Bernie Sanders 2016!

[Kelinfort]

Mainly, yes. But surely it would help if someone brought up an NIT or universal basic income. I don't think he will, but it would be heartening to hear it in the dialogue for the first time sin 1972. It would help phase out the largest Federal entitlements.

He only spouts vaguely populist leftism, y'know, the $15 minimum wage, "fair trade", "anti-NAFTA" nonsense. I can't imagine him starting a constructive debate on economics.

Yeah, I know. Which is why I'll never vote for him.

[SaintB]

I am a huge fan of Bernie. I know he isn't going to win, and I don't think he believes in or even plans on winning.

[British Empire Strikes Back]

I am a huge fan of Bernie. I know he isn't going to win, and I don't think he believes in or even plans on winning.

He plans on winning, he is only running to win, that is his goal and that is what he has already said.

[United Russian Soviet States]

I hope he does not win. Our cause in the Cold War would be ruined if he won. If only people were still weary of communists and socialists. Bernie Sanders is like a Soviet politician. We do not want to become the American Motherland.

I harbor a strong dislike towards Sanders, but I would like some more substance to back up your claim that he is akin to a Soviet. He's a left-wing populist, with good intentions, but terrible ideas. Nothing more than that, really.

He is a democratic socialist like Mikhail Gorbachev.

[MERIZoC]

I harbor a strong dislike towards Sanders, but I would like some more substance to back up your claim that he is akin to a Soviet. He's a left-wing populist, with good intentions, but terrible ideas. Nothing more than that, really.

He is a democratic socialist like Mikhail Gorbachev.

Thats….true. He is akin to a particular Soviet politician, yes.

[Myrensis]

I'm happy to hear this. Although it's unlikely Bernie will win, it will make the debates a lot better and force Hillary to the left.

So that the Democrats lose the election?

It won't really force her to do much. There is a reason why Democrat Primaries aren't full of candidates tripping over eachother to find new adjectives to describe what sort of True Liberal! they are. No 'reform liberals' or 'compassionate liberals' or 'severe liberals'.

The reality for 'true' liberals is that they are, and will be for the foreseeable future, a distinct minority on the American political spectrum.

So their options, in light of a winner takes all first past the post system that entrenches 2 parties, are:

Vote Democrat. Get at least some of their policies, on some level passed, without having to compromise too much on their principles, have reasonable success with getting individual senators/representatives in to at least help shape the debate. (See: Bernie SanderS)

Don't vote/vote 3rd party. Ensure that none of their policies go anywhere, hand victory to Republicans who will push policies diametrically opposed to everything they want and believe in.

[SaintB]

I am a huge fan of Bernie. I know he isn't going to win, and I don't think he believes in or even plans on winning.

He plans on winning, he is only running to win, that is his goal and that is what he has already said.

Everybody who runs says they want to win.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Pre 2008 Obama was certainly more progressive, judging from the little I've read up on him. 2008 Obama was a Centrist at best, though considering the USA had just had 8 years of a far-right Cowboy in charge, I understand why Obama appeared to be on the left.

His Social Liberalism is kind of exaggerated tbh, he was anti gay marriage for ages until he "changed his mind", he's been weak on immigration reform, he's continued neo-con foreign policy, has increased drone strikes, surveillance, etc.

He's less Conservative than the GOP, that's it really.

He also can't even commit to cannabis decriminalization.

That was still a no-go when he was elected, which means that if he's going to come around on it, he has to do it gradually, like when he "evolved" on gay marriage, but everyone knew that he probably didn't give a damn, and was threading a needle between claiming personal disapproval but disapproving of bans in order to keep from alienating the fewest number of voters possible.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

He is a democratic socialist like Mikhail Gorbachev.

Thats….true. He is akin to a particular Soviet politician, yes.

I'm not seeing Sanders as an actual democratic socialist. Like, at all. Social Democrat, yes.

[MC United]

If voting majorities of Yanks were daft enough to put Obama into power for two terms, there's no telling how much farther they'll lurch into left-wing insanity. "President Bernie" just might be the end of the American experiment.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

If voting majorities of Yanks were daft enough to put Obama into power for two terms, there's no telling how much farther they'll lurch into left-wing insanity. "President Bernie" just might be the end of the American experiment.

Left wing insanity? We're to the right of every single Western European nation.

[SaintB]

If voting majorities of Yanks were daft enough to put Obama into power for two terms, there's no telling how much farther they'll lurch into left-wing insanity. "President Bernie" just might be the end of the American experiment.

This attitude. This one right here. This very attitude is what would cause the death of the 'American Experiment'. The attitude that only one attitude is right and everything else will be the destruction of everything you know and love is in fact the only truly destructive attitude because its existence hinges entirely on the destruction of all other attitudes.

[SaintB]

If voting majorities of Yanks were daft enough to put Obama into power for two terms, there's no telling how much farther they'll lurch into left-wing insanity. "President Bernie" just might be the end of the American experiment.

Left wing insanity? We're to the right of every single Western European nation.

And look how terrible Germany and Sweden are!

[United Russian Soviet States]

Thats….true. He is akin to a particular Soviet politician, yes.

I'm not seeing Sanders as an actual democratic socialist. Like, at all. Social Democrat, yes.

They are mostly the same.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

I'm not seeing Sanders as an actual democratic socialist. Like, at all. Social Democrat, yes.

They are mostly the same.

There's a decent difference between full socialism and certain socialistic practices. Enough to note.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Left wing insanity? We're to the right of every single Western European nation.

And look how terrible Germany and Sweden are!

Socialist hellholes, I tells ya.

[Dejanic]

Thats….true. He is akin to a particular Soviet politician, yes.

I'm not seeing Sanders as an actual democratic socialist. Like, at all. Social Democrat, yes.

What it means is that we have a lot to learn from democratic socialist governments that have existed in countries like Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, where all people have healthcare as a right,” Sanders explained when asked by O’Reilly what it means to be a socialist. “Where higher education is free. Where they have strong childcare program. Where they don’t have the massive type of income and wealth inequality that we have in the United States of America.”

Yeah Sanders just seems to view Socialism as the Nordic countries, I really feel like he's just a utopian Social Democrat.

[Dejanic]

If voting majorities of Yanks were daft enough to put Obama into power for two terms, there's no telling how much farther they'll lurch into left-wing insanity. "President Bernie" just might be the end of the American experiment.

Left wing insanity? We're to the right of every single Western European nation.

Except Switzerland and Monaco.

[Sebtopiaris]

Woo! Another oligarch!
This one claims to be a socialist, too. I'll give away one of my kidneys if the old bat supports actual socialism.

[Morr]

Woo! Another oligarch!
This one claims to be a socialist, too. I'll give away one of my kidneys if the old bat supports actual socialism.

He actively opposes the TPP, and all of his funding comes from unions. Those factors alone make me strongly prefer him to Clinton.

I don't think he's a serious socialist, or else he could never have gotten this far, but I do think he can give labor some more breathing room.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Left wing insanity? We're to the right of every single Western European nation.

Except Switzerland and Monaco.

True, but they at least have national health care systems.

[Morr]

Except Switzerland and Monaco.

True, but they at least have national health care systems.

Switzerland doesn't. I don't know if Monaco does, but I doubt it.

[Dejanic]

Except Switzerland and Monaco.

True, but they at least have national health care systems.

Well, Switzerland has a universal insurance model, and Monaco has a public/private mix where only certain procedures are covered without additional insurance, but both systems are infinitely better than the US system, a private system which somehow has more money thrown at it than basically all national systems.

[Dejanic]

True, but they at least have national health care systems.

Switzerland doesn't. I don't know if Monaco does, but I doubt it.

Switzerland has a universal healthcare system, but at the same time its insurance based. Pretty weird tbh.

[Morr]

Switzerland doesn't. I don't know if Monaco does, but I doubt it.

Switzerland has a universal healthcare system, but at the same time its insurance based. Pretty weird tbh.

Switzerland just forces everyone to buy insurance. It's a universal healthcare system, but not really what I'd call a national healthcare system.