Poll: Bernie's lack of Congressional endosements...

[MannyGoldstein]

58 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Reflects poorly on Bernie
	3 (5%)
	Reflects poorly on Congress
	53 (91%)
	I prefer not to answer because Greenwald is still out there, alive and well. He's waiting, waiting...
	1 (2%)
	Other
	1 (2%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[JI7]

1. PAY ATTENTION TO ME

[Voice for Peace]

3. I've barely got internet access lately and am missing a great deal

is there some new non-news about Bernie?

[AllyCat]

16. Long list of endorsements for another candidate

Former politicians, current ones, and LOTS of celebrities. Bernie just isn't as well liked in the popularity contest.

[senz]

47. Certainly he's not as well-feared.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Ok, you've got my attention

What's up?

[rhett o rick]

74. There should be a name for the tactic of getting the first response to an OP

and leaving a turd and never coming back. Maybe "Drive-by dumping".

[MannyGoldstein]

75. !!!

[Bobbie Jo]

83. There is

"Nailed it in one."

More like a phrase, but it fits.

No need to come back to the thread at that point.

[rhett o rick]

95. I am glad you brought that up. For some the goal here is to have honest, decent

discussions, but for others the goal is apparently to "nail it". Not sure what that means, but it appears to mean dropping a turd and running, afraid to actually participate in the discussion. And they get extra credit if they can snag the #1 response. I guess it's what one does that can't discuss issues.

It the post is trying to deride Sen Sanders for wanting attention, I have to laugh. As an avid supporter, I hope to hell he is trying to get attention. As I am sure you've noticed, the more attention he gets, the more supporters he gets.

[Bobbie Jo]

96. Wrong

It the post is trying to deride Sen Sanders for wanting attention, I have to laugh. As an avid supporter, I hope to hell he is trying to get attention. As I am sure you've noticed, the more attention he gets, the more supporters he gets.

Seems you've missed the point. The OP (as well as the first post) wasn't about Sanders at all.

How about this post "discussing issues?"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=549169

Funny, I don't see you there wagging your finger.

[rhett o rick]

97. The point of the OP was certainly about Sen Sanders, it even states his name in

the subject line.

I admit I had to guess what the point was from the response. So tell me what you think their point was if not to deride Sen Sanders for wanting attention.

I wasn't aware of the post you linked to but there are many, many threads discussing issues here without one single Clinton supporter participating.

[merrily]

23. Why?

[Autumn]

28. Sorry, was paying attention to Manny. Have you posted an interesting OP I should look at?

[rhett o rick]

73. I would if you really had something to say. nm

[cascadiance]

2. Reflects Corporate money is too afraid of him...

... and will fund heavily those who will endorse Hillary now, and will make sure that others will pay the price if they do endorse him now. The extreme imbalance here makes this being the reason perfectly clear, and perfectly clear why we need to have him elected to help us get money OUT of politics!!!

[lunamagica]

14. Funny they weren't afraid to "pay the price" in '08. They had no problem

endorsing Obama.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. I know, and look at all the banksters and CEOs he locked up.

[Le Taz Hot]

38. They endorsed Obama

because they knew Obama was just as big a corporate shill as Hillary. The .001% didn't care which one of their picks "won." Either way, they'd get the same sweetheart deals, and you know what? They were right.

[lunamagica]

40. But the meme is that "They want Bernie, but are afraid of the Clinton Machine". Obviously

that is not the case.

[Maedhros]

77. I don't read it that way.

I read it as "they are not on the side of working Americans, and Bernie is."

They don't want Bernie to win, because he will try and shut down the corporate money trough.

[1StrongBlackMan]

84. Question ...

I read it as "they are not on the side of working Americans, and Bernie is."

If you really believe that ... why do you think Bernie will be able to get these same legislators to go along with his platform?

[Hortensis]

53. Dealing with the enormous power of Big Money is not being a shill, any more than

working with gravity is. Every president has had to function within great limitations of executive power, and learns them extremely early, but whole books have been written about the ongoing dispersal of power in our era. For instance, a president often can only take steps to help other power blocks pulling the way he wants, and then hope they succeed.

As for Big Money, We the People are helping Big Money infiltrate and corrupt government at all levels. We can stop and undo the mess we have made of what our parents left us, as our grandparents did before that, but it will take time.

Ultimately, though, government corruption is ALL OUR FAULT.

[jeff47]

43. Obama had far fewer endorsements than Clinton in 2008 until he started winning. (nt)

[lunamagica]

54. But Sanders has NOT even ONE congressional endorsment

Obama did. So, no fear of the "Clinton machine"

[jeff47]

57. You mean fear of the Clinton machine that came from those 2008 Obama endorsements?

Time flows in one direction, you know.

[KMOD]

5. It certainly is odd.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. Why haven't members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus endorsed him?

They aren't exactly conservative Dems. Bernie should at least be able to pick up congressional endorsements from them.

Bernie has been in congress for nearly 25 years. If I held a job for nearly 25 years, I would expect some coworkers to provide recommendations if I seek a higher position.

So far Bernie can't even get a single letter of recommendation from his co-workers.

If even his liberal colleagues in Congress won't stick up for him, why should the American people vote for him? How can he get his agenda through Congress?

These are very fair questions.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. ...

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Every year the CPC releases their budget, DU collectively swoons

Now they're all bought off because they won't endorse Sanders?

[beam me up scottie]

11. LMAO!

How adorable! The Hillary supporters thought you were serious.

[senz]

48. Okay. I'm starting to like you almost as much as I like Bernie.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Especially since he was one of the founding members of the CPC.

To me, this is one of the most telling absences from the Sanders candidacy.

The left-wing of the Democratic Party is staying away from this.

Mike Honda and Mark Takano, two of my faves from the CPC from CA, have endorsed HRC.

[JDPriestly]

20. They are scared.

If they had courage, the banks would not have been bailed out without a requirement that they in turn bail out homeowners.

Congress is terrified of change.

Where is the clawback that Nancy Pelosi talked about way back in 2008?

Never happened.

Congress is full of people who are at the same time attracted and frightened by corporate money.

They want to have access to the money themselves, and they are terrified that the money will be used to fund a candidate to run against them in their next election.

Bernie does not play that game.

They don't endorse Bernie for the same reason that they never manage to get enough votes to pass a bill or seriously work to get an amendment passed that would nullify CItizens United.

That's why they don't endorse Bernie. They think it is too risky.

[Starry Messenger]

25. Mark Takano and Mike Honda are not cowards.

Whatever.

[short circuit]

31. Yes they are.

If they were members of CPC, and respect the leader of it, then the endorsement should have been done. As such, Clinton's power holds all, and punishment for those who are disloyal to the Third Way and the Clinton Machine will be severe.

That, and the fact that Congress has one of the lowest approval ratings doesn't help the endorsers. Bernie netting zero endorsements from politiicans tells me he's the PERFECT candidate - clean, honest, a man with integrity, and ready to work for the people of America, not the corporations.

[Starry Messenger]

32. You obviously have not the slightest clue.

[short circuit]

33. Vote at your own peril.

I'd rather vote for Bernie to nullify Republican's power - he has that broad appeal - all political spectrum (Socialists, Greens, Republicans, Independent, Democrats, Liberterians, Communist, etc) to get people to vote for him - he is focusing on the issues that middle class America really needs. What exactly will Clinton be attracting? All I know is that anyone who votes with D next to their name (and yes, Bernie has that -D next to his name on his presidential ballot) will be voted no matter what.

[Starry Messenger]

35. Thanks, I take my right to vote seriously.

Pro-tip: Bernie isn't the leader of the CPC, just for your future reference. Grijalva and Ellison are the joint leadership.

[short circuit]

36. Leader - whoops, I mean the FOUNDER...

More important....

[Ken Burch]

65. It's not like the CPC prefers HRC.

Most likely, they've been told that, if they endorse the Bern and HRC gets the nom, nothing they get passed will ever be signed(or, possibly, ever even get out of committee).

There were virtually no Congressional Dems supporting RFK or any other possible "Dump Johnson" candidate at this point in 1967, either.

[Starry Messenger]

67. What?

Please, if you are going to opine, it always helps to have something to base it on.

If you are going to say you thing the most progressive Dems in Congress are just establishment sell-outs, you should just say it, like the others. But frankly, I am weary of posters who think Hillary wouldn't work with her allies in Congress, no matter who they endorse. That's hardly the history of her political work with the President and his allies after his election.

But you know what? Believe what you want.

[Ken Burch]

68. I wasn't saying they were sellouts

I was saying they could be afraid of LBJ-style payback.

It's not like they've endorsed HRC as a caucus, either.

And there is no good reason, on the merits for the CPC to actually prefer the less-progressive candidate-especially with the polls now showing Bernie to be just as electable as HRC.

[Starry Messenger]

69. I am guessing they disagree about the merits.

At this time, Bernie has garnered no endorsements from his peers in office. And there is no poll that shows Bernie as electable as Hillary.

[wendylaroux]

9. No idea why the Congressional Progressive Caucus has not

endorsed him.Just as long as ordinary citizens keep endorsing him,in higher numbers every week.

[LuvLoogie]

12. It's because they are Democrats, and Bernie isn't.

That's all it is, really. This is for the Presidency, and the Democratic nominee should be a Democrat.

Bernie might win the primaries because the DNC allowed him a stake, but he is outside the party structure--though using it. His MO is to run as a Democrat and decline the nomination if he wins it. Then he runs as an Independent.

The DNC welcomes him because that is the stronger position to take. It holds Bernie to his honor. They do not require his registration as a Democrat because that has to come from him.

It is very telling to the Democratic caucus that Bernie has not become a Democrat. And so, he has no Democratic endorsements.

[short circuit]

34. For the purpose of the Presidential ballot, Bernie *IS* a Democrat

until then, he remains an Independent Senator from Vermont.

[Ken Burch]

72. Bernie has never, ever won and then declined a Democratic nomination. Not once.

Don't lie.

[ms liberty]

37. I'd like to see a link, please...

To the evidence that Bernie has ever run for public office as a Democrat, won the nomination, declined the nomination in order to run for that office as an independent, and as you accuse him by saying it is his MO, please also provide the links to show where he has done it repeatedly.

[LuvLoogie]

61. Okay

http://www.thenation.com/article/why-bernie-sanders-says-dont-underestimate-me/

Sanders played a critical role in forging Vermont’s progressive reputation as an outsider candidate who beat incumbents, won statewide races when Republicans were taking the other top jobs, and upset partisan patterns that once seemed to be locked in stone. He has done so by audaciously challenging both major parties—defeating a Democratic mayor of Burlington in his first winning race and defeating a Republican congressman a little less than a decade later. Sanders has won Democratic primaries several times and then refused the nomination in order to pursue a November run as an independent. Now he seeks to win Democratic presidential primaries in a race with front-runner Hillary Clinton.<<

[Ken Burch]

71. Bullshit. Bernie has already made it clear he won't run third-party in the fall.

He's always been the anti-Nader.

[JI7]

13. i don't think he has asked or tried to get their endorsements

you even see joe biden trying to see if he can get elizabeth warren and other support. but there is nothing to show that sanders has even tried or simply asked.

[jfern]

18. Maybe he's waiting until after the first debate

Of course that's really really late this year as part of the DNC's Clinton frontrunner protection plan.

[JI7]

19. why would he wait for the debates ? HIllary beat Obama at the debates but Obama got almost all

Senators endorsing him.

[tularetom]

21. Hillary beat Obama at the debates?

We must have been watching different debates, in the ones I saw he pretty much wiped the floor with her.

Except for one sarcastic remark he made about her "likeabilty" which came back to bite him in the ass

[merrily]

26. +1 But now, she has a new weapon, JFK's signature hand gesture.

Hey, if it worked for JFK, Bill Clinton and Darrell Hammond, why not?

Clinton thumb. The gesture dubbed the "Clinton thumb" after one of its most famous users, Bill Clinton, is used by politicians to provide emphasis in speeches. This gesture has the thumb leaning against the thumb-side portion of the index finger, which is part of a closed fist, or slightly projecting from the fist. An emphatic, it does not exhibit the anger of the clenched fist or pointing finger, and so is thought to be less threatening.[12] This gesture was likely adopted by Clinton from John F. Kennedy, who can be seen using it in many speeches and images from his political career.[12]

Jerry Weissman also wrote about Bill's likely having "borrowed" this gesture from JFK in his book, The Power Presenter). JFK had used it liberally during his inaugural speech.

[jfern]

22. Hillary really got called out for being a warmonger

for voting for Kyl-Lieberman. Although that was by Gravel.

[merrily]

24. In 2008, many super delegates who had endorsed Hillary switched to Obama.

[LuvLoogie]

64. Obama is a life long Democrat.

[short circuit]

30. No. it tells me Congress would rather be in status quo mode

than to be ready for a change.

If Bernie's in, then there WILL be a change in Congress, beyond gerrymandering holds.

[Voice for Peace]

17. every single person I talk to is voting for Bernie.

kids are registering democratic to vote for him.
this can only get better, as they have nothing better to do
than get their friends fired up too. I'm seeing this in many
places, on many faces. I mention Bernie's name in a public
restaurant, people's ears perk up, they smile, they thumbsup.

Most who listen to Bernie could care less about the stiffs in congress. I think what's being most underestimated is his appeal to intelligent thoughtful realistic conservatives. I know many of them too. Pretty sure they want to keep Hillary out of the white house, and this Sanders guy has been Independent for TWENTYFIVEYEARS

whattarascall


whattasmile

[redstateblues]

29. I still can't believe Nixon won

Everybody I know voted for McGovern

[senz]

52. And we don't want Nixon to win again.

So let's get to work.

[Voice for Peace]

60. boo

[Ken Burch]

70. Not the same thing.

And it's not as if it was obvious from the start that McGovern would lose...or that there was any better possible candidae in '72 once Muskie was smeared and Teddy destroyed himself at Chappaquiddick. Humphrey and Scoop Jackson were unacceptable.

Besides, that was just Pauline Kael who said that line...not McGovern's campaign staff.

[Gothmog]

27. Bernie does not play well with others

Bernie has past very few bills and his fellow members of congress know him best

[frylock]

46. Bernie does not play well because it's not a fucking game.

[Gothmog]

55. If you want to pass legislation, you need to work with other members of congress

Sanders has not passed any significant signature legislation and yet he is can be POTUS???

[frylock]

56. Clinton and Sanders voted alike 93% of the time..

surely, you're not suggesting that Secretary Clinton doesn't play well with others?

[Gothmog]

90. Do you want to compare the number of her fellow members of congress who are endorsing her?

Do you really want to make this comparison??

[frylock]

92. zero fucks given.

[frylock]

87. To reiterate..

Clinton and Sanders voted alike 93% of the time.

[Gothmog]

89. And yet Clinton got bills through Congress

[frylock]

93. And so did Sanders

[Gothmog]

82. No, it is the real world where the people who know Sanders best do not trust him or endorse him

In the real world, you would expect a candidate to be endorsed by the people who work with him or who know him. None of Sanders' fellow members of Congress will endorse him. That is meaningful when you are trying to decide if the person is viable or will make a good POTUS.

[frylock]

86. Yeah, everyone in Congress knows what a great idea it is to cross the Clintons.

blahblahblah real world blahblah.

[Maedhros]

79. What is more important?

"Playing well with others" who are selling us down the river to Wall Street? Or standing up to Wall Street?

How you answer determines if you're Third Way or Progressive.

[Gothmog]

81. Your judgement of me is meaningless

The fact that Sanders can not find one member of congress to endorse him is meaningful in the real world

[Maedhros]

85. It's meaningful.

I just don't think the endorsement of Congresspersons is an indicator of the better candidate.

[Gothmog]

88. You sound like you are supporting a candidate who does not get along with his co-workers

How will your candidate get anything through congress? His record on getting major bills through congress is really bad

[Maedhros]

94. I'm supporting Sanders because his policies across the board

are consistent with my progressive values. I have every confidence that he will follow through on his campaign promises, and if Congressional Democrats don't fall in behind him then we will know them for what they will have demonstrated themselves to be: corporate shills.

Your solution is to elect the corporate shill, so that she can work more effectively with others of her kind. I don't much care for that solution.

[Motown_Johnny]

39. Given the approval rating of Congress.. it may be the best thing for Bernie.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

42. The approval rating for Congress is so low

yet they keep voting them back in!!!

[Uncle Joe]

66. As an institution; their poll ratings are dismal, but the people can't elect

or make decisions on the entire Congress, just their own Senators and Representatives, which of course only make up a small piece of the puzzle.

Everybody is in their own fishbowl and the pathetic regard for the Congress is a reflection of this division.

The string pullers and powers behind the curtain have it worked out to a fine art, keep the people distracted over inane B.S. and the Congress is weakened as a result.

That's why the conglomerated corporate media; as an institution is loath to keep substantive issues front and center, they're too afraid of the American People waking up, smelling the coffee and becoming united against their mega-corporate/oligarch owners.

[cherokeeprogressive]

41. A group of people whose approval rating is in the teens at best? Who gives a FUCK who they endorse?

[Kurska]

44. Needs an option for

"Is a good thing"

Go look at Congress' approval rating.

[frylock]

45. Release the Greenwald!

[whatchamacallit]

49. *HillCo tout their endorsements from the den of thieves aka Congress*

Makes me even more proud of Bernie.

[senz]

50. It's the NEW rightwing meme! Woo hoo!

What it tells us is this: fear (in addition to money) still rules the U.S. legislature.

But Bernie's working on that. Stay tuned.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

51. Well, we can trust congress to do what's best for the country....oh, wait.

"I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring in higher prices than any in the world."

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

Mark Twain

[gollygee]

58. Irrelevant to me

I choose how to vote based on my own beliefs, feelings, opinions. Not those of members of Congress.

[Attorney in Texas]

59. other: doesn't reflect poorly on Sanders who IS more progressive than Congress and does NOT reflect

the status quo so it is completely unsurprising that Sanders would not get their endorsements, and this unsurprising fact doesn't reflect poorly on Congress because they naturally would endorse Clinton who more accurately reflects their views.

The primary race is simple:

if you like the status quo and you would be happy with a third Obama term, Clinton is your candidate (and this generally describes the Democrats in Congress);

if you want something more progressive than the status quo and feel that Obama was more centrist that you had hoped he would be on trade and foreign policy and corporate regulation (including energy and banking), Sanders is your candidate.

[HappyPlace]

62. It proves that our system is broken and corrupted.

We had this problem 8 years ago, too.

Some changed their minds, like Donna Brazile, but endorsing too early, before even one debate, means you don't respect the voters' right to choose and shows you want to curry favor with the candidate.

Screw that.

[mmonk]

76. It let's me know he isn't an insider and have made the right choice.

[in_cog_ni_to]

78. Reflects poorly on Congress.

There's a reason Congress' approval ratings hover between 11%-14%. The country despises them. And rightly so!

[SouthernProgressive]

80. Should break down to the same as who supports who here.

Seems like a thought experiment based in anything but thought.

[Hiraeth]

91. Not surprising from this "do nothing" congress. With Bernie as President they might actually have to

work for living.