When is Sanders going to start campaigning against Republicans instead of Democrats?

[woolldog]

All I hear is him tearing down the Democratic Party. When is he going to pull a Liz Warren and start hitting the GOP for a change?

Thoughts on when we can expect this to happen?

[BlueCaliDem]

1. When he clinches the Democratic Party's presidential nomination - and not before.

And no. I'm not joking. This is the sense I'm getting.

[pandr32]

26. Explains why he is still dragging around the SS

...on taxpayer dollars.

[obamanut2012]

107. Yup

[kerry-is-my-prez]

111. Theres a good chance the bar will be raised each time one demand is met.

[seabeyond]

3. I do not want an endorsement anymore. I feel it will do more harm than good. Nt

[baldguy]

28. By the time he decides to jump on the Clinton bandwagon, it'll already have gone.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. Does it really matter? Where in clintons poll numbers is this really adversely affecting her?

The primaries are over. She decidedly won. He'll come around when and if he does, but he doesn't seem to be really affecting her negatively.

[seabeyond]

5. I do not think he is affecting Clinton either. A couple weeks ago, 81% of his supporters, supported

Clinton.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. Exactly. If he is not really hurting our chances

Let him do him. We need to focus on our nominee and work to get her elected.

[woolldog]

11. It's annoying though.

And it's counterproductive in that it's probably forcing Clinton to the right to pick up Bernie's slack.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. I guess I'm not paying attention to him

To me he is back to being the senator from Vermont and not being from Vermont, I'm not paying much attention to him.

[kacekwl]

104. Nobody is FORCING Hillary to the right.

If 85% of his supporters are voting for her then no Right movement needed right? RIGHT ?

[woolldog]

105. It should be 90+

She has to make those votes up somewhere.

[floriduck]

17. I actually agree with you. And you put it in a very unbiased, no sarcastic way. Thank you.

[obamanut2012]

108. I agree, which is why I think he shouldn't get the leverage he's demanding

Warren, Obama, Biden, O'Malley......

[La Lioness Priyanka]

109. that i agree with.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

112. The number of Sanders supporters who are not voting for the Dem candidate will have to be made

up somewhere. Looks like she's going after married suburban women who are usually Indys. If Sanders would have wholeheartedly endorsed Clinton and had been helping her campaign, more Sanders supporters would be voting for her. Clinton could have moved more to the left. Now she and the party ironically will have to go more to the center. I don't think he will ever endorse her and if he does it will be a very lukewarm endorsement.

[coco77]

6. He is already

Has,I guess u want everyone to start worshipping so you can feel better, I can vote for the nominee nothing more. Feel better now?

[pnwmom]

48. Why aren't his supporters going to Cleveland to protest?

Instead, they're renting campgrounds and planning to protest at the Democratic convention.

[AgingAmerican]

51. They will be protesting in Cleveland

Will you be protesting in Cleveland?

[pnwmom]

55. I'm going to be supporting Democrats, not protesting Democrats. If these supposed

progressives are going to be protesting anywhere, they should be protesting Trump in Cleveland, not Hillary in Philly.

[AgingAmerican]

56. Will you be protesting in Cleveland?

Yes or no?

[pnwmom]

57. No. I think supporting Hillary in a positive way is much more important.

And that the so-called progressives who are protesting Hillary instead of Bernie are deeply misguided.

[coco77]

89. I think for some its all about

Womanhood.

[pnwmom]

90. I don't know a single person who's only voting FOR her because of her gender.

She has decades of work for families under her belt, as well as terms as Senator of NY and Secretary of State. There's no one more qualified than she is -- completely apart from her gender.

But I've heard enough misogyny to know that there are plenty of men who have a problem with it.

[Silver_Witch]

99. It has nothing to do with gender...

Much more to do with bringing people to "heel" ....

Bernie supports Hillary Clinton. He has said so loud and clear. He has other work to do which has nothing to do with the Presidential election. Like stopping prisons for profit or making sure the TPP is not passed.

Clinton has a lock on this election and as many here have posted you don't need Bernie or his supporters so we will do the other work that needs done to help the party stay to the left and for the people and you can continue to celebrate your victory! She is yours, party about her win and stop grousing!

[EffieBlack]

73. Activism is about much more than protesting . . .

[AgingAmerican]

74. The poster I am replying to is calling for protests in Cleveland

[pnwmom]

91. Because large numbers of his supporters plan to protest in Philly.

I don't know why they are going there to protest when the real enemy of all of us will be in Cleveland the week before.

The priorities of those supposed progressives seem awfully strange.

[zazen]

7. When will Whigs campaign against the Tories?!!?

World history and events are a little more complex than a corporate-controlled two-party system. Thank God people were willing to think outside the Whig/Tory duopoly or we'd still be operating according to the politics of late Stuart England.

[stopbush]

9. We're seeing in real time why Sanders has been so ineffective in Congress.

He knows better than all, he's pure, they're not, etc etc.

From the beginning to the never ending, with Sanders, it's all about Sanders.

[cosmicone]

22. Precisely!! n/t

[pandr32]

27. Boom!

Nailed it!

[BlueMTexpat]

46. + a million! eom

[David__77]

10. I don't consider advocacy of a political program to be "tearing down."

The Democratic Party contains diverse forces and not a disciplined, centralized membership organization like many European parties. I imagine that Sanders will have much to say in the period ahead about the Republican candidates.

[Dems2002]

12. He already is...

I realize that many people don't get it, but as a political consultant with over fifteen years of experience actually winning campaigns (90% success rate), what Bernie is attempting to do is to HELP the Democrats win.

The party leaders may block his efforts, but that doesn't mean what Bernie is doing is wrong. He is trying to get the party to take extraordinarily popular positions with mainstream America. He is not hurting the party by pushing these positions, the party leadership is hurting the party by supporting toxic agreements like TPP and our current healthcare system that allows corporations to bilk us.

People, left and right and center, recognize that the system is inherently corrupt and working against the average person. One only has to pay the slightest bit of attention to see this fact.

I support changing the Democratic Party from within as our best path.

[woolldog]

18. Isn't he a sitting senator?

Why is a sitting senator fooling around with a campaign platform when he has the power to make and enact policy as a senator? Isn't that kind of odd? Like can you imagine Obama caring about the Democratic Party platform and devoting lots of time and energy to it while he's President?

[Dems2002]

29. Do you know how Congress works?

Let's see. We are heading into the Presidential Election. The Republican held Senate has refused to hold hearings for Obama's nominee this entire year. There is pretty much nothing that can be accomplished from the left until after January 5 when the new Congress is sworn in.

The biggest piece of legislation that could come up in the Senate prior to January 5 is the TPP which Senator Sanders vehemently opposes. It is a disaster for average Americans supported only by our business elites who do not care about us.

There is a real threat that this will come up during the lame duck session and it will be approved primarily by Republicans with a few Democratic traitors signing on.

NOW is the time to discuss this disastrous legislation. When there is still a slight chance to prevent it from being approved.

[Silver_Witch]

100. This^^^ +1000

Thank you!

[AgingAmerican]

52. Because as the Democratic runner up, it is his job to do so

Why is Debbie Wasserman Schultz fooling around with running the DNC when she has the power to make and enact policy as a Senator?

See how silly your question is?

[woolldog]

66. I just think that as a sitting senator

There would be more consequential things he could do with his time aside from working on something so silly as a platform, one that is non binding and no one reads anyway.

I mean he could be making speeches on the senate floor, proposing and refining real legislation, making alliances with his fellow senators etc.

[LiberalFighter]

86. Because she is not a Senator?

[Exilednight]

87. She's still a lawmaker. Her job is even more important

Since she is a leader in the Democratic Party and all spending bills, by law, must originate in the House.

[LiberalLovinLug]

21. + 1000

And some of these posts could be breaking the new DU rules

"Don't bash Democratic public figures"

Its not enough for some to have backed the presumptive winning candidate, they must also bash not only a Democratic candidate but more importantly 46% of their fellow Democrats concerns as well. Talk about divisive.

The process is working. Bernie and his supporters will obviously have to concede on some points (unfortunately for everyone) but eventually, after the convention, I am confident Bernie will focus his attentions on helping the Democrats defeat Trump. But until then, he has a job to to. And 46% of Democrats expect and encourage him.

[woolldog]

36. Sanders isn't a Democratic figure.

He's an Independent. Besides no one's bashing him.

[woolldog]

67. He's filed paperwork to run for Senate as an Independent. nt

[k8conant]

76. Bernie Sanders is not up for re-election in 2016...

Patrick Leahy is.

[woolldog]

84. And?

I never said he was up for reelection in2016.

[uponit7771]

32. The last dem election is proof that a majority of dems don't want him as a standard bearer and

... now he doesn't have anything to bargain with including down ballot funds which he has raised comparatively little.

When was it ever that the person who the majority of people did NOT want gets to set standards for the majority of people?

Waste of time and resources

[AgingAmerican]

53. The DNC and MSM decided to step in and throw a wrench into the works

And attempt to block his campaign at every turn.

Had they not done so, many believe he would have won handily.

[uponit7771]

60. These kind of claims have not only been debunked ad nausea but it relays a mindset not to give

... the girl her props... she won by nearly 4 million votes and the Sanders team decided not to compete in the Southern States (their own words) where at least he could've kept it close.

Sanders lost, the majority of dems want Clinton and it has little to nothing to do with the MSM those are facts and not just baseless claims

[AgingAmerican]

62. They didn't even try to hide it

I know you will never admit it, but that's exactly what they did.

And that, in a nutshell, answers your inquiry.

[BobbyDrake]

85. Must be easier to blame everyone else than analyze Sanders' shortcomings, huh?

Scapegoating won't change his limited message and narrow appeal.

But if progressives want to fail to evolve, and just let themselves be marginalized because they can't work well with others, well, thats your choice. Own it.

[840high]

37. .that^

[pnwmom]

49. Bunk. He's never identified as a Democrat before and he isn't now.

Why isn't he encouraging his supporters to protest in Cleveland instead of in Philadelphia -- where the Dems will be voting on a platform that his own committee members approved?

[AgingAmerican]

63. He caucused with the Democrats for decades

Thus he is a de facto Democrat. Also, he is a small d democrat.

Will you be protesting in Cleveland?

[pnwmom]

69. Why do you keep asking me the same question that I already answered?

This is the third time you've asked the same question, and I'll give you the same answer.

I'm taking positive action FOR Hillary, not protesting anywhere.

Can you stop asking now or are you trying to repeat yourself on purpose for some reason?

And you're wrong about him being a Democrat before. Until last year, he consistently identified himself as an independent and a Democratic Socialist. Like Joe Lieberman (after he left the party) Sanders caucused with the Democrats but didn't identify himself as one.

[woolldog]

83. That's all well and good.

Will you be protesting in Cleveland though?

[liberal from boston]

68. Senator Sanders

Exactly Dems2002!!! Senator Sanders splitting donations between his campaign and progressive Democratic Candidates.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/bernie-sanders-progressives-fundraising-221887


http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/15/as-sanders-campaign-wraps-up-down-ballot-candidates-reap-big-bern-rewards.html

[Triana]

95. +1000 n/t

[Beacool]

14. He's making himself irrelevant.

He's holding the platform's agenda over the party's heads. He could push for what he believes in and still be out there campaigning for Democrats. Instead, he seems to only be in attack mode against fellow Democrats and mentions Trump as an afterthought.

[Peacetrain]

15. ^^^^^^^^^^

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. Just the opposite...he's making his and his backers concerns relevant

But you know that of course. So sorry that all the spotlights are not all beaming on Hillary all the time.

Have a little respect for 46% of your fellow Democrats please. Don't worry it will all be over soon. But until then he is working for many Democrats concerns and making sure they get a voice too. Why is this such a big problem.

You'll get your big piece of cake soon. If Bernie manages to sneak in some spinach or zucchini into the cake recipe for the countries well being in the meantime so what? Its not going to kill you, and the winning team will probably just pick out the little green pieces afterwards anyways.

[840high]

38. ...!100++++

[silvershadow]

77. I'm too scared to even comment on most of this. How this thread doesn't break some of the

new rules in letter and spirit is beyond me. I just don't even know what to say anymore. I see others are taking wide latitude, so I will just watch for awhile.

[slipslidingaway]

82. Well said, I have always believed we need to first get our house in order instead of ...

glaring at another person's fault.

We can shout that their boat is sinking, but we have we looked at our own?

[Triana]

96. +1000 n/t

[uponit7771]

25. This is a good point, he can push for his changes AND... AND be out campaigning with dems not making

... one dependent on the other.

[CrowCityDem]

16. Good question, since he doesn't seem to view the Dems as being better than the R's.

[NorthCarolina]

40. Well, there's at least 13 million Dems who have the same, or similar, notion. -nt-

[seabeyond]

42. About 10.6 million and more of those Sanders supporters are now in Clinton's camp.

[Dawgs]

43. BS. Voting for her over Trump is not supporting or being in "her camp".

Try again.

[seabeyond]

47. Supporting with a vote works for me. And ya, that puts them in Clinton's camp,

for the vote.

[NorthCarolina]

93. Some say.

I'd be quite surprised if there were any real truth to it, but it's more than likely "media truth".

[seabeyond]

94. No, polls say. Best info we have.

[CrowCityDem]

44. Thinking Demo are as bad as R's shows a complete lack of knowledge.

[KMOD]

19. eh, I don't think it really matters anymore.

She has plenty of big hitters excited to hit the campaign trail with her.

[The Second Stone]

20. Time to move on to the general and politely ignore

Sen. Sanders.

[lapucelle]

30. I think most Democrats have already moved on.

The media certainly has. The general public perception of Sanders seems to have entered the "crackpot uncle" phase.

On the rare occasions that Sanders gets a mention, the question seems to be "what does he want?' And you never hear the answer "to make things better".

[cosmicone]

23. He is like a guy who

talks to people on the platform about his upcoming train ride, not realizing that the train has left the station an hour ago.

[rickford66]

65. How do you get away with posting this?

I got banned for mentioning that Hillary was once a Goldwater Girl. Why can many of you make disparaging comments about Bernie? If he's irrelevant, why don't you all move on? You may not like it, but he's not doing anything illegal and he's following the rules. He doesn't realize the train already left the station? How did Hillary get on the train?

[cosmicone]

70. For the good of the party, not every obstructionist rule has to be followed

It is all obstructing the democratic party's chances in November by attacking the party or hamstringing it with unpalatable positions for the GE electorate. Why the shenanigans of protesting against your own convention when you had a democratic way of getting what you wanted?

[840high]

78. I care about the good of the country.

[cosmicone]

80. So do Hillary Clinton, Senator Warren and President Obama

No one has an exclusivity on caring for the country and the insinuation that the unnecessary platform fight is about the "good of the country" is pernicious if not downright nefarious.

[Trenzalore]

31. Without doing a google search

Can anyone honestly remember anything in the 2012 democratic platform?

I can understand him fighting on, but not for such a meaningless thing as the platform.

Really should be devoting his energy to the Rules Committee. That is where precedent is set for 2020.

[geek tragedy]

33. Too late for it to matter. He and his movement will not get an ounce of credit

for electoral success in November, regardless of what he does at this point.

[Triana]

97. Maybe 'getting credit' isn't the objective.

Maybe being successful (by actually standing up for the wishes of the majority of the members of the party ie: NO TPP) is the objective.

Sanders strikes me as the type of guy who wants success, not credit. If he succeeds in helping to stop the TPP from passing during the lame duck period post-election, that will be a benefit to all of us.

[Silver_Witch]

101. Did it ever occur to you WE don't want any credit?

[geek tragedy]

103. You will when it comes time to lobby Clinton and Congress.

The LGBT movement threw their weight and money behind Obama, and were in a position to push him hard on their issues. Withdrawing their support--politically and financially--was serious leverage.

[fun n serious]

34. Never.

[aikoaiko]

35. What's your rush? The convention will happen and then it's GE time.

[zappaman]

39. who??

[NastyRiffraff]

45. Hah! Good question

[Hekate]

41. One wonders, doesn't one

[AgingAmerican]

50. Who are these Democrats he is 'campaigning' against?

[fun n serious]

98. DWS

[AgingAmerican]

106. He is backing her Dem opponent

Thats all you have? DWS?

[fun n serious]

110. I have to ask..

Do you plan on voting for Hillary?

[Zambero]

54. He's getting irrelevant fast

The major focus has shifted to the two major candidates. Bernie's supporters are more than capable of weighing in on how a President Trump would would impact this country and humanity as a whole. I am confident that most of them don't want to go there, with or without further instructions from Bernie.

[AgingAmerican]

61. When will you to stop campaigning against Sanders and start campaigning against Trump?

The primaries are over, in case you didn't know.

[Jitter65]

64. I think, never. nt

[Xyzse]

71. He is helping out the Democrats by campaigning for local elections.

In essence, that is working to defeat Trump and improve the general make-up of the Democratic party.

One does not have to brown-nose Hillary to support Democrats. Nor do I think that he should.

I don't see the point of endorsing Clinton as one can support progressive ideals and Democrats as he goes.
Hillary Clinton is not the Democratic party, and if one notes, he attacks unfair policies, as he always has.

I don't see this as helping the campaign whatsoever, merely another call out to those who are having a hard time as is with the idea of voting for Clinton.

Perhaps it is better to discuss how her policies would help the general populace.
If unable or limited in doing that, then concentrate on calling Trump a loser. That should not be too high a bar.

The idea is to bring people to accept her and want to vote for her. This, this merely makes people want to dig in their heels more.
In the end, America will get the President it deserves.

Local is where I think damage can be mitigated and probably the best way to help. That is where I am helping.

So to answer, he is already helping Democrats, and has been for a while. He has attacked Republicans for their policies, as he attacks policies. I guess, it just hurts because some of those unfair policies are being fought for by Democrats as well. It is basically the complaint many Democrats point towards Republicans. (Republicans love America like a child loves their parent, blind, trusting and can do no wrong... Democrats love America like an adult, willing to look at the flaws, and work with them to see how to make things better.) The Democratic party is getting help from Sanders, probably not the help they want, but the help they need.(i.e. Helping Local Races, Endorsing Progressive Candidates that are willing to transform the Democratic party from within, attacking Republican policies, and pointing out where Democrats can do better.)

[Johnny2X2X]

72. He's doing more harm now

I voted for Sanders and have been a supporter of his for a couple decades, but he is causing harm to his cause now. His ideas are as American as apple pie, but this has to stop. At this point he is going to hurt his causes because he is hurting the party he belongs to. He's acting like a spoiled child.

[pnwmom]

79. Hillary is campaigning against Trump every day. Elizabeth Warren,

Tom Perez, Sherrod Brown and others are out there fighting Trump.

President Obama is about to join them.

Bernie's the major figure who hasn't joined them. It doesn't make sense that he wouldn't want to help them fight Trump.

[slipslidingaway]

81. If there are faults in the Dem party they Should be called out ...

in case you have not realized it yet, many long established Dems feel the party is leaving them! He is trying to bridge that gap to make the possibility of voting for Clinton more palatable.

The Dem party is losing it, they are casting aside long time members while doing little to bring in new members.

Warren flipped beliefs so quickly it was as if one was turning a pancake. Sanders rightfully knows that he has also attracted many independent voters and if flipped too soon they will just melt away. But he is also trying to bring about real change, this is not a struggle between Dem and Repub, it is a struggle of power and wealth in both parties against the people.

Sanders understands the incremental changes that are needed, you fight for every last bit you can get and to advance an issue, this is an area in which the Dems are sorely lacking. We should not always bend over backwards and go along with their wishes.

Which Dems fought against invading Iraq, which has now turned the ME into a hell hole with millions affected. Why do they hate us, that was a horrible mistake and No, one cannot just say it was a mistake and move on, those actions have and deep and lasting consequences!

I would think what he is doing should be obvious to most, he called Trump a pathological liar months ago, so please do not pretend that his words are just to tear down Dems, pay attention!!!

But he has some real differences with the way Dems have given lip service to their members and many Dems and Independents do as well, just holding up a D or R banner does not cut it anymore.

If you want to continue and alienate potential voters for the Dem party then continue to espouse these beliefs, but I feel this is the wrong direction.

[Night Watchman]

88. During Hillary's Inagural Adress

[MoonRiver]

92. Let Bernie be Bernie!

Cause, after all, who really cares anymore what he does.

[greiner3]

102. Would this post be removed if I write

Fuck those sentiments. But way to go on reconciliation