Amazing. Excellent journalism on the merits of Bernie Sanders without the consistent subtle (and not so subtle) jabs I’ve grown used to.
More of this, please!
32
I was there that unforgettable night - the one with the mike. I was just about to leave when Bernie burst through the door. Rolling Stone ran the photo with the caption, "Red mayor in the Green Mountains."
17
To be clear, Bernie Sanders is the only good boomer.
19
What’s the best thing about Burlington? It’s so close to Vermont! Probably have to be a local to get it but it is funny.
5
Sanders is the only Democratic who can beat Trump. Only Bernie can win back the working class voters lost by corporate Democratic politicians.
41
"It is a method of governing untested in the modern presidency." Un-clutch your pearls. Lyndon Baines Johnson stared down anyone who got in his way. It wasn't THAT long ago!
15
"Many Democratic leaders remain skeptical that Mr. Sanders can win the nomination or, if he gets that far, the general election."
What? If he gets THAT far the rest is easy! The democratic nomination has always been the main constraint to progressive reform - and especially now that nearly half of the voting public is neither democrat nor republican. Bernie's superior poll numbers against Trump in 2016 and now again in 2020 (especially compared to the other democrats) are one of mainstream media's best kept secrets.
54
“He believed that only a sweeping vision of a better systemcould [sic] summon the kind of grass-roots mobilization he needed to achieve even more modest goals.”
That’s good. In our present state, that’s what I want from my elected officials. I’m tired of paid-to-lose democrats giving away half the farm before they’ve reached the bargaining table. The democrats are Bump Bailey, opting not to slide for fear they may break the fine cigar in their back pocket. (The fine cigar represents their corporate donors.) They, like Bump, have crashed into a wall because they could not turn left. Bernie is Hobbs, who they said was too old, but he will refuse bribes, hit it out of the park, and become our best president since FDR. (Obviously movie version of The Natural here, not book.)
The NY Times recently put together an excellent video of young adult Europeans aghast at how we live in America: exorbitant health care costs & the ensuing bankruptcies, de facto privatized higher education & massive debts, no maternity leave, staggering obesity levels which are associated with our shameful rates of systemic poverty, harmful & unhealthy ingredients in our disgusting factory farm agri-economy, etc.
There is only one major candidate who has the record of integrity to help us join the developed world: Bernie Sanders. Warren’s putting Medicare 4 All on the "third-year-in-office-pending-immigration-reform" back-burner will not do it.
Reagan Sloman
https://embassyofwords.blogspot.com/
73
@Reagan Sloman
Young (and old) Europeans have made of mess of their countries every chance they get. I don't need them to tell me how to live or what to do. They are only examples ofhow to start wars they can't win, and to get other countries to help end them. No wonder so many America are here because their ancestors fled Europe.
3
We need to understand something here.
Bernie Sanders is a skilled opportunist, evidenced from his earliest draft-dodging days when he scrammed out of Brooklyn, NY in the 60's and headed to Vermont-close to the Canadian Border by the way-and immersed himself into its politics, all the while leap-frogging around before eventually getting elected mayor of Burlington before ending up in the House oif Representatives in the early 90's, his journey ultimately led to him getting elected to the Senate in 2006.
Now to cut to the chase: Once he decided to run for the 2016 presidency he eventually seized on an issue that changed everyrthing, renewing his rather ho-hum campaign, that being the Student Loan Debt strangling a generation of Millennials during that time.
Millennials, a burgeoning mass of voters then who didn't know Bernie Sanders from Colonel Sanders, were a generation searching for a cause while simply adrift in a fugue state of texting and viewing silly Yahoo videros until texts started appearing on their e-devices about a Senator from Vermont talking about ridding them of their paralyzing Loan Debt.
Voilla!!!! they both found a cause to hitch their wagons to.
Well, we all know how it eventually played out.
So, here we are today, Deja Vu All Over Again. And for all you Millennials, we have Yogi Berra to thank for that terrific phrase! Bernie's Beart Attack to the rescue. He's turned it into 'schtick',that certain something he's gotten so good at.
15
@merc Bernie Sanders was not a draft dodger. He applied for conscientious objector status and was denied. That is not dodging the draft, as a Vietnam combat Vet once told me (I was a conscientious objector).
70
@merc wrote
" headed to Vermont-close to the Canadian Border by the way-"
Wow that sounds like a really scary place ! What if some of those Canadian ideas, like Medicare for All, seep across the border !
As an American, who sometimes buys prescription meds in Canada, or one year had to cross to Canada for a Flu-shot (none available in the USA) being close to Canada here is viewed as an asset. Whether it's the music in Montreal, everything from small jazz bars, to Coldplay concerts, the buttertarts, cheese bread; the list goes on.
In fact , one time I faced an 8 hour spine surgery, I couldn't afford in the US. It would have bankrupted my family with our limited insurance. Guess what; I went to Montreal for a second opinion.
The Montreal Neuro told me the cost up front, and my US insurer agreed to pay all bills, less my deductible.
So another reason to go to Canada, which I did for the surgery..
20
Hard to come to terms with the fact that the younger generation is growing as a voting block while the older is shrinking? Go read your grandfathers letter about FDR. People like Bernie CAN get elected, it’s happened before
41
Bernie Sanders has convinced supporters and detractors that living wages, health care and their children’s university education are not the exclusive privileges of the upper classes, nor the charitable gifts from the Super-Rich. Had he been the Party’s nominee in 2016, he would have won the disillusioned Labor vote and won the Presidency for the Democrats!
NY Times’ coverage of Sanders’ struggles and successes for equal opportunity for all is welcome. Hopefully the rest of the mainline media would follow suite.
36
Bernie Sanders is what I thought the Democratic Party was when I registered as one when I turned 18. If that is no longer the case, as the party continues to demonstrate, I see no reason to continue to mindlessly give them my vote.
Before 2016, I thought it was sort of cheesy that Sanders called himself an independent instead of a Democrat. Since then, it has become obvious that he has been right to do so.
Nobody in the country wants Hillary Lite and soda-tax liberalism anymore, if they ever really did. If the Democrats continue to refuse to acknowledge that reality, they deserve to continue to lose.
29
He looks just about the same now as then.
8
Every Democratic Party candidate, with the exception of Tulsi Gabbard, is running against Bernie Sanders, and not against Trump.
Bernie Sanders' candidacy scares the Rich.
It is a great thing to see.
Centrism is what we're going to get because - even if Sanders gets the nomination, and even if he gets elected - it would be literally impossible to 'give the American people what they want' without a revolution in how business is conducted in DC. Oligarchs own the process. Their lawyers and lobbyists hold the maps and the keys. One President can't defeat a hostile congress, let alone a deep state that's in bed with the big money, some domestic and some foreign, and a Supreme Court that's bought and paid for.
19
There was a crush of people at the polls late on that day in Burlington. I was a young, idealistic "Sanderista." A polling official (an elected Democrat) greeted me, told me he determined where was the end of the line, said I wasn't in line, and I had to go. I told them we were a milling crowd, I saw no line and I was there to vote.
Two Burlington police officers, eventually came, pulled me from line, frisked me, searched through all my medical text books in my knapsack, handcuffed me, took me down to the station, fingerprinted me and took my mug shots, sat me on a bench in hand cuffs for hours more, released me at midnight with an appearance ticket for criminal trespass at the polls. telling me "You're not arrested." That was voter suppression, Burlington style, in 1981.
Bernie Sanders went on to prove himself a great mayor. His assistant, Peter Clavelle, continued as mayor for many years after Mayor Sanders left office. " Socialism" was popular, Bernie-style. He was fiscally conservative; Mr. Sanders was careful with tax dollars. He supported workers, the police union in particular. He initiated wood-fired electrical power generation (something I did not then support) within the city of Burlington - a municipal utility that did work to support jobs and control electricity costs.
My parents, lifelong Republicans who were in their 80's. wrote in Bernie Sanders for President, in 2016. He was the only politician they trusted. Dad said, "At least he's honest."
67
@bruce thank you for sharing this great story, people who have known Bernie since his days as mayor can attest to his decency and honesty.
31
As the mayor of Burlington was called “the fungus of socialism.” That designation couldn't be closer to the truth today as he runs for president of our country. Sanders has been an avowed Marxist even before his honeymoon in Moscow. If elected - doubtful - he would destroy our economy. Americans should rally against him and others like Warren who have proposed similar policies.
3
Bring a bike to Burlington - or rent one. Travel slowly up the Vermont side to South Hero and take the ferry over to the NY side.
Note the blight on the NY side. Ride through the deserted streets, the desolate big-corporation abandoned areas, the poorly paved country roads, and then contrast this with what you find when you take another ferry straight into the heart of thriving Burlington.
This is the modern Tale of Two Cities. This is also the legacy of a mayor who worked to diversify the economy and harness the local government to serve the people who live there. It is also a cautionary tale about pinning one's municipal future to a single big bucks employer in a time of offshoring and rising corporate greed.
42
Bernie's affect has outlived his election here in Burlington. He shifted the landscape for decades. Recently we have run into problems, but that's not his fault, but the apathy that gripped the 2016 elections everywhere.
In some ways, it doesn't matter whether he wins, as he has helped shift the political center, or what has been perceived to be the political center for far too long. The questions and plans on the table now, by all the Democratic candidates are there because of him. And while I am and have been a supporter of Obama, I disagree with his recent statement that if Bernie were about to win the nomination he would say something. If Bernie were to win, the whole party should get behind him. I don't believe he has any illusions that everything he believes in would pass thru congress, but at some point we have to aim high to get some of what we all deserve, which is fair and equal treatment, not just the ideal of it.
29
"Mr. Sanders suggested in the interview that the last Democratic president, Mr. Obama, would have done well to apply relentless pressure of the kind he envisions, rather than seeking “middle ground” with Republicans."
Were truer words ever spoken these last 11 years?
57
@Lawrence Chanin
Worse still, Obama is reported to have said to party donors that if Sanders really has a shot at winning the nomination, he will step in to sabotage that support.
That's all you need to know about Obama. Even when he has a choice, and nothing to lose by doing the right thing, he chooses to sabotage.
22
What "would happen here if we ever had a popular reform candidate [i.e., Bernie Sanders] who actually achieved some formal level of power: there would be disinvestment, capital strike, a grinding down of the economy. And the reason is quite simple. In our society, real power does not happen to lie in the political system, it lies in the private economy: that's where the decisions are made about what's produced, how much is produced, what's consumed, where investment takes place, who has jobs, who controls the resources [...]. And as long as that remains the case, changes inside the political system can make some difference—I don't want to say it's zero—but the differences are going to be very slight.
In fact, if you think through the logic of this, you'll see that so long as power remains privately concentrated, everybody, everybody [in italics], has to be committed to one overriding goal: and that's to make sure that rich folk are happy—because unless they are, nobody else is going to get anything. So if you're a homeless person sleeping in the streets of Manhattan, let's say, your first concern must be that the guys in the mansions are happy—because if they're happy [...] then maybe something will trickle down to you. [...]
Basically that's the metaphor for the whole society."
And that's Noam Chomsky's message to Bernie Sanders and the millions voting to change this nation's founding metaphor.
Bernie Sanders (and millions) vs. The Machine, indeed.
7
@Tom Wilde
Ironically, that's what they said was going to happen if Trump was elected.
Lo, and behold, Wall Street didn't recoil in shame at the outrage of a Trump presidency.
2
@Tom Wilde If this is really a Chomsky quote ( sounds like him), he is describing, not prescribing! Your comment after is your (depressing) interpretation of Chomsky's description ( really criticism) as a recommendation for allowing runaway capitalism to proceed because.. well what's the use??
4
Hello, @Potter
Yes, you can say that my words mean whatever you want them to mean, including that my words are "a recommendation for allowing runaway capitalism to proceed because . . . well what's the use??"
But others can understand the meaning of my words and thereby know that your "recommendation" is only yours—not mine.
Cheers~
Bernie is the genuine article. I just wish he were ten years younger.
14
He is fine at 78.
Btw you would have said the same 10 years ago.
I much rather have a 78 year old mensch than a 37 year old crook who signed up as a volunteer intelligence officer to “fight” in an unjust, imperialistic war. Anyway!
12
Sanders is not a Democrat. He has zero chance of beating Trump. He needs to go back to Vermont where all the trust fund hippies pretend to be in solidarity with working people.
4
@Displaced yankee statistics needed.
4
Mike Bloomberg isn’t a Democrat? Why does it matter if you’re a democrat or not? It’s about values and vision, not blind partisan labels. Millions of Americans aren’t democrats. Should they also “go back” to their states and not bother you? In fact, the people who are going to decide this next election are by and large NOT democrats. They’re independents, like Senator Sanders. And as for his electability, try looking at the polls. He and Biden beat Trump every time. Isn’t that the reason why we were supposed to vote Hillary? She was the most electable....
19
Yeah, what we really need is a moderate, third-way Democrat to...
Oh...wait...
4
This highlights the same political acumen that NYT's piece about Sanders back in 2016 did....before a series of NYT editorial revisions throughout the day rewrote it to lead readers to come to virtually the opposite conclusion.
Watchng to see if they're willing to let a complimentary piece about Sanders go unadulterated this time.
21
Where is your article about Pete taking money from Kavanaugh"s lawyers? Need a thorough investigation of Pete's financial backers. Why is mainstream media giving him a free pass?
23
I can predict 2 things about Millionaire Bernie Sanders. With his stents and a a new awareness on how to stay healthy, hecould live to 100. My second prediction is he will not be a nominee of the democratic party and that is not because he is called crazy Bernie by Trump bot because Obama does not consider hhim to be a true card carrying Democrat. Alsohis supporters from 2016 have moved on to other candidates or have completed their University education. Sorry Bernie. You are a decent guy but the fire of 2016 has been doused and your time was then and not now. You could win New Hampshire and Vermont and thats it.
5
The many, many positive comments here show that you may be wrong.
11
Have you ever noticed that whenever Mr. Obama comes out against someone or something (Ms.Clinton, Brexit), people vote for it, or vice versa if he favors it? I would take what President Obama said as an endorsement for Mr. Sanders.
6
Bernie for President because foresight is 2020 vision!
15
Jesus’ political platform
Heal the Sick
Feed the Poor
Fight the Money Changers
Treat Men, Women and Children Equally
Taught praying directly to God
Isn’t interesting symbology that it was a donkey, not an elephant, which carried Mary while she was pregnant with Jesus.
13
@Pray for Help Elephants weren't available.
3
@MCH, Hannibal had people riding elephants in Italy 200 years before Jesus was born.
2
Good article, however the author's statement that Vermont was a solid republican state in the 1970's is inaccurate. The first crack in republican hegemony occurred in 1966 when Phil Hoff (D) won the gubernatorial race. Democrat Tom Salmon won the governor's race in 1972. Patrick Leahy ran for the Senate in 1974, won, and has held the seat until today. By the time Madeleine Kunin won the governors office in 1984 and won reelection in 1986, when Howard Dean won the Lt. Governors race, Republican hegemony had been broken and replaced by Democratic dominance in state politics.
5
If you get up, go to work and collect a paycheck based on the number of hours you worked, Bernie Sanders is the ONLY candidate in either party that has ANY interest in doing anything to help you and yours. End of discussion.
42
The ONLY candidate. Everyone else is out to make your life worse to the benefit of your owners.
13
This is where I would argue that Bernie has a certain type of white privilege where Obama absolutely does not. If Obama had used a Bernie-style righteous anger and driven up more grassroots support in his time, the GOP could have easily accused Obama of seeking a race riot or worse. Obama was just being overly cautious and paid the price for it. Bernie knows this, and also knows that he's in a really good position to not have to do the same in part because of this privilege.
5
@Allen
Too true, but with privilege comes great responsibility. Bernie gets that.
11
My wife and I have just re-subscribed to the NYT based on the hope that NYT will now cover Bernie Sanders fairly.
42
@michael
Yes, it will. Along with the other Socialist candidates that are as likely to become President. Like Eugene Debs and William Jennings Bryan.
@GMoog
Did anyone called you a wet noodle before?
I thought so!
3
"But what has Sanders accomplished?"
He's the first to prove that you can run for the highest elected office in the United States without financial backing from corporations or oligarchs, and even out-raise rivals flush with private interest money.
I don't care what your politics are, right or left; in our corrupt, pay-to-play democracy, this is a tectonic shift.
My question would be, what have Sanders's rivals accomplished that's even remotely comparable?
247
@Chris His support comes mainly from those looking for hand-outs and freebies at the expense of hard-working Americans who will bear the tax burden.
5
@MCH
Pretty sure most of the electorate has no problem with hand-outs and freebies.
They certainly support them for multi-billion dollar businesses under the guise of "job creation" that quickly morphs into "we'll give you money if you just stay in the US, pretty please don't go"
31
@MCH A non- troglodyte alternative view is that hard working taxpayers support working and investing together in social peace and wellbeing. You are invited to build a gate or wall around your home and community when we achieve victory, if you wish.
37
It will be a mistake if Democrats go with a safe choice such as Joe Biden or another. They were ravaged in the 2016 election because they did not see what Bernie saw in the people which was a mood for change. Social inequality has had a destabilizing effect on American society and this is what has ushered in the Trump Presidency. Democrats need to start to listening to the people at the grassroots level and act boldly on their behalf instead of backing their big money donor candidates. It is time for Americans to get money out of politics.
38
@patricia
Since the “safe” choice got us Trump, I would say there is nothing more dangerous than a safe choice in 2020.
12
Right on. If there was ever a time to start learning lessons, it’s after losing the most winnable election in history to a total joke.
5
This, I believe, is the key point:
“The idea that working-class people are voting for somebody like Donald Trump is abysmal,” Mr. Sanders said, “and it speaks to the Democratic Party’s failure to speak to and address the crises facing working-class people all over this country.”
52
We needed this article 4 years ago. Better late than never. Bernie 2020!
41
That’s my President! Go Bernie! About time he got some real coverage, NYT. #womenforbernie
45
Finally! The Times publishes a positive article about Bernie.
39
Bernie Sanders has done more for this country than anyone since LBJ was president just by running in 2016. he is doing more even now by how he has changed the campaign for 2020.
He doesn't even need to win and he has already remade the nation.
200
@magicisnotreal Agreed. Bernie has changed the conversation to really address what matters to the people. I disagree that he doesn't need to win--he does!!!
43
@Damelia
Poor choice of grammatical hyperbole on my part. Still I think my point is clear. Even if he loses We have won.
11
@magicisnotreal
Let's see... Made country better?
Or helped Trump win in 2016?
Fun to see him campaign but probably better he retires and supports whoever wins the democratic nomination.
4
I don't understand why Bernie Sanders is running as a Democrat, instead of an Independent. He does not seem to respect the Democratic party. The Democratic party is (justifiably) skeptical and defensive about him. If he did get elected President, how would he lead the Party? I can't see how that would work.
7
@Madeline Conant: It’s not the job of the President to lead his party, it’s his job to lead his country. I am happy he runs as a Democrat, because as an independent he’d ensure four more years of Trump. If he becomes the nominee, I’d happily vote for him or anyone else who wins the Democratic nomination.
20
@Madeline Conant He is running as a Democrat because the very things he is fighting for are what Democrats USED to stand for! Bernie is a New Deal Democrat, nothing radical or new. What can we say about the current Democratic leadership? Massive corporate donors, backed by financial institutions, and largely not in align with the working class of this country. He does not respect the Democratic Party's current state (nor should ANY of us!) but instead wants to make it the party of working people like it once was.
In fact, because of Bernie, hundreds of thousands of people have registered as Democrats to vote for him and support his candidacy. He is a motivator, a political force to be reckoned with, and he doesn't want to dismantle the political system by running a third party campaign which could quite literally hand the election to Trump.
31
@Madeline Conant who cares how he would he lead the democratic party? Why do we cling to this identity that is attached to a political party? It is meaningless. The important question is how he will lead this country for the best?
17
I don't care what Sanders's strategies have been. I will never forget how he stayed in the 2016 race for 3 months after it became mathematically impossible for him to win. During that time, he savaged Clinton and the Democratic party, complained that the election was rigged (like many losers), and threatened to keep running straight up to the convention. The result was that he drove Clinton's unfavorable ratings up and divided the party. Many of his rancorous supporters refused to vote for Clinton in the general, giving him a role in Trump's election. So for these reasons, I will not forgive him.
9
@Annie If only he had stayed in the race a few more months, he would have won, unlike the candidate the DRC superdelegated us.
21
@Annie: Just make sure to vote for him in case he catches the nomination. Don’t fall into the same trap that the Bernie Bros did. You don’t need to forgive him.
3
@Annie
Have you forgotten Hillary’s strategy too promote Trump as the only opponent that her strategic advisers felt she had a chance of beating? Well, she did win the popular vote, but what a dumb crapshoot with America’s future hanging in the balance.
9
This is why Bernie would have and still can beat Trump (June 2, 2019 Salon article by Keith Spencer:
".... the argument for a centrist Democrat might sound compelling. If the country has tilted to the right, should we elect a candidate closer to the middle than the fringe? If the electorate resembles a left-to-right line, and each voter has a bracketed range of acceptability in which they vote, this would make perfect sense. The only problem is that it doesn't work like that, as Piketty shows.
The reason is that nominating centrist Democrats who don't speak to class issues will result in a great swathe of voters simply not voting. Conversely, right-wing candidates who speak to class issues, but who do so by harnessing a false consciousness — i.e. blaming immigrants and minorities for capitalism's ills, rather than capitalists — will win those same voters who would have voted for a more class-conscious left candidate. Piketty calls this a "bifurcated" voting situation, meaning many voters will connect either with far-right xenophobic nationalists or left-egalitarian internationalists, but perhaps nothing in-between"
https://www.salon.com/2019/06/02/there-is-hard-data-that-shows-that-a-centrist-democrat-would-be-a-losing-candidate/
26
@KATHLEEN
Nope.
Sanders:
1. Never rose in the primaries and never would've been the Democratic Party nominee;
2. Remains a duplicitous opportunist by parasitically latching onto the Democratic Party, instead of running as a 3rd party Socialist or Independent.
3
@Maggie
Agreed!
If he ran as an independent, you’d criticize him for drawing votes away from the Democratic nominee.
No matter the letter after his name, Sanders is closer to being what I thought the Democratic Party was about when I registered to become one all those years ago than anybody who has gotten as far as he has in my lifetime.
11
Given the opportunity, I would vote for Bernie for the same reason I voted for Trump. In fact, I find many more similarities than differences. Maybe it comes down to “The Green New Deal” vs. “The Mean New Deal.”
13
Bernie has never done an honest days work in his life. He became a millionaire peddling socialism. How many jobs has he created? The answer is zero. Ironically for profit private healthcare in capitalism saved his life. Go figure.
5
@JOSEPH
I just checked. Trump has never been employed. Grifter his whole life. People who live in glass houses...
6
@JOSEPH Bernie is eligible for Medicare, which is non-profit. I have Medicare myself. Unless you are on Medicare, you have absolutely no idea of how it well it works. You should not be commenting on our glorious private healthcare system because you have nothing else to compare it to.
6
@Diane
I disagree, I am comparing MFA to my private insurance:
I had to change my doctor when I was eligible for Medicare.
Neither Bernie or Warren is reminding the country of the Medicare surcharge tax.
Medicare incurs millions of dollars in fraud each year, the government can’t get a handle on it. Doesn’t happen with private insurance.
Why put the entire country on a health insurance plan that the Republicans have sworn to dismantle, along with Social Security?
They’ve already cut funding during Trump’s first term.
If Bernie had received this kind of coverage before 2016 we might not be in the mess we are now. The NYT practically ignored him and the DNC did their part too. I'm proud that Bernie won my state in the 2016 democratic caucus. I'm supporting him again this time.
37
Amazing to see an honest look at Bernie's background and experience. Can we forgo any stealth edits this time around?
26
I’m just waiting for the stealth edits. Jonathan Martin will get in there and the piece will be totally different...
15
“Seated in his sunbathed backyard, with a view of distant mountains, Mr. Sanders recalled with plain satisfaction that when he took on the local political establishment, voters had taken his side in overpowering numbers.”
Sounds like Bernie Sanders has every reason to be satisfied. For someone who claims to have such a modest net worth, it sure does seem like he’s living a bit more comfortably than his mobilized constituency of working people.
If America’s politics were comparable to those of Western Europe, Senator Sanders’ political approach would effectively equate to left-wing fascism.
5
Who is this Bernie guy!?!? He actually stayed true to his word, but also worked across the aisle to get things done in Burlington without sacrificing his values.
i was in Burlington when Bernie ran for mayor. I was skeptical of his rah-rah change the world rhetoric and voted against him. I was amazed when he actually got real things done. He didn't get hung up on party politics and worked with developers to improve the city and completely change the direction of Burlington.
I've been following him ever since and am amazed how consistent and straight he shoots, how often he was right in hindsight and how speaks truth to power and always puts all his constituents first and foremost in his thoughts.
265
Thanks for sharing! Bernie does put his constituents first and foremost!
29
The mainstream media, and that includes the NYT, lack of coverage on Bernie is shameful. They all ignore him as much as possible even though he is once again a leading candidate. Progressives are tired of either being taken for granted or denigrated. We work as hard as anyone else and will never stop fighting for what is right.
192
@DSD I couldn't agree with you more! The mainstream media is shameful. :(
28
@DSD
MSNBC has been the most vile and egregious perpetrator of smears of Sen.Sanders. John Cusack has called for a boycott of them and and their sponsors. #boycottMSNBC.
27
We've gotta closely read and decode what a private, multinational corporation advertising itself with "support independent journalism" and serving private, multinational corporations says about a person capable of rallying millions to stop (and reverse) the private, multinational corporate ownership and control of the globe.
So here we read this: "Many Democratic leaders remain skeptical that Mr. Sanders can win the nomination or, if he gets that far, the general election."
Decoded: These many Democratic leaders could not have become leaders in the Democratic party if they had not consistently and loudly announced skepticism toward any such person, and at the moment this is Bernie Sanders.
Hence, these many democratic leaders are doing their most important work here: spreading skepticism. If they don't do this, they'll be stopped from being leaders as soon as tomorrow.
And as a servant to private, multinational corporations, The New York Times is the global megaphone these so-called Democratic leaders naturally have in order to greatly amplify this skepticism.
Indeed, the surest way to know that Bernie Sanders has stopped campaigning for actual democracy is when these many Democratic leaders then stop loudly expressing (via the private, multinational corporate-owned presses) their skepticism toward him.
11
i think that the best thing that bernie can do after winning (which he'll do) is be bombastic like trump and shake the 80% of the working class awake.
people love him and need to see that they have an ally in more than just a few positions of the legislative branch. they need for the first time in nearly two generations, an ally in the executive.
it's been too long since the movement conservatives have dismantled the government of the people for the people into one for corporations. and as they hurdle towards facism (read any article about the conservative nationalism conference) they need to be crushed.
because unlike the fawned upon trump supporters many of us do not want to have a king.
14
What I don't understand is that if Bernie did great, outstanding things in Burlington, why didn't he mention that on his Presidential campaign site for the last Presidential election? Nor did he mention any other of his "Great" accomplishments. In fact, his Presidential Campaign website mentioned that he always won his elections by a slim margin and that he was one of a dozen co-authors of an important congressional bill. Was Bernie just being exceedingly modest or is Mr. Burns not telling the truth? I was so hopeful that Bernie was the right choice for President. But I came away from his website disillusioned. As we say out west "He is all hat and no cattle."
@Jeff, Bernie was shunned in his 1st term as Burlington’s mayor (1979-1981) by the City Council, and his secretary spied on him. The machine was determined to see him out after 2 years. Bernie walked door-to-door, explaining to each voter what he intended to do for the City and what he needed for change to happen. That election in 1981 changed the City Council too. Surviving incumbents saw the wisdom in working with him. Good things started to happen, and they lasted long after he left office.
2
Thanks for the article, I read with great interest the comments, 90+ per cent super enthusiastic about Bernie. He has stuck to his ideas for decades, never wavering. As he says US not Me. Yes, I am sending another donation today, feel the Bern!
26
Corporate Democrats say Bernie can’t win. I think what they really fear is that he will.
36
I often hear that the most important thing is "to beat Trump". For those who feel that way, Bernie should be your candidate. In most head-to-head polls against Trump, Bernie outperforms the other Democratic candidates. We are extremely fortunate that the candidate best positioned to beat Trump also has the policies that our country desperately needs (and with regards to climate change, our world demands).
21
Irrespective of this article, Bernie is done, finished. The USA will never elect a communist. Especially one who has never held a real job except Vietnam war protesting, if you want to call that a job. Bernie and his tired rants will end with this election cycle.
5
Thank you, New York Times, for publishing a fair and informative article on Sanders — as you know, and as your public editor acknowledged during the 2016 primary, your paper has been less than fair in its treatment of him as a candidate.
As a number of other other commenters have asked, I would make the request that Sydney Ember be taken off the Sanders beat — she has a clear anti-Bernie bias which reads loudly in her writing about him. It’s not fair to Sanders, his supporters and Times readers.
33
Obama did try to keep the pressure on turning his campaign machine into Organize for America. And as he said it’s hard to do.
1
@Nick Haskell Obama received more money from Wall Street in 2008 than any other candidate. He frequently sold out the American people with compromises and refused to truly take on the power - he was beholden to the special interests that got him there.
11
Two 70's,
78 and 79 years old will write - in Bernie if we must!
P.S. Give thanks that will still can vote.
Happy Turkey Day!
12
The parallels with Trump are shocking. One more reason to not vote for Sanders
2
Great article about our best hope for 2020, but too short! The NYT gives miles of print to just about every other candidate, but ignores Bernie as much in 2020 as it did in 2016. Let's hope they are capable of learning from their mistakes and correcting them before we lose our shot again!
15
If I thought the Republicans would have to run against him and his ideas, then I would support his candidacy to be the Democratic nominee for President. But they will not have to. They will, instead, straw-man him to death. Fox News will relentlessly call his socialism "Communism," and Tucker will ask "Didn't we win the Cold War thirty years ago?" And if you have to educate the average voter about the difference, you're already losing. The mainstream media will be no help at all. Trump will be the Devil We Know, facing down the Wild-Eyed Communist we don't. In a better world, Bernie would win in a landslide. This is not that world.
1
@Christian I get what you're saying, and you make a lot of great points. I would just say that this is maybe the last opportunity our country will have to elect somebody who has a lifetime of fighting against special interests and standing up for worker's rights. Bernie has the consistency and track record to go against Trump, and I think a lot of really good points can be made to show that socialism already exists for the rich and powerful and Bernie wants to reverse that for the working people of this country.
7
I am in heaven! I cannot believe a column not bashing Bernie in mainstream media. I am ever so grateful. I hope Mr. Burns does not get backlash from the corporations and the elite who are terrified of Bernie. Oh and the corporate Democrats afraid of losing their bribes will not like this at all. But I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
21
His slogan truly does some up what he stands for and why he's far and away the best candidate: Not me, Us!
9
I doubt if West Virginia and Mississippi want out of poverty. Martyrdom has an intimate relationship with the right.
But if Bernie could deliver them, kicking and screaming, they'd snap out of it. Much of the nation could use it.
National Sobriety.
5
As far as im concerned he is our last hope.
17
Bernie has never wavered on his convictions and he's been talking about real issues for ages (i.e climate change, declining middle-class income etc). Don't take my word for it, Google his track record. He's a danger to the corporate democrats (almost all Democrats who are corrupt) and he's going to obliterate these Republicans politically who are all corrupt.
He's not playing around and we are not playing around and we will NOT compromise with Republicans or corporate democrats. We are going to deliver for US, the fogotten middle class and the poor.
122
@Abdy Strong words from Ottawa, Canada?
1
@Abdy good luck doing that from Ottawa eh. You know its in Canada right. Perhaps a better description of location is in order? You throw around the word "corrupt" a bit much. Generalizations aren't terribly helpful & Bernie has a record of working with "corporate" democrats that is easily goggled too. You know that Bernie is not god right? & he will not obliterate all those "corrupt" democrats and republicans as in your quaint & misguided fantasy. Tyranny sounds like an awful thing until its your tyrant, then its OK eh? Sorry but the messiah already came & he didn't preach about "obliterating" anyone.
3
@John Chastain I love politics and follow American politics closely. The American people are tired of being played and they want real change that improves their lives in meaning ways (i.e higher wages, medicare for all etc) and Bernie and the movement behind him will ensure that this change will come to pass. Bernie is fallible just like any other human being, but the guy the "receipts" of fighting for the American people for decades and took positions that were not popular. The movement will outlive Bernie and elect progressive candidates that won't be CORRUPTED by corporate money. YES MONEY IN POLITICS CORRUPTS that's why politics listen to their donors and NOT their voters. Last, my friend had a knee replacement surgery and it cost him 0$, SO THANK GOD for a single-payer system in Canada, whereas in USA countless of people go bankrupt because of medical bills. I want the best for American people and it's time for 1% and corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes to fund social programs.
28
Something tells me that Bernie's approach would not work as well in Washington as it did in Burlington. A confrontational style that works at the city level is not so likely to win friends at the Congressional level.
1
But he wasn’t confrontational in Burlington, Duane, and he hasn’t been in the Senate,either.
2
I remember Rev. Jesse Jackson's statement that a revolution needs both "tree shakers" and "jelly makers."
Thomas Paine did not write either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.
I suggest that Sen. Sanders has shaken the tree very nicely. For my money, now is the time to try some of Sen. Warren's jelly recipes.
As with FDR's New Deal, let's save capitalism from the capitalists. You don't have to be a socialist to believe in income redistribution--especially when the money to be redistributed is the result of productivity gains that have not been shared by the capitalists thru higher wages.
7
Next article: What significant legislation that Bernie authored did he ever get through the House and Senate?
Bernie filed a lot of bills. So what. Anyone can do that. And then what? How many votes does he have right now in the House and Senate for any major pieces of legislation that he is proposing?
Consider me a fan of whip counts. I like counting votes.
I am former House policy staffer who saw Bernie make lots of speeches but refused to roll up his sleeves and follow through on promises to get things done. Ask him how many times he refused to vote with Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee (formerly House Banking) on housing programs affecting low income Americans. Talk to his House and Senate colleagues and ask how effective he has been.
17
@JD How convenient to focus on bills passed, rather than amendments Sanders introduced. On that count, Sanders was very successful.
45
@JD
If Sanders is such a terrible legislator how is it that the guy keeps getting elected? Not only does he get elected but he's one of the most popular members of Congress in his home state. It seems to me that he must be doing something right.
49
@JD
Is that why he's known as the Amendment King on the Hill?
And if he decided not to vote with the Democrats on certain banking and housing bills I trust his judgement much more than yours that he did so because he saw the Democrats selling out their own constituents, once again. The Democrats have been absolutely horrendous protecting the workers and middle class of this country from predatory banks and developers.
45
We are blessed to have a mensch like Bernard Sanders among ourselves. I don't know if this country deserves him but I will do my sure best to ensure his victory to deliver us from the abyss we have fallen into as a nation.
Every member of my family feels as strongly and we talk to everyone we know and respect about their views. Unbelievably perhaps, they all agree. It is a sample that includes wealthy and highly educated Manhattanites; Harvard and Yale scholars; money managers with a heart as well as a brain; friends, school teachers and professors of our Harvard and Yale educated daughters; people who work for us; people we spend vacations with.
You may say it is a biased sample perhaps but it has a common denominator: love for truth and passion for fairness and justice.
May Bernie live to be a hundred, healthy and happy, and may he lead our nation to where it belongs among the Just and the Fair.
34
@Blunt I love your comment and have always loved your comments. They make my day. And I will go on talking to people as well. My acting teacher who was a big Bernie supporter in 2016 was wondering this time if Bernie would be able to work with others and I spoke to him about Bernie and he told me he now for sure was going to vote for Bernie again because of what I said. And my teacher went to Yale and has had a very interesting and unique and successful career in Theater, T V and films, and of course teaching. He has been called a national treasure by theater people.
12
In the last congressional elections the Democrats were able to flip 40 seats. Of those only two were progressives. That alone should speak volumes to all of us that are worried about our country. Here in the Midwest (which is needed to win) I don't believe that any candidate that is perceived as a socialist has much of a chance.
8
@Conrad Well they certainly didn't like the moderate Hillary there.
8
@Conrad Not Sanders, in any case. He's way too leftist.
A well-researched, relevant, and fair piece on Bernie in the NYT. Consider me shocked!
49
Because it wasn’t by Jonathan Martinor
Sydney Ember!
9
Thank you NYT for finally giving some much-deserved exposure to Sanders.
57
Hindsight is 2020!
Bernie Sanders for President of the United States!
58
How many 70+ year old New Yorkers running for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination in 2020 are destined and going to be needed to beat another 70+ New Yorker Republican Party nomimee?
What possible partisan political appeal do either Bernie Sanders or Michael Bloomberg have to the most loyal and long suffering base of the Democratic Party aka black African Americans particularly black African American Protestant women?
4
@Blackmamba
I am a middle-age, Protestant, African-American woman who supported Sanders in 2016. I now support Warren, but I would be willing to support him again.
A couple of days ago, there was a New York Times article that spoke about his and Warren's strong and growing support among younger black voters. They know what I know: Warren and Sanders have the vision and agenda to put this country on the path to economic, social, and environmental justice. That is in the best interests of the black community and the nation as a whole.
14
@Blackmamba
Well, if you look at their records, Bernie is the only one that's shown commitment to racial justice.
The rest are checking off the boxes. They might mean well but how committed would they be? What would they spend their short "political capital" on?
12
Sanders is a spoiler who will never be elected. His ego is driving him. He's creating enough noise to nominate Joe Biden who will then lose to Trump. Too bad. There are other candidates who would make great presidents except for Bernie's ego.
6
@Julia seems like projection and utterly unfounded. Bernie sticks to his stump speeches and refuses the cultivation of persona so native to every other candidate. No "I was born for this" etc etc. His politics are unmotivated by personal domination or gain––he simply has the wherewithal to stick with them. The fact that younger candidates have adopted diluted versions of policies he authored does not make him a redundancy, nor an egotist. Merely committed.
13
The only Democratic candidate that can beat Trump — and the DNC would rather lose. Obama’s recently leaked comments about how he would campaign against Bernie if necessary (?!) shows they’re very worried. It appalls me that this of all things is where Obama chooses to weigh in during the Trump era. He should stick to jet skis and high pay speeches to his buddies on Wall Street. You failed, my dude, your legacy is nonexistent. Get out of the way.
54
What? Obama said this? He loses stature in my eyes every day with his post-office paid speeches, excessive book deal, canoodling with the rich and meddling with Bernie.
23
Well said. Obama is scared that Bernie is eclipsing his legacy. And he’s right. Bernie changed the entire political conversation in the country.
21
@Keef In cucamonga I know I heard that too and I am so sick at heart. And I agree with you about where Obama decides to weigh in is deplorable. His ego has gotten the best of him.
15
I can’t believe it. I thought I would never see an article about Sanders in these pages that wasn’t obviously slanted against him. Can we get some more unbiased coverage like this?
70
@Corbin you seem to think, Corbyn, that Sanders is the only candidate in the field who has ever had a "slanted" article written about them. All candidates get seriously scrutinized when they reach the top. Warren is now getting slammed everywhere, as is Buttigieg. A while back it was Biden. But Sanders supporters alone have consistently decried journalistic scrutiny as "hit jobs." You gotta take the salt with the pepper, man.
@Corbin
Every news organization, editor and reporter has a bias.
Thanks NYT for the apparent change of heart.
Now CNN should apologize to Van Jones for clipping his mic as soon as he said the words, "Bernie Sanders."
36
Bernie Sanders vs the The Money Machine
The NY TImes
“Obama ran one of the great campaigns in American history — a brilliant campaign,” Mr. Sanders said. “Do I think he should have maintained that grass roots support and activism in his first term, in a way he did not do? Yeah, I do.”
Mr. Sanders said he had discussed the subject with Mr. Obama in a private meeting. “He will tell you that it’s harder than it looks, which it is,” he said.
Mr. Krugman, in an offhand lunch time remark to Martin Wolf, CBE, chief economic writer of the Financial Times" sheds light on how hard it is:
"Look, with even a few mild words of reproof, Obama has lost a huge funding source from Wall Street. "
FT "Lunch with Paul Krugman" 5/29/2012
And Mr. Obama needed money for his 2012 campaign.
Mr Sanders 's Solution
FINANCE YOUR CAMPAIGN WITH SMALL DONATIONS ONLY
That single step is the greatest step forward to restore true Democracy to the US.
49
@Woof
It appears that Obama got his funding from Wall Street after he left office. Some suspect it was because that Obama ordered his AG Holder not to pursue any prosecutions there. Well, sometimes payback is just a lot of money.
7
"...if government does respond to the needs of working people, they will come out and participate..."
— Bernie Sanders
Crazy huh?
44
As others have said, nice to see that the Times occasionally feels obligated to mention Sanders as a serious contender and someone who could win the election as opposed to the other blue dog neoliberal “moderates” like Biden, Buttigieg or spoiler billionaire Bloomberg.
I told my friends before the NH primary in 2016, “get used to saying President Trump”. Why? Because he had the mojo. But for the corrupt DNC and mainstream liberal media like this paper, we were deprived of someone who would have beaten Trump handily. Let’s not make the same mistake again, mmmmkay?
29
I hope in some alternative universe that Sanders got the nomination in 2016. He would have beat Trump and the country would be in a lot better shape. By clinging to old-line thinking Democrats really screwed themselves over. Hopefully it won’t happen in 2020 or life as we know it is over.
53
@JR Such drama. You have to know he can never win
1
Bernie Sanders is the most substantive candidate in this race. If he can get his message across to the general public, he has every chance of being elected the next President.
48
Neither the capitalist nor the communist forms of government work for the majority of people. It's blatantly obvious that the end result in both of these systems is that the 0.1% end up in control to the detriment of everyone else. In both, the key to maintaining power is to keep the majority of people from understanding and acting upon that which is in their own best interests.
Democratic socialism is the middle ground between capitalism and communism. Social democracy is an equitable form of governance for all and works well in numerous countries throughout the world.
Bernie is a social democrat and that is why the 0.1% oligarchy will do whatever is required to impede him from becoming president. Latest case in point is Bloomberg's entry into the Democratic race who's spending more money in one ad buy than the other campaigns have in their entirety. Bloomberg's aim is to splinter the Democrats to such an extent that it virtually assures the election of someone that the oligarchy controls.
Bernie 2020
35
Just a reminder. Trump will tear apart any Democrat nominee for president other than Sanders. Trump tore through the Republican primary field and then took down Hillary in 2016.
You want Trump to win again in 2020, make sure you don’t vote for Sanders.
34
Even though I am a Warren supporter thank you for finally giving the readership a positive article about Bernie instead of the usual DNC party elite take on him. Had the DNC gotten behind his candidacy in 2016 we would not be dealing with being "trumped" today and both our country and the world would be in a better place.
43
In 2000 it was Ralph Nader vs the Machine. With the Presidency being handed to the GOP. And instead of Al Gore, the US got George Bush to address the climate change problem the GOP way - lie about it.
Now it is Bernie Sanders vs the Machine.
7
@Ahmed Except....Bernie isn't running 3rd party? Very different. Sorry he hurt your feelings by not being a boring normal democrat
9
@Ahmed you fail to mention that Al Gore lost BOTH NH and TN-his home state-in that election. AND that the governor of Florida-the state that 'decided' the election- was Jeb Bush. But yes, please educate us on how it was Ralph Nader who handed W the election.
5
@Ahmed Fortunately Al was able to become a billionaire anyway based on his climate hoax.
I’ll say it for the thousandth time if Sen. Sanders gets the nomination Trump and all his madness will be re elected. If he cared at all for us he would drop out of the race. He can throw his support to anyone. The US is NOT READY for a Democratic Socialist president and the fact that he calls himself a Democrat irks me to no end.
OK Millennial.
2
@Nancy Becker
OR a Catholic president they said. OR a black president they said. OR a woman President they say now. They also said they'll never elect that man, they did. People, let go of your inner pundit, and vote with your heart. Don't vote for someone because you think he's 'electable' or 'presidential'. Vote for policy. Vote for who you believe will stand principled, with vigor and fight. Or that man will rule us all for four more long years.
11
@Nancy Becker
OR a Catholic president they said. OR a black president they said. OR a woman President they say now. They also said they'll never elect that man, they did. People, let go of your inner pundit, and vote with your heart. Don't vote for someone because you think he's 'electable' or 'presidential'. Vote for policy. Vote for who you believe will stand principled, with vigor and fight. Or that man will rule us all for four more long years.
5
It's all history now, but rather a shame he didn't show a modicum of that fighting spirit while vacationing in Moscow during the Cold War.
4
@BD He showed his foreign policy chops there. He made Burlington an international city and brought foreign policy to the grassroots, as opposed to the traditional abstraction from the people in the form of think tanks and a foreign policy establishment essentially untouchable by democracy.
Sanders built a sister-city program with a Russian town as a means to bring about better understanding between our peoples for the purpose of peace and progress. I don't understand how that can be interpreted as a bad thing?
17
@Darc ... ok, he sounds like Trump before there was a Trump.
Thank you, New York Times. This is the kind of story you should have been writing about Sanders since 2015. And this is why I subscribe. Happy to see you finally deliver. And, as a token of my appreciation, l will even gift a subscription this year.
18
A lot of people respect Bernie outside of his positions, simply for the consistency he has shown over the years in his support for the downtrodden and his level of honesty. Even past opponents grudgingly say that he has not changed his core values an iota and that speeches he made decades ago reflect what he believes in today. I don't know if it gets him to the finish line, but after the current White House occupant, having someone who tells the truth even if it doesn't poll well with supporters would be a refreshing change that would inspire people. The down side for him if he is elected, is that sooner or later Larry David is going to see the first picture associated with this article and is going to want a 23 and me test done.
14
@Kevin
Didn't you hear? They ARE related. Mormon records linked them as distant cousins.
1
Two quotes of Mr Sanders from this article that will be informing my political calculus this election: "Socialism is no longer something to be feared, but rather to be discussed, and hopefully understood;" and, “If you can’t build grass roots support for your candidacy, you have no business running for president."
159
Thank you for the overdue article on Sen. Sanders, whose news coverage is way less than his recent poll showings and donations.
But how can the newspaper with " äll the news that's fit to print" fail to mention that in the past week, Sanders has been either first or second in both national and local primary polls, displacing Warren and Buttigieg, starting with the Emerson national poll, in which he came out first, last Thursday.
My guess is that since Warren diluted her Medicare for All plan, progressives have moved to Sanders.
57
Moderate change is safe and prudent in good times, but we face existential environmental problems. We have to take on wealth that controls our government and media. It is not in the DNA of moderates to take them on---especially when moderates take money from the wealthy.
55
It's notable that this article is all about Sanders time as mayor in Burlington and nothing about accomplishments or legislative successes for his time in Congress - because his record is below average.
Some good ideas, beliefs but why would anyone think he could be an effective President?
8
@mat Not true. First off, this was an article about Bernie as Mayor of Burlington. Why would it discuss his time as a Representative and a Senator? If you’re implying that the NY Times chose the topic because of pro-Bernie bias that’s really wrong. The Times does not like Bernie and tries to harm his candidacy whenever it can. This is the first somewhat favorable article about him I can remember and it was not written by the business-friendly Sydney Ember, the reporter who has normally covered his campaign, to the extent it has been covered. With his New Deal type beliefs in a neoliberal-conservative legislative environment run by rich donors you can’t expect him to get his programs passed wholesale. He has, however, gotten more constructive amendments improving legislation passed than just about any other senator. He also worked across the aisle with John McCain to improve the VA and therefore the lives of our veterans. He also changed the entire conversation of the Democratic Party, moving it decidedly to the left, toward the true center of American public opinion on economic issues. That’s far from nothing.
54
Bernie is the only candidate we can trust to lead us into a just, civil and sustainable, not merely survivable, future.
48
@mat
It's extremely difficult to pass progressive legislation when Congress has been bought out by corporations.
45
I like both Sanders and Warren. They both would represent significant positive change and are both fighters. Bernie has been there all along so I think he has zero risk of abandoning the fight. Warren is still a risk to become another Obama.
I think the simplicity of Bernie’s approach, as opposed to the usual Democrat means-testing hurricane of paperwork, is the best path to reform the system and to maintain voter engagement. We need a simple approach so citizens cannot be pitted against each other envious of those who “qualify” for benefits. The benefits should be available for regardless of income. The better off will pay more to fund those benefits.
50
@Jazz Paw
Bernie and Warren are a one two punch to get America back on track. At the second debate you could see how seamlessly they worked together. They should find a way to unite.
6
Bernie represents change, just like Trump does, change that will hold the establishment and the elites accountable for their roles in the class war. I've observed that many of the Democrats in my area profess to like either Sanders or Trump, the latter if Sanders isn't the Democratic pick. There's a feeling here that its time to level field, to insure that poor and middle-class families have adequate incomes (i.e., working 80 hours a week and still poor is unacceptable), and access to safe food and housing and quality education. That to achieve that social welfare -- that in turns assures everyone (rich and poor) a good life, liberty and a hope for happiness -- the very rich must share, must act like patriots and show they share in securing the success of this nation. If they leave the other 99% to founder in an economic wasteland, in a divided political stalemate, the USA will, like empires before it, lose its dominance and squander its leadership role. It's time for a change; let's hope the Democratic Party understands what that means, and has the will to back a progressive platform around a candidate that appeals to the commoners, the folks who get ignored by Federal bureaucrats, who end up having to bail out the very banks that stole their retirement savings and foreclosed on their homes.
37
@Sam McCool After the last 3 years I wonder that the Democrats you mention think Trump shares those ideas.
4
Sanders is durable. Today, a poll places him second behind Biden
as Warren fades. Among those who find appeal, he'd run a strong race. In a national general election, he'd be just what conservative Republicans and the business establishment have in mind when warning about unrealistic policies from the Left. I believe that he could not withstand both the skepticism about his policies (and his health) and the campaign against him from both Trump and the business establishment. My roots in the Midwest tell me that he's too different from what voters there vote for, too different from them in too many respects. He'd fail to win states there, likely crucial in this election.
8
@blgreenie Obama won most of the midwest and was also "too different".
8
@blgreenie
He won all the midwestern states in the 2016 primary. Time to check your roots!
19
@blgreenie
But he is more with farmers and workers than anyone else. He is exactly like them.
3
This reader is pleased to see a positive and timely article about Sen. Bernie Sanders finally appear in my primary subscribed news source.
Together with Warren, Progressive Democrats lead the Democratic Presidential Primary field. They bring enthusiastic young voters and pragmatic old ones, like myself.
It is neither difficult to perceive nor unexpected to witness the "Bloomberg Corporate Crusade" that is plowing millions in cash to come to the rescue of the Biden Party, a modern day Donner outfit stranded near the top of the pass, stuck and running low on ideas, energy and inertia.
I hope the NYTimes will cover this important battle of ideas and strategies for the future with clarity and fair reporting. This article makes an important point about the history of Bernie Sanders' Progressive leadership and his track record of wielding a grass-roots movement into real political power that shatters the empty legacy of blue and red stalemates other politicians clamor for us to accept.
We can and will do better. Bernie Sanders 2020.
72
Maybe Bernie played the victim card so well because it really was him against all the big boys. He’s really an admirable person. The article doesn’t address in any detail his influence on the city of Burlington. Because of his efforts the city has a beautiful lakefront accessible to all instead of expensive towers of condos for the rich. That’s just one example.
63
@EJS
I sure as heck wouldn't want to live near that big int'l. airport or near the new under the table deal that locates Air Force F-35s and F-16s base in a residential neighborhood.
https://truthout.org/articles/us-air-force-admits-f-35-will-harm-health-and-learning-of-vermont-children/
I've seen the image of Bernie raising his two hands when he just won the mayorship many times. But this is the first time I've noticed the campaign poster on the wall on the right edge of the photo.
It reads "It's time for a change. A real (underlined) change."
Yes, it is. That's why I'm sending another donation to Bernie's 2020 campaign today.
86
Some are attacking Bernie as being just another Mao or Hugo Chavez. Of course that is nonsense. So let's try to clear up his notion of democratic socialism.
When speaking of socialism we can be seen as referring to "actually existing socialism" or instead some theoretical form of socialism. Same goes for capitalism.
Bernie and AOC and many others are talking about a particular theoretical democratic socialism -- for them meaning a society where we see ourselves as a society at least as much as we see ourselves as individuals. Where we rely on moderated and regulated markets that allow for the profit motive to thrive and competition to work, but not at the expense of safety, health, a fair shake, and a level playing field: trust-busting, a strong EPA and FDA, fair taxes, support (subsidies as needed to prime the pump) for sustainable economic activities, and so on.
This has nothing to do with the policies of a Venezuela or China during the Cultural Revolution.
This is just like when people, in praising capitalism, mean free markets, innovation, growth, division of labor, and all these sorts of nice things, and do not mean the capitalism of the American south's slave economy or the British Empire's exploiting India or the early industrial era's child labor or sweatshops, or the insider trading and monopoly practices of Ma Bell, etc.
So be fair. If you tar Bernie with Venezuela then tar the capitalist alternative as chattel slavery. Where do we go from there?
32
Bernie unfortunately resembles the POTUS because he uses a "common enemy" strategy. During his run for mayor and as mayor later I recall a continuous litany of complaints against greedy corporations. Trump similarly demonizes anyone who opposes him.
As the article mentions, in the 80s Bernie pitched a "revolution" which he was really not able to deliver on. If he were elected POTUS now I believe that would happen again with Medicare for All, some form of free college, etc.
But I'll give him credit for bringing major issues like climate change, the influence of PACs and lobbyists on our legislation, and expansion of healthcare coverage to the political dialogue of the current and 2016 Democratic primary process.
3
@Tom Mca Only Sanders 'common Enemy' is literally a common enemy that has been waging class war against this country for decades. It's completely incomparable to Trump's bigotry and divsion. Sanders common enemy unites the country against the forces that have caused so much harm over the decades. Trump's divides and is fundamentally constructed to protect conservative religious whites at the expense of others.
6
The Bernie Sanders crowd will be pleased about this piece. They chronically feel that their man is ignored in the media as if, yes, maybe deliberately. So, Bernie fans, enjoy! Some of the rest of us see him as a weight on the Democrats' chances, having pulled some candidates far to the left, sinking their chances in a general election. If Bernie fans decide to sit out the election, many already threaten to do so in protest, their vengeance may sink the Democrats too.
8
@blgreenie ...It is the failures of "moderates" like Obama to stoke the fire he lit during the 2008 campaign, and the Clintons' corporate welfare (not to mention the Republican party) that led to Trump. Bernie's opponents are not anyone who does not regard him as The Chosen One, but the real systems that expand the wealth gap and hollow out the middle class.
14
@blgreenie The alternative is sinking the future of this country and our society. Wouldn't you rather sink a party?
2
Bernie Sanders like Che Guerra is a mythological retro rebel that looks good as a poster on the walls of college dorms. As an inspiration for the fight for justice and civic engagement. Hopefully, Bernie Sanders loyalist will rise to the occasion and understand that we share this country with people who worship other idols and when the time come, they will show up and vote for the Democratic party no matter what. No revolution, no reform and no progress will happen otherwise. Keep the eye on the prize: Trump must be defeated and the democrats must win majority in the Senate.
9
Before you paint Sanders supporters as naive you might ask yourself if Bernie becomes the nominee would you show up to vote for him or is Trump your man?
4
First of all, let me state the obvious: at this time nobody knows who will be on the Democratic ticket for president. Duh. Secondly, let me state what should be obvious: the ticket must be gender and racially balanced/blended. This means in my view a Sanders and Stacey Abrams ticket or a Warren and Andrew Gillum ticket. Either one could beat Trump because these tickets would bring out large numbers of Democratic voters which is the only way Democrats can win the essential combination of Electoral College states.
7
I have written hundred comments about the conflict of interest involved in having Sydney Ember cover Bernie Sanders.
Ember is the daughter-in-law of the current CEO of Bain Capital. Obviously one of the largest private equity firm benefiting from the perks and loopholes such as carried interest that Bernie wants to end. Her husband worked for the firm at some point as well. This is the firm Mitt Romney ran.
The Times never acknowledged the association in a disclosure or mention in the byline.
Even though it is good to see her out (at least in this case), it nauseates me to think about the obvious bias and the damage done so far.
I am still waiting for and explanation from the editor.
68
My main issue with Sanders is a lack of any real accomplishments related to his policies, despite decades in politics. Good ideas but not capable of implementing them
6
Just one accomplishment? Bernie has shifted the Overton window for the entire country. We can now have the confidence to effectively address anyone who represents the interests of the oligarchy who attacks us by saying a just, civil and sustainable society is ‘pie in the sky’.
11
I am a life long Democrat and do not belong to any machine politics. I think Bernie is not electable . American voters will not vote for a self declared Socialist. Very simple. War against successful Americans, the billionaires is not a good idea. Clinton and Obama decimate the Democratic Party over healthcare for all. Now Medicare for all will totally destroy the party. One more point that lot of Democrats blame Bernie for Hillary’s loss in 2016 and there is some truth in it.
9
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY So if Bernie gets the nomination will all you neo-liberals not vote democratic?
Remember many of Bernie’s proposed ideas were also Nixon’s. Also Bernie beats Trump in the crucial battleground states head to head.
15
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY
The people who blame Bernie for Hillary losing to Trump are not that numerous. They are largely confined to a a hard core of people who worked on or strongly identified with the Clinton campaign. They are loud in certain corners of social media, but they do not constitute a serious voting bloc. All of the polling shows that Bernie is popular with the vast majority of Democrats.
9
@ASHRAF CHOWDHURY
Billionaires are not "successful Americans." They are thieves.
Why do you have more faith in those who have stolen from you than those who, like you, have been stolen from?
7
When I looked yesterday, Bernie led Elizabeth in 7 out of 9 of the latest national polls (check Wikipedia for a more complete list...though the graph is misleading) and is doing very well in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
Warren is running on Bernie's issues in a way that is more appealing to college-educated affluent whites, who are put off by Bernie's ability to speak a language that connects with the working class. This is more of a class divide than a racial divide. The well educated have always looked down upon people with less "education" no matter how hard they try to be open-minded about them.
The polls also indicate that Bernie has a much better chance of beating Tump than Warren and this is because most Americans are NOT affluent college educated whites. Only Bernie can connect so well with Latinos, independent voters, rural voters, the youth, alienated military veterans, the labor movement, and those who have not yet voted.
The attachment of senior African-Americans to Biden in S.C. is understandable. A lifetime of racism crushes an ability to believe that great things can happen. But they can if the working class can overcome identity politics and unite against those who control the political establishment, the mass media, and so much more.
Bernie has been underestimated all his life. How does a young Jewish socialist from New York City go to rural Vermont and be elected to the U.S. Senate? He does this by being a political genius.
35
@Robert Scull
Bernie is real!
11
@rebecca1048
So is endemic misogyny over the last 243 years.
I was a student at the University of Vermont in Burlington when Bernie was first elected. I remember him sitting on the steps of City Hall eating his sack lunch and talking to constituents. He was the real deal in a way that the business Democrats in Vermont could never be. It showed. A breath of fresh air.
59
I’m voting for Bernie even if I have to write in his name.
47
Sames.
12
OMG! It seems you haven’t learned the lesson from 2016. Why are Bernie supporters so stubborn?
3
Me too. If the Democrats had wanted to beat Trump, they wouldn’t have allowed Clinton and the DNC to put their finger on the scale and ignore the electorate last time. Bernie beats Trump.
16
Can an aging Bernie Sanders bring that same political dynamic to the national stage and achieve the same results? I would argue that he can not for a number of reasons ranging from his age to the scale of the undertaking. This is the problem I have with the disruption / messianic model of political change. It ignores the reality of a country and a political system that resists change for its own sake. To do so is to embrace a leftist version of Trumpian chaos. Government by personality is shallow & short lived, it doesn’t create change with staying power nor win hearts and minds of any but the true believer. Look at our history and the processes that have created positive change and you’ll see an underlying history of years of pressure building towards change and sustained afterwords by consensus not personality. Time and again we fall into the trap of the messianic model and place our hopes and dreams in the often ungentle hands of the leader of the moment only to be disappointed. Bernie Sanders is an old man with some good ideas and some not so good ideas. He has neither the time nor national governing infrastructure to create the changes his followers envision. That leaves governing by executive authority and that is a path to tyranny regardless of intention. The cycle of reaction and counter reaction perpetuates injustice, the answer to Trump isn’t another “great” leader, even one whose agenda I personally support. Sorry but the truth hurts & even “winning” isn’t enough.
4
Technically Bernie is still a 60’s radical. Sputtering and arm waving while promising the moon to those of us who would benefit. I like the message.
But if he is the D candidate Trump’s odds go way up, if he is still around. Trump has not accomplished anything positive for the country. Bernie would be in the same boat. He is not a leader just a loud pedantic. Even with a D Congress we would just be trading one lump for another although our democracy would be safer.
Our biggest threat now is a divided country. Trump and Bernie are both ‘cult’ people. The divisions would continue.
6
Trump followed by Sanders in the White House would be curtain call for the U.S. Division has its limits.
7
Bernie unites. Bernie beats Trump. Bernie is the most beloved and most trusted politician in this country.
8
Bernie has an established track record as a pragmatist, and the fact that he’s not part of the Democratic establishment gives him more credibility with working class voters.
The Democrats hate Bernie as much, if not more, than the Republicans, because both parties want to maintain the status quo of big money in politics.
The vast sums of money in the game mean a lot of snouts depend on expanding the space at the trough from lobbyists, media, and the corporations who run our government.
It’s the endemic, systemic corruption of our political system that is destroying our nation, and the Democrats and Republicans are equally complicit in that destruction.
Sure the Democrats say nice things about social justice and they admit that climate change is real, but the money is as addictive to both parties as heroin is to a junkie.
Americans spend 2x as much on health care as any other developed country, with the highest infant mortality of any developed country, millions of uninsured, and a declining life expectancy 3 years in a row.
We’re Number 1!
This has everything to do with too many parasitic snouts in the trough, we must get money out of politics.
Yes they all deserve a comfortable living, but the greed is destroying everything, and that’s just one industry.
Add in the military and prison industrial complex, and we’re drowning in corporate greed.
29
I despair for this Nation and its 'in plain sight' descent into deeper corruption, propaganda/lies, economic and ecological stagnation, with chaos and amoral, authoritarian and anti-accountability, anti-democratic mis-leadership.
The worse thing is, as the saying goes, 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.'
So this is a 'positive piece on Bernie Sanders? Always pointing out what he could not do, using the term 'socialist' in totally uninformed ways?
Bernie Sanders has come across corruption and complacency all his career. He takes action and advocates for all of us, especially the working and middle classes and the poor. He advocates for rule of law and climate sanity - against the oil and gas, big pharma, big insurance/finance corporations. He's as radical as FDR.
Regarding the complicity of the Democratic establishment party reacting too slowly if at all, and the utter insanity, corruption and evil of thos behind Trump's GOP, their swamp, and their delusional sheeplike follows - if we don't stand up NOW and for an active movement along side people like Sanders, this country is sunk, our National leadership over and our very future very much that of economic and actual slaves struggling for security and our existential safety, our lives. Civil society matters!
Long live Bernie Sanders and his truth-telling activism on behalf of this Constitutional democracy for ALL the People, and 'not just billionaires!'
Feel the Bern!
28
As a Senator, Bernard's list of legislative accomplishments is having two post offices named and working with John McCain on a Veterans' benefits bill, full stop. I see nothing in this piece to indicate that Mr. Sanders has leaned the art of compromise and negotiation and, historically, he has engendered few friendships in the Senate because, in the end, Bernie is about Bernie. His late, weak and obviously grudging support of Hillary Clinton helped put us in the situation we are in now and when it comes to his speeches, defeating Trump does not seem to be his highest priority. I don't think the Democrats can afford to have a nominee who is going to have to spend the next 11 months explaining to America why the terms "Socialist" or Democratic Socialist" should not frighten them. If he is nominated, I will support him and vote for him (although I see no evidence that his supporters will extend the same support to any other candidate) and if he is the nominee, we will lose.
6
I’ve talked to several relatives who generally don’t vote for Democrats. They all mention Bernie as a politician who they believe is genuinely for the people.
196
@Oliver
And are they campaigning for him?
Do they honestly believe that with his far left program he will carry the midwest and win a national election?
Of course not.
3
A friend noted that he grew up in a family of eight children. Their father was a teacher, and the family lived on one salary. How is it, my friend wondered, that his parents managed on one teacher's salary to buy a home and raise eight children? Every month at least one of the kids had to go to the doctor - there were always broken bones, playground accidents, childhood illnesses - yet, the family did not go broke. They were never rich, that's true, but the family was never threatened with bankruptcy or ruin. They were always able to deal with emergencies. Yet today, although this friend has no children, rents his home, and doesn't own a car, medical bankruptcy is a reality staring him in the face. One accident, one illness -- and hello, bankruptcy court. He asked me: what changed? In one generation, people have gone from economic security to economic insecurity. Ours is the first generation to be worse off than our parents. Why? And, even more importantly, what can we do to reverse this trend?
105
@Allison
electing Bernie Sanders is the first step
A Future To Believe In!
second step, actively supporting his work to change government policy, in order to have a healthier, better educated and more thriving citizenry, with better infrastructure and a sustainable future
18
@Allison
One answer, Republican policies...I can't think of one Republican policy that has helped the middle class or the less fortunate in our country and I've been voting since 1981. Democrats at least have a history with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare. Republicans are still pushing "trickle down" as their solution and that came from Reagan in 1980. Nearly 40 years later, I don't understand why half our population still believes them.
14
@Allison This wild-eyed radical agrees, but I paused reading at "eight children." Until we all do there can never be the quality of life we can attain. Our numbers fuel the climate energency, the 6th mass extinction, resource over-harvesting, pandemics and less clean air and water. I'm often asked if the population is so important why doesn't the media and politicians (yes, even Bernie) talk about it? Because the 1%'s media and politicians need an ever-increasing number of consumers. One-child incentives, esp. as measured by consumption to reduce our population. Why is 8 billion better than one? (That said, thanx for the comment.)
4
I think a Sanders-Warren or Warren-Sanders ticket would be unbeatable, but only if the corporate media would stop slamming their health care bill. I understand media companies are owned by wealthy individuals who have ties to the health industry, so I'm not surprised. But they should be intellectually honest. Even the Cato Institute said that Medicare for All for save trillions of dollars over a ten year period compared to the current system.
83
@Paul
I used to think that to, but Warren has to go her own way.
Warren is not a Socialist. Bernie is.
Maybe Warren will add Stacy Abrams or Cory Booker or Amy K to her ticket. She has to win the South, black voters across the country and capture the mid-west.
I believe Bernie will add AOC to his ticket to capture the youth and Hispanic vote.
It is going to be a long year and a tough convention....
4
@Paul
President Sanders 2020!
I've heard Nina Turner mentioned as a possible VP.
Warren's foreign policy is very much the usual.
A republican governor would appoint Warren's Senate replacement... a problem for VP status...
6
@Gus
The VP has to be 35 years old.
5
Briefly out of retirement to write this sentence:
Perhaps it is time for a discussion to begin of a Sanders-Warren ticket.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
54
Warren didn’t endorse Bernie last election. She stood by silently while Clinton and the media and DNC stole the election and forced Her candidacy upon us. No. Warren is not to be trusted.
5
@Lilly - I would appreciate it if you would expand since you, just across the border from the Brave Little State, perhaps followed what Warren did or not do leading up to the 2016 election. At that time I would not have been aware at all of Warren.
I do not see how her postulated silence needs to be seen as indicating she is not trustworthy. Perhaps you could explain.
Info at my comment
Bernie Sanders' theory of political power is correct.
There is no way to win the progressive policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal that we so desperately need without mobilizing the masses of ordinary working class people to fight the entrenched interests that stand in their way.
There is no guarantee that we will win. But it is certain that we will lose if we don't fight.
No other candidate has this orientation. It is why, for example, so many of Warren's plans will never come to fruition.
Warren's latest proposals are already making concessions on Medicare for All before the actual fight has been engaged. You never see Bernie do that.
Bernie is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate for president. He can win the nomination. He can beat Trump. And he can initiate a real transformation of a broken system. But he can only accomplish those things if we get out and fight for them with him. That is what his slogan 'Not me. Us.' means.
Bernie has surged to second place in national polls and Biden is stumbling with two months to Iowa. We can do this. We need to do this.
159
Many of us have loved Bernie Sanders for all those reasons and over many years. Many of us have donated to his campaigns and worked for his nomination. He is the beating heart of progressive America, an America that can offer a future to all its people and not just a select few. He is consistent. He is honest. And he is almost always right.
So it is with very heavy heart I look around at the sorry state of America in 2019, the divisiveness and suspicion that has been cultivated by Trump and his Svengali, Putin, the extreme factionalism the Founders warned against, and I see the writing in the wall: America is not ready to support a Jew for President, let alone a progressive - DINO Bloomberg is tarred with the same brush. I have doubts that a woman of any political stripe could win in the general. The 20 election will almost surely be lost or won in the midWestern rural districts, bastions of Christian conservatism and havens of fear. The main focus there is a dread of change, which is perceived as bad in nearly every respect. Those of us in more progressive states and precincts, in fact almost anyplace the population is concentrated, are merely bystanders to this election, since our votes are cancelled by the Electoral College and the propaganda vice conservative media squeezes over the isolated and gullible voters duped that Trump is on their side.
Delusion and prejudice are the powerful opposition. Truth and openness are considered too expensive by key districts.
8
@Christopher I cannot agree with your more. I honor and salute your comment. It brought tears to my eyes.
In an interview with Cenk of TYT Bernie said what you are saying when asked how he would get his policies done. As president He would rally the grass roots to stand up for them and fight for them. And you are sadly right about Warren. Bernie is the only fighter who knows how to get real change for us done. And I cannot help saying one more time, no corporation or oligarch owns him. He actually works for the people. So of course the corrupt have to bash him, of course they do. Anyone who does not support Bernie is cutting off their nose, has swallowed the elite propaganda, or is part of the wealthy who want to keep steaing from the rest of us.
16
@Christopher
He is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
13
My oh my what a difference 4 years makes. Good to see the times publishing a Pro-Bernie article this time around.
137
@Z.a.k.
I don't think it is pro-Bernie so much as pro-factual.
8
At the end of the day Americans will not elect a
self-declared socialist.
14
@Sue
Bernie identifies as a "Democratic-Socialist", which means he believes in Democracy, but wants to expand benefits to every American. Look it up.
As someone who has traveled in Europe numerous times, one wonders, why Americans can't have a Health Care system that covers everyone, excellent public transport, extended paid leave for raising children, free University tuition; the list goes on.
OTOH, before my wife and I transitioned to Medicare, we were paying $1700 a month for Health Insurance, pre ACA with limited benefits. What a terrible waste of money, compared to M4A, available in every other Industrialized country in the world.
Go Bernie !
17
@Sue
Get it correct!
Sanders is a Democratic Socialist.
There is a big difference.
Get educated.
Sanders will be elected, and the majority of Americans will have a better chance to thrive, and US society and economy will thrive with different, more just and more humane values.
12
Just you watch us!
9
Bernie is real. He is honest. He has guts.
In 2016 I sent him $50 which was a big deal for me.
And, contrary to what this article states, he is not close to winning in any polls, in any state.
Part of this is the presence of the Bernie lite Warren who has appropriated his entire program which he has been developing for years. She has drawn from his supporters. If she were not around, I suspect he might win some primaries.
But she is and she lives in her little bubble of high energy, my way or the highway deluded people, with her millions of selfies and stories about how she lectured her dollies.
Neither of these two left of center candidates will win the nomination but I suspect that they will bring their supporters to the convention and make a lot of noise. I am fine with that.
Then their 15 minutes of fame will end and a centrist progressive like Pete will get the nomination and beat Trump.
This is a good thing since neither of them could win the midwest and certainly not a general election.
But I still love Bernie. As someone wrote, he is a national treasure. Warren is not.
17
You are simply incorrect. The most recent NH Emerson poll has Bernie in the lead with 26%:
https://emersonpolling.reportablenews.com/pr/new-hampshire-2020-sanders-jumps-to-lead-buttigieg-surges-while-warren-and-biden-falter
The evidence does not work in favor of your argument. Most of Warren's base is not taken from would-be Bernie voters, but wealthier liberals, whose second choice would probably a centrist like Buttigieg or Harris.
The best candidate to win working-class middle America will be Bernie, not a centrist. Democrats do not need to run to the center-right to win the Obama-to-Trump district. The polls, if you actually bothered to read them, do show that Bernie has some of his strongest base of support in the 'rust belt' and other working-class regions of middle America
Furthermore, the term "centrist progressive" is an oxymoron. Even in this primary, we can see that a candidate like Buttigieg is not willing to compromise on his centrist positions. He has effectively smeared Medicare-For-All in favor of his proposed public option. There is no reason to believe that a centrist will be swayed by the progressives in the race.
You are correct about one thing, Bernie IS Real and he DOES have guts. This is why he is the only candidate capable of bringing real change and one of the most likely to beat Trump in the general election.
19
@Simon Sez
Don't be so sure.
Bernie was a surprise in '16 and almost won, except for the dirty-dealing by the Democratic National Committee, which donated 500 votes to the selection process before it even started.
Only Bernie has the experience, knowledge and direction to lead the country to true democracy. Warren is a simple copy-cat to get votes, with a record of support for banks and corporations.
11
@Simon Sez
Wait... you think everyone has forgotten all the comments you’ve written here in the last six months attacking Bernie???
We know you’re a Buttigieg supporter. All your comments track to that.
The only reason you’re supporting Bernie here in this column is to bash Warren, because Buttigieg is (successfully) attacking Warren to get her voters. Because the only way Buttigieg takes the nomination is by taking from Warren. The longer Warren is a viable candidate to undecided voters, the less the chance of Buttigieg.
I see what you’re doing. It tracks to the dishonest way Buttigieg has come up the polls when he himself is devoid of any ideological principles.....
8
He opposed the Vietnam war and the Iraq wars, marched for civil rights, calls out the 1% for their stranglehold on our democracy, and has been at this truth-telling for a long, long time. It's hard to beat Bernie on basic human rights, but the democrat party managed to do it in the last presidential election.
His opponents throw the epithet "socialist" at him, knowing that turns off some voters who relate that to Stalin's terrible deeds in Russia. Better to compare him to democratic socialists in Europe who have accomplished affordable healthcare and education and managed to regulate corporations for clean air, water and food. And lately for the "right to be forgotten" reclaiming their identity from Facebook, Google et al.
The democrats have become too cozy with big business and forgotten that they don't respect our basic rights to life, liberty and pursuing happiness as equal citizens.
110
@betty durso
Bernie has defined himself as a Socialist for years in VT. He used to spend hours and hours explaining socialism and how it is nothing to be afraid of.
He ran a Democratic Socialist and an Independent in VT.
10
@McDiddle Agree with him or not as you wish, but faulting him for deeply believing in his own ideas is odd. "Uncompromising idealogues" push hard to effect actual change rather than maintaining the status quo. You seem to use this term as an insult to a potential presidential candidate - and I couldn't agree less.
8
@McDiddle Sorry the Democrats lost to Trump in what should have been a slam dunk election by putting forth the most establishment, centrist candidate out there. Let's not blame Bernie "equally" for running in a primary.
If the Democratic Party doesn't learn from 2016 and nominates Biden, then the Party should be abandoned.
5
Sanders has built the infrastructure for a nationwide movement over the past 4 years, engaging millions of Americans, including those previously disenfranchised by or disenchanted with the democratic process. He may be getting on in years, but he has brought new energy to the actual work of building and maintaining democratic processes. He has restored values and humanity to a profession that, under the influence of consultants and special interests, has trended towards artifice. As this article describes, no other Democratic politician in the presidential field has consistently achieved these things, not even Obama.
Those Democrats who disagree with Sanders’ policies should surely understand that in this era of political corruption, in which the state itself is literally being dismantled via years-long privatization efforts and the present active degradation of agencies, a candidate who can restore and reform the institutions of government (and encourage democratic participation) is vital.
Sanders has demonstrated that he can garner support in red, blue, and purple states. The American people do not want a status quo candidate—they want someone with bold policy proposals and moral fortitude. Sanders has ownership of a winning narrative.
If the Democrats fail to nominate him, they will be responsible for another Trump presidency.
79
Bernie is all talk, no action. What says it all for me is he has sought and received the Democratic nomination for senator from Vermont three times (‘06, ‘12 and ‘18), received it, then declined to run as a Democrat. He wants to appear to be independent, but also wants to make sure he doesn’t have anyone running against him as a Democrat. He uses the party when it serves his purposes, while maintaining a fictional facade as an independent, just like Trump’s legend as a self made businessman.
12
@Suzanne Bee
If a person who isn't a member of your party has so much support among voters in your party, maybe it's the party that needs to change, not the candidate.
10
@Suzanne Bee
You are unfamiliar with Vermont politics, I see. The reason he doesn't have a Democrat running against him is that the Vermont Democratic has come to view him as their own, and supports him accordingly. If anything, they're seizing on HIS popularity, not the other way around.
It's time for the National party to do the same.
15
@Suzanne Bee: So, you equate politics with policy? There's a big difference you know. And you don't seem to get that.
1
Please have Alexander Burns replace Sydney Ember as the reporter assigned to cover the Sanders campaign. She is a conservative corporate apologist, who (to be generous) has no particular insight into the plight of working people and no particular connection to the movement Sanders is building. Accordingly, she covers him as if he were a fringe political figure, as opposed to what he is: The man who transformed the Democratic Party and is a leading contender for the presidential nomination.
202
@nonpersonage
I second that request to the NY Times.
After I started reading the story this a.m. I stopped and went back to see who was writing it. It did not sound like the NY Times.
I do not expect any candidate to be covered without honest evaluation -- pro and con -- but the often snarky hit job the Times has done in the past on Sanders has not been fair reporting. I would love to read more by Burns who clearly takes the candidate and his ideas seriously.
As a Warren supporter, who worked hard for Sanders in 2016, this story gives me hope that one way or the other 2020 may turn this country around before it's too late (if the Russians don't get to our ballot boxes first).
20
@nonpersonage YES! I heartily agree. I am amazed to see this kind of fair, unbiased, and dare I say even complimentary coverage on Bernie from this publication. Keep this up NYT and I might even consider resubscribing!
19
I was truly amazed when I read this story end to end and it did not include any of the usual put-downs. Totally agree with you!
11
Thank you NYT for doing a write up on Bernie. it seems he doesn't receive enough recognition.
Bernie should be president now. My youngest son is very politically active and he, and many of his college friends, went to many rallies for him. Trump won't even bring up Bernie's name because he knows Bernie would smear him. Yet, despite the numbers, the DNC chose Hillary. this completely soured these young voters. what was the point? some of them were so angry they voted for Trump just to prove a point. if the DNC does it again (chooses who they want and not what the numbers show), I fear these young voters won't show up at all.
We continue to support Bernie because he knows what's important: the climate (no climate=no us) and medical coverage for all. as a disabled vet who receives all coverage from the VA (a universal health care system), and having friends in the UK and Canada who have this type of healthcare, this is the way to go.
don't let the naysayers scare you. In Canada they pay half through sales tax and the other half through their income. what they don't pay for: the $200-$500/check for insurance, another few $k for deductibles, and co-pays for visits and prescriptions. the amounts medical/pharma charge are controlled.
or you can decide it's too scary (because that's what pharma/med ins cos want you to believe with their $30m campaigns). Bernie is the way to go for our, and our kids, future.
107
Yes, in a nutshell mobilize the people to fight back. We do have power. We are not channeling it effectively and they are walking all over us. With each passing day we feel more and more helpless.
We are obsessed with the intractable group who are mesmerized by Trump, instead of focusing on the majority who find him vile and are shocked by the complicity of the Republicans.
I felt that Obama did not use the leverage he had when coming into office. He was elected by a landslide and then defanged by the obstructionists and we stood by and took it.
We must recognize the strength of participatory democracy. We have the false notion that we should elect someone to do the work and then go back to the routine of our lives without paying further attention.
That is what the politicians have relied on so that they could do their mischief, waging unjust wars and all the rest of our sad national story.
We need someone highly accomplished in mobilizing the people to protect our own interests. No single person can accomplish this. The onus is on us as well.
First we required someone who could articulate the vision. Now we need to bring it to fruition.
Are we ready to elect Obama Junior in a Buttigieg? I hope not.
Go Bernie.
59
@TM
Imagine Bernie as President...now there is someone who would truly fight against McConnell in a way Obama could or would not.
8
Bernie will exceed expectations in the early primaries. Momentum will build. His electric rallies will once again inspire middle class and poor working people.
The people love Bernie Sanders and the principles he stands for. He's a peace fighter. He stands for working people.
And with him, WE will beat Donald Trump.
77
Thank you, Mr. Burns, for the blast from the past. I lived in Burlington in 1981, attending grad school at the University of Vermont. It was an historic time. Just down the street from my place was an old gas station that was converted into an ice cream shop. I went there once and the sanitary conditions were so bad, I resolved never to return. Eventually, Ben and Jerry did get their act together. The incumbent mayor, Mr. Paquette, was so complacent that he didn't even run a re-election campaign. I voted for Bernie, and, by virtue of my two votes, he won by 10 votes. So, I claim 20% credit. Voters don't realize that their votes counts as 2 votes, by the way. In the Burlington election, had I voted for the incumbent, Bernie would have lost one vote and Mr. Paquette would have gained one vote, thus making the margin 8 votes instead of 10, a difference of 2 votes. I watched Bernie's rise to Vermont governor to a Representative to a Senator. Whatever anybody feels, Bernie is a force to be reckoned with. So, is Ben and Jerry.
45
@Tom Rose , Bernie was never governor of VT.
2
Bernie doesn't play any victim card, Mr. Mahoney. He's saying that anyone without grassroots support (like Bloomberg), shouldn't be president. The presidency should not be open to the highest bidder. He doesn't feel like a victim. He's for the people. not himself. Look at Trump, I have been the worst treated president in history, (what a freak). That's playing the victim card.
153
If Bernie gets the nomination, it's going to be the socialist versus the sociopath. Now that should make for some good TV.
22
America is facing serious challenges. We need a leader who is both visionary and at the same time pragmatic enough to get things done. In my opinion Bernie Sanders is that leader.
As this article shows, he was able to break through a sclerotic political establishment and actually get things done that benefited the lives of the people of his city. As a national politician he's always been willing to go where others feared to tread: Fox News, Liberty University and the coal country of West Virginia and not only came out alive but demonstrated an ability to communicate with people to whom other liberals wouldn't give the time of day without giving ground on his own principles.
Is he perfect, no. For one thing I wish he was twenty--even thirty years younger. For another I wish he'd early on branded himself a social democrat instead of a democratic socialist. On the other hand if you want a contrast with Trump it's hard to imagine one greater than pitting a working class guy who grew up in a rent controlled apartment and was arrested as a young man for protesting housing discrimination against the rich, spoiled landlord'son who was sued by the Federal government as a young man for refusing to rent to African-Americans.
Any of the Democratic candidates would be an improvement over Trump, some moreso than others but I do believe that Sanders has both the vision and the political savvy to get this country moving in the right direction in a way that makes him unique.
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So what worked in this tiny, nearly all white city will work for a nation of 300 million? Burlington is a college town basically. It's where 'hipsters' and draft dodgers went in the late 60s. Even Mayor Buttigieg has dealt with a more representative mix of Americans.
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@John
You are ignoring the fact that most of Vermot is rural and he was also elected to the U.S. Senate repeatedly: got 63% of the vote in his last run in Vermont to be elected to the U.S. Senate. This is because he is a good listener and rual voters like him. Neither Biden or Warren could get 63% of the vote in a rural state.
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Well, apparently he also has a long experience as a US senator, haven't you heard of?
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And yet, Sanders seems to be more popular with Afrucan-Americans than Mayor Pete.
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Thank you for this insightful article. This is why I subscribe to the NYT, despite its horrendous op-ed page.
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Bernie Sanders is a national hero and mensch of the highest order whose passion in life is good government that helps average people.
Those naysayers who whip out the 'socialist' bogeyman against Sanders and other progressives conveniently ignore that America has been subsidizing millionaires, billionaires, red states, farmers and Wall St. for decades with Republican welfare.
All Sanders is fighting for is redirecting some 0.1% welfare to the majority of the American people, something every other rich country has been doing for decades.
Americans have tasted 39 years of Republican Reverse Robin Hoodism and the record income inequality it has produced.
It's time that Americans started voting for someone like Bernie Sanders instead of voting for 0.1% welfare queens like Trump and the Grand Oligarch Party.
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@Socrates ,
So glad to see you put in a good word for Sanders. America needs a progressive leader; Warren can do that, and probably Yang and maybe others as well, but Bernie has been saying the same things for 40 years.
We can trust him to carry the torch forward, hopefully making it easier for the progressives who follow.
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@Matt
Bernie is not a Communist. He is a Social Democrat. Social Democratic parties are major parties in the countries of most of our European allies. For instance, Communists ruled East Germany. On the other side of the Berlin Wall Social Democratic Parties frequently ruled West Germany during the Cold War and were a part of Angela Merkel's coalition government even when they did not win. In additon to advocating violence, Communists don't allow labor unions. Bernie has always worked within the system and he supports labor unions. Please take a look at his website rather than anti-Bernie websites.
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Hmm. Seems to me that “Republican Welfare” would be an effective rallying cry. Wonder why it hasn’t entered mainstream. Maybe it can/will. Democrats/liberals/left really need to work on creating memorable, powerful simple phrases like that. It is a big strength of the opposition. Words do matter.
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I really admire Bernie Sanders, even though I disagree with some of his ideas (after seeing every day how poorly government provided health care works I can only hope he sees the light that government should heavily *regulate* health care, but not act as a provider).
His biggest mistake is calling himself a socialist, which he isn't. Not only because Americans, on average, don't understand 'socialism' (as they don't get 'communism'), but also because outside America's vastly skewed political landscape Bernie Sanders would be considered solidly as 'center-left'.
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@Wurzelsepp He's not for government-provided health care. The government would not run the health care system. It would be the single-payer for health care.
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Bernie can run against the machine if he wants. Instead, he is attempting to appropriate the fundraising and organizational structure of the Democratic Party with his 2nd Quixotic tilt at windmills.
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@Kevin Brock What are you talking about? The Dems can raise as much as they want from big donors. He's not taking their money.
Do you mean like Hillary did when she had the state parties send their money to the Hillary Victory Fund and then not distribute it back to them? If I understand correctly, that was how she avoided giving caps - her rich friends could donate to each state, but it all - or most - went to her.
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I hope he appropriates it. Mainstream Democrats don’t deserve it because they are too feckless. Sanders and AOC need to subjugate the party and return it to its working class roots.
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@Kevin Brock You seriously think the party gives him resources?
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Bernie Sanders is a brilliant tactician who would have every chance--but for continued obstruction by the media--of winning both the Democratic nomination and the general election.
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@Elizabeth Pike, what in Bernie's legislative record of the past 30 years shows that he is a "brilliant tactician"?
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When we voted for Bernie in '81 it was as a direct repudiation of Mayor Gordon Paquette and the cronyism that had infected City Hall. Every appointment, every contract, was by the old boy's network. Bernie put in place the progressive tract that still leads our vibrant city today.
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In 1981, I doubt very many Americans besides scientists and oil and coal companies knew about the effects of climate change. Bill McKibben had not written his book The End of Nature, the first book written on global warming written for a general audience which was published in 1989. So, I doubt Bernie's mayoral campaign mentioned it. Though it could have included such city issues as taking care of litter and improving parks.
What a different world we live in today in 2019 where this climate crisis is the biggest issue of our day or any day. Bernie has the strongest plan for climate action. Greenpeace has given him an A-plus. Environmental groups graded Democratic plans for climate action recently and Bernie got an A, the highest of any of the Democratic candidates. Buttigieg got a B. Klobuchar got a C plus. (citation: The Guardian, "Which Democrats Has the Best Climate Crisis Plan? Compare their Scores", September 4, 2019) I imagine these are the worst grades these two highly accomplished people have ever gotten. And on the most important issue of our day. I shake my head.
Bernie is the one I trust the most to fight for a livable planet. No time for moderation.
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Obama is an outlier. He had plenty to prove and did an amazing job.
At the same time, he angered and mobilized active and passive bigots who remain shocked that a black man is brighter and more articulate than they are. He was dealt a bad hand with the 2008 economic crisis, and yet he helped steer us out of it, and provided health insurance to millions, even ending insurance denial for preexisting conditions. At the same time he was forced to live with half-measures. Some of those are haunting us. But those half-measures have also opened the eyes of many to see where they could lead if pursued.
Obama is now dealing with his legacy, his identity, and probably is trying to figure out how he can help rid us of Trump, while realizing he can do harm to this project if he makes the wrong move. He may have done some harm by his recent statement about moderation; who knows? Times have changed since 2008, and he may be reliving the world-shattering challenges of his time in office, mistaking them for what confronts us now, and not seeing what opportunities we may now have that he didn't.
Bernie has always been pointing to a better future for us all (maybe not some billionaires), butd early on it was one that was far beyond the horizon. But we have begun to move closer. It is not an inevitable journey forward, and thankfully Bernie has not given up helping us find our way. He may not become president, but he may help clear the road, making our progress forward a bit easier.
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His recent statement about moderation likely came about because he's, for one, a moderate and, for two, he's politically aware enough to realize a far left candidate would get trounced by Trump in a general election.
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@Just Thinking’
Obama was a moderate raised entirely by a white family. When the Republicans called him a Socialist, it made socialism look good to millions of people. This is part of the legacy of Obama.
More than anything else Obama was a nice guy who knew how to talk to white people without scaring them. He thought the Repblicans would reciprocate if he was polite to them. He was wrong about that.
Bernie Sanders has more years of experience in working with Republicans on the local level as well as in the U.S. Senate. He knows how to beat them.
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It is strange that he didn't think about himself as unelectable, as many did because of his race and his program.
Bernie is the real thing. He is consistent and I trust him more than any candidate who has ever run. A rarity these days. Many working and middle class people who voted for trump really wanted to vote for Bernie; in fact, every legitimate poll had him beating Trump by landslide margins. Such Aashame that the Democrats put the wrong horse in the race - the entitled liberal elite horse. And they are about to do it again, with the same flawed fear-based thinking.
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@Laura Philips Such a shame that Bernie has shunned the Democratic Party for decades, until he decided to run for President.
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@Kevin Brock
He had to do this because the Democratic Party had drifted away from its core values of Roosevelt and Truman...no longer supporting labor unions no longer advocating a national health care system. Bernie will bring the Democratic Party back home to the working class where it belongs. The Democratic Party needs to get behind Bernie Sanders if they want to take back rural America.
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@Kevin Brock I assume you have the same criticism of Bloomberg? FYI, Bernie is part of Democratic leadership in the Senate, so to act as if he is only using the label now is silly.
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"if government does respond to the needs of working people, they will come out and participate,”
“The idea that working-class people are voting for somebody like Donald Trump is abysmal, and it speaks to the Democratic Party’s failure to speak to and address the crises facing working-class people all over this country.”
That's the heart of both Sanders and also Warren's presidential proposition - and they're right. Joe Biden deserves respect for being a great VP for Barack Obama and Mayor Pete is a nice guy but if the Democratic party is going to win in 2020 and have any continuing relevance it needs to deal with the fact that a plurality of voters were so disaffected by American injustice in 2016 that they elected Donald Trump. Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman point out in their new and excellent new book The Triumph of Injustice that the average income of 50% of American workers (122 MM people) is $18,500 / year. If Democrats are actually interested in the votes of more than 50% of the country then Democrats are going to have to stand up for them now. We often claim that the unwashed majority vote against their interest, maybe we should first ask what is their interest, and then offer them policies that really are in their interest.
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Thanks NYT for this reporting. I’m pleased you are showing how and honest socialist progressives can be and are viable and successful candidates. We have two such choices today if you substitute “responsible capitalist” for socialist in reference to Elizabeth Warren. Although Trump is demonstrating that chaotic rules breaking and values free politics sometime succeeds by virtue if its unpredictability, in the end people want not to be led by the nose but listened too and acted upon for their true self-interests. Organizing and turning out are what’s necessary. Not something the conservative Democratic old guard is good at.
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Bernie Sanders is the antidote to the damage being wrought by Trump and before him, centrist corporate democrats. His leadership, tenacity and integrity are especially vital if we are to confront and survive the climate catastrophe.
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The Left’s infatuation with Bernie Sanders has driven me away from the Democratic Party. A “revolutionary” politician with no cognizable history of legislative accomplishment, who has spent the last 40 years of public life in one of the whitest and smallest states of the union, Sanders and his quixotic supporters do not have a clue.
Sanders waxes philosophic on racism, but all of his neighbors for miles and miles are white. He talks about gun violence, but he been a friend to gun rights supporters in his rural state. Even when he had no chance at the 2016 nomination, he selfishly continued his campaign, permanently weakening the only candidate who could have stopped Trump.
I will pass.
22
@Mark Bernie's words in opposition to the House resolution which supported the invasion and occupation of Iraq predicted the horrific consequence of the that continuing quagmire. Not only did the US lose thousands soldiers for no good reason, the US killed, impoverished, and displaced millions of people in the region--all on trillions of dollars in borrowed money. I believe Bernie would have won the election against Trump. I hope this time, in 2020, Bernie will win it for us all.
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@Mark
Wait a second: Those things have driven you away from the Democratic Party, to... the overt racism, blind support of all gun ownership, and radical anti-environment stance of the Republicans?
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@Mark
Bernie actually has a very impressive record of legislative accomplishment. While he passed very few bills of which he was the chief sponsor, he passed a very large number of amendments, more than any other member of Congress often containing substantive progressive measures, even when the Republicans controlled the House! So many, in fact, that he is still known in Congress as "The Amendment King." (Google it!) He is also well known for inducing other members of Congress -- from both parties! -- to introduce legislation that he authored.
In Congress Bernie Sanders was largely unconcerned with getting credit for legislation passed with his name on it. He prioritized getting results for poor and working class people, especially veterans and by that standard has been a very effective legislator.
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Bernie Sanders and his movement is the only hope for our country. He has the most individual donations of any politician ever. Unlike Biden he didn't sell us out and de-regulate Wall St which lead to a Great Depression that killed thousands due to economic hardship. Unlike Biden, Bernie hasn't given billionares massive capital gains tax cuts that let them pay lower rates than the middle class. Unlike Biden, Bernie voted against the Iraq War. And on all these issues he successfully predicted exactly what would happen and yet Biden either didn't listen or knew and didn't care.
If Bernie had ran in 2008 instead of Obama, Trump would never be president, as healthcare would be a human right and Americans would have Democrats to thank for it.
The NYTimes seems to care far more about preserving the status quo than saving American lives, of which thousands are lost from lack of affordable care every year.
Perhaps the reporters here have never been in a situation where they can't afford healthcare and therefore they don't care about the 100 million who are lacking access to affordable care.
I know that if Bernie fails to get the nomination, the Democrats will lose to Trump. I'll promise you that, as only Bernie can bring in unlikely voters just like he did in Burlington. No other candidate has earned the trust of the young people that must be mobilized to canvass.
Bernie already has the highest favorability of any Dem. Only a real populist can beat a fake one
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As a Bernie supporter in 2016 and again now, I’m frustrated by his campaign’s failure to define what “socialism” means in the 21st century. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think Bernie, or at least most of his supporters, favor “public ownership of the means of production,” which is an obsolete concept in a post- industrial economy where the “means of production” are primarily human capital. What socialism means today, and the definition Bernie’s campaign should propagate, is simply that the essentials of life should not be dependent on the marketplace.
.
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@Paul S.
Bernie has defined what he means buy democratic socialism in detail numerous times but many seem unable to hear him. In short, it is government of, by and for the People -- not corporations.
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I recently watched Ken Burns' 'The Roosevelts'.
What Bernie is advocating for is so doable - remember FDR's socialism saved capitalism.
When you put a floor on how far someone can financially fall....it means society will not be pulled completely under.
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@Elisa
Today we would hate FDR for being a wealthy corportist.
1
I'll stick with middle ground. If no candidate wants to be middle ground, I'll support Trump before socialism.
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@Randy L.
Hi Randy, I’m with you on the merit of aiming for middle ground, but can I suggest we broaden the scope of the ground we’re considering to include the rest of the wealthy, developed, Western nations?
The policies advocated by Sanders are middle ground in that context.
Also, let’s differentiate between communism, state socialism and democratic socialism — the latter of which most often involves market economies and wide-ranging scope for business and profit-making; and, in the case of democratic socialist economic power-houses like Germany, and others, have built the highest standards of living and quality of life in the world for their voters.
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@Randy L.
People who live in fear of a word, socialism, are sad examples of the power of propaganda. Socialism is simply when we put peoples’ needs before profit.
What we have now is the opposite, profit before people — except for the wealthy and powerful. They always get what they want, e.g. tax cuts, at the expense of future generations.
Viva La Socialism! We need to try something new.
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@Randy L. Why are you so threatened by a society that provides health care and education for all? Some things simply should not be for profit. Because it is a conflict of interest, inhumane and exploitive. Most civilized countries in the world understand this. Why are you so threatened by relieving humiliation and suffering and the existential anxiety of knowing you could lose everything you have worked for all your life if you get sick? Nothing Sanders is advocating is extreme. It is fair and humane. Period.
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Excellent article! Bernie is exactly what the Dems need right now to return to the roots of the party: fighting for the working class
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I was there in 1981. Part of the campaign, along with the work of The Vermont Alliance. What truly upended the necrotic old guard is that Mayor Sanders actually did do great, overdue, stalled, and beneficial city projects. That’s really how “the revolution” took hold - improving daily life for the average working person and taxpayer. Not rocket science actually.
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@John Ramey
And yet we have two parties that don’t get that. One is philosophically opposed to helping regular people, and the other is paralyzed by fear that helping people will cost them elections.
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@John Ramey
I can honestly see Sanders going into deep-red districts in the South and Midwest and convincing those voters to support him: One, because he won't be afraid to campaign there; and two, because -- unlike Republicans -- he'll talk to those working-class voters about the economic issues that they know actually impact their lives, rather than the social issues that Republicans campaign on to distract their voters from paying attention to their economic realities. For this reason, Sanders is feared by both parties' establishments, in reality.
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@John Ramey
When politicians actually focus on the needs of the people versus their need for power or wealth, stuff happens.
14
Bernard Sanders is true blue. There is never a candidate with which we will agree 100%. He’s the candidate that we can rely on honesty in his policies, what he says is what he will make every effort to do. His entire political career is evidence of this, no flip flopping, never changing his rhetoric to fit the moment, solid consistency throughout the years. Bernie Sanders is one of a kind. We are fortunate, he has steered the dialogue to a new place for our country. Go Bernie!
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@Sasha Zena [[His entire political career is evidence of this, no flip flopping, never changing his rhetoric to fit the moment, solid consistency throughout the years.]]
In the 2016 campaign, his answer on guns was very reasonable. https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-gun-policy/
Hillary, meanwhile, pivoted to try to scoop up black votes. https://time.com/4101947/hillary-clinton-guns-democrats/
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@Sasha Zena True Blue? No Bernie is consistent, but the color is RED. Who was it that said America will NEVER be a socialist country.
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@John
The Democratic Socialist countries of Europe and Scandinavia do very well!
longer life span
better health care options
13
Perhaps the concept of parties have run their course. Instead, individuals are publicly funded and elected based on ideas not allegiance to a party rather to the people. All positions have a maximum two year limit so they too must live with and like the rest of us (no life pension or healthcare).
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@How Much Is Enough?, I agree.
But this is down to voters, really. As long as they treat political parties like some kind of sports team which no matter what can do no wrong and for some reason deserves unlimited loyalty things will not change.
10
There is no other candidate with the consistent track record that Bernie has; whatever one might think of his policy proposals, you can’t deny that he has stayed true to his message and honestly believes in what he espouses, which is not something you can say of most politicians.
I sincerely believe his ticket is a once in a lifetime opportunity to truly upend a system that has generated massive inequality and favors the very small few.
Bernie does have the ‘receipts’
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@VGee Very true. Whatever one might think of Bernie's ideas, even people who hate him realize there will be no shaking of the Etch-A-Sketch if he receives the nomination, or if he's elected. He's been pushing the same message for decades, even when it was considered political suicide. Yet he's still in the game. He'll do more than make a half-hearted "Oh, well. I tried" effort to keep his campaign promises. And his ability to mobilize people means he has at least a fair chance of getting some of it done. That's what has defenders of the Reaganomics status quo shaking in their Armani loafers.
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@VGee
I work in a pretty conservative field and a very conservative area of the country. I've heard on multiple occasions as people are talking politics a certain admiration and respect for Bernie Sanders even though there is disagreement with his policies. The words "honest", "uncorrupted" and "consistent" are most often used. Bernie Sanders I believe can transcend party tribalism because his message is essentially economic and he brings together the working class and middle class to support policies that are in their best economic interests. The bankers, the oligarchs, and the establishment fear him because he is seen as an existential threat to their ability to maintain their hold on power by playing certain demographic off each other.
30
@VGee What I worry about is are we worthy of Bernie? I don't know if this country is really that good. We tend to worship the wealthy and "successful." I am leaning towards Bloomberg because he would demolish Trump's pretension of being a successful businessman.
Thanks for a positive story on Senator Sanders. It's always encouraging to know that there are a handful of politicians in this country who really do believe in economic and social justice.
I find it interesting that establishment Democrats (and the reporters who report on them) continue to scoff at his candidacy, and encourage men like Bloomberg, with all of his billions of dollars, to get into the race to put a stop to Sanders and Elizabeth Warren's popular ideas.
I would love to know more about his conversation with Obama, who clearly sees Sanders and Warren as threats to his version of the Democratic party.
But even Obama should recognize that the Democrats have basically failed working people in this country and, by default, gave us Donald Trump. I think the party needs some shaking up, and not by encouraging one more billionaire to enter the race.
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@avrds Well said... and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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@avrds - Democrats have been fighting for affordable health care and education, a living wage etc.
I'm so tired of people blaming Democratic politicians for the fact that working people refuse to read or watch any actual news and educate themselves on the issues that will impact them the most.
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@avrds
Absolutely. The Democratic party used to be the working class party, the party of the environment and economic justice.
It's as if it thinks that to "market" itself to voters, it must be centrist or bust, and that means tilting right.
16
Good luck to Sen. Sanders. I disagree on many of his issues, but I can't help but admire his tireless efforts for economic justice.
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Lost in all the hand wringing that he is a socialist is the fact the Bernie’s policies will be hugely beneficial to the middle and lower class. Capitalists ought to know that access to capital for these two classes would lead to unlocking the entrepreneurial ambitions of millions of people, which would increase the rate of economic growth. Ironically, Bernie is the best candidate for people who want to see a re-invigoration of broad-based capitalism in this country.
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@BT Clarke, the Finance, Insurance, Real Estate (FIRE) industries control most of the capital in this country and they want to keep it that way. A bunch of small business entrepreneurs looks like low-rent micro lending to them and they already have their preferred restaurants, small businesses promoted by American Express's "Small Business Saturday" campaign racket--they're not interested.
3