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Two hours ago Bill Clinton spoke to a local labor union. The local news station streamed him live for about five minutes......given the talking points, it might as well have been Bernie speaking. Clinton mentioned flat wages, and the system being rigged against the working class.
I've been voting for almost four decades as an independent. Because of support for Bernie I had to register this year with the democratic party. I've never voted for a republic/Tea Party candidate. I've always voted for socialists , green party, and progressive democratic candidates....that after being raised in a rural republican family. After working in a non union print shop with forced 70 hour work weeks, and fighting to unionize, becoming a progressive came natural to me.
I guess I bring all this up to point out that there are still white rural guys, born in the 1950's like me, voting for Bernie. The small New York town I live in is completely divided between Bernie and Trump...I haven't heard a single person mention they're voting for Hillary. Generally the college educated folks are all voting for Bernie.
It's ugly though..I've gotten the finger more than once because of my Bernie bumper sticker. Even some of my friends, guys I grew up with , ask me why I'm voting for a "communist." I tell them to turn off their god damn Fox news and vote for their own best interests, the billionaires don't need anymore of their help. It's like the North and South all over again....and just like that time in history, one side was just flat out wrong!
The declaration of Independence was a progressive movement, favorable to the general population but not impossible to get done despite the well funded opposition.
Misinformation is the biggest obstacle to current progress
The number is actually closer to 43% Thom, and growing. Within the next five years there is expected to be more Independents than Republicans and Democrats combined. The American people are putting down the sugary sweet "red Kool-Aid" Democrat cups and their unsweetend "blue Kool-Aid". They know both political parties are bought and paid for by the same corporate elite; the oligarchs who rule this country now. The media likes to pretend this duopoly is our only choice, but people are waking up. The American realize the system is broken beyond repair, despite the spin and empty promises of "reform" and "change". The two party dictatorship is failing and there's nothing they can do about it.
Decmocrats need to embrace the young. They're not a majority at present. However, if Hiliary wins (and I think her experience far outstrips Bernies'), then the young and all Bernieites should embrace Secy. Clinton. I keep hearing rumblings of "No, Bernie, no voe," from people such as bor'-in-law, a Bostonian suburbanite, that Bernie's the only guy, such that I worry there'd be unity. Bernie has some nice ideas, but things like free college, or Medicare = insuranace for all just won't fly. To me, you want a person who can bridge the gap between Left and Right. Don't think Bernie with his ideas can do it.
I am 72 years young - a small business owner - I've been self-employed for 45 years and have always voted Republican. (Except when I voted for Ross Perot) Last year I switched party affiliations to Democratic, to support Bernie and the revolution. The Republicans have imploded and, with the help of corporate Democrats, gutted the middle class.
All of that said, I don’t care about labels Republican/Democrat – I don’t care about parties – they can all fade into history!
What I care about is treating people fairly and with respect. If the establishment doesn’t see that we cannot continue on the same course that we’ve been on for the last 40 years, they need to be swept aside.
If Bernie doesn’t get the Democratic party nomination – I refuse to reward Hillary and the Democratic party for their stealing the election with my vote. Just say no to business as usual!
My hope is that if the DNC denies the young people and the independents the political revolution we need, Bernie will move to the Green Party – take all of his money and supporters there – and run against Hillary in the general election.
In a 3-way race – Bernie will defeat both Hillary and Trump, both are dispised – then the establishment politicians will fall in line. After all, none of them are leaders.
The declaration of Independence was a progressive movement
Earlier today I spoke with Thom on air about what it takes to revitalize the party. I've been voting as a Dem for 40 years and even I question my loyalty to the party this year, so I understand the lack of trust by Independents.
When it comes to the "Bernie or Bust" voters, don't try to convince them to vote for Hillary IF she becomes candidate. Either they will or they won't. Just plead with them to at least go to the polls and turn Congress around. Every single congressional seat and 32 of the Senate seats are subject to the November vote. We have a chance to send a clear message to whatever candidate finally captures the POTUS seat, as well as the nation. There are a number of important state and local seats as well as referendums that we need to weigh on as well.
Everyone of us needs to be involved at the local level. Go online, download and study the state Democratic party rules handbook. Then find and get involved with your precinct and local (county or city) committee. Now is a good time to get involved to make sure the Democratic platform reflects our principles. But more importantly, we need to be ready to hit the ground running the day AFTER the Presidential election.
If there is one thing In which Hillary exhibits consistency, it's her ability to change her political views. Although Thom said this is what a political leader must do, it tells the people that she does not have their interest at heart and is only willing to do so to acquire more delegates. If the American people are upset with our rigged economy and politics, why would they support a candidate who is endorsed by the S&L, industry, which destroyed our economy, or the fossil fuel industry which is decimating our environment. It infuriates me to see how uneducated and uninformed individuals are, regarding issues like this. Bernie is integral to remedying the current state of our country. He stands to improve on FDR's legacy, and maybe, we Americans can once again prosper.
Hilliary is not going to coalesce the Democratic Party - she is a divider. She has recently begun to depict Bernie as not a true Democrat - worthy of the Democratic nomination - as she has been a "Democrat" her "entire adult life." The Fact is she has been labeled a democrat but has rejected all of the FDR Democratic principles her entire adult life and her handiwork has taken the Democratic party so far right that the only way to describe what she calls a new democrat is republican-lite. In reality Bernie has lived the FDR Democratic values his entire adult life - 50+ years now. So who should really be the Democrati nominee?
The DNC chairperson should be removed immediately
We've been waiting to hear you say something like this for awhile, Thom. Thanks very much. The DNC is so stuck in the mud they've forgotten to look around for help getting the old jalopy out of the rut. They're just pressing on the gas and letting the wheels spin. :/
I agree!! Schultz has unabashedly titled DNC towards favoring Hillary!
I do not think Bernie would accept a VP position because Hillary is too much in debt to the 1% and she will not keep her promises to Main St Americans . Bernie knows this and will instead probably choose to remain a Senator so he can at least strive to keep her from too many power grabs.
IMHO The Chair of the DNC is partially responsible for the Media lack of enthusiasm for Bernie. As often happens the establishment pulls rank and takes unfair advantage of anyone not in the headlines at least est. 20% of the time. Once Bernies message is heard individuals are happy to support Bernie because he shares Main St values and fights for the middle and low income Americans!
If Democrats nominate a fracking, hawkish "free-trade"-supporting neo-liberal, they deserve to lose a generation of voters!
Thom does not understand #BernieOrBust pledge strategy. It's not about the general election. It's #leverage to be deployed by pledge-takers. Want to know one reason Bernie is killing in caucus states? Because our pledge-takers hand out a flyer to those in line to causus telling them about an unwillingness to vote for #CorporateClinton in the general, so they'd better #UniteBehindBernie or else have Trump selecting the next Court nominees. In primary states, we have just begun to fight starting in WI. Want to know why polls have shifted in Bernie's favor the last week? Bernie or bust pledge-takers are getting the word out to all WI voters.
I've requested an interview, so I can explain Bernie or bust to Thom. Keep listening.
If Hillary is the nominee then it is very important for the democratic party to include Bernie's supporters, and to keep the fire burning through the election. I am a Bernie supporter and I believe Bernie will call for their support in if he is not the nominee, to vote for Hillary.
That said, if Hillary is the nominee I would like to see her pick Bernie as the VP and probably as important, the party selects Bernie as the Speaker of the House. That is assuming we take the House back which I believe will be much more likely with Bernie on the ticket, combining the voters for Hillary and Bernie. Bernie could play hard -ass and negotiate this position in trade for not leading the "Bernie or Bust" delegation off a cliff. **Someone please check this out; the speaker can be someone other than a Congress person, but can it be the VP?
Also note that the repugs would probably more likely to work with Bernie than they would with the likely speaker Nancy Pelosi, (who I think they hate).
Obviously the reason the Democratic Party inner circle is indifferent to this influx of new voters is the party's dependence on Republican voter restrictions to minimize the new voters' impact. Here again we see the oppressive reality of governance by one party of two names and how capitalism has ended forever not only the so-called "American Dream" but the U.S. experiment in representative democracy as well.
DNC has already lost my support!
From the beginning the DNC showed a marked preference for Hillary, who is just another lapdog for those old, white, rich men. This should be a wake-up call for everyone who used to think the DNC represented the interests of the people.
When Teddy Roosevelt broke from the Republican party to run as a progressive, he took from about 1/3 to half of the party with him. That's when that progressive era began in earnest. The Republicans have continued to stay with the conservative agenda since that time.
What's intriguing is the Democratic party split with Hillary and the DNC going to the Right while we have this grassroots movement to reestablish a strong progressive force in our political landscape. It's essentially what Teddy R. did in 1912. The only wild card we have are the Trump voters, many who have claimed to be Democrats or former Democrats. Donald is no progressive but he represents a change to the corporate bought government in their opinion.
I believe this is the biggest reason why Bernie, if nominated, will easily win the general election while Hillary doesn't stand a chance. I would never vote for Trump but many of those disenfranchised Democrats who follow him now will if it comes down to Trump vs another corporate government representative such as Hillary.
Franklin Roosevelt adopted the progressive movement that his father started and built a coalition in the Democratic party. This is exactly what will happen if Bernie gets the nomination. Le'ts hope it gets built and lasts. The Democrats haven't only been giving ground to the Republicans, their intentional move to the Right has forced the Republicans to move with ever more obvious leaps and bounds further and further Right.
And if they truly want to grow their own food they need to go to the grocery store and buy it.
And if they truly want to build their own house, they need to hire a contractor and pay him to build it.
If you bought an insurance policy, you were not self insured for what ever that policy covered.
I have had to post a surety bond when self insuring a risk-- maybe that is what is being referred to.
It's time we get serious with Big Coal and all other "self-insured" corporations. If they truly want to be self-insured, then they need to buy the appropriate insurance policy, and pay the premiums. We must never, ever let any other company or corporation claim their own holdings as "self-insurance."
When we - you and I - want to self-insure something, we have to actually BUY A POLICY for whatever worth we intend to insure. I did that once... and I am just a normal, everyday working person." But I shelled out the premiums for a $50K policy! It was hard, but I had to do it. They are 100 times more wealthy than I ever was. Why are they being held to a totally different standard?
This isn't fair. It's time Congress finally gets to work and does something truly constructive, for once.
If congress were a rational body, then many things would be different.
All the best in twisting enough arms to push through a national carbon tax.
However a bit of good news:
new hybrid device shown by computer simulation to extract energy from coal
with major cut in emissions:
http://revolution-green.com/hybrid-system-cut-coal-plant-emissions-half/
ct
Bernie is projected to win, and I hope they are right, but I am sure this law is going to effect turnout, hopefully most of the voters who turn out are for Bernie.
Privatize the profits, screw the environment and the workers.
There is one part of your position that is wrong. Taxes paid to the monetarily sovereign Federal Gov't isn't used to pay anything. Federal taxes are accounted for by the IRS and are then destroyed never to be used again. The Federal Gov't creates dollars ad hoc whenever it pays its bills.