Lets Discuss What went wrong with Bernie Sanders' campaign ?
- Thread starter Uno
- Start date
Told you hiring Sirota was a bad move...
politico.com
Staffers lash out in Bernie world meltdown
Long simmering tensions within the Sanders campaign have gone public.
The feud between different factions of Sanders' team made public tensions that had been simmering since the primaries. | AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN
06/03/2020 09:04 PM EDT
Updated: 06/04/2020 10:13 AM EDT
Bernie world is tearing itself apart.
As election results across the country rolled in on Tuesday evening, current and former aides to Bernie Sanders abruptly laced into each other on social media, trading accusations of being “tone-deaf,” not giving “a shyt about the base,” and even stealing infrastructure from the 2020 campaign.
The clashes made public tensions that had long simmered below the surface among different factions in Sanders’ team during the primary. But they also demonstrated how difficult it is for top Sanders lieutenants to control even their own former staffers, which could hamper efforts at party unity during the general election.
For progressives and ex-Sanders staffers worried about how to keep the movement alive after the Vermont senator dropped out of the primary, the feud set off a round of soul-searching since it came against the backdrop of nationwide civil unrest and protests against police brutality.
“The left circular firing squad never rests and never misses a beat squandering an opportunity to get its head out of its ass to actually organize people outside of the cult,” said Jonathan Tasini, the author of "The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America" and a national surrogate for Sanders in 2016. “I just find it sad and head-shaking that this kind of crossfire is coming out now when the progressive movement has the opportunity to talk to millions of people.”
The skirmish began when David Sirota, Sanders’ former speechwriter, took a shot at the policy task forces that Sanders and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden created in hopes of healing party rifts. Ex-campaign manager Faiz Shakir and Analilia Mejia, Sanders’ former national political director, have been in talks about the endeavor with top Biden advisers Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, who is loathed by some progressives for previously consulting with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein about a New York Times investigation, according to a BuzzFeed News report. (SKDKnickerbocker, the firm where Dunn is a partner, said at the time of the article that Weinstein was never a client.)
“I don't know who needs to hear this, but many of us don't want to hear career Beltway political operatives boasting about task forces while this shyt is going on right now,” Sirota tweeted. “Jfc — try to be a little less tone deaf.”
That prompted Mike Casca, Sanders’ current spokesman, to make an explosive charge shortly before 11 p.m. about a progressive newsletter Sirota currently runs, after managing a similar project on the 2020 campaign. The publication offers a paid annual subscription option at a cost of $50.
“[D]amn right,” Casca tweeted, “real change happens when you steal an email list from the campaign and use it to create your own paid newsletter. why can’t anyone see that? anyway, subscribe if you can.”
The sudden remarks exposed the deep frustration among senior Sanders staffers about some ex-aides' second-guessing about the campaign’s mistakes. Along with Casca, Shakir hit back Tuesday at former Sanders aide Winnie Wong, who has been publicly bashing him and senior adviser Jeff Weaver for weeks over their handling of the primary and post-campaign moves.
Wong called Shakir and Weaver “nerds,” adding, “They don't give a shyt about the base. They give a shyt about their political careers INSIDE the beltway. Naming the enemy is a must and I just did it.”
Shakir responded, “I hate engaging, but this is ridiculous. Trump's gassing protesters, but I’m the real enemy. For what? Trying with every fiber of my being to get Bernie elected but coming in 2nd. And then trying to get the 1st place finisher to move in a progressive direction and defeat Trump.”
The rifts between Sanders’ staffers are not new. During the primary, Sirota and pollster Ben Tulchin clashed with Shakir and other top aides over how to defeat Biden. Sirota and Tulchin preferred a more aggressive approach, but Sanders, who has long opposed negative campaigning, declined to take much of their advice. Shakir, who some staffers described as non-confrontational, saw his role as executing Sanders’ vision and followed his boss’ lead.
After Sirota used the campaign’s newsletter in January to promote an op-ed by a Sanders surrogate about Biden’s “big corruption problem,” he was forbidden from traveling on the campaign trail outside of Washington, D.C.
Sirota, who did not provide a comment for the story, has since deleted his tweet about the task forces. Casca did not appear to be referring to Sanders’ vaunted email list of donors, which Sirota did not use for his newsletter, but rather to those who subscribed to the product on the campaign. Sirota, who also put out his own newsletter before he joined the 2020 campaign, told recipients when he started his new newsletter that "if you want to unsubscribe, just go to the bottom of this email and do that."
Casca and Wong declined to comment.
Even Sanders’ closest adviser has become bothered by some of the recent attacks on the campaign. Jane Sanders, Bernie Sanders’ wife, thinks the infighting is counterproductive and inaccurate, especially as it has been directed at Shakir and Weaver, according to a person familiar with her thinking. She believes that if former staffers want to place blame, it should go toward the anti-Sanders PACs, mainstream media and candidates she thinks undermined Sanders, said the source, and that "if there is no recognition of those actions, no acknowledgment of their impact, and no accountability from those who took them, those mistakes will be repeated when the next progressive runs.”
Weaver sought to deescalate the situation Wednesday, saying, “Both [Casca and Sirota] were valued members of the team and they both made incredible contributions to the campaign and I would be pleased to work with either one of them again." He also joked, referring to his comic book shop, “Anybody who’s familiar with Victory Comics knows I’m a nerd. So let me be clear to America: Nerds are not the enemy."
In an interview, Shakir said it was unfair to characterize Sanders’ orbit as being in disarray because “you’re talking about a few isolated staff.”
He added, “I feel proud of the accomplishments of the campaign, and to the extent people want to give motives to what we’re trying to do, I reject it. We’ve been a great team, great effort. We have had disagreements on some things here and there, but [we were] all working hard for the same goal. And it’s just frustrating that there’s some folks out there who want to get attention off of criticisms.”
The timing of Shakir’s comments on social media is notable: Though he still advises Sanders, he said he has not been on the campaign payroll since mid-May.
“Now they don’t have Bernie Sanders telling them that they can’t do it so they’re just doing it more publicly,” another former staffer said of the heated words exchanged between 2020 aides on Twitter.
Staffers rushed to the defense of Shakir and Weaver on social media. Josh Orton, Sanders’ senior adviser, tweeted about Wong’s tweets, “Trump is macing peaceful protesters like a fascist and you name these guys as enemies? The people who did everything to elect a presidential candidate with the most aggressive crim justice plan in history? And you start a super PAC? I love you Winnie but…”
Bill Neidhardt, Sanders’ former Iowa deputy state director, wrote, “In what universe is Faiz the "enemy" here?? Let's beat Trump, not each other.” Wong replied, “The social movement universe - a distinctly different universe than the one you belong too [sic].”
Wong’s allies also stood by her. Claire Sandberg, Sanders’ former national organizing director, said on Twitter, "Winnie is righteous and a true comrade. Not sure who needs to hear that.”
“The fact that during this movement for the left, this unprecedented time, that people who were on the campaign would call Faiz an enemy, it’s deeply frustrating because it’s not only this pointless infighting. But I also think it completely misses the point of where we fell short as a campaign,” Neidhardt told POLITICO. “Limiting the people who are ‘progressive enough’ is the exact opposite of the direction we should go in.”
@wire28 @Th3G3ntleman @ezrathegreat @Jello Biafra @humble forever @Dameon Farrow @Piff Perkins @Pressure @johnedwarduado @Armchair Militant @panopticon @Tres Leches @ADevilYouKhow @dtownreppin214
politico.com
Staffers lash out in Bernie world meltdown
Long simmering tensions within the Sanders campaign have gone public.
The feud between different factions of Sanders' team made public tensions that had been simmering since the primaries. | AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN
06/03/2020 09:04 PM EDT
Updated: 06/04/2020 10:13 AM EDT
Bernie world is tearing itself apart.
As election results across the country rolled in on Tuesday evening, current and former aides to Bernie Sanders abruptly laced into each other on social media, trading accusations of being “tone-deaf,” not giving “a shyt about the base,” and even stealing infrastructure from the 2020 campaign.
The clashes made public tensions that had long simmered below the surface among different factions in Sanders’ team during the primary. But they also demonstrated how difficult it is for top Sanders lieutenants to control even their own former staffers, which could hamper efforts at party unity during the general election.
For progressives and ex-Sanders staffers worried about how to keep the movement alive after the Vermont senator dropped out of the primary, the feud set off a round of soul-searching since it came against the backdrop of nationwide civil unrest and protests against police brutality.
“The left circular firing squad never rests and never misses a beat squandering an opportunity to get its head out of its ass to actually organize people outside of the cult,” said Jonathan Tasini, the author of "The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America" and a national surrogate for Sanders in 2016. “I just find it sad and head-shaking that this kind of crossfire is coming out now when the progressive movement has the opportunity to talk to millions of people.”
The skirmish began when David Sirota, Sanders’ former speechwriter, took a shot at the policy task forces that Sanders and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden created in hopes of healing party rifts. Ex-campaign manager Faiz Shakir and Analilia Mejia, Sanders’ former national political director, have been in talks about the endeavor with top Biden advisers Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, who is loathed by some progressives for previously consulting with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein about a New York Times investigation, according to a BuzzFeed News report. (SKDKnickerbocker, the firm where Dunn is a partner, said at the time of the article that Weinstein was never a client.)
“I don't know who needs to hear this, but many of us don't want to hear career Beltway political operatives boasting about task forces while this shyt is going on right now,” Sirota tweeted. “Jfc — try to be a little less tone deaf.”
That prompted Mike Casca, Sanders’ current spokesman, to make an explosive charge shortly before 11 p.m. about a progressive newsletter Sirota currently runs, after managing a similar project on the 2020 campaign. The publication offers a paid annual subscription option at a cost of $50.
“[D]amn right,” Casca tweeted, “real change happens when you steal an email list from the campaign and use it to create your own paid newsletter. why can’t anyone see that? anyway, subscribe if you can.”
The sudden remarks exposed the deep frustration among senior Sanders staffers about some ex-aides' second-guessing about the campaign’s mistakes. Along with Casca, Shakir hit back Tuesday at former Sanders aide Winnie Wong, who has been publicly bashing him and senior adviser Jeff Weaver for weeks over their handling of the primary and post-campaign moves.
Wong called Shakir and Weaver “nerds,” adding, “They don't give a shyt about the base. They give a shyt about their political careers INSIDE the beltway. Naming the enemy is a must and I just did it.”
Shakir responded, “I hate engaging, but this is ridiculous. Trump's gassing protesters, but I’m the real enemy. For what? Trying with every fiber of my being to get Bernie elected but coming in 2nd. And then trying to get the 1st place finisher to move in a progressive direction and defeat Trump.”
The rifts between Sanders’ staffers are not new. During the primary, Sirota and pollster Ben Tulchin clashed with Shakir and other top aides over how to defeat Biden. Sirota and Tulchin preferred a more aggressive approach, but Sanders, who has long opposed negative campaigning, declined to take much of their advice. Shakir, who some staffers described as non-confrontational, saw his role as executing Sanders’ vision and followed his boss’ lead.
After Sirota used the campaign’s newsletter in January to promote an op-ed by a Sanders surrogate about Biden’s “big corruption problem,” he was forbidden from traveling on the campaign trail outside of Washington, D.C.
Sirota, who did not provide a comment for the story, has since deleted his tweet about the task forces. Casca did not appear to be referring to Sanders’ vaunted email list of donors, which Sirota did not use for his newsletter, but rather to those who subscribed to the product on the campaign. Sirota, who also put out his own newsletter before he joined the 2020 campaign, told recipients when he started his new newsletter that "if you want to unsubscribe, just go to the bottom of this email and do that."
Casca and Wong declined to comment.
Even Sanders’ closest adviser has become bothered by some of the recent attacks on the campaign. Jane Sanders, Bernie Sanders’ wife, thinks the infighting is counterproductive and inaccurate, especially as it has been directed at Shakir and Weaver, according to a person familiar with her thinking. She believes that if former staffers want to place blame, it should go toward the anti-Sanders PACs, mainstream media and candidates she thinks undermined Sanders, said the source, and that "if there is no recognition of those actions, no acknowledgment of their impact, and no accountability from those who took them, those mistakes will be repeated when the next progressive runs.”
Weaver sought to deescalate the situation Wednesday, saying, “Both [Casca and Sirota] were valued members of the team and they both made incredible contributions to the campaign and I would be pleased to work with either one of them again." He also joked, referring to his comic book shop, “Anybody who’s familiar with Victory Comics knows I’m a nerd. So let me be clear to America: Nerds are not the enemy."
In an interview, Shakir said it was unfair to characterize Sanders’ orbit as being in disarray because “you’re talking about a few isolated staff.”
He added, “I feel proud of the accomplishments of the campaign, and to the extent people want to give motives to what we’re trying to do, I reject it. We’ve been a great team, great effort. We have had disagreements on some things here and there, but [we were] all working hard for the same goal. And it’s just frustrating that there’s some folks out there who want to get attention off of criticisms.”
The timing of Shakir’s comments on social media is notable: Though he still advises Sanders, he said he has not been on the campaign payroll since mid-May.
“Now they don’t have Bernie Sanders telling them that they can’t do it so they’re just doing it more publicly,” another former staffer said of the heated words exchanged between 2020 aides on Twitter.
Staffers rushed to the defense of Shakir and Weaver on social media. Josh Orton, Sanders’ senior adviser, tweeted about Wong’s tweets, “Trump is macing peaceful protesters like a fascist and you name these guys as enemies? The people who did everything to elect a presidential candidate with the most aggressive crim justice plan in history? And you start a super PAC? I love you Winnie but…”
Bill Neidhardt, Sanders’ former Iowa deputy state director, wrote, “In what universe is Faiz the "enemy" here?? Let's beat Trump, not each other.” Wong replied, “The social movement universe - a distinctly different universe than the one you belong too [sic].”
Wong’s allies also stood by her. Claire Sandberg, Sanders’ former national organizing director, said on Twitter, "Winnie is righteous and a true comrade. Not sure who needs to hear that.”
“The fact that during this movement for the left, this unprecedented time, that people who were on the campaign would call Faiz an enemy, it’s deeply frustrating because it’s not only this pointless infighting. But I also think it completely misses the point of where we fell short as a campaign,” Neidhardt told POLITICO. “Limiting the people who are ‘progressive enough’ is the exact opposite of the direction we should go in.”
@wire28 @Th3G3ntleman @ezrathegreat @Jello Biafra @humble forever @Dameon Farrow @Piff Perkins @Pressure @johnedwarduado @Armchair Militant @panopticon @Tres Leches @ADevilYouKhow @dtownreppin214
Told you hiring Sirota was a bad move...
Staffers lash out in Bernie world meltdown
Long simmering tensions within the Sanders campaign have gone public.
The feud between different factions of Sanders' team made public tensions that had been simmering since the primaries. | AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
By HOLLY OTTERBEIN
06/03/2020 09:04 PM EDT
Updated: 06/04/2020 10:13 AM EDT
Bernie world is tearing itself apart.
As election results across the country rolled in on Tuesday evening, current and former aides to Bernie Sanders abruptly laced into each other on social media, trading accusations of being “tone-deaf,” not giving “a shyt about the base,” and even stealing infrastructure from the 2020 campaign.
The clashes made public tensions that had long simmered below the surface among different factions in Sanders’ team during the primary. But they also demonstrated how difficult it is for top Sanders lieutenants to control even their own former staffers, which could hamper efforts at party unity during the general election.
For progressives and ex-Sanders staffers worried about how to keep the movement alive after the Vermont senator dropped out of the primary, the feud set off a round of soul-searching since it came against the backdrop of nationwide civil unrest and protests against police brutality.
“The left circular firing squad never rests and never misses a beat squandering an opportunity to get its head out of its ass to actually organize people outside of the cult,” said Jonathan Tasini, the author of "The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America" and a national surrogate for Sanders in 2016. “I just find it sad and head-shaking that this kind of crossfire is coming out now when the progressive movement has the opportunity to talk to millions of people.”
The skirmish began when David Sirota, Sanders’ former speechwriter, took a shot at the policy task forces that Sanders and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden created in hopes of healing party rifts. Ex-campaign manager Faiz Shakir and Analilia Mejia, Sanders’ former national political director, have been in talks about the endeavor with top Biden advisers Ron Klain and Anita Dunn, who is loathed by some progressives for previously consulting with disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein about a New York Times investigation, according to a BuzzFeed News report. (SKDKnickerbocker, the firm where Dunn is a partner, said at the time of the article that Weinstein was never a client.)
“I don't know who needs to hear this, but many of us don't want to hear career Beltway political operatives boasting about task forces while this shyt is going on right now,” Sirota tweeted. “Jfc — try to be a little less tone deaf.”
That prompted Mike Casca, Sanders’ current spokesman, to make an explosive charge shortly before 11 p.m. about a progressive newsletter Sirota currently runs, after managing a similar project on the 2020 campaign. The publication offers a paid annual subscription option at a cost of $50.
“[D]amn right,” Casca tweeted, “real change happens when you steal an email list from the campaign and use it to create your own paid newsletter. why can’t anyone see that? anyway, subscribe if you can.”
The sudden remarks exposed the deep frustration among senior Sanders staffers about some ex-aides' second-guessing about the campaign’s mistakes. Along with Casca, Shakir hit back Tuesday at former Sanders aide Winnie Wong, who has been publicly bashing him and senior adviser Jeff Weaver for weeks over their handling of the primary and post-campaign moves.
Wong called Shakir and Weaver “nerds,” adding, “They don't give a shyt about the base. They give a shyt about their political careers INSIDE the beltway. Naming the enemy is a must and I just did it.”
Shakir responded, “I hate engaging, but this is ridiculous. Trump's gassing protesters, but I’m the real enemy. For what? Trying with every fiber of my being to get Bernie elected but coming in 2nd. And then trying to get the 1st place finisher to move in a progressive direction and defeat Trump.”
The rifts between Sanders’ staffers are not new. During the primary, Sirota and pollster Ben Tulchin clashed with Shakir and other top aides over how to defeat Biden. Sirota and Tulchin preferred a more aggressive approach, but Sanders, who has long opposed negative campaigning, declined to take much of their advice. Shakir, who some staffers described as non-confrontational, saw his role as executing Sanders’ vision and followed his boss’ lead.
After Sirota used the campaign’s newsletter in January to promote an op-ed by a Sanders surrogate about Biden’s “big corruption problem,” he was forbidden from traveling on the campaign trail outside of Washington, D.C.
Sirota, who did not provide a comment for the story, has since deleted his tweet about the task forces. Casca did not appear to be referring to Sanders’ vaunted email list of donors, which Sirota did not use for his newsletter, but rather to those who subscribed to the product on the campaign. Sirota, who also put out his own newsletter before he joined the 2020 campaign, told recipients when he started his new newsletter that "if you want to unsubscribe, just go to the bottom of this email and do that."
Casca and Wong declined to comment.
Even Sanders’ closest adviser has become bothered by some of the recent attacks on the campaign. Jane Sanders, Bernie Sanders’ wife, thinks the infighting is counterproductive and inaccurate, especially as it has been directed at Shakir and Weaver, according to a person familiar with her thinking. She believes that if former staffers want to place blame, it should go toward the anti-Sanders PACs, mainstream media and candidates she thinks undermined Sanders, said the source, and that "if there is no recognition of those actions, no acknowledgment of their impact, and no accountability from those who took them, those mistakes will be repeated when the next progressive runs.”
Weaver sought to deescalate the situation Wednesday, saying, “Both [Casca and Sirota] were valued members of the team and they both made incredible contributions to the campaign and I would be pleased to work with either one of them again." He also joked, referring to his comic book shop, “Anybody who’s familiar with Victory Comics knows I’m a nerd. So let me be clear to America: Nerds are not the enemy."
In an interview, Shakir said it was unfair to characterize Sanders’ orbit as being in disarray because “you’re talking about a few isolated staff.”
He added, “I feel proud of the accomplishments of the campaign, and to the extent people want to give motives to what we’re trying to do, I reject it. We’ve been a great team, great effort. We have had disagreements on some things here and there, but [we were] all working hard for the same goal. And it’s just frustrating that there’s some folks out there who want to get attention off of criticisms.”
The timing of Shakir’s comments on social media is notable: Though he still advises Sanders, he said he has not been on the campaign payroll since mid-May.
“Now they don’t have Bernie Sanders telling them that they can’t do it so they’re just doing it more publicly,” another former staffer said of the heated words exchanged between 2020 aides on Twitter.
Staffers rushed to the defense of Shakir and Weaver on social media. Josh Orton, Sanders’ senior adviser, tweeted about Wong’s tweets, “Trump is macing peaceful protesters like a fascist and you name these guys as enemies? The people who did everything to elect a presidential candidate with the most aggressive crim justice plan in history? And you start a super PAC? I love you Winnie but…”
Bill Neidhardt, Sanders’ former Iowa deputy state director, wrote, “In what universe is Faiz the "enemy" here?? Let's beat Trump, not each other.” Wong replied, “The social movement universe - a distinctly different universe than the one you belong too [sic].”
Wong’s allies also stood by her. Claire Sandberg, Sanders’ former national organizing director, said on Twitter, "Winnie is righteous and a true comrade. Not sure who needs to hear that.”
“The fact that during this movement for the left, this unprecedented time, that people who were on the campaign would call Faiz an enemy, it’s deeply frustrating because it’s not only this pointless infighting. But I also think it completely misses the point of where we fell short as a campaign,” Neidhardt told POLITICO. “Limiting the people who are ‘progressive enough’ is the exact opposite of the direction we should go in.”
@wire28 @Th3G3ntleman @ezrathegreat @Jello Biafra @humble forever @Dameon Farrow @Piff Perkins @Pressure @johnedwarduado @Armchair Militant @panopticon @Tres Leches @ADevilYouKhow @dtownreppin214
Faiz actually wanted to win. And the dismissing of these task forces is easy. But like, the detractors don't have an answer except give up on electoral politics and take it to the streets? Why not do both?
People like Winnie were interested in elevating their brands and the whole socialist labels.
Sirota was a bad hire.
Sandberg's organizing effort was good in smaller states but it didn't mean jack in Super Tuesday. Bernie got duped just like UK Labour did by Momentum.
DrunkerThanAMotherfucker
All Star
Bernie has been an outside and insurgent his entire career. When the ideas & principles he based his career on were centered in mainstream American politics, he was already in his 70s. It was too late for him to build the bridges in Washington that he needed to secure a major party nomination.
It’s pretty clear the young progressive and socialist wing of the American left has some growing up to do, starting with getting out and voting. Additionally, improvements to organizing/strategizing and outreach to other Democratic campaigns are crucial moving forward. I have seen too many leftists that are okay with cannibalizing the entire movement because they can’t handle an immediate loss. Bernie himself did well on the stump trail for Hillary, but his supporters did not. Hillary’s supporters blaming Bernie for Trump’s victory poured gasoline on the fire. The 2017 fight between Keith Ellison and Tom Pérez for DNC Chair + the whole #DemExit movement drove the party adrift.
Sanders attempted to secure a big victory against the established wing of the party in the 2018 midterms with progressive grassroots PACs like Our Revolution, Brand New Congress, and it didn’t come up quite as well he expected. I think this put him even more at odds with the Democratic establishment because they viewed it as a hostile takeover of the party. Sanders’ inability to secure key endorsements sinked him, particularly in areas like the South and also among the 45-64 age population. Conversely, his primary demographic base failed him the most (outside of Latino voters).
With all that being said, Bernie’s vision hasn’t failed. I genuinely believe Bernie thought he could be president, and his conviction is what inspired me to vote for him twice in the primary. However - I have never considered Bernie’s primary motive to be running for president. I think he ran in 2016 to philosophically challenge the party and push the boundaries of the policy agenda and paradigms of the American left, and prove out the concept of campaigns that can financially test standing up against corporate funded super PACs. He was widely successful in that attempt.
Joe Biden is running the most progressive platform of a major party nominated candidate ever, and Bernie is the primary reason why. So while Bernie can’t claim a personal victory, I do believe he will be remembered as the ideological influence of many landmark programs and bills over the next decade in the United States, and a major influence in the history of American politics.
The work moves forward and we have to maintain progress.
It’s pretty clear the young progressive and socialist wing of the American left has some growing up to do, starting with getting out and voting. Additionally, improvements to organizing/strategizing and outreach to other Democratic campaigns are crucial moving forward. I have seen too many leftists that are okay with cannibalizing the entire movement because they can’t handle an immediate loss. Bernie himself did well on the stump trail for Hillary, but his supporters did not. Hillary’s supporters blaming Bernie for Trump’s victory poured gasoline on the fire. The 2017 fight between Keith Ellison and Tom Pérez for DNC Chair + the whole #DemExit movement drove the party adrift.
Sanders attempted to secure a big victory against the established wing of the party in the 2018 midterms with progressive grassroots PACs like Our Revolution, Brand New Congress, and it didn’t come up quite as well he expected. I think this put him even more at odds with the Democratic establishment because they viewed it as a hostile takeover of the party. Sanders’ inability to secure key endorsements sinked him, particularly in areas like the South and also among the 45-64 age population. Conversely, his primary demographic base failed him the most (outside of Latino voters).
With all that being said, Bernie’s vision hasn’t failed. I genuinely believe Bernie thought he could be president, and his conviction is what inspired me to vote for him twice in the primary. However - I have never considered Bernie’s primary motive to be running for president. I think he ran in 2016 to philosophically challenge the party and push the boundaries of the policy agenda and paradigms of the American left, and prove out the concept of campaigns that can financially test standing up against corporate funded super PACs. He was widely successful in that attempt.
Joe Biden is running the most progressive platform of a major party nominated candidate ever, and Bernie is the primary reason why. So while Bernie can’t claim a personal victory, I do believe he will be remembered as the ideological influence of many landmark programs and bills over the next decade in the United States, and a major influence in the history of American politics.
The work moves forward and we have to maintain progress.
Last edited:
I'm fine with the rest of what you wrote but with regard to the bold: C'mom son
@wire28 @Th3G3ntleman @ezrathegreat @Jello Biafra@humble forever @Dameon Farrow @Piff Perkins @Pressure@johnedwarduado @Armchair Militant @panopticon @Tres Leches @ADevilYouKhow @dtownreppin214