• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Democratic Candidates for POTUS, 2016 edition

CantStandYa said:
So much this. Bernie can't win a majority of votes from the people to which his progressive brand has the most appeal, but yeah, he's the more viable general election candidate. Sure.

Ironically, that was the same (wrong) argument Hillary was making in 2008, although hers was banking on the inert racism of the American voting populace.
Click to expand...

Older people and black churchgoers are not very progressive. Well, the black churchgoers are on some things, and the old people are when it comes to things like Social Security, but in general these are not considered progressive voting blocs. Bernie is definitely winning a majority of the progressives.
 
The Democratic party no longer represents the ideals of pretty much anyone who considers themselves a progressive these days. Failing to build coalition within the Democratic party on a progressive party speaks nothing to a candidates progressive bona fides.
 
The Democratic party could nominate a headless store mannequin and it win all of the hard-line Dem votes. Bernie is demonstratably better at getting independent voters to the polls.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
It's no great revelation that Dem establishment voters prefer an establishment candidate

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
myDeaconmyhand said:
The Democratic party could nominate a headless store mannequin and it win all of the hard-line Dem votes. Bernie is demonstratably better at getting independent voters to the polls.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Headless store mannequins have less negatives than the current front runners.
 
Is it time for Sen. Bernie Sanders to drop out of the presidential race?

39% Yes, he has no path to victory

18% No, at least wait until Clinton clinches

39% No, fight on to the convention

4% I’m not sure

Total responses: 582,605 votes

Looks like Bernie has decided to lay off hundreds of his campaign Staff.

Thanks for playing Bern. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
 
Last edited:
During an event Tuesday night, Noam Chomsky was asked about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and said he considered him more of a "New Deal Democrat" than a radical extremist, as some have portrayed him. Chomsky said Sanders’ positions on taxes and healthcare are supported by a majority of the American public, and have been for a long time. He added that Sanders has "mobilized a large number of young people who are saying, 'Look, we're not going to consent anymore.’ If that turns into a continuing, organized, mobilized force, that could change the country—maybe not for this election, but in the longer term."
Click to expand...
http://m.democracynow.org/web_exclusives/2871
 
No surprise, but Bernie Bros like me and Brasky tend to be more intelligent than the rest of you.
Well-educated Americans hold views that put them far to the left of those without college degrees, a divide that has widened over the last 20 years, according to a new study published on Monday by the Pew Research Center.

To be sure, it's true that those with less education have also moved to the left — but not nearly as much as those with postgraduate education.
Click to expand...
A divide among Democrats that Republicans don't share

The growing educational divide is creating a sharp split in the Democratic Party: Nearly half of college-educated Democrats now hold "consistently liberal" beliefs — compared to just 11 percent of those with high school educations or less.
Click to expand...
Meanwhile, Republicans don't appear to have the same educational divides. In general, well-educated Republicans are about as consistently conservative on the issues as Republicans with only high school educations, the study found.

"The gap in ideological consistency among Republicans with different levels of educational attainment is much smaller than among Democrats," Pew notes.
Click to expand...
The gap in the Democratic Party by education level is real, but it's driven by a sharp leftward movement rather than a move to the political center by a key constituency.

The Republicans' fissure over age represents something else altogether: a sharp shift among young conservatives to the political center. And that may be a much more serious long-term problem to the GOP coalition.
Click to expand...
http://www.vox.com/2016/4/27/11511136/democratic-elite-age
 
Something tells me that Bernie's socialism looks a little bit different than Chavez's. Just like there are a wide range of countries operating a market economy.
 
Because with the adjective "democratic" in front of "socialist" it means colloquially (and arguably even in the political science context when distinguishing it from a socialist state with a dominant one-party system) that he adheres to the belief that the capitalistic market should be heavily regulated and the state should be heavily invested in welfare.
 
Maybe he would be better off flipping the order of the two words and saying he believes in a social democracy but that may just be splitting hairs.
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
Because with the adjective "democratic" in front of "socialist" it means colloquially (and arguably even in the political science context when distinguishing it from a socialist state with a dominant one-party system) that he adheres to the belief that the capitalistic market should be heavily regulated and the state should be heavily invested in welfare.
Click to expand...

according to the definition of the terms, your description of Bernie's ideas would make him a social democrat and not a democratic socialist

the key is whether or not Bernie wants government ownership of the major means of production and distribution; if he does, then at this point he is a socialist or as he calls himself a democratic socialist

if he only wants more extensive regulation of the major means of production and distribution, which will remain mostly under private ownership, then he is a social democrat and should call himself that, or simply say that he is in favor of expanding the welfare and regulatory state

I have not listened to Bernie's speeches enough and am not thoroughly familiar with his past positions to say exactly what he is, but in fact he may not be the democratic socialist he claims to be
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top