General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hillary Throws Shade at Bernie: 'Fundamentally Wrong' About Democratic Party [View all]Kosey
(5 posts)I've been a democrat for 40 plus years. I was proud to support Bernie in the primary. I voted for Hillary in the general.
Let's get history straight...
When the DLC came along, and under the Clinton whitehouse in the '90's, Glass Steagall was eliminated, NAFTA was enacted (what Trump talked about during the election), welfare reform which thrust thousands of women and children into poverty especially in the South. We lost the House after 40 plus years of leadership. We have been losing elections nationally and state-wide since the '90's. Obama was a unique candidate, charismatic and young. He was an exception and probably the only candidate who could win in 2008.
The Democratic party I grew up under, Johnson had the war on poverty and brought us Medicare and Medicaid. Roosevelt Social Security.
The party became the party of Wall Street under the corporatist/centrist democrats and THAT's why so many left the party. The party moved to the right leaving the republicans no alternative but to move further to the right. The birth of the Tea Party is just an ugly statement on the racism and white supremacy which exists in our country and arose when we elected President Obama.
If Bernie had not been in the race, we would have had many more months of republicans beating up on our very weak candidate. The party chose her. That was apparent from the very beginning. Bernie brought her to the left. Unfortunately, people did not trust her...Her statement "I'll release my speeches when everyone else does" is case in point. She was the only candidate giving speeches.
That said, I think she would have been a good president. But please stop beating on Bernie. There is an argument to be made if he was not in the race, she could have lost by an even bigger margin as the democrats would have been silent as the republicans beat up on here for many more months during primary season. Bernie brought necessary debate to the election. Frankly, he brought us closer to core Roosevelt/Johnson principles.
Democrats MUST embrace single payer healthcare and increasing social security. Those candidates who do will be embraced by voters who left the party. And think about this: 47 percent of eligible voters did not vote. They left the parties a long time ago.
People have a right to support the candidate of their choice. Senator Sanders has caucused with the democratic party the entire time he has been in Washington. The democratic party has been very happy to have him do so.