Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: 'I am running for president'

[chuckd]

It's time to take our country back from the elite war hawkish religious zealoty neocons who's solution is obstruction, racism and scourge of the poor and middle class.

Way to go Bernie.. I'll vote for you.

That makes at least two votes for Bernie. You and Mrs. Sanders.

[Publicus]

The man from Maryland. The man from Virginia. People don't know their names anyway. No there won't be any strong challenges to Hillary for the nomination but if she scandals out they might get lucky.

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And there you have kind of hit the nail on the head, but if she scandals out".

Politics has descended to a level of sound bites and trivia. Nobody in the popular media really cares what the candidates believe, everyone is more focussed on exposing some personal scandal to bring down whoever it is you oppose.

Politicians, Hillary included, run their campaigns by spinning, avoided their own scandals and digging like Hell to expose the opponents crimes and misdemeanors, preferably some sordid sexual indiscretion, since it does appear that we the public can't get enough of watching someone fall from grace after have a 'dick selfie' or the like plastered over the news.

Hillary to her advantage has on her side a long history, during which most of her dirty laundry has been aired more than once. If the email server 'emailgate' is the best the opposition can dig up, maybe she's on a roll

The consistently accurate money is on the Democratic Party to be the winning party in 2016.

The Democratic Party is a 2/1 favorite, the Republican Party is at 8/5 to win.

HRC is favored at 6/5, compared to JEB at 5/1.

Meanwhile Marco Rubio and Scott Walker are both 9/1.

Rand Paul is 16/1, Elizabeth Warren is 18/1 and Chris Christie is 20/1

John Kasich, Martin O'Malley and Ted Cruz are all 33/1.

Bernie Sanders is 250-1. So don't throw away anything as precious as one's vote.

[GinBoy2]

The man from Maryland. The man from Virginia. People don't know their names anyway. No there won't be any strong challenges to Hillary for the nomination but if she scandals out they might get lucky.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And there you have kind of hit the nail on the head, but if she scandals out".

Politics has descended to a level of sound bites and trivia. Nobody in the popular media really cares what the candidates believe, everyone is more focussed on exposing some personal scandal to bring down whoever it is you oppose.

Politicians, Hillary included, run their campaigns by spinning, avoided their own scandals and digging like Hell to expose the opponents crimes and misdemeanors, preferably some sordid sexual indiscretion, since it does appear that we the public can't get enough of watching someone fall from grace after have a 'dick selfie' or the like plastered over the news.

Hillary to her advantage has on her side a long history, during which most of her dirty laundry has been aired more than once. If the email server 'emailgate' is the best the opposition can dig up, maybe she's on a roll

The consistently accurate money is on the Democratic Party to be the winning party in 2016.

The Democratic Party is a 2/1 favorite, the Republican Party is at 8/5 to win.

HRC is favored at 6/5, compared to JEB at 5/1.

Meanwhile Marco Rubio and Scott Walker are both 9/1.

Rand Paul is 16/1, Elizabeth Warren is 18/1 and Chris Christie is 20/1

John Kasich, Martin O'Malley and Ted Cruz are all 33/1.

Bernie Sanders is 250-1. So don't throw away anything as precious as one's vote.

Can't quite remember which program I was listening too recently, maybe Morning Edition on NPR, but to re-enforce your point for the past 20 years at least bookies have been better predictors of electoral outcomes than any polling organization

[SpokaneAl]

Bernie Sanders has no chance of winning at all. I wish him luck at getting the democratic nomination though.

Didn't you and bazillions of other people say that about Clinton? And Carter? And Kennedy? And FDR? And TR? And...

Nope. I did not say that about ANY of them besides Bernie Sanders.

I think people put too much blame on the president for the negatives and give too much credit when good things happen. The reality is that a president can do little without help and support from congress and the courts.

If, by some wild chance Sanders became president, I see him about as effective and memorable as Jimmy Carter.

[Jingthing]

Sanders more like a million to one and that would still be throwing your moolah down the crapper.

[JakeSully]

Sanders more like a million to one and that would still be throwing your moolah down the crapper.

I dunno, it's a tall order but upsets can happen with democrats.. remember 92.. bill came in with only 3% of the vote compared to Harkin..

[Scott]

I saw him on television. I like him. I don't know that I would vote for him, but he seems like a nice, amiable, trustworthy type of guy.

[Jingthing]

Sanders more like a million to one and that would still be throwing your moolah down the crapper.

I dunno, it's a tall order but upsets can happen with democrats.. remember 92.. bill came in with only 3% of the vote compared to Harkin..

That was a name recognition issue.

Americans already know the name SOCIALIST.

[stevenl]

Sanders more like a million to one and that would still be throwing your moolah down the crapper.

I dunno, it's a tall order but upsets can happen with democrats.. remember 92.. bill came in with only 3% of the vote compared to Harkin..

That was a name recognition issue.

Americans already know the name SOCIALIST.

Problem is they don't know the meaning.

[Publicus]

Sanders more like a million to one and that would still be throwing your moolah down the crapper.

I dunno, it's a tall order but upsets can happen with democrats.. remember 92.. bill came in with only 3% of the vote compared to Harkin..

That was a name recognition issue.

Americans already know the name SOCIALIST.

Problem is they don't know the meaning.

Classic socialism is the government ownership, operation, control of the means of production, communication, transportation. It can't be found in the United States no matter how hard some domestic extremists continue to declare its (impossible) existence.

There is inter alia market socialism with Chinese characteristics (economic monopoly & political dictatorship) and there's socialism with French characteristics, as in democratic bureaucratic socialism. There was Fabian socialism as in Old Labour in the UK.

There's socialism with Bernie Sanders' Brooklyn New York and state of Vermont characteristics (he still speaks in his native Brooklyn accent as do many Big Apple transplants to rural and wealthy Vermont).

There was the German Nationalsozialist mob organized by one A. Hitler.

Some certain people on the fringe think there's socialism with Barack Obama characteristics, however, the classic definition says nothing about health or medical care, services or programs.

Americans know what socialism isn't because they live classical liberalism every day, even if others may fail to recognize it.

Bernie Sanders' candidacy will go nowhere but a good number of contemporary Americans are going to relate to his uniquely American message which they hadn't previously heard articulated.

So now certain people can have a better idea of what socialism is and is not.

[jdinasia]

It's time to take our country back from the elite war hawkish religious zealoty neocons who's solution is obstruction, racism and scourge of the poor and middle class.

Way to go Bernie.. I'll vote for you.

That makes at least two votes for Bernie. You and Mrs. Sanders.

You count like a Republican

[jdinasia]

The man from Maryland. The man from Virginia. People don't know their names anyway. No there won't be any strong challenges to Hillary for the nomination but if she scandals out they might get lucky.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And there you have kind of hit the nail on the head, but if she scandals out".

Politics has descended to a level of sound bites and trivia. Nobody in the popular media really cares what the candidates believe, everyone is more focussed on exposing some personal scandal to bring down whoever it is you oppose.

Politicians, Hillary included, run their campaigns by spinning, avoided their own scandals and digging like Hell to expose the opponents crimes and misdemeanors, preferably some sordid sexual indiscretion, since it does appear that we the public can't get enough of watching someone fall from grace after have a 'dick selfie' or the like plastered over the news.

Hillary to her advantage has on her side a long history, during which most of her dirty laundry has been aired more than once. If the email server 'emailgate' is the best the opposition can dig up, maybe she's on a roll

The consistently accurate money is on the Democratic Party to be the winning party in 2016.

The Democratic Party is a 2/1 favorite, the Republican Party is at 8/5 to win.

HRC is favored at 6/5, compared to JEB at 5/1.

Meanwhile Marco Rubio and Scott Walker are both 9/1.

Rand Paul is 16/1, Elizabeth Warren is 18/1 and Chris Christie is 20/1

John Kasich, Martin O'Malley and Ted Cruz are all 33/1.

Bernie Sanders is 250-1. So don't throw away anything as precious as one's vote.

Since we are discussing getting the nomination here, there's no such thing as a throw away vote

[Jingthing]

If you really want Bernie by all means vote for Bernie!

I support a lot of his issues but can't really say I'd be thrilled to see him as president. Not thrilled by Hill either!

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Edited May 5, 2015 by Jingthing

[Publicus]

The man from Maryland. The man from Virginia. People don't know their names anyway. No there won't be any strong challenges to Hillary for the nomination but if she scandals out they might get lucky.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And there you have kind of hit the nail on the head, but if she scandals out".

Politics has descended to a level of sound bites and trivia. Nobody in the popular media really cares what the candidates believe, everyone is more focussed on exposing some personal scandal to bring down whoever it is you oppose.

Politicians, Hillary included, run their campaigns by spinning, avoided their own scandals and digging like Hell to expose the opponents crimes and misdemeanors, preferably some sordid sexual indiscretion, since it does appear that we the public can't get enough of watching someone fall from grace after have a 'dick selfie' or the like plastered over the news.

Hillary to her advantage has on her side a long history, during which most of her dirty laundry has been aired more than once. If the email server 'emailgate' is the best the opposition can dig up, maybe she's on a roll

The consistently accurate money is on the Democratic Party to be the winning party in 2016.

The Democratic Party is a 2/1 favorite, the Republican Party is at 8/5 to win.

HRC is favored at 6/5, compared to JEB at 5/1.

Meanwhile Marco Rubio and Scott Walker are both 9/1.

Rand Paul is 16/1, Elizabeth Warren is 18/1 and Chris Christie is 20/1

John Kasich, Martin O'Malley and Ted Cruz are all 33/1.

Bernie Sanders is 250-1. So don't throw away anything as precious as one's vote.

Since we are discussing getting the nomination here, there's no such thing as a throw away vote

The 250-1 probabilities against Vermont US Senator Bernie Sanders becoming prez include the black hole possibility of his securing the D party nomination.

Sanders is after all a political party interloper, an Independent enlisting in the Democratic party for intents and purposes that make the party his personal political vehicle rather than to be a genuine member of it.

After the nominating campaign has concluded by mid next year, Bernie and I luv him philosophically will likely revert to his status as a political and systemic Independent. He's been an independent politician all of his career, as a mayor who first won by 10 votes, a congressman comfortably elected eight times, a US Senator re-elected in 2012 with 71% of the vote. In VT Bernie gets more votes as an I than he would as a D. The best fellow NYC transplant, the D Howard Dean could do as governor was 50.5% of the VT vote.

The point of the post however is well taken. Which is that a certain few Democratic party voters in the party primaries and an equally few Independent voters who are in certain states eligible to vote in a party primary would vote for him in large part to "send a message" or to make some sort of statement about contemporary politics and government, the financing of each in particular.

Bernie wouldn't be able to have a campaign to holler against big money in US politics if he himself didn't have access to certain big money sources, for him on the American political left. Bernie is in short going to fight fire with fire which is something actual firefighters in the US rarely do.

[jdinasia]

If you really want Bernie by all means vote for Bernie!

I support a lot of his issues but can't really say I'd be thrilled to see him as president. Not thrilled by Hill either!

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I am so glad that I have your permission to vote my conscience!

[boomerangutang]

Elder Americans equate socialism as the nicer cousin of communism. Bernie's going to change that perception. Socialism works quite well in Scandinavia and NZ. Most Americans are already embedded in Socialist policies, whether they know/admit it or not. There are few Americans who are not getting hand-outs on Federal and/or State levels.

I heard an in-depth radio interview with him on NPR. He made it clear he's not cowed by Wall Street and other multi-millionaires. He's the only candidate who has the courage and smarts to stand up against hyper-selfish people who maintain being filthy rich by dubious means. Neither Bush nor Obama had the cojones to deal with Wall Streeters like Goldman Sachs ripping off the taxpayers with their pyramid schemes. Sanders would and could do that.

Bernie Sanders has no chance of winning at all. I wish him luck at getting the democratic nomination though.

Didn't you and bazillions of other people say that about Clinton? And Carter? And Kennedy? And FDR? And TR? And...

My thoughts precisely. Carter came out of nowhere, and all the talking heads snickered at the chances of a non-scowling peanut farmer becoming president. He's probably would have got a 2nd term if the Reagan attack team hadn't made a secret deal with the Iranians to keep holding US hostages until after the election.

[boomerangutang]

Guess which candidate is currently drawing largest crowds? ..... Betchya didn't guess Bernie Sanders.

3 minute radio spot on NPR

Edited June 24, 2015 by boomerangutang

[englishoak]

Dosnt matter, only the chosen few get to play in the white sandpit and sanders dosnt have near enough funding for the golden ticket.

[Jingthing]

Guess which candidate is currently drawing largest crowds? ..... Betchya didn't guess Bernie Sanders.

3 minute radio spot on NPR

You bet wrong. Doesn't mean much at this stage. People interested early tend to be more leftist.

[boomerangutang]

Guess which candidate is currently drawing largest crowds? ..... Betchya didn't guess Bernie Sanders.

3 minute radio spot on NPR

You bet wrong. Doesn't mean much at this stage. People interested early tend to be more leftist.

Are you saying I'm wrong about him drawing the largest crowds? Then you're wrong. If you wanna talk about political ramifications compared to time-scale, then that's another issue.

[Jingthing]

Guess which candidate is currently drawing largest crowds? ..... Betchya didn't guess Bernie Sanders.

3 minute radio spot on NPR

You bet wrong. Doesn't mean much at this stage. People interested early tend to be more leftist.

Are you saying I'm wrong about him drawing the largest crowds? Then you're wrong. If you wanna talk about political ramifications compared to time-scale, then that's another issue.

Obviously, DUDE, I was saying that you were wrong in "guessing" that other people didn't "guess" that Sanders IS getting the bigger crowds now. Double Duh.

[boomerangutang]

"Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' latest event in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday drew an estimated 10,000 supporters. He packed the arena at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the liberal college town."

July 2, NPR

[mikebike]

I believe many of the early posters in this thread, and indeed many of the early pundits nation-wide, are going to be very surprised at the weight of the Sanders campaign. He may not take Hillary down but its gonna be a lot closer than you guys think. People are more open to his philosophies than you think and this might be just the right time to run on the issues he addresses.

Previous posters quoted the book-maker odds for Bernie at 250/1 and guffawed... well he's picked that up by more than an order of magnitude... now sitting at 15-20/1 well above most of the absolutely useless deadwood sycophants, running for the GOP nomination. I think you discount Bernie at your peril.

[DeaconJohn]

I believe many of the early posters in this thread, and indeed many of the early pundits nation-wide, are going to be very surprised at the weight of the Sanders campaign. He may not take Hillary down but its gonna be a lot closer than you guys think. People are more open to his philosophies than you think and this might be just the right time to run on the issues he addresses.

Previous posters quoted the book-maker odds for Bernie at 250/1 and guffawed... well he's picked that up by more than an order of magnitude... now sitting at 15-20/1 well above most of the absolutely useless deadwood sycophants, running for the GOP nomination. I think you discount Bernie at your peril.

I'll take that risk and discount Bernie categorically.

He doesn't have a chance of getting the nomination, much less the presidency.

[Jingthing]

The power he does have is to pressure Hillary to the left but it's not clear what impact that will have in the general election, assuming she will be nominated, which I do assume.

[stevenl]

I believe many of the early posters in this thread, and indeed many of the early pundits nation-wide, are going to be very surprised at the weight of the Sanders campaign. He may not take Hillary down but its gonna be a lot closer than you guys think. People are more open to his philosophies than you think and this might be just the right time to run on the issues he addresses.

Previous posters quoted the book-maker odds for Bernie at 250/1 and guffawed... well he's picked that up by more than an order of magnitude... now sitting at 15-20/1 well above most of the absolutely useless deadwood sycophants, running for the GOP nomination. I think you discount Bernie at your peril.

I certainly agree with you that he deserves the attention he is getting.

[Jingthing]

He's been compared to Gene McCarthy (who I actively campaigned for as a hippie boy).

The difference though is that Gene McCarthy actually had a chance to win!

[boomerangutang]

Jimmy Carter was discounted early on in campaign process (was it '75, '76?) - even laughed at. He did ok.

[Jingthing]

I find it cute that anyone actually thinks Sanders has a chance to be president. But enjoy it while you can!

Dudes ... he's labels himself openly as a SOCIALIST. The USA ain't Europe. Get a grip.

Edited July 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

I'm starting to warm up to him. At least he is honest and sincere. That is hard to find these days.