This debate..just wow.
You really need to be at an exceptionally special level of stupid to buy into what these braindead relics are peddling.
Some things I've learned in just 30 mins of watching:
- Everything and everyone except the criminal is to blame for high incarceration rates.
- Wall Street somehow caused the economic collapse of 2008, but never caused any collapses prior to that... And fair repayment will somehow come in the form of free tuition for everyone.
- We are going to reign in the wealthy, but inner city kids will suddenly have lots of jobs to choose from under a Sanders or Clinton presidency.
- The solutions to climate change, in a fantastic coincidence, mirror the same exact dimocrap talking points we've heard for decades.
You really need to be at an exceptionally special level of stupid to buy into what these braindead relics are peddling.
Some things I've learned in just 30 mins of watching:
- Everything and everyone except the criminal is to blame for high incarceration rates.
- Wall Street somehow caused the economic collapse of 2008, but never caused any collapses prior to that... And fair repayment will somehow come in the form of free tuition for everyone.
- We are going to reign in the wealthy, but inner city kids will suddenly have lots of jobs to choose from under a Sanders or Clinton presidency.
- The solutions to climate change, in a fantastic coincidence, mirror the same exact dimocrap talking points we've heard for decades.
Bernie Sanders tells Hillary Clinton 'you're not in the White House yet' in feisty debate
Democratic candidates square off in first debate after game-changing result in New Hampshire
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
By David Lawler, Washington
5:38AM GMT 12 Feb 2016
Rivals spar but don't draw blood in tense debate
Hillary Clinton attempted to blunt Bernie Sanders's momentum in Thursday's debate by painting him as a "single-issue" candidate who would be unable to carry on the legacy of President Barack Obama.
In the first debate after Mr Sanders defeated her in the New Hampshire primary, Mrs Clinton amplified her criticisms of the Vermont senator's ambitious policy platform.
"We should not make promises we can't keep," the former secretary of state said, noting that Mr Sanders economic and healthcare policies "don't add up".
Mr Sanders, for his part, stuck closely to his script. Some of his statements about campaign finance and the big banks seemed to be lifted wholesale from his barnstorming campaign speeches.
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
He did offer a terse reminder, though, when Mrs Clinton discussed what American would like like "when I'm in the White House".
"Secretary Clinton, you're not in the White House yet," he said.
The low blow
Mrs Clinton has been positioning herself in recent days as the rightful heir to President Barack Obama.
She scolded Mr Sanders on Thursday for calling the president "weak" and "a disappointment" in the past.
"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our President I expect from Republicans," she said. "I do not expect it from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama."
Mr Sanders called that "a low blow", and said he had been a long-time supporter of Mr Obama.
"One of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate," he said.
An "historic" night
Mrs Clinton noted that Thursday's debate was the first time a majority of candidates and moderators had been female.
But when asked if he was concerned about "thwarting history" by defeating the first serious female presidential candidate, Mr Sanders trumpeted the historic nature of his own campaign.
"Well, you know, I think, from a historical point of view, somebody with my background, somebody with my views, somebody who has spent his entire life taking on the big money interests, I think a Sanders victory would be of some historical accomplishment, as well," he said.
Bernie Sanders during the PBS NewsHour Democratic debate
Kissinger and Churchill
When asked to name a world leader he admired, Mr Sanders said he had great respect for Winston Churchill's foreign policy, despite the fact that he was "kind of a conservative guy in many respects".
"Nobody can deny that as a wartime leader, he rallied the British people when they stood virtually alone against the Nazi juggernaut and rallied them and eventually won an extraordinary victory," he said.
The senator has no such admiration for Henry Kissinger. He launched into an extended attack on Mrs Clinton for turning to her fellow former secretary of state for advice.
"I find that rather amazing," he said, "because I happen to believe that Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive secretaries of state in modern history."
"Well, I know journalists have asked who you do listen to on foreign policy, and we have yet to know who that is," Mrs Clinton shot back.
"Well, it ain't Henry Kissinger," he replied."
In another tense foreign policy exchange Mr Sanders said leadership was not just about experience, "it's about judgement too".
He suggested, not for the first time, that Mrs Clinton had failed that test because of her vote in favour of the Iraq War.
She responded that she had sufficiently sound judgement to advise Mr Obama to order the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
The final analysis
Mrs Clinton came into the evening with a game plan, and executed it well.
She outclassed Mr Sanders on foreign policy, and letter her inner-wonk out when it came to healthcare and the economy.
What is less clear is how effective her portrayal of Mr Sanders as a "single-issue" candidate will prove.
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton during the Democratic debate
In fact, the single-minded focus of Mr Sanders campaign is what has made it so effective.
He nimbly pivoted back to his central campaign themes of inequality and systemic corruption over and over again.
Both candidates are skilled debaters, but it is unlikely tonight will be remembered as a game-changer.
Democratic candidates square off in first debate after game-changing result in New Hampshire
By David Lawler, Washington
5:38AM GMT 12 Feb 2016
Rivals spar but don't draw blood in tense debate
Hillary Clinton attempted to blunt Bernie Sanders's momentum in Thursday's debate by painting him as a "single-issue" candidate who would be unable to carry on the legacy of President Barack Obama.
In the first debate after Mr Sanders defeated her in the New Hampshire primary, Mrs Clinton amplified her criticisms of the Vermont senator's ambitious policy platform.
"We should not make promises we can't keep," the former secretary of state said, noting that Mr Sanders economic and healthcare policies "don't add up".
Mr Sanders, for his part, stuck closely to his script. Some of his statements about campaign finance and the big banks seemed to be lifted wholesale from his barnstorming campaign speeches.
He did offer a terse reminder, though, when Mrs Clinton discussed what American would like like "when I'm in the White House".
"Secretary Clinton, you're not in the White House yet," he said.
The low blow
Mrs Clinton has been positioning herself in recent days as the rightful heir to President Barack Obama.
She scolded Mr Sanders on Thursday for calling the president "weak" and "a disappointment" in the past.
"The kind of criticism that we've heard from Senator Sanders about our President I expect from Republicans," she said. "I do not expect it from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama."
Mr Sanders called that "a low blow", and said he had been a long-time supporter of Mr Obama.
"One of us ran against Barack Obama. I was not that candidate," he said.
An "historic" night
Mrs Clinton noted that Thursday's debate was the first time a majority of candidates and moderators had been female.
But when asked if he was concerned about "thwarting history" by defeating the first serious female presidential candidate, Mr Sanders trumpeted the historic nature of his own campaign.
"Well, you know, I think, from a historical point of view, somebody with my background, somebody with my views, somebody who has spent his entire life taking on the big money interests, I think a Sanders victory would be of some historical accomplishment, as well," he said.
Kissinger and Churchill
When asked to name a world leader he admired, Mr Sanders said he had great respect for Winston Churchill's foreign policy, despite the fact that he was "kind of a conservative guy in many respects".
"Nobody can deny that as a wartime leader, he rallied the British people when they stood virtually alone against the Nazi juggernaut and rallied them and eventually won an extraordinary victory," he said.
The senator has no such admiration for Henry Kissinger. He launched into an extended attack on Mrs Clinton for turning to her fellow former secretary of state for advice.
"I find that rather amazing," he said, "because I happen to believe that Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive secretaries of state in modern history."
"Well, I know journalists have asked who you do listen to on foreign policy, and we have yet to know who that is," Mrs Clinton shot back.
"Well, it ain't Henry Kissinger," he replied."
In another tense foreign policy exchange Mr Sanders said leadership was not just about experience, "it's about judgement too".
He suggested, not for the first time, that Mrs Clinton had failed that test because of her vote in favour of the Iraq War.
She responded that she had sufficiently sound judgement to advise Mr Obama to order the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.
The final analysis
Mrs Clinton came into the evening with a game plan, and executed it well.
She outclassed Mr Sanders on foreign policy, and letter her inner-wonk out when it came to healthcare and the economy.
What is less clear is how effective her portrayal of Mr Sanders as a "single-issue" candidate will prove.
In fact, the single-minded focus of Mr Sanders campaign is what has made it so effective.
He nimbly pivoted back to his central campaign themes of inequality and systemic corruption over and over again.
Both candidates are skilled debaters, but it is unlikely tonight will be remembered as a game-changer.
- SHARE PICTURE
+15
'Madame secretary, that is a low blow': Bernie Sanders hit back at Hillary Clinton for suggesting he had been disloyal to President Obama in the final minutes of the debate
+15
Hillary Clinton ferociously went after Bernie Sanders as disloyal to the president, as both Democrats tried to woo African Americans, a demographic group that could make or break their bids in upcoming states
+15
She pointed out it's not the first time Sanders has savaged the president and said, that 'I expect from Republicans. I do not expect it from someone running for the Democratic nomination to succeed President Obama'
+15
Democratic U.S. presidential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wave as they arrive on stage before of the start of the PBS NewsHour debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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+15
Hundreds of supporters for or against presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton protested in front of the Helene Zelazo Center for Performing Arts at the UWM campus
+15
Hillary is a criminal: Clinton has been caught offguard by the strength of Sanders' connection to the US people
+15
Gloria Steinem and her husband's former secretary of state Madeleine Albright did her no favors last week when they went after women supporting Sanders instead of Clinton. Steinem said young women were only backing Bernie because the boys are
+15
Supporters for or against presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton protested in front of the Helene Zelazo Center for Performing Arts at the UWM campus
+15
This Is What Democracy Looks Like: Low wage workers are staging a protest near the entrance of the media room at Thursday's Democratic debate in Milwaukee, waving signs about the 'Fight for $15'
[h=1]'Never saw him': Now Bernie Sanders is under attack for lack of civil rights record from congressman veteran of Freedom Rides and March in Washington[/h]
Civil rights leader John Lewis on Thursday dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' 1960s work on racial equality, saying, 'I never saw him. I never met him.'
The Georgia congressman — a stalwart of the Freedom Rides through the South, lunch counter sit-ins and the 1963 March on Washington — raised questions about Sanders' involvement in the movement when the Vermont senator was a college student.
Lewis has endorsed Sanders' chief rival, Hillary Clinton, and his comments come at a critical time as the two White House contenders focus on the upcoming primaries in Southern states with predominantly African-American Democratic voters.
He made the remarks at a Capitol Hill news conference where members of the Congressional Black Caucus' political action committee delivered a full-throated endorsement of Clinton.
+3
All in for Hillary: John Lewis attacked Bernie Sanders as the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed Clinton - and used the press conference to savage the Vermont senator's civil rights record
+3
Battle for black support: Bernie Sanders went to Harlem, New York, on the morning after his New Hampshire victory, to meet the Reverend Al Sharpton for talks with the powerbroker. Sharpton has endorsed neither candidate
On his campaign website, Sanders says he has a 'long history of fighting for social equality and the rights of black Americans — a record that goes back to the early 1960s.'
While a student at the University of Chicago, Sanders was involved in the Congress on Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He also was arrested while protesting segregation.
'I never saw him. I never met him,' Lewis told reporters. 'I chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years from 1963 to 1966.
I was involved in the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma [Alabama] to Montgomery and directed the voter education project for six years. I met Hillary Clinton, I met President Clinton.'
After routing Clinton in New Hampshire by double digits, Sanders met with the Reverend Al Sharpton in Harlem on Wednesday as the two candidates focus on the more diverse electorate of Nevada, South Carolina and the multiple states holding primaries and caucuses in March.
If Clinton solidifies her support among black voters over the next month, she could amass a significant number of delegates in the push toward the 2,382 needed to win the nomination.
+3
Comeback: Securing black votes could help Clinton amass a significant number of delegates in the push toward the 2,382 needed to win the nomination
There are more than 1,400 delegates at stake in states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, and depending on the outcome and proportional allocation of delegates, Clinton could build a comfortable lead.
Wins also could drive superdelegates to her candidacy. She currently leads among those elected leaders and party officials, 362-8.
Lewis and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus said they would fan out in the coming days to campaign for Clinton in South Carolina and other states.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said the PAC board voted overwhelmingly for Clinton. He said she has been 'our partner long-term,' and would help elect Democrats across the board.
Privately, Democrats fear that Sanders as the nominee would lead to major losses in House and Senate races.
In a swipe at Sanders, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the country needs a president 'who doesn't simply campaign and promise wonderful things, things that are politically impossible to achieve.'
Sanders has called for tuition-free college and government-provided health care for all Americans.
Clinton, in thanking the CBC PAC for its endorsement, said the organization knows that 'we need to elect a president who can ... build on the progress we've made under President Obama — not let it get ripped away.'
- John Lewis, the Georgia congressman who was involved in Freedom Rides and lunch counter sit-ins challenges Sanders over record
- He spoke as Congressional Black Caucus endorsed Hillary Clinton amid increasing battle for African-American voters
- Sanders speaks on his website of his commitment to civil rights and tells how he was arrested while protesting segregation
Civil rights leader John Lewis on Thursday dismissed Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders' 1960s work on racial equality, saying, 'I never saw him. I never met him.'
The Georgia congressman — a stalwart of the Freedom Rides through the South, lunch counter sit-ins and the 1963 March on Washington — raised questions about Sanders' involvement in the movement when the Vermont senator was a college student.
Lewis has endorsed Sanders' chief rival, Hillary Clinton, and his comments come at a critical time as the two White House contenders focus on the upcoming primaries in Southern states with predominantly African-American Democratic voters.
He made the remarks at a Capitol Hill news conference where members of the Congressional Black Caucus' political action committee delivered a full-throated endorsement of Clinton.
+3
All in for Hillary: John Lewis attacked Bernie Sanders as the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed Clinton - and used the press conference to savage the Vermont senator's civil rights record
- SHARE PICTURE
+3
Battle for black support: Bernie Sanders went to Harlem, New York, on the morning after his New Hampshire victory, to meet the Reverend Al Sharpton for talks with the powerbroker. Sharpton has endorsed neither candidate
On his campaign website, Sanders says he has a 'long history of fighting for social equality and the rights of black Americans — a record that goes back to the early 1960s.'
While a student at the University of Chicago, Sanders was involved in the Congress on Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He also was arrested while protesting segregation.
'I never saw him. I never met him,' Lewis told reporters. 'I chaired the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years from 1963 to 1966.
I was involved in the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma [Alabama] to Montgomery and directed the voter education project for six years. I met Hillary Clinton, I met President Clinton.'
After routing Clinton in New Hampshire by double digits, Sanders met with the Reverend Al Sharpton in Harlem on Wednesday as the two candidates focus on the more diverse electorate of Nevada, South Carolina and the multiple states holding primaries and caucuses in March.
If Clinton solidifies her support among black voters over the next month, she could amass a significant number of delegates in the push toward the 2,382 needed to win the nomination.
- SHARE PICTURE
+3
Comeback: Securing black votes could help Clinton amass a significant number of delegates in the push toward the 2,382 needed to win the nomination
There are more than 1,400 delegates at stake in states such as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, and depending on the outcome and proportional allocation of delegates, Clinton could build a comfortable lead.
Wins also could drive superdelegates to her candidacy. She currently leads among those elected leaders and party officials, 362-8.
Lewis and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus said they would fan out in the coming days to campaign for Clinton in South Carolina and other states.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said the PAC board voted overwhelmingly for Clinton. He said she has been 'our partner long-term,' and would help elect Democrats across the board.
Privately, Democrats fear that Sanders as the nominee would lead to major losses in House and Senate races.
In a swipe at Sanders, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the country needs a president 'who doesn't simply campaign and promise wonderful things, things that are politically impossible to achieve.'
Sanders has called for tuition-free college and government-provided health care for all Americans.
Clinton, in thanking the CBC PAC for its endorsement, said the organization knows that 'we need to elect a president who can ... build on the progress we've made under President Obama — not let it get ripped away.'
- SHARE PICTURE
+5
Actress Angela Bassett is stumping for Hillary Clinton, speaking before an audience at South Carolina State University on Tuesday
+5
'Independence Day' actress Vivica Fox also campaigned for Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, chatting with supporters at Denmark Technical College on Tuesday while the candidate was still in New Hampshire
Bernie Sanders’s Single-Payer Health Care Plan Failed in Vermont
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...payer-health-care-plan-failed-in-vermont.html
As Dave always says...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...payer-health-care-plan-failed-in-vermont.html
As Dave always says...
James Walsh and Guardian readers
Friday 12 February 2016 16.37 GMT
10 reasons why voters are turning to Bernie Sanders
When we asked our readers who they wanted to see as Democratic candidate, we were deluged with responses – most of them in favour of Bernie Sanders
While it’s still early days in the primary season, Bernie Sanders’ victory over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire has raised hopes among his supporters that the veteran Democratic socialist could be the party’s presidential candidate come November.
Last week, in the wake of the Iowa caucuses, we asked our readers in the US to tell us who their preferred Democratic candidate would be. We received a staggering number of responses: over 12,000, in just a few days. The overwhelming majority told us they were backing Sanders.
Unsurprising, perhaps. Given our readership, it was expected that Sanders would get a strong showing in such a call-out. But the sheer strength of feeling and heartfelt responses reminded us of when we asked our readers about another unlikely candidate: the British Labour party’s Jeremy Corbyn.
Readers flocking to Sanders’ burgeoning campaign rallies found their way to our own inboxes. Reading through the thousands of responses, which came from all States and from people of varied backgrounds and ages, certain phrases and arguments repeated themselves many times. “He’s the last chance to change our country.” “We need a revolution, and he’s the only one that offers something different.” He is “authentic”, has “integrity” and isn’t “owned by Wall Street”.
Here are 10 reasons our readers gave for supporting Sanders over Clinton.
1) He’s seen as a challenge to the status quo...
What came through loud and clear was the fury at mainstream American politics, echoing the populist support for (the really rather different) Donald Trump on the Republican side. Sanders appeals to those who feel the entire democratic system has broken down.
Sanders is representing my interests. For decades American politics have been a sham, elections bought and paid for by special interests and corporations. They have wrecked the environment, caused the biggest financial crisis in history and are using their deep pockets and for profit agendas to marginalize people’s needs even further.
2) ... whereas Clinton is viewed as more of the same
Clinton paints herself as the pragmatist who gets things done, but after New Hampshire she may need to further emphasise her progressive credentials if she’s going to win over those turning to Sanders.
I have no grudge with Hillary Clinton, but she had her chance eight years ago. She is old news, with plenty of controversy, baggage and history that will bring out Republicans in droves to vote against her.
3) Sanders’ consistency is judged a virtue
The phrase ‘flip-flopping’ may bring back memories of John Kerry’s doomed presidential campaign in 2004, but our readers were keen to attach it to Clinton. The consistency of Sanders’ views was seen as a major plus.
I’m tired of the rich getting richer, and having to work harder for less. I saw my parents lose so much of their retirement in the Wall Street crash and no one on Wall Street paid for that. My college education has done me no good but I still have student loans, and none of my kids were able to attend college because of the recession. We deserve change in this country, from someone who has consistently fought that fight.
8) It’s not just about the millenials
We heard from a wide range of Sanders’ backers, from teenagers to octonogenarians. The older voters in particular were keen to emphasise his popularity across the age spectrum.
For many, this is their first foray into politics, the first time they are getting behind a candidate. They’re excited and horrified as they see “I campaign politics as usual”. The people who admonish them forget what it was like when they were that age and their zeal and determination helped to bring about the end of the Vietnam war. And despite what you see on TV or read in the paper, it isn’t only young people supporting Bernie. The media portrays it that way, but it’s much bigger than that. I’m one of Bernie’s older supporters. There are a lot of us too.
9) They see him as a conduit for change rather than a miracle worker
Our readers were keen to emphasise that for Sanders to succeed, it would take a genuine democratic popular movement and grassroots organisation on a huge scale – something that needs to happen now in order to maintain the momentum of his campaign.
Sanders energizes people to get involved. He admits that even as President, nothing will change if the people of the United States don’t get involved to demand change
10) They’re angry as hell
Amid the hope and optimism that Sanders could lead America to a better future, there was much frustration at the iniquities of the US system and the inability of generations of leaders – including Obama – to affect any kind of meaningful change. From NSA surveillance to the bailing out of the banks, Sanders’ campaign is fuelled by plenty of anger.
I became disillusioned with politics watching Nixon go down when I was 16 and discussing it in civics class. The first vote I ever cast was for Jimmy Carter two years later – a man whose personal integrity has been evident to this day. My young hopes and idealism were crushed when he was not reelected. Ever since, I have been forced to choose the lesser of two evils time and time again.
I am no fool. I know that his proposals will be extremely hard to bring about. But I have been waiting all my adult life for another politician with personal integrity, who walks the talk.
Friday 12 February 2016 16.37 GMT
10 reasons why voters are turning to Bernie Sanders
When we asked our readers who they wanted to see as Democratic candidate, we were deluged with responses – most of them in favour of Bernie Sanders
While it’s still early days in the primary season, Bernie Sanders’ victory over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire has raised hopes among his supporters that the veteran Democratic socialist could be the party’s presidential candidate come November.
Last week, in the wake of the Iowa caucuses, we asked our readers in the US to tell us who their preferred Democratic candidate would be. We received a staggering number of responses: over 12,000, in just a few days. The overwhelming majority told us they were backing Sanders.
Unsurprising, perhaps. Given our readership, it was expected that Sanders would get a strong showing in such a call-out. But the sheer strength of feeling and heartfelt responses reminded us of when we asked our readers about another unlikely candidate: the British Labour party’s Jeremy Corbyn.
Readers flocking to Sanders’ burgeoning campaign rallies found their way to our own inboxes. Reading through the thousands of responses, which came from all States and from people of varied backgrounds and ages, certain phrases and arguments repeated themselves many times. “He’s the last chance to change our country.” “We need a revolution, and he’s the only one that offers something different.” He is “authentic”, has “integrity” and isn’t “owned by Wall Street”.
Here are 10 reasons our readers gave for supporting Sanders over Clinton.
1) He’s seen as a challenge to the status quo...
What came through loud and clear was the fury at mainstream American politics, echoing the populist support for (the really rather different) Donald Trump on the Republican side. Sanders appeals to those who feel the entire democratic system has broken down.
Sanders is representing my interests. For decades American politics have been a sham, elections bought and paid for by special interests and corporations. They have wrecked the environment, caused the biggest financial crisis in history and are using their deep pockets and for profit agendas to marginalize people’s needs even further.
- Shaz Plunkett, Los Angeles CA
2) ... whereas Clinton is viewed as more of the same
Clinton paints herself as the pragmatist who gets things done, but after New Hampshire she may need to further emphasise her progressive credentials if she’s going to win over those turning to Sanders.
I have no grudge with Hillary Clinton, but she had her chance eight years ago. She is old news, with plenty of controversy, baggage and history that will bring out Republicans in droves to vote against her.
- Steve Guion, Fairfax, Virginia
3) Sanders’ consistency is judged a virtue
The phrase ‘flip-flopping’ may bring back memories of John Kerry’s doomed presidential campaign in 2004, but our readers were keen to attach it to Clinton. The consistency of Sanders’ views was seen as a major plus.
I’m tired of the rich getting richer, and having to work harder for less. I saw my parents lose so much of their retirement in the Wall Street crash and no one on Wall Street paid for that. My college education has done me no good but I still have student loans, and none of my kids were able to attend college because of the recession. We deserve change in this country, from someone who has consistently fought that fight.
- Danielle Banz, Monroe, Washington
- oberts/NurPhoto/Corbis4) They’re suspicious of Clinton’s ties with Wall Street
Sanders has made plenty of capital – if you’ll excuse the pun – from emphasising Clinton’s close ties with Wall Street. It’s an attack line we’re bound to see repeated in future debates.5) They’re demanding ‘revolutionary’ change...
Sanders is the only candidate who prioritizes campaign finance reform. Hillary Clinton is one of the biggest beneficiaries of our current broken system, and has no reason to change it. If she wins it will be because of Wall Street money. I can’t vote for that.
Clinton has aimed to paint Sanders’ pitch to the nation as unrealistic, but there was a real sense of exhaustion with triangulation and incremental change.
6) ... and they think it’s too late for baby steps
He is the only candidate that is standing for poor and middle income people. With the constant attacks on our pensions, our unions, our health care, our public schools, etc, Bernie is the only candidate that is promising to do something for us: free college, reduction in student loans, health care for all, etc. In addition, he is honest and is refusing to accept corporate or billionaire donations to his campaign
Again echoing Trump’s rhetoric, albeit from a very different political viewpoint, were the readers who felt this is the best chance for a generation to instigate serious change at the top. What Clinton dismisses as unrealistic, Sanders voters view as the last chance for America.
7) Climate change is an existential threat
Money in politics, income inequality, $15 minimum wage, free college, breaking up the banks, holding Wall Street accountable, reforming the criminal justice system: Bernie has vision and is engaging us in the hard work that needs to be done to achieve this progressive agenda, which the Clinton Democrats have tried to convince us is impossible. Nothing is impossible if we come together and demand change. Bernie knows that and the time has come for democratic socialists to share a our vision for our future that will benefit all Americans.
And talking of the urgent need for change, our readers felt no issue is more stark than that of climate change – and that Sanders is the only candidate prepared to tackle it.
I believe that climate change is the worst long-term threat we face and that we must work to combat it by increasing our alternative energy sources.
- Walker Bragman, East Hampton, New York
- Jannike Johnsen, Washington state
- Tenaya Wallace, Los Angeles, California
- Sidney Bennett, Nashville Tennessee
8) It’s not just about the millenials
We heard from a wide range of Sanders’ backers, from teenagers to octonogenarians. The older voters in particular were keen to emphasise his popularity across the age spectrum.
For many, this is their first foray into politics, the first time they are getting behind a candidate. They’re excited and horrified as they see “I campaign politics as usual”. The people who admonish them forget what it was like when they were that age and their zeal and determination helped to bring about the end of the Vietnam war. And despite what you see on TV or read in the paper, it isn’t only young people supporting Bernie. The media portrays it that way, but it’s much bigger than that. I’m one of Bernie’s older supporters. There are a lot of us too.
- Laura Veralli, New York
9) They see him as a conduit for change rather than a miracle worker
Our readers were keen to emphasise that for Sanders to succeed, it would take a genuine democratic popular movement and grassroots organisation on a huge scale – something that needs to happen now in order to maintain the momentum of his campaign.
Sanders energizes people to get involved. He admits that even as President, nothing will change if the people of the United States don’t get involved to demand change
- Jill Kapson, Chicago, Illinois
10) They’re angry as hell
Amid the hope and optimism that Sanders could lead America to a better future, there was much frustration at the iniquities of the US system and the inability of generations of leaders – including Obama – to affect any kind of meaningful change. From NSA surveillance to the bailing out of the banks, Sanders’ campaign is fuelled by plenty of anger.
I became disillusioned with politics watching Nixon go down when I was 16 and discussing it in civics class. The first vote I ever cast was for Jimmy Carter two years later – a man whose personal integrity has been evident to this day. My young hopes and idealism were crushed when he was not reelected. Ever since, I have been forced to choose the lesser of two evils time and time again.
I am no fool. I know that his proposals will be extremely hard to bring about. But I have been waiting all my adult life for another politician with personal integrity, who walks the talk.
- Debra Vogel, Frederick, Maryland
