Posted on 04/30/2015 9:01:32 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Bernie Sanders just announced that he is running for President in 2016.
The conventional wisdom shared not just by conservatives but many Democrats is that self-described socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is so unrepresentative of mainstream American political thought that he cannot pose a serious threat to Hillary Clinton. Its true that the former secretary of state remains the prohibitive favorite to win her partys nomination in 2016, and there isnt much evidence beyond the anecdotal that suggests Democrats are uncomfortable anointing her Barack Obamas chosen successor. That dynamic might change, however, if Sanders runs against Clinton in a manner that former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley has so far refused; seriously and aggressively. He seems inclined to do just that.
Why dont you tell me what Hillary Clinton is campaigning on, do you know? the always agitated Vermont senator told MSNBCs Thomas Roberts earlier this month. You dont know and I dont know and the American people dont know.
Sanders went on in that appearance to mock the medias fascination with the spontaneity of Clintons Midwestern car trip in a vehicle dubbed the Scooby Van. That criticism was proven well-founded when reporters learned that Clintons innovative van trip was merely a reprise of a stunt from her 2000 U.S. Senate campaign that also featured a trip around New York in a van named Scooby.
But Sanders isnt content to make snide remarks and to shame the Clinton-loving press. The Green Mountain State senator is running for president, and the punches he is throwing at Clinton arent feints. He intends to land some blows.
When asked by ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl about the continually evolving tales of financial improprieties out of the Clinton Foundation, Sanders called it a very serious problem.
[A]nybody now who is running for office, with few exceptions, he added after linking the Clinton Foundation to the Koch Brothers’ charities a slur of the first order for the left. I am one of the exceptions.
“I am not going to start a super PAC, the socialist senator added. Im not going to go around the country talking to millionaires. Now I’m saving my time because they wouldn’t give me any money anyhow and that’s fine.
Its that kind of commitment to ideology that will prove frustrating for Clinton who, even her supporters would admit, holds few convictions other than the tenacious embrace of that which is popular in the moment. It was Sanders authenticity that led National Reviews Charles C. W. Cooke to dub Vermonts senator the anti-Hillary.
To those among us who like to bat ideas around, such bluntness represents a welcome change especially given the current alternatives, Cooke glowed after reveling in Sanders dogmatic adherence to the tenets of welfarism. At present, alas, the Democratic primary is being dominated by a corrupt, controlling, soulless, cynical, entitled, and mostly synthetic avatar named Hillary Clinton, and, in consequence, it is almost entirely devoid of ideas.
All told, Sanders is to public policy and professional politicking what Joe Biden is to personality. He is open, blunt, unapologetic, compelling, ready to debate, suspicious of frivolity, and in a culture that loathes frayed edges and rewards aridity and insipidity downright necessary. Democrats who are spoiling for a debate over the future of their party should be thrilled that he has come along.
Even before Sanders formally entered the race, the polls began to suggest that his presence would be welcomed by Democrats. The Democratic firm Public Policy Polling revealed this week that, while 62 percent of Iowas Democratic caucus-goers still back Clinton, Sanders has secured the support of 14 percent of Hawkeye State liberals.
Given the peculiar character of the Democratic race, just being in double digits qualifies a candidate as a legitimate opponent of Clinton, Washington Examiner columnist Byron York submitted. And PPP numbers also put Sanders in double digits in New Hampshire.
Clintons campaign has long been preparing for a serious challenger to emerge and to take the fight against her to Iowa. It was there that enthusiastic liberals unconcerned with such trite matters as electability scuttled her presidential ambitions six years ago, and the memories of that rebuke are still fresh for Team Hillary. At this stage, it seems unlikely that Sanders can not only unite the uncommitted Democratic vote but also chip away at Clintons support to a degree that threatens her candidacy, but he wants to try. And given the kid gloves with which her partys prospective presidential aspirants have handled Clinton, thats saying a lot.
he is a self avowed socialist.
It has to be said - if you had taken Hillary's public stances from when she was First Lady and placed them all next to a blank box, she'd have the Republican nomination locked up today.
How she makes it through the primaries with any competition will solely be because she's a woman, and liberals believe it is about time we have a madam president.
Get ready for a Sanders-Warren ticket. And the DNC will try to paint them as regular, middle class, common sense, middle of the road Americans who can appeal to everyone. That will be the deception.
He’s running as a Democrat. (His proclaimed socialism will be no big deal in the Dem primaries. But he still has to work for any results he gets. It has a lot to do with his ability to raise funds.)
Technically sanders doesn’t qualify to run as a demoncrat because he is officially registered as an independent. I’m sure their rules committee must be looking at this at the hildabeast’s insistence.
“You cannot prove that Hillary has ovaries.”
Who would want to get that close to find out?
I welcome Bernie Sanders’ run. It will prevent Democrats from voting in Republican open primaries.
And I’d love to see Ted Cruz make mush out of Bernie’s ideology, both in ads and the debates.
Of course, if Jeb Bush is the nominee, that’s another story.
I suppose he has a lot of time to switch his registration.
I agree. The 18 - 35 year olds voting in the Democratic primaries will see Hillary Clinton as a rich old white woman with credibility issues. They may agree with much of what Bernie Sanders has to say, but still see him as too old to be president. Martin O'Malley is youthful enough in appearance (especially when standing on the same stage as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders ) and far left enough to attract the millenials and other Democrats.
He claims to be running as a dim. I don”t know how he plans on doing this. I’m sure the dim rules committee would block his running as a dim unless he is one of ‘em.
She will have to turn left. There is a strong current that is foaming to vote for Bernie and Warren.
Probably not much of a problem at all.
He's pretty old.
It should be no problem making his death look like an accident or a heart attack or something...
This ought to be fun.
Go Bernie! Go Martin!
If Hillary has to participate in any Democrat primary debates, she will be much more vulnerable. She will have to do a lot of unscripted talking, defending, and parrying, in high-pressure situations she does not do well in.
It’s a trap!
Agreed. I generally don’t watch the dem’s primary debate but I will be watching anything that makes the Mother-Goddess of All Creation look like a fool.
If Hillary has more than one primary opponent, she will not benefit from being in a crowd scene, either. She will look old and beatable.
Bernie will be stealing the Jebster’s thunder.
That election was also the first mayoral contest after the courts decided college students could vote where they attended school, which allowed Sanders to win. Burlington had almost as many students as residents at that time. I remember seeing this dirty Brooklyn hippy in the park.
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