Discussion: Sanders: Obama Couldn't Close Gap Between Congress And American People

Yes. But apparently not so disgusted that they are willing to become more engaged and involved in the process. On top of this you have the idiot libertarians and “aspirational” rich conservatives who idiotically side with the monied class who has no interest in expanding their ranks or even raising the country up as a whole if it means they lose even a 1/10th of their well when many could part with half of it and still have lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Sanders needs to stop this. There is no closing this gap. The GOP/Teatrolls have dug trenches and built bunkers and they are 100% recalcitrant and gleefully reveling in their absolutism and intransigence. There’s no magic for breaking that. None. If Sanders or Clinton wins in November, they are going to be dealing with a third term of GOP/Teatroll tantrums and refusal to compromise, and nothing will console, mollify or break them of it. I love ya Bernie, but stop pretending otherwise and proceed instead on a realistic basis.

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The difference is Obama didn’t try to leverage his grass roots organization that got him elected into office - because he never intended to do their bidding.

Obama ran on populist rhetoric to energize and build his organization. He also ran on Wall Street money to pay for building it. That meant that he would do the bidding of the latter over the interest of the former.

This is why he never leveraged those masses.

This is why Wall Street and other BigMoney establishment groups are afraid of Sanders. Sanders didn’t take BigMoney’s money. So BigMoney has no leverage on him. Therefore Sanders has no reason not to use his grass roots organization to leverage congress.

The revolution is coming and it cannot be stopped by legal means.

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That is only true of those of us who were not thrown out of the middle class while Obama was president.

The reason you’re reading so many similar comments is because the anti-Sanders vitriol and “he’s a loon but I really, really mean it when I say I’ll get behind the nominee, whoever it is” has now chased away some pretty insightful, formerly faithful, TPM commenters who don’t want to contribute anymore. By the way, why DID Obama sideline Obama for America after elected? Why did he ask us to petition for what we wanted, not organize? And why did he then ignore the most petitioned items? He expressly requested ( although it might have been Rahm who actually wrote it) in email correspondence to wait and not get involved in health care reform until things shook out. Not. Get. Involved.

Go ahead a praise him as the greatest ever. Or as good as possible. History isn’t that simple.

Ugh, such stupidity. -Pres. Obama wasn’t responsible for the destruction of your life. To say your anger is misplaced doesn’t even come close.

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“The revolution is coming and it cannot be stopped by legal means.”

But the Clinton’s, Big Money and the Establishment will do their best to find a way. Bernie now has their attention. Let’s hope the Revolution survives.

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I really don’t see how any of this amounts to Bernie “trashing” or “slamming” or “dissing” Obama. But I guess I must be missing the secret decoder ring that allows some people to reach such interesting and outrage-provoking conclusions.

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Like I said, this position is coming from a place of privilege. Many Americans live a better life because of the accomplishments of president Obama. When progressives attack Obama as “just another plutocrat” they are shitting on his accomplishments. By attacking such a great man so ignorantly, I question your loyalty to progressive causes. You are more loyal to an idea than to action, to a bumper sticker, than to saving the lives of real people.

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Worse, in both states the total number of participants in the Democratic primary / caucus was smaller than the number participating on the Republican side. So while it’s nice to see we have any enthusiasm at all (if Hillary was running unopposed, how many would bother to turn out?) this isn’t a huge testimony to the potential of his “revolution” IMO.

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HAHAHAHAHAHA… :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Your use of “BigMoney” is so childish it ranks up there with “Banksters”.

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I would support Sanders and even work for him if he were the nominee, but I don’t think he helps himself here.

[Standard Disclaimer: This commenter wishes it to be known that in November he or she plans to vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever that turns out to be, and will encourage their fellow primary candidate supporters to do likewise.]

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Tim, do you support senator sanders? If so, then argue for him. Attacking Obama will not get you votes. Attacking your friends wil lose you votes. Try to convince me, and don’t treat me like a child.

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“That is only true of those of us who were not thrown out of the middle class while Obama was president.”

Not only were they not thrown out but benefited greatly.

The greatest transfer of wealth in American history from the middle-class to the wealthy occurred between 2010 to 2015. There’s nowhere for the president to hide from this fact.

No, Dem voters in NH FAR ounumbered Rep voters. It also far surpassed 2008 Dem turnout. Just because you feel it, doesn’t mean it’s there. (Radiohead)

Good point. But why would they (the 30%) necessarily see that Clinton could or would deliver on many of things that already undergird Sanders’ platform?

Look, I don’t think Clinton is a monster by any means. But there is little in her career or her husband’s to suggest that she is all that liberal and will fight the good fight when necessary. I’m so tired of compromises like what we ended up with after the Wall Street meltdown. Even Obama punted on this with majorities in the House and Senate.

The financial institutions in this country have become the generators of the greatest concentration of unearned wealth while operating with no meaningful accountability. It is not unreasonable to believe that Clinton will never address this no matter how bad it becomes. This is important to Sanders and important to me.

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RIght…DC Comics is who publishes The Green Lantern and associated comics about Green Lanterns. (and Yellow Lanterns,Red Lanterns, Sapphire Lanterns, Blue Lanterns, Orange…etc, etc ,etc.)

The anti sanders vitriol is easy to explain: sanders supporters seem to think that those who disagree are not just opponents,
but inferior. They adopt a tribalism that is off putting.

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Don’t like it when people go after your icon? My point exactly. What have Clinton supporters gained by belittling Sanders, often by playing stupid about his very real life experience, successes, and positions. Everyone has faults. Find the strengths of your candidate. Obama failed to build the party not because he was a bad leader but because it was not one of his priorities.

Check this out:

Now MoveOn and Bernie supporters want the DNC and superdelegates to do for Bernie,what they would not do for Hillary in 2008. I call bullshiite. They were thrilled when HRC won big in Massachusetts,NY,TX and California in 2008 and a big majority of the superdelegates in those states pledged for BHO

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