by cops for existing while black, they won't be denied medical care because they are women. The president also won't be calling them a rapist or attempting to grab them inappropriately.
While I didn't want Burnie to run, I know how to place my bets and will vote for him if he wins the primary. However, last year I learned many of his supporters lacked basic empathy for others. Burnie Bros will preach equality, yet if their demands are not met, they will allow evil to succeed through their own inaction.
5
Another Democratic candidate that I can't vote for. It's all well and good to spouse policies like Medicare for all and tuition-free college, but does that solve the underlying problems with the healthcare and education systems in this country? For example, how would drug costs be driven down? How would patients have complete visibility into the prices charged for various procedures at different hospitals so they can make informed decisions? How will consolidation among health care providers be negated? How will tuition free education encourage people to go into fields where they can make a decent living vs. art history?
The problem with policies like this is that they don't address the root cause of issues in this country. Furthermore, Bernie states he is going to soak the rich to pay for this. How do you make sure that the upper middle class doesn't end up paying more in taxes? If the proposal is to heavily tax incomes above $10 million, that's fine. However, most Democratic proposal talk about increased taxes on incomes above $200k, which is NOT rich. Until a centrist Democrat comes out with a reasonable policy platform, I guess I am going to be voting Republican in the 2020 election.
3
Bernie Sanders created terrible divisiveness in 2016, smirking and winking as too many of his supporters engaged in misogyny. He flew under the radar as he refused to release his tax returns (Hillary released 30 years' worth; how is it that his supporters were unconcerned that he, like Trump, refused to do the same?). He promoted policies that included veiled and unworkable assumptions.
His grudging behavior after he lost the nomination of a party he declines to join -- he never offered Hillary support, and did no more than say "we must defeat Trump" as he continued to build his own coterie of support -- certainly did nothing to help, and much to harm, our election effort.
To this day, I ask his young supporters about the substance of his health care and "free college" proposals, and they simply have no idea how those proposals would have worked. They were understandably attracted to a slogan, but that is not governance.
He ran a bitter, negative campaign, and we know even more about its sexism and racism.
His supporters have spent the last three years telling Hillary to shut up and go away. He himself has persisted in a political career that has benefited him personally a very great deal, while he can point to just about no actual legislative or policy achievement.
This is no more than stoking the fires of his own ego. He is not going to do one thing to help us defeat Trump and, indeed, he is making a Trump re-election more likely.
639
@suetr He ran an honest campaign. You can call it bitter and negative, but that does not make it so. He was not taking large contributions from corporate interests, then pretending he was not beholden to those interests. Hillary Clinton was. He was not making speeches to Goldman Sachs for disproportionately large payments, then refusing to divulge the content of those speeches. Hillary Clinton was. That's really the tip of the iceberg. If he prevented the election of Clinton, it's because of her own cronies in the Democratic party insisting that they didn't need the votes of anybody who did not march in lockstep behind the party leadership. Sanders presented an alternative to the ever-increasing move of the Democrats to the right. At some point the party must return to its roots or resign to being split, because the true Democrats are making their voices heard now.
213
@suetr - What about Hillary's sexism campaign? She personally chose to keep a sexual harasser on staff.
64
@suetr
You are incorrect.
He released his tax returns.
106
Another Democratic US senator announced that he is running for president. This intensifies my fear that, in the first months of 2020, GOP senators will be passing their bills with large majorities because a significant percentage of Democratic senators will be on the road, campaigning in primaries and participating in televised debates. In so doing, they'll likely be missing important Senate floor debates and votes.
As for Sen. Sanders, I don't hold his age against him, but a lot of other people will, and particularly because most of his primaries competitors are considerably younger in age. Will he be able to sustain the same level of required stamina that he showed in 2016? I guess we shall see.
3
I have no beef with most of Sadners’ policies, but he is as much a symbol of the division within the Democratic Party as Clinton. Bernie’s rhetorics ended up providing a lot of ammunition for Trump. His loyal base still behave like cultists. In fact, some of them are already here in these comments shouting down those disagreeing with Saint Bernie’s candidacy.
If he really is all about ideas rather than ego, then I wish he would have stayed and this and supported some new progressive candidate. It’s easier to move on from the stupid feuds of 2016 and unite the Democratic Party to do what this country desperately needs if we have some new faces. I’ll vote for him if he is the eventual nominee against Trump, but right now he is towards the bottom of the pack for me in the primaries.
7
If the Democratic Party had not meddled in who their candidate was going to be (and that's a fact, not conjecture) then we would not have Trump as president right now. Americans, young and old, loved (and still love) Bernie and yet we got stuck with a candidate who seemed so unpalatable (and I'm a lifelong Democrat) that many could not vote for Clinton. Bernie's ideas have become mainstream over these past 3 years, and against all odds. I believe him, I trust him to do what he says (more than anyone else as he has never wavered in his beliefs) and he will be the one and only candidate on both sides who is not beholden to anyone but the average American. Average, as in NOT billionaires and corporations.
14
@Schatzie's Earth Wrong! I voted for Clinton. If Bernie was the nominee, I would have voted for Trump. Bernie will bankrupt this nation with his policies.
@Schatzie's Earth Bernie wasn't even a Democrat until he decided to call himself one for purposes of the election. Why should he have expected any support from the Democratic leadership? The way some of his followers lost sight of the big picture, the need to defeat Trump, and refused to support Hillary in the general election played a part in creating the nightmare we're living with now.
1
@Schatzie's Earth
The fact that a non-Democrat was not given the Democratic Party's nomination has nothing to do with meddling.
When you decide what to serve your family for dinner, are you meddling?
1
My vote is all about PLATFORM. And I agree with Bernie's New Deal style platform, so I'm going to vote for him in the primary. All the talk about age, personality, what happened in the last election, none of that matters to me. What a candidate STANDS FOR, that's the end all and be all in my book.
26
@Lisa Mann In case you hadn't noticed, there are a number of other Democratic candidates who support many of those same things.
At this time, the Democratic Party needs to aspire to victory, not symbolism. I do not think Sanders can win the general election. Some of what he says may seem attractive if not practical or realistic, many voters willing to listen and mull it over but in the end not vote for it. The Republican Party if unified is still a formidable force, particularly in the South, Southwest, and Middle America. Symbols are not enough. It will take reality to win there. So choose your issues well when walking through neighborhoods not in San Francisco or New York.
8
@Berkeleyalive
Funny how the Sandersbashers keep telling us what others think. If you're opposed to Medicare for All, a $15.00 minimum wage, the Green New Deal etc. then just say so already.
1
@WOID
Some of those ideas, which Bernie Sanders did not invent by the way, are good. Free public university admission for everyone is not realistic.
@Berkeleyalive
So unrealistic that it was public policy in (among other places) New York City for decades?
Casting aspersions on Bernie Sanders? Too many in the commentary & the candidate himself are of the "trust me" persuasion. Doesn't work with many people, after having gone through my a multitude of candidates ,Nixon, Reagan , George W. ,etc. We trusted & look what we received. Bernie can talk the talk ,but cannot walk the walk. I am not for unfettered capitalism ,yet also not for unfettered socialism. I am for reform from within, unlike Bernie. You cannot,I repeat cannot dictate from above and be politically successful as a democracy. Mr. Sanders along with Mr. Corbyn in England, are too orthodox socialists ,who believe in a "dictatorship of the proletariat" ,an anathema to democracy. Just look at Corbyns record ,along with Sanders. No aspersions here, just a democrat in fear of ignoring nature. "Trust me" never works in a democracy. I thought that is what we are fighting in opposing Trump. A promise from everyone, "no more Trump in 2020". Otherwise ...
3
The only conclusion I get from these comments is that moderate democrats don't believe having workers rights, healthcare for all, affordable education & childcare, live-able wages, are attainable. They've drifted so far right from the post WW2 big dream of the the Democratic party actually solving issues and are now somewhere in the concessionist camp of letting the GOP starve the beast. We once had a country, before Reagan, that took care of the working class, that used to be called Patriotism. Whether Bernie can win, his (and Warren's) platforms are the closest to FDR and the idea of American Fairness we've seen in many generations. Keep the conversation going, and lets not be so afraid about caring about our neighbors and taxing the people who take advantage of our markets without giving back.
24
@Michael No, they just don’t hear anyone saying how they plan to pay for it. But it sound like you want the government to control all aspects of our lives.
@Jackson
Paying for it isn't even that crazy, if we return to Eisenhower era tax rates and stopped giving away money to the super rich it'd be fine. As for government control, it seems to me fear of bureaucracy has led many to ignore the greed and corruption of the market. Looking at most other first world countries that already do all the things I mentioned, I'll take that route over hoping CEOs 'let us eat cake'.
1
@Michael
First, PAY for that socialist game of musical chairs.
Bush and Obama already shot up the debt to where American kids still in grade school will not have a decent shot at the quality of life of even the average whiny millennial living in mom's basement. Maybe it wasn't so smart to DOUBLE the U.S. population since the 1960s with 120 million uneducated, low skilled, non-tax paying but high breeding immigrants.
Sanders is too liberal. We need a moderate to run for POTUS. Kasich would have been elected last time against Hillary and easily re-elected in 2020. Both parties need to learn what a majority of Americans will support, a moderate approach to government, both ideas, policies. Extremes, either way, will not be popular in the near future.
6
@edgar culverhouse: Kasich is a Republican, and a bit of a theocrat.
I'm all for Bernie, but his 2016 campaign was lightning in a bottle. It won't take off again.
4
I still haven't figured out why Sanders thinks that the Democrat Party should support him when as he proved in the last run that he does nothing to support the Party, only his own campaign.
15
@Rev. Henry Bates; One may ask why Sanders believes the money he floats on comes from Democrats.
@Rev. Henry Bates,
Seems your party disagrees with you.
Sen. Sanders was chosen, by fellow D's, to be part of the Democratic Leadership, he chairs the D's Outreach Program and is an original charter member of the Progressive Caucus in congress.
Sanders toured the country in the mid-terms backing progressive candidates running. Many first timers.
Seems your hatred has blinded you to the truth. Or is that the idea, one that your are attempting to spread?!
2
Sorry, Bernie, but this time there are plenty of candidates out there who are ACTUALLY DEMOCRATS, who will promote a progressive agenda and who won't be 79 years old at the time of the election! We don't need you to run. In fact, you will probably only end up muddying the waters. Please don't do that!
13
All the offensive, ageist commenters crying "He's too old" need to call for Pelosi's immediate resignation, because she's older than him! (Thanks to plastic surgery she shows it less, but that just underscores Bernie's authenticity, no?)
Today's 50 isn't my mother's 50. Today's 70 isn't my grandfather's 70. And so on.
One of the most brilliant, energetic, and inspirational professors I had in college was in his 80s. That set an excellent example for my young, developing mind of what is possible as we age, with the right attitude and conviction.
I refuse to discriminate against Bernie based on age, race, or gender, just as I would be outraged if anyone did that to me. Everyone needs to stop with that pathetic and embarrassing line of reasoning. It is beneath what presidential politics should be.
He is the only truly authentically progressive candidate in the 2020 race, and the spark that started the entire history-changing progressive movement we see sweeping the country now. He has shaped the future in a way few others have. He is the real deal and I will not be taken in by co-opted, focus-group-approved, parroted talking points spewed by pretenders to the throne, who would undoubtedly sell us out and scale back their "progressive" convictions upon arrival to office. They're already doing that now: "Did I say Medicare for all? What I *really* meant was..."
Don't fall for the hype. True change requires utter conviction and ZERO corporate influence. Sanders-Warren 2020!
21
@RLL: Part of the modern American malaise follows from careers ending in many people's 50s.
1
As predicted, reading these comments is a sad affair. The pitchforks are out and the "ism"/identity insults are flying. I don't know how we on the liberal/left are supposed to unite the country in common cause when it's so clear that we have nothing but utter contempt even for the varying shades of our own constituency.
I truly hope we can have a productive, enlightening primary that yields the best candidates. I further hope that the resulting victory (and losses) of candidates doesn't cause bitter divides that will be exploited by Trump. If we lose this election, it will be nobody's fault but our own.
9
@MP: We will lose the planet if we don't lose the delusion that God has a pony in this race.
1
Good to see that Senator Sanders will run once again.
But I hope that the Senator and others like congresswoman AOC would stop popularising the misnomer "democratic socialism" in the United States rather than what they actually mean: 'social democracy'. No wonder why republicans and others on the right think that these are radical ideas when they look up the term on Wikipedia --- even the people of the Nordic countries believe 'democratic socialism' is radical. Social democracy not so much.
9
@Thomas: Democracy is a process. Socialism is a policy, one of many that may be chosen by democratic process, or imposed by tyranny.
@Steve Bolger
You cannot mean that Senator Sanders actually hold opinions on policy that makes him akin to the fringe radical far-left parties in the Nordic countries?
Universal healthcare, fair wages (most Nordic countries do no have minimum wages imposed by law) and free higher education for all are mainstream policies implemented decades ago in the Nordic countries (and most of Europe). These countries are not and have never been "democratic socialist". The way Bernie Sanders is holding up the Nordic countries specifically as the ideal for the United States to learn from, there is no doubt in my mind that he actually means to identify himself as a social democrat, NOT as a socialist.
1
Eighty may be too old but he's the best we got. Not just for the win against Trumpski, but to reshape the nation.
Bernie is the original and has been for decades - that gives him integrity and authenticity which all the rest lack.
His thinking is not old - far from it - and he does not act his age. Bernie has both experience and new ideas, plus integrity. What other candidate (including the younger candidates) can motivate the energy of the youth vote as he does?
That's the key to winning, not just convincing voters but getting new voters down to the polls. That half of the nation that does not vote represents millions of votes. Trump won't get any of those votes; he has no untapped reserve.
Winning is the key but why vote for someone you'd not really want to win - just to win. That's not good enough.
But consider if the People (i.e. Bernie) won. Can you imagine how he'd stack the government in the People's favor? Isn't that what you want?
That's what we're voting for - the force of Bernie's ideas and his hardened integrity. We are voting for someone who will finally come through for the People, not for Bernie himself.
The whole winning idea is that a vote for Bernie is a vote for the People. He'd have won against both Hillary and Trump last time and he's still the most popular politician and he's the only one with unquestioned integrity. People, including the Trumpsters, will buy integrity.
Considering everything, all that trumps age.
27
@Fourteen: Bernie doesn't have an entourage of 2000 qualified people to fill the political level offices of the executive branch, any more than Trump did.
1
@Steve Bolger
He will. Just his challengers will fill quite a few.
There are plenty of Progressives to select from, more than enough.
1
I think with Trump, Americans have had more than their fair share of a bumbling fool and are ready to elect a smart, centrist president who is coherent on policy.
19
@DRS https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/02/howard-schultz-american-centrism-sham/
There is solid data that suggests that the American centrist is largely a myth. It might explain why Clinton struggled so hard to impress the left (aka her base) in 2016.
6
@DRS
"Americans have had more than their fair share of a bumbling fool and are ready to elect a smart, centrist president who is coherent on policy."
Exactly. But that's got nothing to do with Bernie.
3
@DRS
Centrism is not smart. It is the status quo. Fence sitting makes no progress. And it has no coherent policies. It is mere relativism, entirely dependent on what others think.
It is weak-minded accommodation, too fearful to make a stand. Centrists have their heads in the sand, hoping no one will give them a kick. Not what you want for a President.
4
Great, this helps spread the socialist money around and when they stat fighting among themselves the truth will come out about the weakness of each.
2