Vermont poised to elect America's first socialist senator

Gurdian ^ | November 2, 2006

[Lorianne]

Amid the furious debate over Iraq and the speculation that George Bush may be a lame duck after next Tuesday's mid-term elections, an extraordinary political milestone is approaching: a cantankerous 65-year-old called Bernie looks set to become the first socialist senator in US history.

Bernie Sanders is so far ahead in the contest for Vermont's vacant seat for the US Senate that it seems only sudden illness or accident could derail his rendezvous with destiny, after eight terms as the state's only congressman. His success flies in the face of all the conventional wisdom about American politics.

He is an unapologetic socialist and proud of it. Even his admirers admit that he lacks social skills, and he tends to speak in tirades. Yet that has not stopped him winning eight consecutive elections to the US House of Representatives.

"Twenty years ago when people here thought about socialism they were thinking about the Soviet Union, about Albania," Mr Sanders told the Guardian in a telephone interview from the campaign trail. "Now they think about Scandinavia. In Vermont people understand I'm talking about democratic socialism."

[CWOJackson]

"...the first socialist senator in US history."

Too late by many years.

[printhead]

So I guess that oath to uphold the Constitution no longer applies.

[goldstategop]

Bernie Sanders is honest. He says what Democrats really think but are too chicken to tell the American people.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Tzimisce]

Don't they mean "first Openly Socialist Senator"?

[Prost1]

The author knows not about the subject.

A product of public education without merit.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Sad thing is that the socialist saps in VT are voting for this ancient commie reject.

[Jim Noble]

"Twenty years ago when people here thought about socialism they were thinking about the Soviet Union, about Albania," Mr Sanders told the Guardian

When I think about socialism, I think about Indonesia 1965.

Ça ira

[xcamel]

Sanders -- Jeffords --- Micky mouse -- Bozo
all the same in Vermont...

[Vermonter]

What the people of Vermont fail to realize is that Bernie has accomplished absolutely none of the things he's been promising them for 18 years. But he sure talks a good game

[goldstategop]

Yeah Vermont is the People's Republic. He was the state's only congressman for 8 terms. The Green Mountain State is right up there next to Massachusetts for the loons they send up to Congress.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[July 4th]

Say it isn't so!

[Vermonter]

Bernie sold himself to the poor in Vermont by promising them everything they wanted (but he has yet to deliver). Couple that with the full support he gets from Vermont's aging hippie population and he can't lose an election in that state

[Hambone02]

1 Democrat + 1 Socialist = 2 Socialists

Same thing, different names.

Or, am I wrong?

[ChicagoConservative27]

Who is replacing this moron in the house?

[BillyBoy]

The author would be incorrect, a number of admitted socialist candidates have been elected to the U.S. Senate. No person has won for the U.S. Senate running on the Socialist Party ticket itself, and that fact won't change with Sanders election, since the Socialist Party doesn't have ballot access in Vermont. Sanders is running as an "independant"

Incidentially, two people did managed to get elected to Congress on the Socialist Party ticket.

[THX 1138]

Don't they mean "first Openly Socialist Senator"?

Really. This guy is different from your average garden variety 'rat, how?

[goldstategop]

The other half of Vermont's Senate team is Patrick "Depends" Leahy. As a state, Vermont has become a hopeless Massachusetts of the North.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[CWOJackson]

"...from Vermont's aging hippie population..."

So the Free State Project has started?

[MAD-AS-HELL]

I know...what a beautiful state ruined by the clueless hippie generation. I say turn VT into a nuclear waste site.