Bullish on Bernie: The Bernie Sanders 2016 Thread

[Frank Newgent]

Possibly, but the similarly nutcase birther crowd did little to damage Obama's chances; so I don't see this as a particularly significant problem. There was a lot of talk about how "unelectable" Obama through much of the run-up; which was effectively negated by a slick and effective PR machine. Sanders already has a strong grassroots support that Obama lacked.

Those of us who have friends who have worked with him need no convincing.

My friend Thom Hartmann has nothing but glowing praise for the man.

You are friends with Thom Hartmann? That is great, I listen to his show often on satellite radio, have heard Sanders on there many times over the years.

To show thanks... here's a picture of my Bali rental car:

 

[Ziggurat]

To show thanks... here's a picture of my Bali rental car:

You put a bumper sticker on a rental car?

Do you plan on removing it before you return the car?

 

[grunion]

Trying to pick up the Balinese voters? Maybe there's something to that Voter Fraud thing after all.

 

[Travis]

I'd vote for Deathmoar The Abominable if it keeps one of the current GOP candidates (who are unambiguously immoral and evil) from winning the White House. Having Sanders as President would be nice but if he in any way allows one of the monsters running on the GOP ticket to win I will never forgive him and in the theocratic dystopian hellhole that would surely follow a Republican win I'd be obligated to seek retribution.

 

[Frank Newgent]

To show thanks... here's a picture of my Bali rental car:

You put a bumper sticker on a rental car?

Do you plan on removing it before you return the car?

Why not? Not like it's a Corvette convertible I take out to get a tan.

Sure, of course I'll remove it next month if that's what Wayan prefers. Though I get the impression he's not a Santorum guy.

 

[Ziggurat]

Why not? Not like it's a Corvette convertible I take out to get a tan.

Sure, of course I'll remove it next month if that's what Wayan prefers. Though I get the impression he's not a Santorum guy.

I don't know anything about Wayan, but if this is a commercial rental vehicle, then the political opinions of the owner aren't the problem, the problem is that subsequent renters may not share those opinions, or even if they do, may not want to broadcast them. If you put a bumper sticker, even an apolitical one, on a Hertz vehicle, I guarantee you're going to get in trouble for it.

 

[Beerina]

You are preaching to the choir.

I just differ in attempts to outlaw spending on political advertisement. I prefer free speech, including watchdogs on that, to a government authorized to restrict it -- it is the "press" of "freedom of speech, and the press", the mechanical, and non-zero-cost means of reproducing and distributing speech.

 

[grunion]

It's not really a freedom of speech issue once their candidate wins. It is buying legislation. But I agree, we are basically on the same side on this issue.

 

[Axiom_Blade]

I'd vote for Deathmoar The Abominable if it keeps one of the current GOP candidates (who are unambiguously immoral and evil) from winning the White House.

I admit I don't understand this point of view at all. I don't view all Republicans as Nazi hell-beasts out to scorch the earth and eat our children. That's Democratic Party propaganda designed to get us to vote for whichever puppet they've propped up for us.

As Peter Camejo once noted, the Republicans are just wrong. The Democrats, on the other hand, are more insidious because they have no platform. They'll go whichever way the wind blows, and the wind from the corporations is 10000x stronger than that from the citizens.

 

[Spindrift]

I admit I don't understand this point of view at all. I don't view all Republicans as Nazi hell-beasts out to scorch the earth and eat our children. That's Democratic Party propaganda designed to get us to vote for whichever puppet they've propped up for us.

They don't all eat our children.

As Peter Camejo once noted, the Republicans are just wrong. The Democrats, on the other hand, are more insidious because they have no platform. They'll go whichever way the wind blows, and the wind from the corporations is 10000x stronger than that from the citizens.

You mean the corporations that Republicans keep wanting to give more tax breaks and relief from regulations? Sounds link they are blowing the Republicans a lot more than the Democrats.

No platform? Really?

 

[ChristianProgressive]

You are preaching to the choir.

I just differ in attempts to outlaw spending on political advertisement. I prefer free speech, including watchdogs on that, to a government authorized to restrict it -- it is the "press" of "freedom of speech, and the press", the mechanical, and non-zero-cost means of reproducing and distributing speech.

Spending money is not "speech". SPEECH is speech. Regulating up to and including out right banning spending any money on political campaigns in absolutely no way restricts the legitimate speech rights of any individual. They can still attend rallys and meetings to speak, blog, write Letters to the Editor, gather in public and private places to discuss issues and candidates, etc.

The only thing campaign spending limits/bans is the use of the "money megaphone" to make certain persons' speech heard louder than other persons' speech.

 

[Frank Newgent]

Why not? Not like it's a Corvette convertible I take out to get a tan.

Sure, of course I'll remove it next month if that's what Wayan prefers. Though I get the impression he's not a Santorum guy.

I don't know anything about Wayan, but if this is a commercial rental vehicle, then the political opinions of the owner aren't the problem, the problem is that subsequent renters may not share those opinions, or even if they do, may not want to broadcast them. If you put a bumper sticker, even an apolitical one, on a Hertz vehicle, I guarantee you're going to get in trouble for it.

The Suzuki will be parked, most likely, for a couple weeks while we go to Australia. Most Westerners hire drivers with a nice new "boss" car, or rent motorbikes, here. Backpackers take the bemo.

But I've always driven myself (and wife) here and have beater-car koneksi... will let you know if the all-knowing invisible hand of free-market capitalism, allocating money and resources most efficiently between market actors, has peeled the obscenity from its rear bumper upon our return.

 

[fuelair]

I'd vote for Deathmoar The Abominable if it keeps one of the current GOP candidates (who are unambiguously immoral and evil) from winning the White House. Having Sanders as President would be nice but if he in any way allows one of the monsters running on the GOP ticket to win I will never forgive him and in the theocratic dystopian hellhole that would surely follow a Republican win I'd be obligated to seek retribution.

And the reason I loathe Ralph Nader regardless of anything good he may ever have done. Anyone running for Dem/Pres . needs to have enough chance to beat any one of the slime called republickers running to be viable.

 

[fuelair]

They don't all eat our children.


You mean the corporations that Republicans keep wanting to give more tax breaks and relief from regulations? Sounds link they are blowing the Republicans a lot more than the Democrats.

No platform? Really?

One detail wrong there - the republicker candidates are blowing the corporation people , not the other way round.

 

[grunion]

One detail wrong there - the republicker candidates are blowing the corporation people , not the other way round.

It is mutual blowage.

 

[BenBurch]

And the reason I loathe Ralph Nader regardless of anything good he may ever have done. Anyone running for Dem/Pres . needs to have enough chance to beat any one of the slime called republickers running to be viable.

Nader is not a nice man on a personal level, what's more. Based on people I know who have had to deal with him.

Bernie is a wonderful guy on the other hand.

 

[BenBurch]

It is mutual blowage.

Or at least, there is a reach-around.

 

[grunion]

A letter from Bernie to supporters:

 

[Mark6]

A letter from Bernie to supporters:

Dear Bernie:

Please join the 21st Century and learn to type.

Supporter

 

[Olowkow]

I have admired Senator Sanders for a long time. He is one of the very few American politicians who tells it like he sees it, rather than what he thinks his public wants to hear. Somewhere along the line, around Reagan's reign, pandering to right wing religious groups became the in-thing for getting votes. Since Sanders is an atheist, none that BS gets in his way, but of course he has none of their support. I will gladly support him, if I think he has a snowball's chance of getting elected, but the non-religious thing is still a pretty powerful negative in the US of A. It's still too early to decide on how much I'll give to his campaign. The priority is preventing a republican from getting into the White House and making life miserable for a lot of us liberals by returning to institutionalized superstition.