President Donald Trump

[Bernie Brewer]

There are states in which you have to declare as a Democrat to run in the state's Democratic primary. If you think about it a moment, it doesn't sound like an unreasonable requirement that you belong to the party under whose banner you choose to run.

Some people forget that Bernie signed a declaration that he was a Democrat and stated that he would remain a Democrat after the election. (Update: He did not remain a Democrat after the election.)

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. If you want the financial support that comes from party, then you should have to declare an allegiance to that party. Allegiance is the wrong word, but you get the jest. And, yes I do recall that Bernie "became" a Democrat just to get into the fray with Hillary, but he changed back to Independent for his recent re-election to the Senate.

[swampdragon]

So I asked about this a long time ago in the 2018 election thread, I think.

Before the primaries happened, the knock against Bernie was exactly what you are stating above "He's not even a true Democrat". In fact, he likely is a Socialist just by another name, but Socialist nonetheless. After the primaries happened and during the HRC run, the knock was that he was an "opportunist" and the whole "not a true Dem" disappeared.

My question then was, why the change is how he was being sold/viewed? I asked it multiple times and never got a response from anyone on the left here.

Is it possible that the Dem party has actually moved further left and more into the socialist camp than they ever were? Is it possible that they are moving away from their old core and adopting a younger seemingly much more progressive platform to placate and attract the millenial voters? If so, doesnt that make the DNC the "opportunists?

BG clean out PMs

[Bernie Brewer]

So do you think he deserves a chance on the Democratic ticket or not?

I think if he's disallowed from the primary ticket, then you'll REALLY piss off progressives. Might see a 3rd party tank 2020. That sure would be an unfortunate consequence of the DNC's corruption.

Maybe there will four viable candidates, a Democrat, a Republican (Trump, presumably), a third party Bernie type, and a third party Kasich type. Wouldn't that be fun! I'd be in favor of that and let the best candidate win.

But, the Electoral College, how would that work? Anyone? Could it even work?

I guess it would be like any three way election, if no one gets a majority in the EC, I suspect the House would decide on the next President. Therefore, one would expect the Democrat would be selected as the Democrats will have a majority in the House through 2020, at least. Is this correct?

[Redbirds Fan]

So do you think he deserves a chance on the Democratic ticket or not?

I think if he's disallowed from the primary ticket, then you'll REALLY piss off progressives. Might see a 3rd party tank 2020. That sure would be an unfortunate consequence of the DNC's corruption.

I think he needs to decide if he wants to be a Democrat or not.

I voted for him before, even though I thought he would have a very difficult time of it in a general election. Keep in mind that he never had to face the type of negative campaign that he would have seen had he been the Democratic nominee. For me, though, he was still a better option than HRC, who should not have run in the first place IMO.

I can just stir things up by recounting all the ways Bernie contributed to the Democratic loss in 2016 before he got into gear trying to salvage the sinking boat, but instead I'll just suggest that there may be better options for 2020...younger options with good ideas and less baggage.

[Redbirds Fan]

Maybe there will four viable candidates, a Democrat, a Republican (Trump, presumably), a third party Bernie type, and a third party Kasich type. Wouldn't that be fun! I'd be in favor of that and let the best candidate win.

But, the Electoral College, how would that work? Anyone? Could it even work?

Yes, but you won't like it.

Edit:

From the 12th Amendment:

"The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President."

[Bernie Brewer]

Yes, but you won't like it.

See my edit. I might. If it means a reasonable person is selected.

[Teenwolf]

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. If you want the financial support that comes from party, then you should have to declare an allegiance to that party. Allegiance is the wrong word, but you get the jest. And, yes I do recall that Bernie "became" a Democrat just to get into the fray with Hillary, but he changed back to Independent for his recent re-election to the Senate.

This is exactly the reason the DNC didn't, and doesn't, want Bernie Sanders! He wants to end the corporate financing of elections, he doesn't want the DNC money, and that's exactly what they're afraid of.

So how do you win the nomination for a party you want to fundamentally change so that they're no longer driven by lobbyists? Tough question. But someone needs to remove the mechanisms for corruption, and I dont see any other volunteers.

[Hornsby]

Yet most in hindsight agree that Bernie would have most likely beaten Trump.

No, they don't...most people that I know that are mainstream wouldn't have voted for Sanders, they just didn't see any there there.

[Redbirds Fan]

See my edit. I might. If it means a reasonable person is selected.

Well, we should have nothing to worry about with the U.S. House of Representatives on the job.

[Bernie Brewer]

If anyone wants to have some fun, go back and read the first two pages of this thread. Ah, the simpler times in which we once lived. Life was easier then. It was about crowd size and naming crooks and dopes for Cabinet positions. Better days, better days.

But then again, nothing has really change, we just know more now.

[Bernie Brewer]

Well, we should have nothing to worry about with the U.S. House of Representatives on the job.

I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not!

Here's another thought exercise. What if say three people got approximately the same number of EC votes. So, the House majority picks one of their own, and not a "coalition/compromise" person. Constitutional crisis!

Good times!

[nots]

No, they don't...most people that I know that are mainstream wouldn't have voted for Sanders, they just didn't see any there there.

Boy, I don’t know...got a feeling Bernie’s populist message would have played well in Pa, WI and MI. Maybe he would have lost Florida, Texas and the rest of the south by a lot more than Hillary did, but I think he flips those Midwestern states and would have won in the EC.
Hillary would have won the popular vote by more.

[baldgriff]

No, they don't...most people that I know that are mainstream wouldn't have voted for Sanders, they just didn't see any there there.

SO are you saying if HRC hadnt stolen the nomination and Sanders had been the Pres Candidate with a D next to his name - most of the mainstream people you know would not have voted for him?

C'mon - you have to be kidding yourself.

Were they going to vote Stein? The Green party is further left than the D - so the mainstream isnt going there.
Were they going to vote Johnson? Maybe, but then why would they throw their vote away (as is frequently preached by those on the left if you dont vote D or R)
Were they going to vote Trump? LOL, I sincerely doubt that would have happend - though there were many touting that Trump is more of a D than an R.

Or were they just going to stay home? I suspect most mainstream D's just pull the lever for the person with the D next to their name. Sp Bernie would have had a very good chance to beat Trump.

[Bernie Brewer]

Boy, I don’t know...got a feeling Bernie’s populist message would have played well in Pa, WI and MI. Maybe he would have lost Florida, Texas and the rest of the south by a lot more than Hillary did, but I think he flips those Midwestern states and would have won in the EC.
Hillary would have won the popular vote by more.

I have to agree with Horns on this one. Strange as that may seem.

[The Feral Slasher]

SO are you saying if HRC hadnt stolen the nomination and Sanders had been the Pres Candidate with a D next to his name - most of the mainstream people you know would not have voted for him?

C'mon - you have to be kidding yourself.

Were they going to vote Stein? The Green party is further left than the D - so the mainstream isnt going there.
Were they going to vote Johnson? Maybe, but then why would they throw their vote away (as is frequently preached by those on the left if you dont vote D or R)
Were they going to vote Trump? LOL, I sincerely doubt that would have happend - though there were many touting that Trump is more of a D than an R.

Or were they just going to stay home? I suspect most mainstream D's just pull the lever for the person with the D next to their name. Sp Bernie would have had a very good chance to beat Trump.

Gotta say it is a great alternate universe where the Dems wouldn't support their own nominee so we ended up with Trump. Then we could hear all the whining about how the Hilary supporters wouldn't do what they ought to and vote Bernie to defeat the evil would-be dictator Trump.