General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Bernie Sanders lays out bold 10-point plan for Democrats [View all]Tom Rinaldo
(22,919 posts)In short it is to look first to the Democratic Party over the Republicans for policies that tend to support the mass majority of the American public. And look to Democrats whenever possible rather than support a third party candidate Those messages are pitched to Independents rather than to Democratic Party loyalists who almost always take those truths for granted.
Seriously, I don't know why the ranks of Independents keep growing (especially among the young) but they do. Loyal Democrats support Democrats, but loyal Democrats are not even a plurality of the electorate. Sanders, by choosing not to run for President as either an Independent or a Green, tells even idealistic leftist Independents to remain pragmatic enough to work with a coalition that can deliver the goods. By virtue of the choices he himself makes, he steers other non Democrats toward cooperation with the Democratic Party.